Since the second edition of this text was published, many new environmental incidents have occurred, including another nuclear disaster, a mine disaster in the United States, and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Updated throughout the text, Ecosystems and Human Health: Toxicology and Environmental Hazards, Third Edition explores the broad range of environmental and human health aspects of chemical and biological hazards—from natural toxins and disasters to man-made pollutants and environmental crises.
The book begins with the basic principles of pharmacology and toxicology, risk analysis, and air, water, and soil pollution. It then examines various toxicants and hazards, such as airborne hazards, halogenated hydrocarbons, metals, and organic solvents. Chapters also discuss food additives and contaminants, pesticides, hormone disrupters, radiation hazards, and natural environmental hazards such as venomous and toxic animals. The text reviews the Chernobyl nuclear crisis and the Walkerton drinking water tragedy, as well as other disasters, assessing some of their long-term effects, now that sufficient time has elapsed since their occurrence.
With updates in every chapter, this third edition contains significant expansion of information on the genetics of chemical carcinogenesis, global warming, food additives, invasive species in the Great Lakes, nuclear accidents, and more. The book describes how chemical toxins and biological hazards can impact the environment and the people who live in it. The author presents numerous examples of the relationship between ecosystem health and human health. He emphasizes the need to consider the environmental impact of human activities and includes many real-world examples and new case studies.
Preface
Chapter 1 : Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Chapter 2 : Risk Analysis and Public Perceptions of Risk : Risky Business
Chapter 3 : Water and Soil Pollution
Chapter 4 : Airborne Hazards
Chapter 5 : Halogenated Hydrocarbons and Halogenated Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Chapter 6 : Toxicity of Metals
Chapter 7 : Organic Solvents and Related Chemicals
Chapter 8 : Food Additives, Drug Residues, and Food Contaminants
Chapter 9 : Pesticides
Chapter 10 : Mycotoxins and Other Toxins from Unicellular Organisms
Chapter 11 : Animal and Plant Poisons
Chapter 12 : Environmental Hormone Disrupters
Chapter 13 : Radiation Hazards
Chapter 14 : Gaia and Chaos : How Things Are Connected
Chapter 15 : Case Study Reviews
Index
