Aerobiology is the study of airborne organic particulates in the environment, such as bacteria or fungal spores. These can be either naturally occurring or artificially introduced into the air. Some of the toxicological, pharmacological, and physiological effects of bioaerosols include infections, allergies, and cancer. Research efforts in aerobiology range from remediating household mould to combating bioterrorism. This book focusses on the toxicological aspects of aerobiology, considering the adverse health effects associated with the inhalation of specific bioaerosols, such as anthrax and ricin. Additionally, chapters cover techniques for generating, sampling and characterizing airborne biological materials as well as methods for establishing standards of exposure. Moreover, mitigation of exposure and protection against exposure are described. Bringing together the contemporary status of information in the area, this book will be a valuable reference book for pulmonary specialists, general practitioners of medicine, public health and public safety officers, first responders, military personnel, and students studying toxicology and related disciplines.

The tools for detecting false positives, false negatives, and interference in interactions when testing and monitoring therapeutic drug use For physicians monitoring a patient's progress, efficacy of treatment is often linked to a patient's response to medication. Determining whether a patient is taking the prescribed amount, the drug or dosage is effective, or the prescribed medication is interacting with other drugs can be determined through drug testing. Written as a guide for toxicologists, chemists, and health professionals involved in patient care, Resolving Erroneous Reports in Toxicology and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring provides an up-to-date introduction to the tests and methodologies used in a toxicology lab as well as the sources of testing error that can lead to false positives, false negatives, and unreliable conclusions of drug abuse or under use. Covering a host of common therapeutic drugs as well as specific types of interference in immunoassays used in drug testing, the book details a number of possible testing scenarios and problems as well as solutions: * False positive results in immunoassays for drugs in abuse testing * Interferences in immunoassays used for monitoring anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, and digoxin * False positive alcohol tests using breath analyzers and automated analyzers * When a toxicology report is negative in a suspected overdose patient: the world of designer drugs * Effects of drug-herb interactions on therapeutic drug monitoring * Pharmacogenomics and the general principles of genetic analysis * Approaches for eliminating interference/discordant specimen in therapeutic drug monitoring and drugs in abuse testing * What to do in case there is no readily available method for testing Complete with easy-to-read tables and flowcharts, this book helps toxicologists, clinical chemists, clinical pathologists, and forensic pathologists develop accurate, unbiased drug monitoring and toxicology reports. Health care professionals involved in patient care, especially of critically ill patients, will find this guide indispensable in making sure lab tests are reliable enough to provide high-quality care. An indispensable handbook to the entire suite of toxicology lab tests, as well as all the possible sources of testing error, Resolving Erroneous Reports in Toxicology and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring offers clear remedies for eliminating and preventing testing error.

Today, we are surrounded by a multitude of different chemicals that are essential components of our everyday life. As a consequence, there are various hazardous substances like dioxins, phthalates and flame-retardants circulating in the environment. These have an impact on ecosystems, wildlife and possibly human health. In recent years, the phenomenon called endocrine disruption has raised considerable concern. This book discusses the scientific basis of this issue using epidemiological and experimental in vitro and in vivo data about chemicals targeting the hormonal systems. It also provides an up-to-date review of international initiatives (including high-throughput screening, use of model organisms and in silico applications) aiming to screen, detect and functionally test these chemicals. The authors are highly experienced academics and acknowledged experts with both multidisciplinary and international expertise. The book provides an up-to-date, in-depth review of the current field of food safety research describing many of the "hot topics" currently debated. Recent media attention concerning, for example, dioxins in meat and bisphenol A in baby bottles has created a growing interest in food safety-related issues from both consumers and authorities. In addition, European legislation REACH, which requires industry to extensively test chemicals, has led to new initiatives within this area. This book presents a comprehensive overview of the recent international initiatives formed to meet the challenges of environmental pollutants in our food.

Parkinson's Disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. In order to find neuroprotective strategies, a clear understanding of the mechanisms involved in the dopaminergic death of cells that progresses the disease is needed. Oxidative stress can be defined as an imbalance between the production of reactive species and the ability to detoxify them and their intermediates or by-products. Oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA has been detected in autopsies from individuals with Parkinson's Disease and so links can be made between oxidative stress and Parkinson's Disease pathogenesis. This book provides a thorough review of the mechanisms by which oxidative stress and redox signalling mediate Parkinson's Disease. Opening chapters bring readers up to speed on basic knowledge regarding oxidative stress and redox signalling, Parkinson's Disease, and neurodegeneration before the latest advances in this field are explored in detail. Topics covered in the following chapters include the role of mitochondria, dopamine metabolism, metal homeostasis, inflammation, DNA-damage and thiol-signalling. The role of genetics and gene-environment interactions are also explored before final chapters discuss the identification of potential biomarkers for diagnosis and disease progression and the future of redox/antioxidant based therapeutics. Written by recognized experts in the field, this book will be a valuable source of information for postgraduate students and academics, clinicians, toxicologists and risk assessment groups. Importantly, it presents the current research that might later lead to redox or antioxidant - based therapeutics for Parkinson's disease.

Latin America is one of the most diverse but also vulnerable regions in the world that is under continuous anthropogenic pressure due to increasing urban, industrial and agricultural developments. Although there are many research groups studying the impacts caused by those pressures, the results and conclusions obtained by many of them are largely unknown because their studies are mostly published at the local or regional scale. Ecotoxicology in Latin America represents an effort to collect and share research performed in Latin America in the area of ecotoxicology and environmental risk assessment, presenting a collection of relevant and innovative studies focused on the following topics: (i) Contaminant entrance, transportation, distribution and fate; (ii) Environmental risk in freshwater ecosystems; (iii) Ecological risk in coastal zones; (iv) Biomonitoring programs: water, sediment and air; (v) Physiological effects and biomarkers; (vi) Soil ecotoxicology; (vii) Bioaccumulation and human risk; (viii) Toxicity of emerging contaminants; and (ix) Frontiers in Ecotoxicology. This selection of topics aims at covering the most important subjects and applications of ecotoxicology, including classical and novel subjects. Therefore, this book contains chapters related to different environmental compartments prone to contamination (water, sediment, soil and air), to different contamination sources (agriculture, industry, urban discharges and natural emissions), and to multiple biological responses at different organizational levels (individual to ecosystems, including human beings). It is envisioned to have an international projection within and beyond Latin American countries, as it is a great opportunity to increase the networks not only among Latin American research teams working on similar subjects, but also with teams from other regions. The idea of this book was to favor the connection among groups to quickly improve the development of methods and their application in ecotoxicological and environmental risk studies in Latin America. This book will be useful to important sectors of environmental sciences and related areas, and to specific target demographics such as students and researchers acting in environmental studies, and decision-makers (i.e., politicians and environmental organizations). Ecotoxicology in Latin America presents 34 chapters authored by 111 researchers from 12 Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela) and from 6 non-Latin American countries (Austria, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and USA).

Consumer and environmental protection depend on the careful regulation of all classes of chemicals. Toxicology is the key science used to evaluate safety and so underpins regulatory decisions on chemicals. With the growing body of EU legislation involved in chemical regulation, there is a concomitant need to understand the toxicological principles underlying safety assessments Regulatory Toxicology in the European Union is the first book to cover regulatory toxicology specifically in Europe. It addresses the need for a wider understanding of the principles of regulatory toxicology and their application and presents the relationship between toxicology and legislative processes in regulating chemical commodities across Europe. This title has a broad scope, covering historical and current chemical regulation in Europe, the role of European agencies and institutions, and also the use of toxicology data for important classes of chemicals, including human and veterinary medicines, animal feed and food additives, biocides, pesticides and nanomaterials. This book is therefore extremely pertinent and timely in the toxicology field at present. This book is an essential reference for regulatory authorities, industrialists, academics, undergraduates and postgraduates working within safety and hazards, toxicology, the biological sciences, and the medicinal and pharmaceutical sciences across the European Union.

The rapid expansion of the nanotechnology field raises concerns, like any new technology, about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials. This book addresses the gaps relating to health and safety issues of this field and aims to bring together fragmented knowledge on nanosafety. Not only do chapters address conventional toxicity issues, but also more recent developments such as food borne nanoparticles, life cycle analysis of nanoparticles and nano ethics. In addition, the authors discuss the environmental impact of nanotechnologies as well as safety guidelines and ethical issues surrounding the use of nanoparticles. In particular this book presents a unique compilation of experimental and computational perspectives and illustrates the use of computational models as a support for experimental work. Nanotoxicology: Experimental and Computational Perspectives is aimed towards postgraduates, academics, and practicing industry professionals. This highly comprehensive review also serves as an excellent foundation for undergraduate students and researchers new to nanotechnology and nanotoxicology. It is of particular value to toxicologists working in nanotechnology, chemical risk assessment, food science, environmental, safety, chemical engineering, the biological sciences and pharmaceutical research.

Ultrafiltration technology has been widely used in many fields such as water purification, chemical separation, pharmaceutical production, food processing, seawater desalination pre-treatment, and more. This book provides new research on the processes and uses of ultrafiltration. Chapter One reviews the preparation and application of hollow fibre ultrafiltration membrane. Chapter Two details the ultrafiltration of surfactin (lipopeptide), one of the most well-known biosurfactants and suggests a similar process for mannosylerythritol lipids (glycolipid), one of the most prominent biosurfactants. Chapter Three provides an overview on ultrafiltration in food processing. Chapter Four addresses a suitable methodology for fouling control on an ultrafiltration membrane. Chapter Five discusses the effect of anions on the removal of mercury(II) using FeS-supported crossflow ultrafiltration.

This glossary addresses the need for harmonised toxicology terminology. Fully comprehensive and rigorously reviewed by IUPAC Committees, it serves as the reference glossary for students and researchers in toxicology, and those involved in chemicals legislation, regulation and risk assessment. Toxicology uses terminology from chemistry, medicine, geology, botany, zoology, ecology, and veterinary medicine, as well as some legal terms. Toxicology has become crucial to global trade in chemicals as legislation is increasingly co-ordinated around the world and is based on the classification of toxicity. Consistent terminology is crucial for effective legislation and trade in the modern world.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not conducted a recent evaluation of demand for Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) toxicity assessments with input from users inside and outside EPA. The health effects information in IRIS provides fundamental scientific information EPA needs to develop human health risk assessments. Specifically, EPA issued a needs assessment report in 2003, which estimated that 50 new or updated IRIS toxicity assessments were needed each year to meet users' needs. This book determines the extent to which EPA has evaluated demand for IRIS toxicity assessments from users inside and outside EPA; EPA's process for nominating and selecting chemicals for IRIS toxicity assessment and strategies for addressing any unmet agency needs when IRIS toxicity assessments are not available, applicable, or current.

High dilution effects constitute a major problem on the frontier of biophysics. The reported effects on simple and complex biological systems range from in vitro and in vivo models to cellular metabolism regulation, the immune system, the nervous system, intoxicated organs and organisms, and developmental models. The physical properties of high dilutions have been considered, such as the organization properties of water molecules in the presence and after the presence of solute molecules, the energy characteristics of empty and full water clusters, and their dynamical interactions with proteins. Among the mechanisms responsible for the high dilution effects, a non-molecular transfer of information has been hypothesized.

A xenobiotic is a chemical which is found in an organism but which is not normally produced or expected to be present in it. Specifically, drugs such as antibiotics are xenobiotics in humans because the human body does not produce them itself. In this new book, the authors present current research on xenobiotics including the potential effects of toxic agents on immune system function; medical strategies to prevent adverse effects of PAH-like anthropogenic xenobiotics; organophosphorus pesticides as dangerous xenobiotics for aquatic environments and phytoremediation for removal of organic xenobiotics from water.

Insects are more similar in structure and physiology to mammals than plants or fungi. Consequently, insecticides are often of greater toxicity to mammals than herbicides. This is particularly the case with neurotoxins. However, some insecticides are targeted at structures or hormonal systems specific to insects (insect growth regulators/chitin synthesis inhibitors) so are less harmful but can still be mildly haematotoxic. There are, therefore, issues specific to insecticides, which do not occur with other pesticides - hence the need for a book specifically on insecticide toxicology in mammals. The book starts with general issues relating to the mammalian toxicity of insecticides, including target/non-target specificity, nomenclature and metabolism of insecticides. It then goes on to discuss specific types of insecticides including: organochlorines; anticholinesterases; pyrethrum and synthetic pyrethroids; nicotine and the neonicotinoids; insect growth regulators/ecdysone agonists/chitin synthesis inhibitors; insecticides of natural origin; biological insecticides; and insecticides used in veterinary medicine.

Contents:
1. Introduction and Historical Perspectives Eugene J. Olajos and Woodhall Stopford 2. Application and Use of Riot Control Agents Jeanne M. Ditter and Charles S. Heal 3. Synthesis and Chemical Analysis of Riot Control Agents Sidney A. Katz and Harry Salem 4. Biochemistry, Biological Interactions, and Pharmacokinetics of Riot-Control Agents Eugene J. Olajos 5. Riot Control Agents and Acute Sensory Irritation Eugene J. Olajos and Woodhall Stopford 6. Pharmacology/Toxicology of CS, CR, CN, Formulations, Degradation Products, Carriers/Solvents, and Propellants Eugene J. Olajos and Joan M. Antonio upLakoski 7. Pharmacology and Toxicology of Oleoresin Capsicum, Capsaicin, and Capsaicinoids Eugene J. Olajos and Joan M. Lakoski 8.
Chronic Toxicity of Riot Control Agents Woodhall Stopford 9. Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology of Riot Control Agents Russell F. Mankes and Kristina M. Mankes 10. Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity of Riot Control Agents Joyce M. Durnford 11. Human Exposures to Riot Control Agents Woodhall Stopford and Frederick R. Sidell 12. Forensic Toxicology and Riot Control Agents Bryan Ballantyne and Harry Salem 13. An Approach for Assessing and Characterizing Risk from the Use of Riot Control Agents Jacqueline Patterson, Bert Hakkinen, Patricia Nance, Michael Dourson, and B. Jon Klauenberg 14. Occupational Exposures to Riot Control Agents
Woodhall Stopford 15. Riot Control Agents: Risk Management and Public Health Considerations Veronique D. Hauschild 16. Riot Control Agents: Environmental Issues Larry E. Erickson, Athertina N. Steinau, Terrie Boguski, and Frederick Oehme 17. Genomics, Proteomics and Computational Toxicology as Future Tools in Assessing the Health Hazards of Riot Control Agents Akbar S. Khan and Harry Salem 18. Riot Control Agents: Issues/Concerns, Needs, Emerging Concepts/Trends and AdvancesTechnological Advances Woodhall Stopford and Eugene J. Olajos Appendix A Definitions and Terminology Appendix B Medical Treatment/Management
Appendix C Table of RCA Formulations

First Published in 1992. The last decade of the twentieth century has seen an unprecedented advocacy for the preservation of a safe environment, and the prevention of ill-health from toxic chemicals. Human activity, however, is responsible for introducing new toxins into the environment. In order to control competitors for human food sources, an armament of pesticides has been assembled and their widespread and largely uncontrolled application has been permitted. It is only when the health of the population begins to suffer from the effects of these chemicals that the efficacy of their use is questioned. Decision-makers whose roles involve the promotion and control of the environment must look to lessons that can be learnt from biosystems that include animals other than man. Toxins and Targets details the way in which organisms from diverse habitats in the plant and animal kingdoms have adapted to handle toxins safely. Part I, on the aquatic environment, highlights the means by which marine organisms have adapted their toxins to be effective in a world of high aqueous solubility and infinite dilution. Part II deals with venomous terrestrial organisms and the mechanisms by which they damage animal cells, and Part III considers the way in which human society attempts to investigate toxicity and to control both synthetic and naturally occurring poisons. The development of a safe environ ment depends on increased knowledge and novel approaches to solving escalating problems. This book is a step towards this end.

Acute toxicology testing constitutes the first line of defense against potentially dangerous chemicals. This book provides a detailed presentation of protocols for each of the common designs, reviews their development and objectives, discusses the types of data they generate, and examines the current status of alternative test designs and models. For each test, applicable U.S. and international guidelines are also presented, and the formulation and selection of vehicles, dosages, and test animals are addressed.

The dependency of the human race on plants as renewable sources of many foodstuffs, drugs, textiles, fuel, and building materials in generally acknowledged. However, the harmful effects produced by certain plant constituents, which result in an increasing incidence of poisoning cases in the United States each year, are not so widely appreciated. This book is not intended to be a comprehensive treatise on all substances from plants that are lethal or otherwise injurious to humans or livestock. Instead, owing to tremendous recent advances in the understanding of the chemical nature of their toxic principles, it reviews selected toxic plants which have been hitherto inadequately documented in previous texts.

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. Climate change threatens our planet's future. Since it's too late to prevent climate change, we must find ways to prepare for it, while doing all we can to slow down the processes that are causing it. The editor of this compendium, an experienced and respected scientist in the field, has collected research vital to the challenges we are facing. The book offers a multi-perspective look at ways to reduce greenhouse gases and find fossil fuel alternatives from a truly international roster of researchers and scientists.

The discussion on arsenic in the environment is complex and must grasp the importance of very many, mostly unrelated works on individual aspects. This volume represents one of the first comprehensive and interdisciplinary examinations into arsenic's behaviour in air, water, soils, sediments, plants and the human body. Based on state-of-the-art investigations into the global arsenic cycle, the related human toxicology and available remediation technologies, arsenic is assessed holistically in all the environmental compartments. Using the results of primary research, the authors offer concrete suggestions for risk reduction and management of environmental pollution that allow the reader to successfully tackle similar problems and find sustainable solutions. The book consists of three essential parts: Review of the current knowledge of arsenic behaviour in the environment (global biogeochemical cycles), toxicology, remediation techniques, immobilization technologies and environmental legislation Case studies for mining-related arsenic problems Discussion of mitigation and remediation technologies and approaches such as environmental education, hygiene training, backed by real experience and successful implementation in the study area In a highly coherent manner, the book makes use of 120 tables and figures, a large number of literature citations, and very detailed subject index (that encompasses references) to provide rapid and up-to-date access to all relevant information. Cross-references provide a great manoeuvrability between the chapters. The book delivers very insightful and hands-on approaches for graduate students and professionals working on arsenic questions not only in environmental science, but also in the fields of environmental engineering, medicine and social science.

Handbook of Ecotoxicology, Second Edition focuses on toxic substances and how they effect ecosystems worldwide. It presents methods for quantifying and measuring ecotoxicological effects in the field and in the lab, as well as methods for estimating, predicting, and modeling in ecotoxicology studies.

Completely revised and updated with 18 new chapters, this second edition includes contributions from over 75 international experts. Also, a Technical Review Board reviewed all manuscripts for accuracy and currency.

This authoritative work is the definitive reference for students, researchers, consultants, and other professionals in the environmental sciences, toxicology, chemistry, biology, and ecology - in academia, industry, and government.

Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology attempts to provide concise, critical reviews of timely advances, philosophy and significant areas of accomplished or needed endeavor in the total field of xenobiotics, in any segment of the environment, as well as toxicological implications.

Formaldehyde is virtually ubiquitous in the modern environment due to its cost-effective nature, its use in resin formation, and its preservative properties. Though formaldehyde is necessary for many products and processes important to the world's economy, this economic dependence on formaldehyde comes at a cost to public health. Growth and consequent industrialization rely heavily on formaldehyde use. New buildings-residences, public places, and offices-are not only built with timber preserved by formaldehyde, but they are also furnished with wood, wool, and textile products that contain formaldehyde. The general population faces environmental exposure from indoor and outdoor air pollution, food, and even medicine. Scientific inquiry into formaldehyde exposure has grown in response. This book consolidates the new and established body of formaldehyde research in the scholarly community, focusing on exposure, genotoxicity, and adverse health outcomes. Through this resource, we hope to increase awareness of the broad range of health effects posed by formaldehyde exposure, and to encourage interdisciplinary interest, as well as research, into this pervasive compound-especially in the United States and China, where formaldehyde production and usage is high. This book will be useful to researchers of environmental and occupational exposure, students, and government regulators and anyone exposed to formaldehyde in the workplace and/or at home.

Gasotransmitters are gas molecules produced endogenously in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells for signalling purposes. This book provides, for the first time, a comprehensive description and systematic look at all gasotransmitters, established or proposed, since their detection in 2002. The content and scope covers the production, metabolism, and signalling roles of gasotransmitters. Conceptual advances, scientific discoveries and newly developed techniques described in this book influence our understanding of fundamental molecular and cellular events in biology and medicine. This book serves as the state-of-the-art book for undergraduate and graduate students as well as post-doctoral fellows in biomedical disciplines and toxicologists studying the toxic mechanisms of gasotransmitters in the environment. It will also be welcomed by researchers in university and research institutes, government agencies, pharmaceutical and medical instrument industry, and clinical practice.