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.

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.

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 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.

It's obvious why only men develop prostate cancer and why only women get ovarian cancer. But it is not obvious why women are more likely to recover language ability after a stroke than men or why women are more apt to develop autoimmune diseases such as lupus. Sex differences in health throughout the lifespan have been documented. Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health begins to snap the pieces of the puzzle into place so that this knowledge can be used to improve health for both sexes. From behavior and cognition to metabolism and response to chemicals and infectious organisms, this book explores the health impact of sex (being male or female, according to reproductive organs and chromosomes) and gender (one's sense of self as male or female in society). Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health discusses basic biochemical differences in the cells of males and females and health variability between the sexes from conception throughout life. The book identifies key research needs and opportunities and addresses barriers to research. Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health will be important to health policy makers, basic, applied, and clinical researchers, educators, providers, and journalists-while being very accessible to interested lay readers.

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.