ABSTRACT
Soil contamination is a major concern for industry and employees as well as for regulatory agencies and communities. The types of contaminants in soil are very broad, ranging from petroleum and organic solvents to heavy metals, dioxins, and pesticides. Bioavailability is an important parameter in the calculation of health risk following pollutant exposure. Changes in bioavailability can have a major impact on regulatory decisions, since a pollutant that is less bioavailable poses less of a health risk. The chapter examines the effects of gender on the bioavailability of topically applied phenanthrene. It seeks to assess differences in the bioavailability of phenanthrene administered by two different routes: oral and dermal. The chapter explores the percutaneous absorption of two different chemicals, phenanthrene and naphthalene, adsorbed to either a sandy or a clay soil. Gender-related differences after exposure to environmental and occupationally toxic agents, such as phenanthrene, are a common phenomenon in various animal models and humans.
