Staying Healthy in a Risky Environment

A reference on environmental hazards--such as second-hand smoke and toxic waste--presents the latest information on pollution and its effects, symptoms, and how to avoid health damage to help readers determine if they are at risk. 60,000 first printing.

Aware that the public is overwhelmed by--and reluctant to sort through the news on--environmental hazards, Upton and Graber have purposefully and thoroughly presented up-to-date facts on environmental health issues in an accessible and gimmickless text. The authors simply suggest the "best steps, based on available information, that individuals and communities can take to protect their health and avoid exposure to toxic environmental agents." Some of the steps are familiar--quitting smoking and preventing sunburns--but also addressed are noise reduction, water treatment to kill deadly microorganisms, soil-containment testing, and minimizing exposure to pesticide residue. The book's information, much of which has been gathered and reviewed by scientists and physicians at the Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine at New York University Medical Center, is written without excessive medical jargon or complicated scientific language. And the pages are replete with advisory tidbits, such as how to design an office to prevent back pain, how to avoid food-borne illnesses, how to reduce lead and radon levels in the home, and how to use condoms and tampons safely. Employing symptom charts, hazard profiles and detailed information sheets on common toxins, Upton and Graber make this book work as a guide for helping people regain a sense of control over their health.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This timely environmental health reference for the general reader is compiled under the auspices of New York University's Nelson Institute of Environmental Health. Early chapters cover health basics, the nature of health hazards and risks, epidemiology, and risk assessment. Section 2 focuses on the environment's effects on the body: dermatological, neurological, respiratory, neoplastic, immunological, musculoskeletal, cardiological, and reproductive. Section 3 discusses the common symptoms of exposure to toxic environmental agents from A to Z. Section 4 presents the sources of environmental health hazards in water, air, consumer products, etc. The final chapters stress preventive actions the individual might take for staying environmentally healthy: emphasis is on balance and moderation, healthful dietary and exercise programs, and the self-help guidelines presented throughout the text. A surprisingly basic text; one would expect more from New York University. Still this is suitable for popular medical reference collections. (Index not seen.)-- James Swanton, Albert Einstein Coll. of Medicine, New York
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.