You are here:
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND AGING: IS THERE CAUSE FOR CONCERN
Citation:
Cooper, R., J. Goldman, AND T. Harbin. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND AGING: IS THERE CAUSE FOR CONCERN. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/D-89/144 (NTIS PB90112814).
Description:
The elderly population of the United States is growing much more rapidly than the population as a whole and there is increasing awareness that the greater number of elderly will present new social, economical and political concerns. oreover, expanding research in basic gerontology and geriatric medicine has shown that in the aged there is increased vulnerability to a number of "stressors", including those imposed on the individual from the environment. owever, the extent to which the elderly individual is more susceptible to toxic effects following either acute or chronic exposure to potentially hazardous environmental compounds remains to be determined. his chapter sets the stage by reviewing population dynamics by and the evidence that the elderly may be a sensitive subpopulation due to age-related changes in physiological function and altered responsiveness to stress. he chapter also emphasizes the need for further research in this area and the role of advanced age in the assessment of health risks.