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.

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.

This book highlights the latest research on dissolved heavy metals in drinking water and their removal.

Chelation Therapy in the Treatment of Metal Intoxication presents a practical guide to the use of chelation therapy, from its basic chemistry, to available chelating antidotes, and the application of chelating agents. Several metals have long been known to be toxic to humans, and continue to pose great difficulty to treat. These challenges pose particular problems in industrial settings, with lead smelting known to be associated with hemopoietic alterations and paralyses, and the inhalation of mercury vapor in mercury mining being extremely detrimental to the central nervous system. Clinical experience has demonstrated that acute and chronic human intoxications with a range of metals can be treated efficiently by administration of chelating agents. Chelation Therapy in the Treatment of Metal Intoxication describes the chemical and biological principles of chelation in the treatment of these toxic metal compounds, including new chelators such as meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) and D,L-2,3-dimercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid (DMPS). - Presents all the current findings on the potential for chelation as a therapy for metal intoxication - Presents practical guidelines for selecting the most appropriate chelating agent - Includes coverage on radionuclide exposure and metal storage diseases - Describes the chemical and biological principles of chelation in the treatment of toxic metal compounds

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 Toxicity and Tolerance in Plants: From Physiology to Remediation presents a single research resource on the latest in cadmium toxicity and tolerance in plants. The book covers many important areas, including means of Cd reduction, from plant adaptation, including antioxidant defense, active excretion and chelation, to phytoextraction, rhizo filtration, phytodegradation, and much more. In addition, it explores important insights into the physiological and molecular mechanisms of Cd uptake and transport and presents options for improving resistance to Cd stresses. It will be ideal for both researchers and students working on cadmium pollution, plant responses and related fields of environmental contamination and toxicology. - Includes all aspects of cadmium toxicity and tolerance in plants - Provides a comprehensive overview of advances in cadmium toxicity, tolerance and adaptation in plants - Elaborates on the advancement of eco-friendly techniques for cadmium remediation from soil and water - Provides real-world, application focused techniques