A Small Dose of Toxicology: The Health Effects of Common Chemicals / Edition 1

by Steven G. Gilbert

Overview

Everyday, we come into contact with many relatively harmless substances that could, at certain concentrations, be toxic. This applies not only to obvious candidates such as asbestos, lead, and gasoline, but also to compounds such as caffeine and headache tablets. While the field of toxicology has numerous texts devoted to aspects of biology, chemistry, and mechanism of action, the need remains for a book that places toxicology within the framework of our daily lives.
A Small Dose of Toxicology presents the principles of toxicology by exploring the effects of common chemical agents such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. It reviews the fundamentals of dose-response and factors of individual sensitivity in regard to these drugs, and then applies this knowledge to environmental contaminates such as lead, arsenic, pesticides, mercury, and radiation. Chapters discuss neurotoxicology, risk assessment, carcinogenicity, and with a variety of specific toxic agents, with each chapter designed as a self-contained module to allow for flexibility in the selection of personal or academic material.

Exploring current toxicology concerns within a human context, this text discusses how toxicology affects our everyday lives while providing insight into the broader issues of public health and disease prevention. Environmental and public health professionals, as well as novices and students requiring a basic foundation in toxicology will find this resource incredibly useful.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415311687
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	02/18/2004
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

Toxicology and You. Principles of Toxicology. Alcohol. Caffeine. Nicotine. Pesticides. Lead. Mercury. Arsenic. Metals. Solvents and Vapors. Radiation. Animal and Plant Toxins. Persistent Environmental Contaminants. The Nervous System. Cancer and Genetic Toxicology. Pregnancy and Developmental Toxicology. Toxics in the Home. Risk Assessment and Risk Management.

Editorial Reviews

"The passionate concerns that many of us hold-for protecting animal habitat, water quality, or the health of our most vulnerable people-often are not coupled with a solid understanding of why some substances are harmful. So I was personally delighted to find some of the grounding I needed in [this book]. … The short chapters and straightforward approach present the information with great clarity."
- GenerationGreen.org

"I found this book to be a delightful text that reminded me of all the wonderful ways in which toxicology impacts our lives … . It is a great primer for young people considering a career in the field, but, importantly, is also an excellent text for introducing the topic to the general public, something that I feel has historically been lacking. The author should be commended for his efforts in compiling this text."
- BTS Newsletter

"We distributed your book to all of our teachers and it was a GREAT hit. Thanks again for writing such a great book for teachers."
- Terry Pittman

From the Publisher