Epidemiology Principles

Epidciniolog) is an iinport uU method employed in die identiricatioa of human toxicity and health hazards resulting from exposure to chemicals. It is tlie only mctliod tluit provides direct human evidence to identify toxicity and hcaltli luizards in humans. 

Epidemiology analyzes statistical data to deiennine tlie lelationslup between a chemical and tlie exposed populatioa However, positive statistical analysis does not always translate into a cause and effect relationsltip between the chemical and disease in humans. Wlien a cause and effect relationsliip between the chemical and disease has been establislied, hirtlier statistical analysis helps define tlie upper limit of hmnan toxic risk. 

As with to.xicology, tliis subject area is treated in more extensive detail in the ne.xt cliapter. An entire section is devoted to epidemiology, and tecluiical details and information are provided. 

Chemistry is the science of the combination of atoms, and physics is the science of the forces between atoms. Simply stated, chemistry deals with matter and its transformations, and physics deals witli energy and its transformations. These transformations may be temporary, such as a cliange in pliase, or seemingly permanent, such as a cliange in tlie form of matter resulting from a chemical reaction. The study of atomic and molecular structure deals witli tliese transformations, and can be used to make a preliminaiy identification of a healtli luizard. 

Molecular structural analysis is a developing metliod. The objective of a molecular structural analysis is to demonstrate a physical, structural, or chemical similarity between tlie chemical in question and a known toxic chemical tliat produces toxic and healtli effects in experimental animals and/or humans. Unfortunately, scientists do not fully understand tlie effects of slight changes in tlie chemical structure and tlieir biological effect on humans. As a result, tills ty pe of analysis is useful in preliminary studies to identify potential health hazards for further e. amiiiation with more established metliods in shortterm tests or tests in e. peritiiental animals. In its present stage of development, molecular structural analysis caiuiot be used to make absolute decisions about tlie appropriate levels of exposure of humans to chemicals 

Epidciniologj is an iinporliuit method employed in die identifieation of human toxieity and health hazards resulting from exposure to ohemieals. It is die only iiiediod that provides direet human evideiiee to idendfy toxieity and liealdi liaznrds in huiiiaus. 

Epidemiology analyzes statistieal data to deteniiine die relationship between a ehemieal and die exposed populadon. However, positive stadstieal analysis does not always translate into a eause and effeet reladonsliip between the ehemieal and disease in humans. Wlien a eause and effeet reladonsliip between the ehemieal and disease has been established, fiirdier statistieal analysis helps define die upper limit of human toxie risk. 

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Section 10.2 Toxicology Principles Section 10.3 Epidemiology Principles Section 10.4 Molecular/Atomic Structural Analysis Section 10.5 Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)... 

MacMahon B. and T.F. Pugh, Epidemiology Principles and Methods. Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1970. 

Schulte, P.A., and F.P. Perera, eds. 1993. Molecular Epidemiology Principles and Practices. San Diego, CA Academic Press. 

Dos Santos Silva. Cancer Epidemiology Principles and Methods, IARC Scientific Publications, Lyon, France, 1999. 

Cieslak, T. J., Eitzen, E. M., Jr. (1999). Clinical and epidemiologic principles of anthrax. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 5, 552-555. 

Pearce N, Beasley R, Burgess C, Crane J Asthma Epidemiology Principles and Methods. New York, Oxford University Press, 1998. 

EL Larson. Antiseptics. In RN Ohnstad, et al., eds. Infection Control and Applied Epidemiology Principles and Practices. St. Louis, MO Mosby, 1996 1-197, Gl-G7. 

Dos Santos Silva I (1999) Cancer epidemiology principles and methods. International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, pp 365-379... 

This section considers, in three separate chapters, the anatomy and physiology of bacteria, fungi and yeasts, and viruses, together with a survey of the characters of individual members of these groups likely to be of importance to the applied field covered by this book. Additional information is provided about more rapid methods for detecting bacteria. The final chapter in this section (Chapter 4) considers the principles of microbial pathogenicity and epidemiology. 

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