Environmental Toxicology: Xenobiotics and Effects on Human Genetic Material

This contributed volume is a comprehensive resource on the eventual fate of xenobiotics in the environment and their impact on the human genetic material in one integrated approach. The book offers a multi-disciplinary expertise of authors who are specialized in environmental science, toxicology, genetics, and epidemiology for a thorough understanding of complex interactions of xenobiotics with the environment and human health. The book offers both theory chapters and case studies, including studies on how omics technologies like genomics, transcriptomics, and epigenomics may be applied in order to assess the effect of xenobiotics on human genetic material.

Environmental toxicology is a multidisciplinary field that investigates adverse effects of xenobiotics, such as pollutants and toxic substances, on living organisms and the environment. The fate of xenobiotics in the environment is characterized by their release, transport, transformation, and degradation, which can cause bioaccumulation and biomagnification in food chains. The impact of exposure to xenobiotics has been documented to be catastrophic for human health, ranging from genetic damage to mutations and epigenetic changes. Exposure to pesticides, heavy metals, and industrial chemicals has been identified to increase the risk of cancer, reproductive problems, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Such influences of xenobiotics on human genetic material are the reason for much concern, because this can lead to heritable changes and affect not only the person but also his future generations. Epigenetic modification, such as DNA methylation and histone modification, can also influence the expression of genes and raise susceptibility to diseases.