Environmental Epidemiology

Environmental Epidemiology: Exposure and Disease is a unique resource identifying priorities for public health research in selected areas of environmental epidemiology. Drawn from the proceedings of an international workshop on this topic, the book is a compilation of the specialized knowledge and opinions of environmental epidemiology experts. Organized by the Rome division of the World Health Organization (WHO) European Centre for Environment and Health, the goal of the 1993 workshop, Setting Priorities in Environmental Epidemiology, was to establish a consensus among the experts in the selected areas. The chapters in Environmental Epidemiology: Exposure and Disease cover environmental epidemiology from three different viewpoints: environmental exposures, major disease groups related to the environment, and epidemiological methodology. The environmental exposure categories examined for prioritizing are air contaminants, water contaminants, and ionizing and non-ionizing radiation exposure from human-caused disasters. The major disease groups covered are neoplastic diseases, lung cancer, and non-carcinogenic respiratory disease. Methods discussed in the book include small area studies, use of biochemical markers, exposure assessment, and training. To prioritize, the authors utilized a set of criteria based on exposure conditions, health effects, and the feasibility of human studies. Within the complex and rapidly growing field of environmental epidemiology, this compendium of international expertise provides essential guidance for research emphasis and the allocation of financial and technical resources.