Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion Tests


Book Description

During the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. Army conducted atmospheric dispersion tests in many American cities using fluorescent particles of zinc cadmium sulfide (ZnCdS) to develop and verify meteorological models to estimate the dispersal of aerosols. Upon learning of the tests, many citizens and some public health officials in the affected cities raised concerns about the health consequences of the tests. This book assesses the public health effects of the Army's tests, including the toxicity of ZnCdS, the toxicity of surrogate cadmium compounds, the environmental fate of ZnCdS, the extent of public exposures from the dispersion tests, and the risks of such exposures.







Cadmium Toxicity


Book Description

This volume focuses on cadmium (Cd) exposure, its effects on human health, the mechanism of Cd accumulation and the development of mitigation technologies. Further, it discusses clinical, epidemiological, agricultural, toxicological, and biochemical aspects of Cd pollution and presents recent biochemical studies on molecular mechanisms of Cd cytotoxicity and cellular transport as well as the mechanism of Cd-induced disturbances in phosphorus (P) metabolism. It also provides insights into the pathophysiology of itai-itai disease, a serious condition caused by Cd pollution. Cadmium -New Aspects in Human Disease, Rice Contamination, and Cytotoxicity- is a valuable resource for scientists involved in heavy metal toxicology, botanical sciences, and regulatory sciences. Addressing the features of Cd pollution in the past and in the present, as well as future perspectives, this is a must-have book for students, researchers and practitioners interested in global and local metal pollution.




Cadmium


Book Description

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the four metals that have been raising apprehension world-wide as environmental, agricultural and health hazards in recent decades. Cadmium accumulates in the soil naturally or through anthropogenic activities, such as mining, industrial waste disposal, use and disposal of batteries and sludges, and application of pesticides and fertilisers. Cadmium accumulation can result in severe deterioration of natural resources, disturbance of ecosystems, and deleterious effects on plants, animals and human health. In recent decades, the number of publications focused on cadmium toxicity in plants and animals has been growing exponentially, making this topic impossible to accommodate within the scope of a single volume. This book edited by Dr Mirza Hasanuzzaman and Dr Masayuki Fujita presents a collection of 16 chapters written by 67 experts from 19 countries working on cadmium toxicity. This volume provides the readers with a background for understanding cadmium toxicity, its environmental and health aspects, and its remediation mechanisms. Various chapters included in this book provide a state-of-the-art account of the information as a resourceful guide suited for scholars and researchers working in the field of cadmium. This book is a invaluable resource for plant biologists, agriculturists, toxicologists, biochemists, environmental scientists, physiologists, pharmacologists, geneticists, molecular biologists; as well as graduate students in these disciplines.




Cadmium in the Environment


Book Description

The focus of this report is upon information essential to the understanding of the toxic action of cadmium and the relationship between dose (exposure) and effects on human beings and animals. The therapy of cadmium poisoning has not been discussed.This review on cadmium in the environment has been performed under a contract between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Environmental Hygiene of the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. The report is intended to serve as a background paper for a future Air Quality Criteria document on cadmium. Therefore, particular attention has been given to information relevant for the evaluation of risks due to long-term exposure to low concentrations of cadmium. Acute effects from short-term exposure to high concentrations are dealt with briefly. In vitro studies without bearing on the main problem have not been dealt with.The report is not limited to effects from exposure via inhalation. Newly accessible information, showing that large populations may be exposed considerably via the oral route, can elucidate chronic effects of cadmium in general. Man and animals can be victims of secondary exposure through vehicles such as food and water which have been contaminated by cadmium in air.




Environmental Medicine


Book Description

People are increasingly concerned about potential environmental health hazards and often ask their physicians questions such as: "Is the tap water safe to drink?" "Is it safe to live near power lines?" Unfortunately, physicians often lack the information and training related to environmental health risks needed to answer such questions. This book discusses six competency based learning objectives for all medical school students, discusses the relevance of environmental health to specific courses and clerkships, and demonstrates how to integrate environmental health into the curriculum through published case studies, some of which are included in one of the book's three appendices. Also included is a guide on where to obtain additional information for treatment, referral, and follow-up for diseases with possible environmental and/or occupational origins.










Impact of Heavy Metals on the Environment


Book Description

Highlighted in this compilation of papers is the role and importance of heavy metals in the environment. It provides up-to-date information in a field of active research and progress, where the focus is on effects and interactions between the environment and organisms, as well as contaminant dynamics. Several papers address the impact of heavy metals on our health. The influence of metals on plants is described in an exhaustive study on lichens, which have been widely used as biomonitors for environmental contamination by heavy metals. Metals are also accumulated by animals, as seen in a chapter which focusses on sediment/benthic organism interactions and biomonitoring in fish. Soil interactions are discussed, as well as regional studies of freshwater sediments and the marine environment. The final part of the book addresses a crucial problem: the management of stabilized municipal waste sludges. As a result, the most important and significant recent trends are included, emphasizing interactions with and impacts of heavy metals on humans, animals, plants and soils.




Waste Incineration and Public Health


Book Description

Incineration has been used widely for waste disposal, including household, hazardous, and medical wasteâ€"but there is increasing public concern over the benefits of combusting the waste versus the health risk from pollutants emitted during combustion. Waste Incineration and Public Health informs the emerging debate with the most up-to-date information available on incineration, pollution, and human healthâ€"along with expert conclusions and recommendations for further research and improvement of such areas as risk communication. The committee provides details on: Processes involved in incineration and how contaminants are released. Environmental dynamics of contaminants and routes of human exposure. Tools and approaches for assessing possible human health effects. Scientific concerns pertinent to future regulatory actions. The book also examines some of the social, psychological, and economic factors that affect the communities where incineration takes place and addresses the problem of uncertainty and variation in predicting the health effects of incineration processes.