Concepts in Toxicology

by Duffus, John H.; Templeton, Douglas M.; Nordberg, Monica

• ISBN13: 9780854041572
• ISBN10: 0854041575
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-10-01
• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry

Summary

Toxicology has never been more important. Advances in chemistry and technology offering improvements in the quality of human life become ever more rapid, bringing with them the potential for new toxicity hazards. This has led to legislation requiring toxicity testing and risk assessment for all chemicals and their uses. The new REACH (Risk Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) Regulation has profound economic consequences because, without official authorization, a chemical cannot be marketed. This book explains, in depth, the ideas underlying current advances in toxicology and its application in regulating and ensuring the safe use of chemicals. Sometimes old ideas have become assumptions that have become embedded in related laws and regulation, even though the thinking of toxicologists has moved on in line with developments in science. This leads to confusion in public understanding that the book should dispel. There are also fundamental ideas in toxicology that are not well understood concerning the concepts of hazard and risk and even about what constitutes a chemical. For many people the word 'chemical' describes manmade substances only. In fact, it is correctly applied to all substances that exist, from pure elements to the most complex biological molecules in food and medicines. This is further complicated by the complex distinction between the descriptors, 'toxic' and 'nontoxic'. Developments in epigenetics are revolutionizing our understanding of mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. Improved understanding of apoptosis and necrosis leads to improved interpretation of potentially toxic effects at the cellular level. The recently defined term 'chemical speciation' is driving more targeted research on the toxicity of inorganic chemicals. This book explains the concepts implied by key toxicological terms using diagrams to illustrate the relationships between them. It is an essential aid to understanding the new demands from regulators of risk assessment and to the implementation of appropriate risk management.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Structure of the Book	p. 4
Concept Groups
Concepts Applying to Fundamental Principles of Toxicology	p. 13
Exposure and Toxicity	p. 13
Acute and Chronic	p. 14
Interaction	p. 18
Dose	p. 21
Adverse Effect and Toxicity	p. 22
Toxicity Classification, Labelling and Material Safety Data Sheets	p. 26
Terms Applied to Toxic Substances	p. 35
Hazard and Risk Assessment	p. 39
Hazard	p. 39
Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR)	p. 42
Risk	p. 43
Risk Assessment, Risk Management and Safety	p. 47
Concepts Applying to Molecular and Cellular Toxicology	p. 52
Speciation: Chemical and Biological	p. 53
Bioaccessibility and Bioavailability	p. 57
Carrier	p. 64
Biotransformation	p. 65
Reactive Oxygen Species	p. 69
Aerobic and Anaerobic	p. 72
Mutagenicity	p. 78
Carcinogenicity	p. 81
Pharmacogenetics and Toxicogenetics	p. 86
Epigenetics	p. 88
Genomics, Proteomics and Related Terms	p. 92
Apoptosis and Other Modes of Cell Death	p. 96
Concepts Applying to Whole Organism Toxicology	p. 100
Benchmark Concentration and Dose	p. 101
Absorption	p. 105
Compartment	p. 114
Volume of Distribution	p. 116
Half-life	p. 117
Biological Monitoring (Biomonitoring)	p. 120
Local and Systemic Effects	p. 127
Biomarker	p. 128
Deterministic (Nonstochastic) and Stochastic Effects	p. 132
Effect and Response	p. 133
Teratogenicity	p. 134
Reproductive Toxicity	p. 138
Immunotoxicity, Immunosuppression and Hypersensitivity	p. 144
Elimination and Clearance	p. 150
Concepts Applying to Environmental Toxicology	p. 153
Persistence	p. 154
Nanoparticles and Ultrafine Particles	p. 157
Endocrine Modification	p. 161
Rate in Toxicology	p. 164
Ecotoxicology	p. 166
Abbreviations, Acronyms and Initialisms	p. 174
Subject Index	p. 176
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