of metal interactions with subcellular biochemical systems usually either are metabolites of the system affected (porphyrinurias) or represent some specific function of a cellular system being impaired (proteinurias). One typically finds a continuum of symptoms, from the subtle or so-called "no effect" bio chemical and physiological indicators of exposure to severe clinical disease and death. This continuum is the basis of much of the controversy since many health officials follow the traditional practice of applying the "threshold health-effect" concept in evaluating the problems of environmental exposure to metals. The past decade or so, however, has seen a vast increase in our understanding of the effects of elevated concentrations of toxic metals in local populations and ecosystems. At the same time, there is a growing awareness that the effects of the metals which occur naturally in the environment must be distinguished from those imposed by the pollutant fraction. This point was amply document ed in a recent study of cadmium intake and cadmium in a number of human tissues in Sweden, Japan, and the United States, which showed fairly conclu sively that the background exposure in Japan was about threefold higher than in the other two countries (2). One immediate implication is that any health ef fect studies of cadmium in Japan using control groups within that country are liable to underestimate the difference between the exposed and the control groups simply because of the the high "background" intake."

The literature on the geology, chemistry, and biochemistry of phosphorus generally takes its mineralogy for granted. The in cidental information on phosphate minerals given in these texts is often obsolescent and inaccurate. The few mineralogical texts that have dealt comprehensively with the phosphate minerals have now become outdated, and typically present the essential information in a manner unsuitable for nongeological readers. This volume is intended as a ready reference for workers who require good basic information on phosphate minerals or their synthetic equivalents. The topics covered should appeal to geologists and geochemists, lithologists, environmental scientists and engineers, chemists and biochemists who have any interest in the intricate world of phosphorus. The hard tissues of many vertebrates and the many pathological calcifications consist mostly of phosphate minerals. The precipita tion of these compounds also plays a major role in the ecological cycling of phosphorus, and occasionally even dominates the behavior of many trace metals in many geochemical and biolog ical systems. Indeed, many pegmatitic phosphate minerals have acquired some notoriety because of the rarer trace metals which they tend to accumulate. With the commercialization of phosphate fertilizers since the early part of the 19th century, phosphate minerals have assumed an important role in industrial chemistry and agriculture. Clearly, the study of phosphate minerals is important from the economic, agricultural, environmental and (human and animal) health viewpoint."

This book presents a comprehensive account of current research on the chemistry and toxicology of cadmium in natural waters. It deals with the sources, distribution and fate of cadmium in aquatic ecosystems, and with the biocycling and ecotoxicity of cadmium to materia and freshwater biota. A succinct review of the analytical chemistry of cadmium in natural waters is also included. The authors have endeavored to emphasize general principles rather than comprehensive documentation. This volume thus provides the scientific rationale needed in the continuing effort to establish water quality criteria and standards for cadmium. This volume provides the scientific rationale for the continuing effort to establish water quality criteria and standards for cadmium.

From the global to the cellular level, oxidants have provided the chemical dynamic for reactions both harmful and benign. As varied in type as in effect, oxidants include the oxides of nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon - implicated in the generation of smog - as well as oxidants useful in hypoxic cell-specific anticancer drugs and the treatment of contaminated waters. The complex nature of oxidants as well as their pervasiveness in the environment have made them keenly interesting to scientists monitoring environmental hazards and human health. Environmental Oxidants is a broad-based, multidisciplinary study of the environmental chemistry and toxicology of oxidants as well as their widening role in pollution control. Featuring up-to-date research from internationally renowned scientists, the book sheds light on such critical topics as the evolution, production, distribution, and fate of oxidants in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere; the influence of human activities on oxidative processes in the atmosphere; oxidative stress at the cellular, systemic, and ecosystem levels; and the use of oxidants to remediate polluted sites. Specific studies include photosynthetic oxygen evolution, oxidants in the unpolluted marine atmosphere, ozone formation in urban plumes, the impact of dynamics and transport on stratospheric ozone and other constituents, health effects and toxicology of ozone and nitrogen dioxide, and some hematological effects of oxidants. Reflecting current health concerns, the book also addresses such timely issues as oxidative stress and asbestos, the role of oxygen in lung toxicity induced by mineral fibers and particulates, as well as an alternative attainment criteria fora secondary federal standard for ozone. A selective and incisive look at the current state of research on oxidants, Environmental Oxidants provides environmental scientists and engineers with an informative, detailed discussion of just how and why oxidants have emerged as a key issue in human health and environmental integrity.

Civilization's negative impact on the environment has vastly accelerated since the onset of the industrial revolution. Serious environmental contamination now threatens many ecosystems and perhaps ultimately the human race. While some of the most visible urban pollution may have abated, the larger problems of regional and global pollution, particularly by an ever-increasing number of trace contaminants, remain far from solved. While the link has been clearly established between long-range transport of gaseous pollutants and environmental issues such as acid rain, the greenhouse effect, and Arctic haze, the scientist's understanding of the fate of these pollutants in the atmosphere has been constrained by the lack of suitable analytical methods, the complexities of pollution sources, and the volume of potential contaminants involved. This volume offers some of the research tools needed to begin untangling these riddles: appropriate measurement technology, sophisticated analytical techniques, and a better understanding of physical and chemical processes in the atmosphere. Chapters by leading environmental scientists from the world over discuss: . Standard and new methods of sampling and analyzing gaseous contaminants in the atmosphere. The uses of these analytical methods in deciphering material fluxes. The sources, occurrences, and characterization of volatile organic compounds in both indoor and outdoor environments. Gaseous Pollutants will be of great interest to scientists and engineers interested in monitoring air quality; atmospheric chemists studying the behavior and fate of trace contaminants in the air; and anyone concerned with air pollution and pollution control strategies. Inaddition to presenting a valuable profile of current research results, this book outlines the challenges that lie ahead, pointing students and environmental professionals alike toward important research opportunities in this dynamic field.

Up-to-date coverage of vanadium research--in two accessible, self-contained volumes Vanadium in the Environment brings together the contributions of leading experts on the chemical and toxicological aspects of vanadium exposure and its effects on aquatic and terrestrial environments, human health, and wildlife. This initial volume focuses on chemistry and biochemistry, while Part Two concentrates on health effects and toxicology in living organisms. Topics in this first volume include:

• History, occurrence, and uses of vanadium
• Vanadium in the atmosphere
• Chemistry of relevance to vanadium in the environment
• Water quality criteria for vanadium
• Spectroscopic methods for the characterization of vanadium complexes
• Bioaccumulation and transfer of vanadium in marine organisms
• Structure, function, and models of biogenic vanadium compounds
• Catalytic effects of vanadium on phosphoryl transfer enzymes
• Bioactivity of vanadium compounds on cells in culture

This is a comprehensive and up-to-date investigation of a deadly toxin and its impact on ecology and human health. Part 1 contains a thorough treatment of the chemical nature of arsenic, its environmental behaviour and its measurement through contemporary analytical methods. Part 2 deals with the latest findings from a wide range of international research groups into the repercussions of arsenic exposures on human health and the ecosystem.

Surveys the state-of-the-art in the toxicology of important aquatic pollutants. Evaluates new concepts, methods, and data, and provides an overview of key research results. Topics covered range from the principles of aquatic toxicology and the development of water quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic resources, to the environmental effects of monitoring and future trends in water quality management. Emphasized is the importance of the linkages between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems to practical and effective environmental effects assessment.

Chromium and its compounds are widely used by modern industries resulting in large quantities of this element being discharged into the environment and there is now a growing concern about the effects of chromium in the environment. This volume provides a comprehensive assessment of the uses of chromium, its sources and occurrence in the air, water and soils. It gives a detailed and expert description of chromium chemistry, analytical chemistry, biochemistry and known health effects. It also contains a comprehensive compendium of epidemiological data listed according to exposure type along with models of toxicity. Most of the known environmental and health effects of chromium are treated here along with a discussion of dose-response relationships. A key aspect of the book and one of its most useful features is that it serves as a guide to the analytical procedures and their limitations that are suitable for use in environmental and biological monitoring.

Up-to-date coverage of vanadium research--in two accessible, self-contained volumes Vanadium in the Environment brings together the contributions of leading experts on the chemical and toxicological aspects of vanadium exposure and its effects on aquatic and terrestrial environments, human health, and wildlife. This second volume focuses on health effects and toxicology in living organisms, while Part One concentrates on chemistry and biochemistry. Topics in this second volume include:

• Health effects of environmental exposure to vanadium
• toxicology of vanadium in mammals
• Mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, and teratogenicity of vanadium
• Baseline vanadium levels and exposure tests in humans
• Vanadium and metabolic problems
• Vanadium and its significance in animal cell metabolism
• Hematological effects of vanadium in living organisms
• Genetic toxicology of vanadium compounds
• Vanadium and the cardiovascular system: regulatory effects and toxicity
• Oxidative stress and pro-oxidant biological effects of vanadium
• Endocrine control of vanadium accumulation
• Vanadium detoxification
• Vanadium as a new tool for cancer prevention

A comprehensive and up-to-date investigation of one of the deadliest toxins and its impact on ecological and human health. Part one contains a thorough treatment of the chemical nature of arsenic, its environmental behavior and its measurement through contemporary analytical methods. Part two deals with the latest findings from a wide range of international research groups into the repercussions of arsenic exposures on human health and the ecosystem.