Applying principles of Biochemistry for the protection of environment is the main concern of environmental biochemistry. The main themes include managing water quality and air resources, protection from radiation, to maintain industrial hygiene etc. Environmental biochemists employ living organism and their capabilities for such purposes. The pace of change in environmental biochemistry has continued unabated since 1980. This text discusses the nature of these recent changes and developments, without compromising its principal subject matter. While compiling this book, a serious view has been kept in mind that environmental biochemistry is essentially different from biochemistry. Wherever necessary, diagrams and structures of compounds have been used. Biochemistry is a multidiscipline field that studies the chemistry of life processes.

These processes can be loosely divided into the following groups: reactions that are anabolic (build up molecules) or catabolic (break down molecules), chemistry of regulatory pathways (hormones and genes) and the chemistry of cell structure. At the cellular level the reactions include oxidation/reduction reactions, group transfer, hydrolysis, bond making and breaking reactions. On the systemic level the reaction represent pathways and processes in living system that are important in the energy transfer, biological information flow, protein structures, oxygen flow, and catalysis of reactions. These predefined reactions, processes, pathways and systems all function together enabling the living system to function normally. This book attempts to understand the multiple branches that fall under the discipline of environmental biochemistry and how such concepts have practical applications. It is compiled in such a manner, that it will provide in-depth knowledge about the theory and practice of the subject.