The study of the relationship between environmental pollution and human health is in its infancy. The number of substances and mixtures that have been identified in uncontrolled hazardous waste sites or that have been in advertently released into the environment is large and data on how thes~ substances are modified as they interact with one another as they migrate through soil, air, and water are limited. There are also limits on our un derstanding of how these substances may be ingested, inhaled, or absorbed by people. The complexity of possible interactions between biological, chemical, and physical components in a given environment makes it virtually impossible to evaluate the potential for adverse biological effects ade quately in the laboratory. Other, more comprehensive methods which provide realistic and interpretable results must be used. Many scientists believe that humans represent the ultimate sentinel species of a toxic exposure re sUlting from environmental pollution, however such exposures may also se verely impact environmental health. There exists a wide variety of organ isms in the natural environment that could be used to provide an early warning for potential human health effects as well as to indicate adverse ecological effects. The issue of effective utilization of sentinel species for environment al monitoring is a rapidly developing area of research which has grown in importance during the last decade.

The end of the 20th century brought with it a revolution in molecular biology that culminated in advances such as the completion of the human genome. This has brought optimism to the fields of toxicology and environmental health, and the anticipation that molecular biomarkers might soon come of age and have a major impact on human and environmental health. Biomarker research is an area of current interest to scientists in a number of fields that are concerned with environmental exposure to pollutants and environmentally associated disease.

Biomarkers of Environmentally Associated Disease: Technologies, Concepts, and Perspectives provides comprehensive coverage of the current status and future prospects of a field that will play a key role in emerging areas of public health and medicine. It focuses on the risk to human and environmental health of exposure to persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, airborne toxics, environmental estrogens, and other environmental pollutants. This material will aid researchers in understanding, treating, and preventing environmentally induced disease.

Validated molecular biomarkers have long been recognized as invaluable tools for identifying and preventing human disease. As biomarkers begin to be applied more widely, it is also important to assure that they are implemented ethically, with attention to the social and legal issues associated with their use. Biomarkers of Environmentally Associated Disease is an outstanding resource providing state-of-the-art information for the fields that encompass molecular biomarkers.