This book examines the health effects of exposure to bentonite, kaolin, and selected clay minerals. Despite the ubiquitous exposure of the general population to low concentrations of montmorillonite and kaolinite, the main components of bentonite and kaolin respectively, and other clay minerals, no data are available on its effects.

Long-term occupational exposure to bentonite dust may cause structural and functional damage to the lungs, but currently available data do not conclusively establish a dose-response or even a cause-and-effect relationship. Long-term exposure to kaolin...

Summary Evaluates the risks to human health and the environment posed by exposure to chlorinated paraffins. These complex mixtures are widely used throughout the world as a secondary plasticizer in polyvinyl chloride, as extreme pressure lubricant additives in the metal-working industry, and in fire-retardant and water-repellent fabric treatment. Chlorinated paraffins are also added to paints, coatings, and sealants to improve resistance to water and chemicals. The most extensive section assesses findings from toxicity studies in experimental mammals and in vitro test systems. Studies...

Evaluates the findings of close to 600 studies aimed at determining whether the health risks associated with tobacco use are enhanced by co-exposure to numerous chemical, biological, and physical agents commonly found in the workplace. Co-exposures in the domestic and general environment, which are especially important in newly industrializing countries, are also considered in this comprehensive review. Although all forms of tobacco use are covered, particular attention is given to risks arising from exposure to mainstream and sidestream smoke from cigarettes. The book has four chapters. The...

Evaluates the environmental hazards and risks to human health posed by the production and use of vinylidene chloride. Vinylidene chloride/vinyl chloride copolymers are used for the packaging of foods, as metal coatings in storage tanks, building structures, and tapes, and as moulded filters, valves, and pipe fittings. Food packaging applications include both commercial packaging films and household wraps.

Explains the principles, concepts, and definitions used by the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) when assessing toxicological data on pesticide residues in food and establishing acceptable daily intakes. Intended to guide the design and interpretation of relevant toxicological studies, the book alerts readers to the multiplicity of factors, from the endocrinology of the animal species to the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of the pesticide, that can influence the validity of a study and determine its relevance to safety assessment.

Evaluates the risks to human health posed by the consumption of food contaminated with ochratoxins, trichothecenes, or ergot. Health effects possibly linked to these mycotoxins range from gastrointestinal disturbances and throat irritation to gangrene, nephropathy, and tumours of the renal pelvis and ureters. Evaluations are based on a critical review of well over 700 investigations, many of which were published during the past decade.

Evaluates the risks to human health and the environment posed by the mining, processing, and industrial use of barium. The opening sections review both natural and man-made sources of release into the environment, including nuclear fallout following the testing of weapons. A section on environmental behaviour notes the contribution of industrial emissions, especially from the combustion of coal and diesel oil, to the presence of barium in air. Particular concern centres on concentrations found in water, where barium may have a residence time of several hundred years. Water supplies and food...

Evaluates risks to human health and the environment posed by the production and use of tricresyl phosphate. Tricresyl phosphate is used in industry as a plasticizer in vinyl plastic manufacture, as a flame-retardant, as a solvent for nitrocellulose, in cellulosic molding compositions, and in the manufacture of fire-resistant hydraulic fluids and lubricants.
Because of the physico-chemical properties of tricresyl phosphate and its rapid biodegradation, the report concludes that use of the compound does not threaten the environment, though there is some evidence that crop plants can be...

Evaluates the risks to human health and the environment posed by the production and use of fully halogenated chlorofluorocarbons. Eight different commercial compounds, some of which are known to contribute to ozone depletion, are assessed. The opening section summarizes the unique chemical and physical properties that account for the commercial importance of chlorofluorocarbons and explain why their degradation in the upper stratosphere destroys ozone. Subsequent sections summarize data on the global distribution of chlorofluorocarbons and evaluate the strength of evidence suggesting that...

Assesses the risk to human health posed by the use of inorganic mercury in dental amalgam and in soaps and creams used to lighten the skin. Although such skin-lightening products are now banned throughout the European Economic Community, in North America, and in many African states, the report reveals that mercury-containing soap continues to be manufactured in several European countries, is sold as germicidal soap to the Third World, and is illegally re-imported from Africa to European cities having a substantial black population. Dental amalgam and food, most notably seafood, are identified...