In the laboratory, testing the toxic effects for a single compound is a straightforward process. However, many common harmful substances occur naturally as mixtures and can interact to exhibit greater toxic effects as a mixture than the individual components exhibit separately. Complex Mixtures addresses the problem of identifying and classifying complex mixtures, investigating the effect of exposure, and the research problems inherent in testing their toxicity to human beings. A complete series of case studies is presented, including one that examines the cofactors of alcohol consumption and cigarette smoke.

Table of Contents


Front Matter
Executive Summary
1. Introduction
2. Concepts for Analyzing Human Exposure to Complex Chemical Mixtures
3. Testing Strategies and Methods
4. Sampling and Chemical Characterization
5. Interpretation and Modeling of Toxicity-Test Results
Appendix A: Origins of Complex Mixtures
Appendix B: Case Studies Establishing Active Agents and/or Interactions in Complex Mixtures
Appendix C: Case Studies on Strategies for Testing the Toxicity of Complex Mixtures
Appendix D: Predicting the Joint Risk of a Misture in Terms of the Component Risks
Appendix E: Cancer Models
Appendix F: Developmental Toxicology
Appendix G: Empirical Modeling of the Toxicity of Mixtures
Index