Arsenic: Exposure Sources, Health Risks, and Mechanisms of Toxicity

Although used in pesticides and wood preservatives, arsenic is potentially fatal at high levels and creates a toxicological concern around the world according to one study, over 140 million people in more than 70 countries are affected by arsenic contamination of drinking water. Exposure to high levels of arsenic also occurs in workplaces and near hazardous waste sites, and long–term exposure is often associated with several types of cancer and death. Despite the known effects of arsenic and regulatory guidelines to deal with it, there are increasing reports and evidential research that indicate more health risks and growing concerns.

This book discusses arsenic s fundamentals, exposure sources, epidemiology and disease, and toxic mechanisms. It illustrates the chemistry, toxicology, and health effects of arsenic using novel modeling techniques, population studies, experimental data, and future perspectives. It illustrates the chemistry, toxicology, and health effects of arsenic so that readers will come away with an understanding about the potential health risks and ways that toxicological research can improve and contribute to characterization and risk assessment of arsenic exposure.

An invaluable resource and reference for toxicologists, environmental chemists, and risk assessors; this book offers:

Population studies, mammalian and invertebrate models, and pharmacokinetic and toxicokinetic models

Discussion of outcomes, epidemiology, real–life examples, and modes of action for arsenic–induced diseases, like lung cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases

Future perspectives on special topics, like early life arsenic exposure, biomarkers for phenotypic anchoring, and pathology of chronic exposure

J. Christopher States, PhD, is Professor, Distinguished University Scholar and Vice Chair for Graduate Education  in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Associate Dean for Research in the University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky. He is a Past President of the Society of Toxicology Metals Specialty Section, on the editorial board of several leading journals, and regularly serves as a reviewer of manuscripts and National Institutes of Health grants. He has organized symposia and workshops and chaired sessions on arsenic exposure and toxicology at international conferences and published over 100 articles.