In the last decade and a half, great progress has been made in the development of concepts and models for mixture toxicity, both in human and environmental toxicology. However, due to their different protection goals, developments have often progressed in parallel but with little integration. Arguably the first book to clearly link ecotoxicology and classic human toxicology, Mixture Toxicity: Linking Approaches from Ecological and Human Toxicology incorporates extensive reviews of exposure to toxicants, toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics, toxicity of mixtures, and risk assessment. The book examines developments in both fields, compares and contrasts their current state of the art, and identifies where one field can learn from the other. Each chapter provides an essential overview of the state of the art in both human and ecotoxicological mixture risk assessment, focusing on the work published in the last fifteen years. The coverage progresses from exposure to risk assessment, at each step identifying the special complications typically raised by mixtures. Based on in-depth discussions among specialists representing different disciplines and approaches, the chapters each address: Exposure - how to quantify the amounts of chemicals that may enter the living organism Kinetics, dynamics, and metabolism - how the chemicals enter an organism, travel within the organism, how they are metabolized and reach the target site, and explain development of toxicity with time Toxicity - what are the chemicals' detrimental effects on the organism Test design and complex mixture characterization - how chemicals interact, how to measure effects of mixtures, and how to identify responsible chemicals Risk assessment - how to assess for risks in humans and the environment An unusual combination of different points of view on exposure to and risk assessment of chemical mixtures, this book summarizes current knowledge on combined effects of toxicant mixtures, information that is generally only available in a very fragmented form as individual journal papers. It identifies possible crosslinks and includes recommendations for mutual developments that can improve the state of knowledge on mixture toxicity and ultimately lead to better and more integrated risk assessment.

While the subject of environmental stress in animals is broad, the available information is fragmentary and lacks an up-to-date overview and analysis. Environmental Stress and Cellular Response in Arthropods fills these knowledge gaps. Written by three experts from the same institution, the chapters have a consistency not often found in multi-authored or contributed books. The authors describe environmental stress in arthropods, specifically Drosophila and analyze the process in all its aspects, from biochemical mechanisms to effects on the whole organism. Incorporating new information that has become available in recent years, the authors explore hypotheses about the integrated response these systems often have. They explore topics ranging from disturbance of homeostasis, changes in metabolic processes, damage of cellular structures to acquired tolerance, effects on aging processes, and survival and cell death. By analyzing all these aspects in detail at the molecular, biochemical, and physiological level of the cell, the authors give you a thorough look at the relationship between an organism and its environment at the cellular level.

Arthropods are animals with a hard outer skeleton and a jointed body and limbs. Arthropods make up a phylum of invertebrates that includes insects, such as ants, beetles, and butterflies; crustaceans, such as lobsters, shrimps, and crabs; and arachnids, including scorpions, spiders and ticks. In terms of sheer numbers and the purposes they fulfill, arthropods are the most successful animals on Earth. As prey for other animals, plant pollinators and recyclers of organic matter in a variety of ecological niches, arthropods are essential for the balance of life on this planet. Understanding how this phylum responds to cellular stress is vital for accurate and precise ecological monitoring. Arthropod cellular stress defenses are detailed in this important reference, shedding new light on banks of ecological and ecotoxicological data. The author discusses stress proteins, reactive oxygen species, and key enzymes in the context of a wide range of environmental xenobiotics, giving researchers in environmental and ecological monitoring a valuable interpretative tool. Those with a research interest in arthropods will also find this text a handy addition to their bookshelves.