Exposure Assessment in Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology

by Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen (Editor)

Overview

Set against a background of growing public, media and political concern about occupational and environmental health issues, and a scientific need to better understand and explain the effects of pollutants on human health, this book is a unique resource. Contributions from an expert panel of international practitioners provide a comprehensive reference on the state of the art methods and applications in the field of occupational and environmental pollution and the adverse health effects, particularly the exposure assessment in epidemiological studies. Risks associated with occupational and environmental exposure are generally small, but the exposed population, and hence the population attributable risk, may be large. To detect small risk, the exposure assessment needs to be very refined. Exposure assessment is the study of the distribution and determinants of potentially hazardous agents, and includes the estimation of intensity, duration and frequency of exposure, the variation in these indices and their determinants. The aim of this book is to develop an understanding and knowledge of exposure assessment methods and their application to substantive issues in occupational and environmental epidemiology. The emphasis is on methodological principles and good practice. It is focused on exposure assessment in both occupational and environmental epidemiology since there are many similarities but also some interesting differences. The book outlines the basic principles of exposure assessment, and examines the current status and research questions in the exposure assessment of occupational and environmental epidemiological studies of allergens, particulate matter, chlorination disinfection by-products, agricultural pesticides and radiofrequencies. The book will be of interest to all concerned with exposure assessment and epidemiology. It will be a valuable source for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in exposure assessment, occupational hygiene, environmental science, epidemiology, toxicology, biostatistics, occupational and environmental health, health risk assessment and related disciplines and a useful resource of reference for policy makers and regulators.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780191015687
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	08/07/2003
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to exposure assessment, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen2. Questionnaires, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen3. Environmental measurement and modelling: source modelling, Roy Colvile, David Briggs and Mark Nieuwenhuijsen4. Environmental measurement and modelling: Geographical approaches to exposure assessment, David Briggs5. Personal exposure monitoring, Mark Nieuwenhiujsen6. Analysis and modelling of personal exposures, Alex Burdorf7. Retrospective exposure assessment, Wolfgand Ahrens and Patricia Stewart8. Exposure surrogates: job-exposure marices, self reports, and expert evaluations, Kay Teschke9. Dermal exposure assessment, Sean Semple and John W. Cherrie10. Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modelling, Georgo Loizou and Martin Spendiff11. Biological Monitoring, Mark Niewenhiujsen and Pierre Droz12. Exposure measurement error: consequences and design issues, Ben Armstrong13. Allergen exposure and occupational respiratory allergy and asthma, Dick Heederik14. Particulate matter, Helen H. Suh15. Exposure assessment in studies of chlroination disinfection by-products and birth outcomes, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen16. Exposure assessment of pesticides in cancer epidemiology, Mark van Tongeren and Philip Chadwick

Editorial Reviews

3 Stars from Doody

Reviewer: Robert I. Krieger, PhD (University of California Riverside)
Description: This is a comprehensive introduction to methods and techniques for the study of relationships between environmental chemicals and health issues derived from human exposure. The edited book was developed by a group of international contributors with current activities in exposure assessment.
Purpose: The editor sought to develop an understanding and knowledge of exposure assessment methods and their application to substantive issues in occupational and environmental epidemiology. This objective is broad and worthy. Due to the breadth of coverage, the book is presented at a more basic level that expected, thus making it especially useful as a text at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The emphasis on principles and good practice is true throughout the book.
Audience: The content and style of the book make it especially useful for the student population in occupational hygiene, environmental toxicology, and occupational and environmental health, particularly those engaged in chemical exposure assessment and environmental epidemiology. The book will also be a useful reference for nonspecialists in the health sciences, policy makers, and regulators. The editor has demonstrated comprehensive mastery of the field in providing this seamless, multiauthored book.
Features: The book addresses critical issues in exposure assessment and environmental epidemiology using helpful references and carefully crafted text. The balanced presentation is not dominated by the special interests and experience of authors. Tables and figures are carefully chosen and presented in formats that help to unify the book. These factors make the book especially useful. At the same time, text and references are sufficient to satisfy the needs of more advanced persons. A future edition may include a Current Topic on dietary exposure that would introduce readers to a remarkably well-developed aspect of exposure assessment that was omitted from this offering. Dietary risk fits very nicely into the category of low risk with high attributable population risk.
Assessment: The editor has made progress integrating environmental and occupational inhalation and dermal exposures. The book is high quality and will meet the needs of students and practitioners who seek an integrated introduction to exposure assessment and environmental epidemiology.

Doody's Review Service