Animals as Sentinels of Environmental Health Hazards

Studying animals in the environment may be a realistic and highly beneficial approach to identifying unknown chemical contaminants before they cause human harm. Animals as Sentinels of Environmental Health Hazards presents an overview of animal-monitoring programs, including detailed case studies of how animal health problems—such as the effects of DDT on wild bird populations—have led researchers to the sources of human health hazards. The authors examine the components and characteristics required for an effective animal-monitoring program, and they evaluate numerous existing programs, including in situ research, where an animal is placed in a natural setting for monitoring purposes.

Table of Contents

• Front Matter
• Executive Summary
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Concepts and Definitions
• 3. Food Animals as Sentinels
• 4. Companion Animals as Sentinels
• 5. Fish and Other Wildlife as Sentinels
• 6. Animal Sentinels in Risk Assessment
• 7. Selection and Application of Animal Sentinel Systems in Risk Assessment
• 8. Conclusions and Recommendations
• References
• Appendix: May 1988 Workshop Participants