Toxicity assessment of unintentional exposure to multiple chemicals

Typically exposure to environmental chemicals is unintentional, and often the exposure is to chemical mixtures, either simultaneously or sequentially. When exposure occurs, in public health practice, it is prudent to ascertain if thresholds for harmful health effects are exceeded, whether by individ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Toxicology and applied pharmacology 2007-09, Vol.223 (2), p.104-113
Main Authors: Mumtaz, M.M., Ruiz, P., De Rosa, C.T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
BIOLOGICAL MARKERS
Chemical mixtures
Computational Biology
Environmental Exposure - analysis
Environmental Exposure - prevention & control
Hazardous
Hazardous Substances - analysis
Hazardous Substances - poisoning
Humans
Medical sciences
Models, Theoretical
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
POLLUTANTS
PUBLIC HEALTH
RISK ASSESSMENT
Risk Assessment - methods
Systems Integration
TOXICITY
Toxicology
Toxicology - methods
Toxicology - trends
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Summary:Typically exposure to environmental chemicals is unintentional, and often the exposure is to chemical mixtures, either simultaneously or sequentially. When exposure occurs, in public health practice, it is prudent to ascertain if thresholds for harmful health effects are exceeded, whether by individual chemicals or by chemicals in combination. Three alternative approaches are available for assessing the toxicity of chemical mixtures. Each approach, however, has shortcomings. As the procedures of each approach are described in this paper, at various steps research needs are identified. Recently, reliance has increased on computational toxicology methods for predicting toxicological effects when data are limited. Advances in molecular biology, identification of biomarkers, and availability of accurate and sensitive methods allow us to more precisely define the relationships between multiple chemical exposures and health effects, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Key research needs are best fulfilled through collaborative research. It is through such collaborations that resources are most effectively leveraged to further develop and apply toxicity assessment methods that advance public health practices in vulnerable communities.
ISSN:0041-008X
1096-0333
DOI:10.1016/j.taap.2007.04.015