Environmental Hazards and Human Health

by Philp, Richard B.

• ISBN13: 9781566701334
• ISBN10: 1566701333
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1995-04-01
• Publisher: CRC Pr I Llc

Summary

The need for government regulation of the use & disposal of toxic chemicals, & the nature of the risk associated with them, is certain to increase over the next few years. Information concerning the hazards of new chemicals will also emerge. The high cost of completely eliminating some synthetic chemicals from the environment makes it essential to have an appreciation of their real, relative risks against the background of natural hazards encountered daily. This text is the only one currently available that addresses these questions & provides a knowledge base of the principles of toxicology (pharmacokinetics & pharmacodynamics, toxicity testing, & so on), describes mechanistically the major natural & anthropogenic toxicants in the environment, & applies this knowledge to an understanding of the nature & extent of risks that are posed to society at large as well as to the work force. This text differs from similar ones by placing xenobiotics of human origin in perspective to naturally occurring ones. Examples of industrial accidents are used liberally, & 24 case studies of toxic reactions, taken from real occurrences, are included. Review questions provide an opportunity for self-evaluation.

Table of Contents

Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Risk Analysis and Public Perceptions of Risk

Water Pollution

Air-Borne Hazards

Halogenated Hydrocarbons

Toxicity of Metals

Organic Solvents and Related Chemicals

Food Additives, Drug Residues and Other Food Toxicants

Pesticides

Mycotoxins and Other Toxins from Unicellular Organisms

Animal and Plant Poisons

Radiation Hazards

Gaia and Chaos: How Things Are Connected

Case Study Reviews