Genetic Toxicology of Complex Mixtures

Abstract

A Continuation Order Plan is available for this series. A continuation order will bring delivery of each new volume immediately upon publication. Volumes are billed only upon actual shipment. For further information please contact the publisher. All rights reservedNo part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher FOREWORD Contained in this volume are the proceedings of the international conference on the "Genetic Toxicology of Complex Mixtures," held from July 4-7, 1989, in Washington, DC. This meeting was a satellite of the "Fifth International Conference on Environmental Mutagens" and the seventh in a biennial series of conferences on "Short-term Bioassays in the Analysis of Complex Environmental Mixtures."Our central objective in calling together key researchers from around the world was to extend our knowledge of the application of the methods of genetic toxicology and analytical chemistry in the evaluation of chemical mixtures as they exist in the environment. This conference emphasized the study of genotoxicants in air and water, and the assessment of human exposure and cancer risk. The latest strategies and methodologies for biomonitoring of genotoxicants (including transformation products) were described in the context of the ambient environment. Source characterization and source apportionment were discussed as an aid to understanding the origin and relative contribution of various kinds of complex mixtures to the ambient environment. Similarly, investigations of genotoxicants found in the indoor environment (sidestream cigarette smoke) and in drinking water (chlorohydroxyfuranones) were given special attention in terms of their potential health impacts. New molecular techniques were described to enable more precise quantitation of internal dose and doseto-target tissues.The emphasis of presentations on exposures/effects assessment was on integrated quantitative evaluation of human exposure and potential health effects. It is clear that the sophistication of complex mixture research technologies has increased dramatically since the first conference in 1978 with the application of state-of-the-art genetic and molecular methods. It is now apparent that interdisciplinary approaches are essential in order to assess the contribution of mixtures of genotoxic agents in the environment to total human exposure and potential cancer risk.We are indebted to the speakers and chairpersons who presented their data at the meeting and in the excellent chapters that follow.