3rd Edition

Ecosystems and Human Health Toxicology and Environmental Hazards, Third Edition

By Richard B. Philp Copyright 2013
    440 Pages 4 Color & 47 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    440 Pages 4 Color & 47 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    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.

    Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology
    Introduction
    Pharmacokinetics
    Pharmacodynamics
    Some Toxicological Considerations
    Mutagenesis and Carcinogenesis
    DNA and Cell Repair
    Fetal Toxicology
    Population and Pollution
    Review Questions
    Answers
    Further Reading

    Risk Analysis and Public Perceptions of Risk: Risky Business
    Introduction
    Assessment of Toxicity versus Risk
    Predicting Risk: Workplace versus the Environment
    Environmental Monitoring
    Setting Safe Limits in the Workplace
    Some Important Definitions
    Environmental Risks: Problems with Assessment
    and Public Perceptions
    Some Examples of Major Industrial Accidents and Environmental Chemical Exposures with Human Health Implications
    Some Legal Aspects of Risk
    Statistical Problems with Risk Assessment
    Risk Management
    The Precautionary Principle
    Review Questions
    Answers
    Further Reading
    Case Studies 1-2

    Water and Soil Pollution
    Introduction
    Factors Affecting Toxicants in Water
    Some Important Definitions
    Toxicity Testing in Marine and Aquatic Species
    Water Quality
    Health Hazards of Pesticides and Related Chemicals
    Acidity and Toxic Metals
    Chemical Hazards from Waste Disposal
    Toxicants in the Great Lakes: Implications for
    Human Health and Wildlife
    Global Warming and Water Levels in the Great Lakes
    Marine Environment
    Biological Hazards in Drinking Water
    Walkerton Water Crisis
    Review Questions
    Answers
    Reference
    Further Reading

    Airborne Hazards
    Introduction
    Types of Air Pollution
    Sources of Air Pollution
    Atmospheric Distribution of Pollutants
    Types of Pollutants
    Health Effects of Air Pollution
    Adverse Effects of Aerial Spraying
    Air Pollution in the Workplace
    Chemical Impact of Pollutants on the Environment
    Climate Change
    Natural Factors and Climate Change
    Remedies
    Review Questions
    Answers
    Reference
    Further Reading
    Case Studies 3-8

    Halogenated Hydrocarbons and Halogenated Aromatic Hydrocarbons
    Introduction
    Early Examples of Toxicity from Halogenated Hydrocarbons
    Physicochemical Characteristics and Classes of Halogenated Hydrocarbons
    Review Questions
    Answers
    Further Reading
    Case Studies 9-10

    Toxicity of Metals
    Introduction
    Lead
    Mercury
    Cadmium
    Arsenic
    Chromium
    Other Metals
    Carcinogenicity of Metals
    Unusual Sources of Heavy Metal Exposure
    Review Questions
    Answers
    Further Reading
    Case Studies 11-13

    Organic Solvents and Related Chemicals
    Introduction
    Classes of Solvents
    Solvent-Related Cancer in the Workplace
    Factors Influencing the Risk of a Toxic Reaction
    Nonoccupational Exposures to Solvents
    Review Questions
    Answers
    Further Reading
    Case Studies 14-16

    Food Additives, Drug Residues, and Food Contaminants
    Food Additives
    Drug Residues
    Hormones as Growth Promotants in Livestock
    Natural Toxicants and Carcinogens in Human Foods
    Herbal Remedies
    Natural Carcinogens in Foods
    Review Questions
    Answers
    Reference
    Further Reading
    Case Studies 17

    Pesticides
    Introduction
    Classes of Insecticides
    Herbicides
    Fungicides
    Government Regulation of Pesticides
    Problems Associated with Pesticides
    Balancing the Risks and Benefits
    Toxicity of Pesticides for Humans
    Review Questions
    Answers
    Further Reading
    Case Studies 18-19

    Mycotoxins and Other Toxins from Unicellular Organisms
    Introduction
    Some Health Problems Associated with Mycotoxins
    Some Specific Mycotoxins
    Economic Impact of Mycotoxins
    Detoxification of Grains
    Other Toxins in Unicellular Members of the Plant Kingdom
    Review Questions
    Answers
    Further Reading

    Animal and Plant Poisons
    Introduction
    Toxic and Venomous Animals
    Freshwater Algae
    Toxic and Venomous Land Animals
    Venomous Arthropods
    Toxic Plants and Mushrooms
    Review Questions
    Answers
    Further Reading
    Case Studies 20-26

    Environmental Hormone Disrupters
    Introduction
    Lake Apopka Incident
    Brief Review of the Physiology of Estrogens and Androgens
    Disruption of Endocrine Function
    Plastic-Associated Chemicals
    Phytoestrogens
    Results of Human Studies on Xenoestrogens
    Effects of Xenoestrogens and Phytoestrogens in Livestock and Wildlife
    Problems in Interpreting and Extrapolating Results to the Human Setting
    Review Questions
    Answers
    References
    Further Reading
    Case Study 27

    Radiation Hazards
    Introduction
    Sources and Types of Radiation
    Measurement of Radiation
    Some Major Nuclear Disasters of Historic and Current Importance
    Radon Gas: The Natural Radiation
    Tissue Sensitivity to Radiation
    Microwaves
    Cell Phone Use and Brain Tumors
    Ultraviolet Radiation
    Extra-Low Frequency Electromagnetic Radiation
    Irradiation of Foodstuffs
    Irradiation of Insect Pests
    Review Questions
    Answers
    Further Reading
    Case Study 28

    Gaia and Chaos: How Things Are Connected
    The Gaia Hypothesis
    Chaos Theory
    Other Examples of Interconnected Systems
    Food Production and the Environment
    The Environment and Cancer
    Further Reading

    Case Study Reviews

    Index

    Biography

    Richard Philp, D.V.M., Ph.D., is an emeritus professor and former chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at The University of Western Ontario. He conducted research in the physiology of deep sea diving, investigations into arterial thrombosis, and, for the last 15 years of his 40-year career, taught a course on environmental toxicology. He also authored two textbooks on the subject. Professor Philp has conducted studies on heavy metal pollution of the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and was a member of the Thames-Sydenham Regional Source-water Protection Committee. He has served as a consultant in environmental toxicology to citizens’ groups and to Santa Cruz County, California. He has also published more than 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals and 6 books, mostly on environment-related subjects.

    "The author conveys the impact of hazards on human health by presenting numerous examples and scenarios from all over the world. The case studies based on actual occurrences not only highlight the environmental impact on human health, but also help the reader understand and apply the toxicity knowledge to the real world."
    —Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 2015

    "The chapters are very well organized, providing a historical perspective on the toxicity of compounds and outlining the major categories within each class of toxins. The chapters provide useful review questions and references for further reading. … Ecosystems and Human Health: Toxicology and Environmental Hazards, Third Edition by Richard Philp provides a general overlook of a vast range of subjects that are of current interest in the field of toxicology. The compilation of such topics into a single book makes it a valuable resource for toxicologists requiring a general knowledge of the field."
    —Richard A. Manderville, University of Guelph, Department of Chemistry, Ontario, Canada

    "… comprehensive, detailed and balanced, covering major environmental hazards from the school playground to the depths of the oceans, from a glass of drinking water to the changing climate of the planet. This new edition should satisfy readers seeking background information about the dispersion of natural and anthropogenic toxicants as well as the mechanisms by which they disrupt living processes."
    —Dr. Maurice Hirst, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada

    "… covers a broad area of study dealing with the relationship between human health and environmental hazards. It includes a chapter on radiation. A number of case studies are also found in the book, and a whole chapter is devoted to review of each of them. … also contains a number of well-known cases of environmental disasters or episodes. Inclusion of these should enhance the interest of the readers."
    —Ming-Ho Yu, Western Washington University, Bellingham

    "While most textbooks in the topic of toxicology and environmental sciences provide too much detailed and exhaustive information, Ecosystems and Human Health: Toxicology and Environmental Hazards offers a fast overview and summary of the principles of toxicity of hazards and complex relationship of hazards with human health and environmental safety. …The author conveys the impact of hazards on human health by presenting numerous examples and scenarios from all over the world. The case studies based on actual occurrences not only highlight the environmental impact on human health, but also help the reader understand and apply the toxicity knowledge to the real world."
    ––Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, January 2014