Many books have been written about the effects of toxic chemicals on wildlife, but none has focused on the practical question, "How much of a chemical in the tissues of an animal is harmful?" This book deals exclusively with that question. This comprehensive reference will certainly become the standard resource on the topic, offering authoritative and sound advice on many environmental contaminants. With chapters written by outstanding experts in their respective fields, this is not only a scholarly collection of discussions on different chemicals, but, for those who have the day-to-day task of evaluating the harm of environment contaminants to wildlife, this book will provide answers on, for example, how to interpret 1 ppm lead in the liver of a duck or fish. The authors explain the snags of interpreting data that are sometimes conflicting or insufficient, providing the reader with helpful advice on how to cope with such data. Each chapter reviews literature on a specific chemical, followed by a easy-to-understand summary providing technical guidance. For many years this book will remain the preeminent reference on how to interpret contaminant levels of organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, dioxins, PAHs, metals, selenium, and fluorides in wildlife.

Table of Contents

Residue Analyses: How They Were Used to Assess the Hazards of Contaminants to Wildlife, J.O. Keith DDT, DDD, and DDE in Birds, L.J. Blus Dieldrin and Other Cyclodiene Pesticides in Wildlife, D.B. Peakall Other Organochlorine Pesticides in Birds, S.N. Wiemeyer PCBs in Aquatic Organisms, A.J. Niimi Toxicological Implications of PCB Residues in Mammals, M.A. Kamrin and R.K. Ringer PCBs and Dioxins in Birds, D.J. Hoffman, C.P. Rice, and T.J. Kubiak Dioxins: An Environmental Risk for Fish? D. Sijm and A. Opperhuizen Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Marine Mammals, Finfish, and Molluscs, J. Hellou Lead in Waterfowl, D.J. Pain Interpretation of Tissue Lead Residues in Birds Other Than Waterfowl, J.C. Franson Lead in Mammals, W.-C. Ma Toxicological Significance of Mercury in Freshwater Fish, J.G. Wiener and D.J. Spry Mercury in Birds and Terrestrial Mammals, D.R. Thompson Metals in Marine Mammals, R.J. Law Cadmium in Small Mammals, J.A. Cooke and M.S. Johnson Cadmium in Birds, R.W. Furness Heavy Metals in Aquatic Invertebrates, P.S. Rainbow Selenium in Aquatic Organisms, A.D. Lemly Selenium in Birds, G.H. Heinz Fluoride in Birds, W.J. Fleming Fluoride in Small Mammals, J.A. Cooke, I.C. Boulton, and M.S. Johnson