Use of Biomarkers in Assessing Health and Environmental Impacts of Chemical Pollutants

Use of Biomarkers in Assessing Health and Environmental Impacts of Chemical Pollutants PDF Author: Curtis C. Travis
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1489920528
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 283

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Book Description
Biological markers (biomarkers) are useful tools for understanding the nature and extent of human exposure and risk from environmental toxicants. Biomarkers are classified into three basic categories: exposure, effect, or susceptibility. A marker of exposure is the product of the interaction between a target cell or molecule and a foreign substance (NAS, 1989). These markers can be used to determine the biologically effective dose necessary to elicit a particular physiological change in an organism. A marker of effect is a biochemical or physiological change in an organism that can predict the onset of adverse health effects resulting from a given exposure. Lastly, markers of susceptibility act as indicators of an inherent or acquired tendency of an organism to experience an adverse health effect (NAS, 1989). These markers are already used to detect a variety of diseases and show great promise for developing a better understanding of the mechanicisms of disease. Additionally, biomarkers can be used to establish a more rational basis for quantitative risk extrapolation between species, as weIl as to obtain more precise estimates of the time of critical exposure. These markers can also prove helpful in identifying potentially damaging exposures before the onset of adverse health effects. Biomarkers serve as a valuable exposure assessment tool because they take into account exposure from all routes and integrate exposure from all sources. They have the potential to yield better risk estimates than current monitoring and modeling protocols. In lune 1992, Dr. Travis and Dr.

Use of Biomarkers in Assessing Health and Environmental Impacts of Chemical Pollutants

Use of Biomarkers in Assessing Health and Environmental Impacts of Chemical Pollutants PDF Author: Curtis C. Travis
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1489920528
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 283

Get Book Here

Book Description
Biological markers (biomarkers) are useful tools for understanding the nature and extent of human exposure and risk from environmental toxicants. Biomarkers are classified into three basic categories: exposure, effect, or susceptibility. A marker of exposure is the product of the interaction between a target cell or molecule and a foreign substance (NAS, 1989). These markers can be used to determine the biologically effective dose necessary to elicit a particular physiological change in an organism. A marker of effect is a biochemical or physiological change in an organism that can predict the onset of adverse health effects resulting from a given exposure. Lastly, markers of susceptibility act as indicators of an inherent or acquired tendency of an organism to experience an adverse health effect (NAS, 1989). These markers are already used to detect a variety of diseases and show great promise for developing a better understanding of the mechanicisms of disease. Additionally, biomarkers can be used to establish a more rational basis for quantitative risk extrapolation between species, as weIl as to obtain more precise estimates of the time of critical exposure. These markers can also prove helpful in identifying potentially damaging exposures before the onset of adverse health effects. Biomarkers serve as a valuable exposure assessment tool because they take into account exposure from all routes and integrate exposure from all sources. They have the potential to yield better risk estimates than current monitoring and modeling protocols. In lune 1992, Dr. Travis and Dr.

Pollution and Fish Health in Tropical Ecosystems

Pollution and Fish Health in Tropical Ecosystems PDF Author: Eduardo Alves de Almeida
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1482212897
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 394

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Book Description
The tropical zone contains the highest diversity of fish species on the planet. Many of these species are being continuously exposed to pollutants that pose serious hazards to fish health thereby posing serious risks for entire fish populations. This book presents information about the different responses of fish to pollutants from the molecular le

Animal Biomarkers as Pollution Indicators

Animal Biomarkers as Pollution Indicators PDF Author: David B. Peakall
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9401123462
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Book Description
Ecotoxicology is a relatively new scientific discipline. Indeed, it might be argued that it is only during the last 5-10 years that it has come to merit being regarded as a true science, rather than a collection of procedures for protecting the environment through management and monitoring of pollutant discharges into the environment. The term 'ecotoxicology' was first coined in the late sixties by Prof. Truhaut, a toxicologist who had the vision to recognize the importance of investigating the fate and effects of chemicals in ecosystems. At that time, ecotoxicology was considered a sub-discipline of medical toxicology. Subsequently, several attempts have been made to portray ecotoxicology in a more realistic light. Notably, both F. Moriarty (1988) and F. Ramade (1987) emphasized in their books the broad basis of ecotoxicology, encompassing chemical and radiation effects on all components of ecosystems. In doing so, they and others have shifted concern from direct chemical toxicity to man, to the far more subtle effects that pollutant chemicals exert on natural biota. Such effects potentially threaten the existence of all life on Earth. Although I have identified the sixties as the era when ecotoxicology was first conceived as a coherent subject area, it is important to acknowledge that studies that would now be regarded as ecotoxicological are much older. Wherever people's ingenuity has led them to change the face of nature significantly, it has not escaped them that a number of biological con sequences, often unfavourable, ensue.

Ecological Biomarkers

Ecological Biomarkers PDF Author: Claude Amiard-Triquet
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1439880530
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 451

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Book Description
Does a change, which affects a few biological macro-molecules, some cells, or a few individuals within a population, have any ecological significance that would allow the prediction of deleterious effects at higher levels of biological organization, namely the population, community, and ultimately the ecosystem? With contributions from experts in t

Metal Metabolism in Aquatic Environments

Metal Metabolism in Aquatic Environments PDF Author: William J. Langston
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1475727615
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 480

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Book Description
Metal Metabolism in Aquatic Environments is a synthesis of recent developments in the field of metal ecotoxicology and features a number of contemporary issues arising from the interaction of metals and biota, such as pathways of assimilation and food chain transfer, metal accumulation and detoxification in humans and biotransformation of elements such as mercury and arsenic.

Exposure and Risk Assessment of Chemical Pollution - Contemporary Methodology

Exposure and Risk Assessment of Chemical Pollution - Contemporary Methodology PDF Author: Mahmoud A. Hassanien
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9048123356
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 538

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Book Description
The book contains the contributions at the NATO Study Institute on Exposure and Risk Assessment of Chemical Pollution – Contemporary Methodology, which took place in Sofia – Borovetz, Bulgaria, July 1–10, 2008. Rapid advances in mathematics, computer science and molecular biology and chemistry have lead to the development in of a new branch of toxicology called Computational Toxicology. This emerging field is addressing the estimation and prediction of exposure risk and effects of chemicals based on experimental data, measured concentration and biological mechanisms and computational models of biological systems. Mathematical models are also being used to predict the fate and transport of substances in the environment. Because this area is still in its infancy, there has been limited application from governmental agencies to regulating controllable processes, such as registration of new chemicals, determination of estimated exposure and risk based limits and maximum acceptable concentrations in different compartments of the environment – ambient air, waters, soil and food products. However, this is soon to change as the ability to collect, analyze and interpret the required information is becoming increasingly more efficient and cost effective. Full implementation of the new processes have to involve education on both part of the experimentalists who are generating the data and the models, and the risk assessors who will use them to better protect human health and the environment.

Nondestructive Biomarkers in Vertebrates

Nondestructive Biomarkers in Vertebrates PDF Author: Cristina Fossi
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000724301
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 378

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Book Description
Nondestructive Biomarkers in Vertebrates presents an innovative approach for hazard assessment in vertebrates based on nondestructive rather than destructive methods. The book reviews the state of the art and defines the development and validation procedure of this new strategy. Biological materials, such as blood samples, epithelial tissue, eggs, feathers, and feces that can be obtained without stress or damage to the animal are suggested. Certain traditional studies (blood esterases, blood chemistry, mixed function oxidases, porphyrins, DNA damage, and cytological changes) can be performed on these specimens, along with new tests requiring only very small samples. This approach is developed to benefit protected, threatened species whose existence cannot be further jeopardized by the use of destructive methods. This volume will be particularly useful to ecotoxicologists, wildlife protection personnel, environmental consultants, and conservationist organizations.

Biomarkers

Biomarkers PDF Author: David B. Peakall
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642846319
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 136

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Book Description
Biological markers used to assess the effects of environmental pollution have attracted considerable attention from regulatory agencies and are currently under evaluation at a number of research facilities throughout the world. However promising a biomarker-based biomonitoring approach may be, the development of this concept is complicated by a range of technical issues. This book provides a conceptional framework for research and application of biomarkers. International experts on biomonitoring have formulated a unified strategy for the development and validation of biomarkers in assessing environmental health as well as appropriate protocols for their implementation and interpretation in a biological monitoring program.

Exposure Assessment in Environmental Epidemiology

Exposure Assessment in Environmental Epidemiology PDF Author: Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199378789
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 417

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Book Description
This completely updated edition of Exposure Assessment in Environmental Epidemiology offers a practical introduction to exposure assessment methodologies in environmental epidemiologic studies. In addition to methods for traditional methods -- questionnaires, biomonitoring -- this new edition is expanded to include geographic information systems, modeling, personal sensoring, remote sensing, and OMICs technologies. In addition, each of these methods is contextualized within a recent epidemiology study, maximizing illustration for students and those new to these to these techniques. With clear writing and extensive illustration, this book will be useful to anyone interested in exposure assessment, regardless of background.

Exposure Science in the 21st Century

Exposure Science in the 21st Century PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309264685
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 210

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Book Description
From the use of personal products to our consumption of food, water, and air, people are exposed to a wide array of agents each day-many with the potential to affect health. Exposure Science in the 21st Century: A Vision and A Strategy investigates the contact of humans or other organisms with those agents (that is, chemical, physical, and biologic stressors) and their fate in living systems. The concept of exposure science has been instrumental in helping us understand how stressors affect human and ecosystem health, and in efforts to prevent or reduce contact with harmful stressors. In this way exposure science has played an integral role in many areas of environmental health, and can help meet growing needs in environmental regulation, urban and ecosystem planning, and disaster management. Exposure Science in the 21st Century: A Vision and A Strategy explains that there are increasing demands for exposure science information, for example to meet needs for data on the thousands of chemicals introduced into the market each year, and to better understand the health effects of prolonged low-level exposure to stressors. Recent advances in tools and technologies-including sensor systems, analytic methods, molecular technologies, computational tools, and bioinformatics-have provided the potential for more accurate and comprehensive exposure science data than ever before. This report also provides a roadmap to take advantage of the technologic innovations and strategic collaborations to move exposure science into the future.