Research Focus

Environmental toxicology has become an area of growing interest and concern both to the scientific community and to the general public, since chemicals and pollutants together with other environmental factors are now recognized as major determinants of human health status. These chemicals, apart from their inherent toxicity, may modulate toxicity of other substances by interfering with various physiological systems.

Research interests in the Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology has placed emphasis on research on major health and environmental problems from exposure to chemicals in the environment, particularly that which can lead to minimization of risks and prevention of disease resulting from this exposure, leading to a reduced burden on the national economy from medical expenses.

Chemicals of specific interest include carcinogenic compounds found in the environment and in food, and may be volatile organic compounds, pesticides, toxic metals, and other toxicants.

The major long-range goals of the current programs are:

To elucidate mechanisms through which chemicals and biological agents in the environment induce pathogenesis.

To study the effects of environmental pollutants and industrial chemicals as modifiers of physiological and pathological status and the influence of host factors, such as nutritional status and disease states, on toxicity and carcinogenicity of chemicals.
To develop new methods for detection of environmental toxicants.

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