Encyclopedia of Toxicology

This is the third rendition of this landmark work, the first and second editions having appeared in 1998 and 2005, respectively. It is produced in four hardbound volumes containing 1200 alphabetically arranged topics followed by the index. In addition to the editor-in-chief, there were 9 associate editors and nearly 1400 contributors. The topics comprise not just entries for specific chemicals and drugs (antimony, benomyl, carbamazepine, ethylene glycol, fluoxetine, etc.), but also numerous general headings for topics such as absorption, excretion, fetal alcohol syndrome, global environmental change, life cycle assessment, pharmacokinetic models, risk management and veterinary toxicology. The former type of entry is often just 2–3 pages; it lists the specific authors and their affiliations, the CAS number, synonyms, molecular formula, chemical structure, uses, brief history, routes of exposure, toxicokinetics, toxic mechanism, toxic effects in animals and humans, clinical management, environmental fate, exposure limits and a bibliography. The latter type may run from 1 to 10 or more pages and varies in scope depending on the topic in question. Some of the general heading contributions, Excretion, for example, are quite limited in their depth of coverage, but they do provide suggestions for further reading and this is an encyclopedia, of course, and not a textbook. The reader may find it worthwhile to first consult the index when searching for information, since many substances are listed in the contents under a general heading. Doxazosin, for instance, appears not under its own generic name but in a section on alpha blockers. Some other substances are not where you might expect them, for example, n-butyl alcohol was placed alphabetically among the N's. The Contents section is repeated in each of the four volumes, while the Index is only printed at the end of the fourth volume. A digital version has not been made available to purchasers of the hardbound edition, but rather restricted to subscribers to Elsevier's ScienceDirect. Obvious advantages of digital access include the ability to print a pdf section when needed and to quickly perform a global search of the entire text for specific terms. However, possession of the physical book is also advantageous, since one can come to appreciate the layout, scope and style of this invaluable resource much more readily. Furthermore, when time permits, just browsing through the volumes can be quite educational. Many general topics such as Bhopal Incident, Great Smog of London, Killer Lakes and Notorious Poisoners and Poisoning Cases make for engaging reading. The individual sections are remarkably uniform in their presentation and coverage, given the numerous authors. This is a truly encyclopedic work that represents a monumental compilation of up-to-date information; all of the people involved in its preparation and publication are to be congratulated. It is a set of volumes that should be available to every practicing toxicologist and to many pharmacologists and clinicians as well.