A Small Dose of Toxicology: The Health Effects of Common Chemicals By Steven G. Gilbert

December 2004 - Review by Mary Guthrie, Generation Green

Like many who are concerned about the environment, I don’t come to the issues with a science background. The passionate concerns that many of us hold—for protecting animal habitat, water quality, or the health of our most vulnerable people—often are not coupled with a solid understanding of why some substances are harmful. So I was personally delighted to find some of the grounding I needed in A Small Dose of Toxicology: The Health Effects of Common Chemicals, written by Steven G. Gilbert.

Though clearly written by an expert, the approach used by Gilbert is intended to attract the novice. The short chapters and straightforward approach present the information with great clarity. Gilbert begins by giving examples of toxic exposure in literature (Romeo and Juliet), history (the death of Socrates), and current events (the death of Princess Diana was caused by her driver having had too much to drink). He says that most of us have an intuitive sense of toxicology—for example, how much caffeine would I want to drink to be woken up a bit in the morning, without feeling jittery? “Through trial and error,” he writes, “we have learned how to moderate our consumption of caffeine to avoid any undesirable effects.”

The formal study of poisons (thus, toxicology) was begun by the Swiss researcher Parcelsus (1493-1541). Paracelsus wrote, “All substances are poisons; there is none, which is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy.” But he failed to consider the sensitivity of the individual. We now know that infants and children have nervous systems that are much more susceptible to harm than adults. So in considering a property’s toxicity, we must look at how strong the dose is, the hazard involved, and sensitivity of the individual. Genetics, age, nutrition, gender, and prior exposure all can play a role in an individual’s sensitivity to a particular agent.

The book brings many interesting facts to bear in presenting the various hazards we face. For instance, the Romans used lead to sweeten and preserve wine, and also to build pipe for their famous plumbing systems. (The chemical symbol for lead, Pb, is from the Latin plumbum, which means “plumbing.”) Some historians credit its widespread use to the fall of the Roman Empire. Even then, some suspected that lead caused health problems, and up until the 20th century many attempts were made to ban its use in consumer products. It wasn’t until 1986 that the primary phase-out of leaded gasoline was completed in the United States. Now, we are still dealing with the impact of lead in our soil, air, in the paint of older buildings and so on. As Gilbert writes, “It is not nearly as important to know how much lead will kill a child as it is to understand the sensitivity of the child’s developing brain to even low levels of exposure to lead.”

Radium was originally thought to have curative properties, and it was used to illuminate the dials of watches and clocks. The “Radium Girls” were factory workers who painted watches in the early part of the 20th century. They would slip their brushes into their mouths to give them a sharper point, ingesting a small dose of radium each time. For fun, they would paint their teeth and faces and turn out the lights. Many of these women developed debilitating bone cancer and died as a result.

Gilbert devotes 12 chapters to individual toxins, including alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, pesticides, lead, mercury and radiation. Each chapter deals with that agent’s history, biological properties and health effects. The author concludes each chapter with recommendations and conclusions. These nutshells of information are very useful for people who want some practical advice for how to avoid toxins. Each chapter also has information on national and international governmental agencies that could help with more information, as well as non-government organizations that provide assistance.

Gilbert has also made materials, such as slide shows and PowerPoint presentations, available through his Web site, www.asmalldoseof.org. This information would be very valuable to teachers at many levels.

Principles of toxicology lead us to risk assessment, and then to risk management. Individuals and societies have been forced to deal with these principles as more and more toxins have entered the environment. One of the mighty concepts Gilbert introduces right at the beginning of the book is that principles of toxicology can be moved from the human body to the environment. As we look at the impact of a dose of a toxin on our own body or that of our child, we can also begin to see the larger burden on our local environment, our ecosystems, and global health.

Gilbert calls toxicology a topic that can be learned in two easy lessons of only 10 years each, and says this book is an introduction to the first 10 years. These are lessons that we must learn for our own health, for our children’s health, and for the planet’s.

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From Book News, Inc. (Portland, Oregon)

Focusing on the health effects of common toxic agents in the home and environment, Gilbert (environmental and occupational health services, U. of Washington; Institute of Neurotoxicology and Neurological Disorders, Seattle) lucidly introduces the principles of applied toxicology and risk assessment. Case studies, resources, a glossary, and an exercise demonstrating the importance of dosage enhance this primer for students in relevant fields.

To view a more complete list of Generation Green's recommended adult reading, click here.