The National Human Monitoring Program (NHMP) identifies concentrations of specific chemicals in human tissues, including toxicologic testing and risk assessment determinations. This volume evaluates the current activities of the NHMP; identifies important scientific, technical, and programmatic issues; and makes recommendations regarding the design of the program and use of its products.
Poisoning is a far more serious health problem in the U.S. than has generally been recognized. It is estimated that more than 4 million poisoning episodes occur annually, with approximately 300,000 cases leading to hospitalization. The field of poison prevention provides some of the most celebrated examples of successful public health interventions, yet surprisingly the current poison control "system" is little more than a loose network of poison control centers, poorly integrated into the larger spheres of public health. To increase their effectiveness, efforts to reduce poisoning need to be linked to a national agenda for public health promotion and injury prevention. Forging a Poison Prevention and Control System recommends a future poison control system with a strong public health infrastructure, a national system of regional poison control centers, federal funding to support core poison control activities, and a national poison information system to track major poisoning epidemics and possible acts of bioterrorism. This framework provides a complete "system" that could offer the best poison prevention and patient care services to meet the needs of the nation in the 21st century.
Hazard Assessment of Chemicals: Current Developments, Volume 3 is a collection of expertly written articles that provide relevant and important information on the environmental and health hazard assessment of chemicals. The volume presents studies and expositions on such topics as hazard priority ranking system (or scoring system), a method to rank chemicals on the severity of their ill effects on the environment and human health. The book also tackles the effect of particulates on the toxic manifestations of chemicals; application of aquatic organisms as indicator systems for early detection of waterborne human carcinogens; techniques for metal speciation; and impact of fluorocarbons and other contaminants on stratospheric ozone. Environmentalists, ecologists, toxicologists, public safety officers and workers, and those concerned with the health effects of chemical agents in the environment will find this book very informative.