Biological and Environmental Aspects of Chromium

Biological and Environmental Aspects of Chromium

Author: S. Langård

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2013-10-22

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13: 1483290182

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Biological and Environmental Aspects of Chromium focuses on the biological and environmental aspects of chromium and its compounds, with emphasis on the most important aspects of their toxicology and physiology. Topics covered range from the production and occupational exposure of chromium compounds to the presence of chromium in air, soil, and natural waters. The applications of chromium in cell biology and medicine are also discussed. Comprised of 11 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the toxic and carcinogenic effects of chromium and chromium compounds, followed by a discussion on the production and occupational exposure of chromium compounds. The reader is then introduced to the more common analytical methods used in the determination of chromium in environmental and biological samples. Subsequent chapters explore the nutritional role of chromium; absorption, transport, and excretion of chromium in humans and animals; mutagenic and cytogenetic effects of chromium compounds; and organ toxicity of chromium in animals. The carcinogenic effects of chromium, including its effects on the skin, are also considered. This monograph will be of interest to students, practitioners, and researchers in the fields of biology, physiology, and chemistry, as well as those with an objective interest in the ways in which chromium and its compounds act in biological materials and in the human environment.


Chemistry and Biology of Water, Air and Soil

Chemistry and Biology of Water, Air and Soil

Author: J. Tölgyessy

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 1993-03-11

Total Pages: 879

ISBN-13: 0080875122

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Environmental pollution is a universal problem which threatens the continued existence of mankind, rendering it one of the primary concerns of society. This book provides a comprehensive view of the chemistry and biology of water, air and soil, particularly those aspects connected with the protection of the environment. The first part of the book presents fundamental information on the chemistry and biology of water in its natural state, and the effects of water pollution from industry, traffic, agriculture and urbanization. It covers the composition of natural, service and wastewaters as well as methods of chemical and biological water analysis and water treatment. The second part deals with atmospheric problems, particularly the basic composition of atmosphere and the different sources of its pollution, methods of restriction, and air analysis. The final part of the volume focuses on the characteristics of soil and soil components, natural and anthropogenous soil processes, the chemistry, biology and microbiology of soil, and soil analysis. This book will be of great value to chemists, biologists, physicians, pharmacists, farmers, veterinarians and university students, as well as to those engaged in the sphere of environmental protection.


U.S. Health in International Perspective

U.S. Health in International Perspective

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2013-04-12

Total Pages: 421

ISBN-13: 0309264146

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The United States is among the wealthiest nations in the world, but it is far from the healthiest. Although life expectancy and survival rates in the United States have improved dramatically over the past century, Americans live shorter lives and experience more injuries and illnesses than people in other high-income countries. The U.S. health disadvantage cannot be attributed solely to the adverse health status of racial or ethnic minorities or poor people: even highly advantaged Americans are in worse health than their counterparts in other, "peer" countries. In light of the new and growing evidence about the U.S. health disadvantage, the National Institutes of Health asked the National Research Council (NRC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to convene a panel of experts to study the issue. The Panel on Understanding Cross-National Health Differences Among High-Income Countries examined whether the U.S. health disadvantage exists across the life span, considered potential explanations, and assessed the larger implications of the findings. U.S. Health in International Perspective presents detailed evidence on the issue, explores the possible explanations for the shorter and less healthy lives of Americans than those of people in comparable countries, and recommends actions by both government and nongovernment agencies and organizations to address the U.S. health disadvantage.


Environmental Health - Theory and Practice

Environmental Health - Theory and Practice

Author: Ramesha Chandrappa

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-12-28

Total Pages: 334

ISBN-13: 3030644804

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This two-volume work discusses environmental health, the branch of public health concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment affecting human health, and addresses key issues at the global and local scales. The work offers an overview of the methodologies and paradigms that define this burgeoning field, ranging from ecology to epidemiology, and from pollution to environmental psychology, and addresses a wide variety of global concerns including air quality, water and sanitation, food security, chemical/physical hazards, occupational health, disease control, and injuries. The authors intend to provide up-to-date information for environmental health professionals, and to provide a reference for students and consultants working at the interface between health and environmental sectors. Volume 1 focuses on discussing the fundamentals of physical, chemical, and biological sciences in an environmental health context, and introduces the key concepts that bridge environmental health and medical sciences to accurately inform both environmental and medical professionals. The book addresses different specializations in medical science that account for environmental health issues, and aims to reduce the knowledge gap among professionals on public health topics such as pollution impacts, occupational hazards, radiation exposure, natural disasters, and climate change.


The Suffering Gene

The Suffering Gene

Author: Roy Burdon

Publisher: Zed Books

Published: 2003-05

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 9781842772850

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Cancer kills one man out of every two, and one woman out of three, in the industrialized countries today. And its incidence, despite all efforts to the contrary, is increasing at one per cent a year. The fact is that some 80 per cent of cancers are likely to be due to environmental factors that could be reduced or even eradicated. This book explains how our genes work, and how they are adversely affected by the modern environment in which we live, whether in the North or the South. The factors include toxic industrial and agricultural chemicals, excessive sunlight ( a result of the hole in the ozone layer), nuclear radiation from power plants and the military, other forms of radiation (mobile phones, electricity transmission systems), food contaminants, atmospheric pollutants (tobacco smoke, car exhaust fumes), and the potential impact of genetic engineering. It explains how the body defends itself from external attack, what happens when these defences are overwhelmed, and the need for much more careful development of new technologies, industrial processes, products and foodstuffs.


Environmental Health & Biomedicine

Environmental Health & Biomedicine

Author: C. A. Brebbia

Publisher:

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 513

ISBN-13: 9781845645250

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This book contains most of the papers presented at a meeting held in Riga on two important topics, i.e. the study and modelling of Environmental Health Risk and Biomedical problems.The field of environmental health is defined by the problems faced and by the specific approaches used. These problems include, amongst many others, the treatment and disposal of liquid and airborne wastes, the elimination or reduction of stresses in the workplace, purification of water supplies, the impacts of overpopulation and inadequate or unsafe food supplies, and the development and use of measures to protect hospital and other medical workers from being infected with a variety of diseases.Related topics included in the first part of this volume deal with sessions on environment problems such as air and water contamination; health effects associated with buildings, toxicology and disease studies. Of special interest are the papers on food safety and occupational hazards. The contributions also include research presentations on risk prevention and monitoring.The second part of the book deals with the development of computational tools for the solution of medical and biological problems. The use of mathematical ideas, models and techniques is rapidly growing and is gaining prominence through the biosciences. Studies are presented on the solution of physiological processes and the very important case of the simulation of cardiovascular systems. One of the most successful areas of bioengineering has been biomechanics and orthopaedics, which are topics studied in several of the papers contained in the volume. The book ends with a section on data acquisition and analysis.This book is aimed at scientists and engineers working in the challenging area of biomedicine and health. It comprises a series of state of the art presentations which describe some of the many advances made in these fields.


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

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

Author: Curtis C. Travis

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-11-11

Total Pages: 283

ISBN-13: 1489920528

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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.


Mycotoxins

Mycotoxins

Author: Vladimír Betina

Publisher: Elsevier Publishing Company

Published: 1989

Total Pages: 448

ISBN-13:

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This new book presents the most important data relating to mycotoxins giving basic information on their taxonomic classification, production and biosynthetic pathways, physical and chemical properties, biological effects and biochemical modes of action as well as the threat they pose to animal and human health. The first six chapters present general discussions involving toxigenic fungi and their toxins, the chief biosynthetic pathways of mycotoxins, their biological activities, modes of action, structure-activity relationships, and environmental aspects of mycotoxins and mycotoxicoses. More than 200 individual mycotoxins are then described in detail in the remaining twelve chapters. Extensive tables and indexes as well as a full bibliography for each chapter make this an invaluable reference text. The book is written for students and researchers in the fields of microbiology, mycology, biochemistry, chemistry of natural products, toxicology, pharmacology, human and veterinary medicine, food and agriculture, and environmental sciences.