Insects are more similar in structure and physiology to mammals than plants or fungi. Consequently, insecticides are often of greater toxicity to mammals than herbicides. This is particularly the case with neurotoxins. However, some insecticides are targeted at structures or hormonal systems specific to insects (insect growth regulators/chitin synthesis inhibitors) so are less harmful but can still be mildly haematotoxic. There are, therefore, issues specific to insecticides, which do not occur with other pesticides - hence the need for a book specifically on insecticide toxicology in mammals. The book starts with general issues relating to the mammalian toxicity of insecticides, including target/non-target specificity, nomenclature and metabolism of insecticides. It then goes on to discuss specific types of insecticides including: organochlorines; anticholinesterases; pyrethrum and synthetic pyrethroids; nicotine and the neonicotinoids; insect growth regulators/ecdysone agonists/chitin synthesis inhibitors; insecticides of natural origin; biological insecticides; and insecticides used in veterinary medicine.

Mammalian Toxicology surveys chemical agents and examines how such chemicals impact on human health, emphasizing the importance in minimizing environmental exposure to chemical and physical hazards in our homes, communities and workplaces through such media as contaminated water, soil and air. Starting with the basic principles on a wide range of toxic agents, this textbook describes how they enter the body, their mechanisms of action once inside, and strategies for diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Topics covered include: General principles of toxicology: pharmacological and toxicological principles underpinning the study of toxicology, risk assessments and mechanisms of cell death Disposition: routes of chemical exposures, entry into the body and various tissues, storage, metabolic biotransformation and elimination, with examples from various toxicants. Toxic agents: the occurrences, disposition in the body, health effects, toxic mechanisms, antidotes and treatments of a range of agents including pesticides, metals, solvents, gases, nanomaterials, food components and additives, pharmaceuticals, drugs of abuse, natural toxins, endocrine disruptors, radiation, and warfare weapons. Toxic effects: including neurotoxicity, developmental toxicity, immunotoxicity, teratogenecity, male and female reproductive toxicity, mutagenecity, carcinogenicity, pulmonary toxicity, cardiovascular toxicity, hepatotoxicity, gastrointestinal toxicity and cardiovascular toxicity Toxicology and society: epidemiological studies of chemical-induced diseases in human populations, and a vision for toxicology in the 21st century. Mammalian Toxicology is an essential primer for students of toxicology, biochemistry, biology, medicine and chemistry. It is also appropriate for professional toxicologists in research or regulatory affairs, and anyone who needs to understand the adverse effects of toxic agents on the human body.

This detailed volume explores practical procedures on the identification and quantification of pesticides in a variety of samples. Chapters guide the reader through methods and protocols for the extraction of pesticides from biological and non-biological samples, pitfalls in dosing techniques and structures identification, and also provide an overview of the problems that these pesticides cause in human populations. As part of the Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of reagents and materials, step-by-step guides and reproducible lab protocols, as well as valuable tips on addressing common problems and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Pesticide Toxicology is an ideal reference for academia, analysts, toxicologists, environmentalists, and health and industry professionals aiming to understand the associated risks and to limit the use of these substances and minimize their potential damage to human health and the environment.

The EPA commissioned The National Academies to provide advice on the vexing question of whether and, if so, under what circumstances EPA should accept and consider intentional human dosing studies conducted by companies or other sources outside the agency (so-called third parties) to gather evidence relating to the risks of a chemical or the conditions under which exposure to it could be judged safe. This report recommends that such studies be conducted and used for regulatory purposes only if all of several strict conditions are met, including the following: The study is necessary and scientifically valid, meaning that it addresses an important regulatory question that can't be answered with animal studies or nondosing human studies; The societal benefits of the study outweigh any anticipated risks to participants. At no time, even when benefits beyond improved regulation exist, can a human dosing study be justified that is anticipated to cause lasting harm to study participants; and All recognized ethical standards and procedures for protecting the interests of study participants are observed. In addition, EPA should establish a Human Studies Review Board (HSRB) to evaluate all human dosing studiesâ€"both at the beginning and upon completion of the experimentsâ€"if they are carried out with the intent of affecting the agency's policy-making.

Gulf War and Health, Volume 2, is the second in a series of congressionally-mandated studies by the Institute of Medicine that provides a comprehensive assessment of the available scientific literature on potential health effects of exposure to certain biological, chemical, and environmental agents associated with the Gulf War. In this second study, the committee evaluated the published, peer-reviewed literature on exposure to insecticides and solvents thought to have been present during the 1990-1991 war. Because little information exists on actual exposure levels â€" a critical factor when assessing health effects â€" the committee could not draw specific conclusions about the health problems of Gulf War veterans. However, the study found some evidence, although usually limited, to link specific long-term health outcomes with exposure to certain insecticides and solvents. The next phase of the series will examine the literature on potential health effects associated with exposure to selected environmental pollutants and particulates, such as oil-well fires and jet fuels.

Neurotoxicity of Pesticides, Volume Four, in this comprehensive serial addresses contemporary advances in neurotoxicology of pesticides by providing authoritative review articles on key issues in the field. Edited by leading subject experts, topics of note in this new release include Organophosphates, OPs, Nerve agents, Pyrethroids, Neonicotinoids and Formamidines, among others.

Many of the pesticides applied to food crops in this country are present in foods and may pose risks to human health. Current regulations are intended to protect the health of the general population by controlling pesticide use. This book explores whether the present regulatory approaches adequately protect infants and children, who may differ from adults in susceptibility and in dietary exposures to pesticide residues. The committee focuses on four major areas: Susceptibility: Are children more susceptible or less susceptible than adults to the effects of dietary exposure to pesticides? Exposure: What foods do infants and children eat, and which pesticides and how much of them are present in those foods? Is the current information on consumption and residues adequate to estimate exposure? Toxicity: Are toxicity tests in laboratory animals adequate to predict toxicity in human infants and children? Do the extent and type of toxicity of some chemicals vary by species and by age? Assessing risk: How is dietary exposure to pesticide residues associated with response? How can laboratory data on lifetime exposures of animals be used to derive meaningful estimates of risk to children? Does risk accumulate more rapidly during the early years of life? This book will be of interest to policymakers, administrators of research in the public and private sectors, toxicologists, pediatricians and other health professionals, and the pesticide industry.