ABSTRACT
The views expressed in this chapter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Army, or Department of Defense.
The U.S. laws that are related to exposure to toxic substances, and the federal agencies responsible for implementing them, are discussed in Chapter 2 of this textbook and appear in Table 2-1 of the •fth edition.1 The list includes agencies responsible for managing exposures related to drugs, consumer products, and environmental contaminants. Included are laws that protect plants and animals in addition to humans. The scope of this chapter includes fundamental concepts that are relevant to each of these three receptor groups. The chapter’s focus is the human health effects of essential and nonessential metals. The radiation
biology and toxicity of radioactive metals are discussed in Chapter 18 of this text.
