Environmental Toxicology

INTRODUCTION
Study of environmental toxicology
Worldwide development in recent decades
Environmental pollution and law
Importance of environmental toxicology
Toxicity testing - a brief review
ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES AND HEALTH
Our changing environment
Our changing disease pattern
Examples of environmental diseases
OCCURRENCE OF TOXICANTS
Introduction
Smoke or smog
Offensive odors
Agricultural damage
Intoxication of animals
Injuries to humans
Acute and chronic effects
DAMAGE PROCESS AND ACTION OF TOXICANTS
Introduction
Plants
Mammalian organism
Mechanism of action
FACTORS AFFECTING XENOBIOTIC ACTION
Introduction
Physicochemical properties
Dose/concentration
Duration and mode of exposure
Environmental factors
Interaction
Biological factors
Nutritional factors
METABOLISM OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS
Introduction
Types of biotransformation
Mechanism of biotransformation
Consequence of biotransformation
Factors influencing biotransformation
Characteristics of the cytochrome P450s
DEFENSE RESPONSES TO TOXICANTS
Introduction
Responses of humans/animals
Responses of plants
AIR POLLUTION – INORGANIC GASES
Introduction
Sulfur dioxide
Nitrogen dioxide
Ozone
Carbon monoxide
AIR POLLUTION – PARTICULATE MATTER
Introduction
Characteristics
Formation of particulates
Health effects
Silica
Beryllium
Asbestos
ENVIRONMENTAL FLUORIDE
Introduction
Occurrence and forms of fluoride
Sources of environmental fluoride
Industrial sources of fluoride in the environment
Effects on plants
Effects on animals
Effects on humans
VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
Introduction
Sources
Petroleum hydrocarbons
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
SOIL AND WATER POLLUTION - ENVIRONMENTAL METALS AND METALLOIDS
Introduction
Lead
Cadmium
Mercury
Nickel
Arsenic
PESTICIDES AND RELATED MATERIALS
Introduction
Insecticides
Herbicides
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
Polybrominated biphenyls
Dioxin

ENDOCRINE DISRUPTION
Introduction
Review of hormonal function
Characteristics of endocrine disrupters
Mode of action
Examples of endocrine disruption
Hormonal cancers
Testing estrogenicity

MUTAGENIC POLLUTANTS
Introduction
Types of mutation
Effect of mutations
Induction of mutation
ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER
Introduction
Causes of cancer
Stages in the development of cancer
Metastasis
Classification of carcinogens
Metabolism of chemical carcinogens
DNA repair
RISK ASSESSMENT/TESTING
Introduction
Basic components of a risk assessment
Use of ecological risk assessment
Importance of ecological risk assessment
Frameworks for ecological risk assessment
Usefulness of ecological risk assessment predictions