This second edition of Environmental Toxicology focuses on the biological and health effects toxins have on living organisms. It also stresses the relationship between human activity and the environment, relating changes in the environment with the changing patterns of human diseases, and exploring the parallels between developing economies and pollution-related health problems.
The book deals with a large number of environmental toxicants, discussing their damage process, metabolism (biotransformation), and metabolism, toxicants and their damage process, and environmental, biological, and nutritional factors that may influence toxicity. It also describes several natural defense systems and the mechanisms for detoxification, including endogenous antioxidants and free radical scavenging enzymes on a cellular level. The book continues its comprehensive analysis of EPA Criteria Air Pollutants (SO2, NO2, O3, CO, particulate matter), and volatile organic compounds, as well as soil and water pollution, and expands the chapters on fluoride, environmental metals and metalloid (lead, cadmium, mercury, nickel, and arsenic), pesticides and related material such as PCBs and dioxins, and their relationship with endocrine disruption (a new chapter) and environmental cancer, offering more insight on the interaction of various chemical agents with DNA.
Based on research from nearly 30 years of teaching environmental toxicology and related courses, the author concludes this text with an introduction to ecological risk assessment and its role in regulation and policymaking.
