Written over a period of 17 years, the Handbook of Chemical Risk Assessment exhaustively examines and analyzes the world literature on chemicals entering the environment from human activities. The three volumes cover chemicals recommended by environmental specialists of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other resource managers. The choices were based on the real or potential impact of each contaminant and on the knowledge available about their mitigation.
The information for each chemical includes source and use; physical, chemical, and metabolic properties; concentrations in field collections of abiotic materials and living organisms; deficiency effects; lethal and sublethal effects; and proposed regulatory criteria for the protection of human health and sensitive natural resources. Each chapter selectively reviews and synthesizes the technical literature on a specific priority contaminant and its effects on the environment.
Successful risk assessment relies heavily on extensive and well-documented databases. They often include too much - or too little - information about too many chemicals. Of the hundreds of thousands of chemicals discharged into the environment, only a small number have sufficient information to attempt preliminary risk assessment. Sold only as a three volume set, the Handbook of Chemical Risk Assessment provides you with the exact amount of information you need in a single resource.

Thousands of inorganic and organic chemicals and their metabolites enter the biosphere daily as a direct result of human activities. Many of these chemicals have serious consequences on sensitive species of natural resources, crops, livestock, and public health. The most hazardous of these were identified by a panel of environmental specialists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; these chemicals are the focus of this encyclopedia.
For each priority group of chemicals, information is presented on sources, uses, physical and chemical properties, tissue concentrations in field collections and their significance, lethal and sublethal effects under controlled conditions. This includes effects on survival, growth, reproduction, metabolism, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, and mutagenicity - and proposed regulatory criteria for the protection of sensitive natural resources, crops, livestock, and human health. Taxonomic groups of natural resources covered include terrestrial and aquatic plants and invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
* The only product that centers on the most hazardous environmental chemicals to sensitive natural resources
* The only single volume compendium on the subject, allowing ease in consulting
* Written by a noted national and international authority on chemical risk assessment to living organisms

This book critically examines the available literature on oceanic acidification: including a historical review of pH and atmospheric CO2 levels over the millennia; natural and anthropogenic sources of CO2 to the atmosphere and sea surface; chemical, physical, and biological mode of action; biological effects of acidification to marine plants and animals under laboratory conditions; field observations on seawater chemistry and effects of declining pH; and various technical and political mitigation strategies. Written by Dr. Ronald Eisler, a noted authority on chemical risk assessment, the book summarizes real and projected effects of oceanic acidification.

On March 11,2011, Japan experienced the largest earthquake in its history, causing massive property damage. This book summarizes and critically analyzes the natural events and human shortcomings responsible for the failure of the Fukushima reactors during the first year following the accident, and governmental and civilian responses to the emergency. It covers the plant's safety history, the tsunami and earthquake, and the implications of the events on the nuclear reactor industry.

This book critically examines the available literature on oceanic acidification, including a historical review of pH and atmospheric CO2 levels over the millennia; natural and anthropogenic sources of CO2 to the atmosphere and sea surface; chemical, physical, and biological mode of action; biological effects of acidification to marine plants and animals under laboratory conditions; field observations on seawater chemistry and effects of declining pH; and various technical and political mitigation strategies. Written by Dr. Ronald Eisler, a noted authority on chemical risk assessment, the book summarizes real and projected effects of oceanic acidification.

Despite the esteemed nature of gold in society, evidence of adverse ecotoxicological effects and risk to human health in various mining and extraction techniques has generated increasing interest in the biological and environmental implications of gold. Biogeochemical, Health, and Ecotoxicological Perspectives on Gold and Gold Mining is the first comprehensive book to evaluate the effect of gold production and use on human health as well as the environmental impact of gold mining and extraction. Dr. Ronald Eisler, a well-known senior research biologist and expert in the chemical and biological effects of various compounds on wildlife, provides a thorough risk assessment of gold, including its geology and sources and physical, chemical, and metabolic properties. The author documents gold concentrations and field collections of abiotic materials and biota and presents research on the lethal and sublethal effects of gold on plants and animals. Supported by case histories, the book examines health risks in gold miners, human sensitivity to jewelry and dental implants, and medicinal uses. It uses examples in several countries to thoroughly explore the environmental effects of gold extraction, including tailings disposal, acid mine drainage, cyanide, arsenic, and mercury contamination, water management issues, and abandoned mines. Unlike traditional risk assessments, the author also takes into account social, political, economic, medicinal, and psychological variables for a more complete perspective on gold's impact on health and the environment. Biogeochemical, Health, and Ecotoxicological Perspectives on Gold and Gold Mining concludes with a discussion on mining legislation, safety, and procedures.

Each book has two main goals
1. Determine baseline concentrations of metals and metalloids in tissues of representative field populations of estuarine coastal, and open ocean organisms (Book 1: algae and macrophytes, protists, sponges, coelenterates, molluscs, crustaceans, insects, chaetognaths, annelids, echinoderms, and tunicates) (Book 2: elasmobranchs, fishes, reptiles, birds, mammals) and their significance to organism health and to the health of their consumers.
2. Synthesize existing information on biological, chemical, and physical factors known to modify uptake, retention, and translocation of each element under field and laboratory conditions. Recognition of the importance of these modifiers and their accompanying interactions is essential to the understanding of metals kinetics in marine systems and to the interpretation of baseline residue data.

Synthesizes existing information on biological, chemical, and physical factors known to modify uptake, retention, and translocation of each element

Aids understanding of metals kinetics in marine systems

Allows the interpretation of baseline residue data.

Each book has two main goals
1. Determine baseline concentrations of metals and metalloids in tissues of representative field populations of estuarine coastal, and open ocean organisms (Book 1: algae and macrophytes, protists, sponges, coelenterates, molluscs, crustaceans, insects, chaetognaths, annelids, echinoderms, and tunicates) (Book 2: elasmobranchs, fishes, reptiles, birds, mammals) and their significance to organism health and to the health of their consumers.
2. Synthesize existing information on biological, chemical, and physical factors known to modify uptake, retention, and translocation of each element under field and laboratory conditions. Recognition of the importance of these modifiers and their accompanying interactions is essential to the understanding of metals kinetics in marine systems and to the interpretation of baseline residue data.

Synthesizes existing information on biological, chemical, and physical factors known to modify uptake, retention, and translocation of each element

Aids understanding of metals kinetics in marine systems

Allows the interpretation of baseline residue data.

Complex and ever changing in its forms and functions, the element mercury follows a convoluted course through the environment and up the food chain. The process is complicated further by the fact that the difference between tolerable natural background levels and harmful effects in the environment is exceptionally small and still not completely understood. Written by recognized national and international authority on chemical risk assessment, Ronald Eisler, Mercury Hazards to Living Organisms explores the biological, physical, and chemical properties of mercury and its compounds. Rich in facts and information, the book provides a fundamental look at the issues. A synthesis of current scientific reviews, the book documents the significance of mercury concentrations in abiotic materials, plants, invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, elasmobranch, fishes, and birds, as well as humans and other mammals. The author reviews historical and current uses and sources of mercury along with its physical, chemical, biological, and biochemical properties. He summarizes mercury transport and speciation processes and analytical techniques for mercury measurement. The book includes coverage of lethality to wildlife, domestic animals, and humans; administration routes and their effects; and sublethal effects such as cancers, birth defects, and chromosomal aberrations.