Discussing the interpretation of tissue concentrations of contaminants in wildlife, this updated edition of a bestseller draws on current scientific research and includes new chapters and greater emphasis on aquatic organisms. Each chapter provides a summary and review of a specific chemical along with direction on research methods and the interpretation of conflicting or insufficient data. Chapters include a comprehensive history of contaminant interpretation in wildlife and fish, the use of tissue residues in ecological risk assessment, and detailed coverage of all bioaccumulative contaminants and their physiologic affects.

Many books have been written about the effects of toxic chemicals on wildlife, but none has focused on the practical question, "How much of a chemical in the tissues of an animal is harmful?" This book deals exclusively with that question. This comprehensive reference will certainly become the standard resource on the topic, offering authoritative and sound advice on many environmental contaminants. With chapters written by outstanding experts in their respective fields, this is not only a scholarly collection of discussions on different chemicals, but, for those who have the day-to-day task of evaluating the harm of environment contaminants to wildlife, this book will provide answers on, for example, how to interpret 1 ppm lead in the liver of a duck or fish. The authors explain the snags of interpreting data that are sometimes conflicting or insufficient, providing the reader with helpful advice on how to cope with such data. Each chapter reviews literature on a specific chemical, followed by a easy-to-understand summary providing technical guidance. For many years this book will remain the preeminent reference on how to interpret contaminant levels of organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, dioxins, PAHs, metals, selenium, and fluorides in wildlife.