Combined Exposure to Mixture of Chemicals. An Impossible Challenge

摘要: The harmful effects of the human activities on health and environment are known for a very long time but public awareness is recent dates from second half 20th century. Living organisms almost constantly exposed to many stressors. Among them, chemical pollutants play major role. A wide range substances act as pollutants, ranging simple inorganic ions complex organic molecules. Some metals such cadmium, mercury, lead provoke adverse when they present at high level exposure. Radioactive isotopes may be organisms, depending dose type radiation. Numerous compounds also noxious: hydrocarbons (i.e. benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs), polychlorinated phenols (PCPs) biphenyls (PCBs), dibenzodioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polybrominated (PBBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCs), organophosphorus (OPs), carbamates, pyrethroid insecticides, phenoxy herbicides, rodenticides, organometallic so (Walker et al., 2001). these chemicals concern because their toxicity. Other cause damages non-human biota not believed humans. Finally, some other directly toxic humans or current environmental concentrations, capable modify features causing damage chlorinated fluorinated carbons, CFCs, drastically disturb chemistry stratosphere). In this chapter, only living considered, keeping in mind that non stressors same biota. Any substance can have cell biology and/or whole organism, depend speciation. Toxicity ecotoxicity defined capacity injury organism (human not) with reference quantity absorbed, way which taken up distributed (single repeated doses), severity injury, needed produce nature organism(s) affected, relevant conditions (Duffus 2009). has by an before it effect. Once potentially will throughout absorption toxicant result effect response percentage population showing To quantitatively