Methods for Estimating Risk of Chemical Injury : Human and Non-human Biota and Ecosystems

This book provides a review and evaluation of existing methods for estimation and quantification of risks associated with chemical exposure.

Dealing first with the assessment of probable damage to the human organism, the book discusses the basic mechanisms of mutagenesis and carcinogenesis, the validity of long-term whole-animal studies as predictors of human response and the use of epidemiology, statistics and mathematical modelling in developing quantitative risk estimation.

The same approach is adopted for non-human biota and ecosystems, including a state-of-the-art assessment of work in single-species tests, multispecies tests and ecotoxicological modelling.

Where suitable methods are not available, inadequacies are identified and suggestions made for the improvement and development of more appropriate procedures to fill them.