Animals as Sentinels of Environmental Health Hazards -- Copyright -- Preface -- Contents -- Executive Summary -- INTRODUCTION -- Purpose of the Study -- Current Use of Animal Sentinels in Risk Assessment -- CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS -- Characteristics of Animal Sentinel Systems -- Species -- Exposure Sources -- Duration of Exposure -- Measures of Effect -- Reference Populations -- Objectives of Monitoring Animals Sentinels -- Advantages and Limitations of Animal Sentinel Systems -- Multifactorial Causality -- Measurement of Exposure and Extrapolation to Humans -- FOOD ANIMALS AS SENTINELS -- COMPANION ANIMALS AS SENTINELS -- FISH AND OTHER WILDLIFE AS SENTINELS -- ANIMAL SENTINELS IN RISK ASSESSMENT -- SELECTION AND APPLICATION OF ANIMAL SENTINEL SYSTEMS IN RISK ASSESSMENT -- CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS -- STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT -- 1 Introduction -- OVERVIEW -- PURPOSE OF THE STUDY -- HISTORICAL USE OF ANIMAL SENTINELS -- CURRENT USE OF ANIMAL SENTINELS IN RISK ASSESSMENT -- STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT -- 2 Concepts and Definitions -- CHARACTERISTICS OF ANIMAL SENTINEL SYSTEMS -- Species -- A sentinel should have a measurable response (including accumulation of tissue residues) to the agent or class of agents... -- A sentinel should have a territory or home range that overlaps the area to be monitored -- A sentinel species should be easily enumerated and captured -- A sentinel species must have sufficient population size and density to permit enumeration -- Exposure Sources -- Duration of Exposure -- Measures of Effect -- Reference Populations -- OBJECTIVES OF MONITORING ANIMAL SENTINELS -- Human Health Effects -- Contamination of the Food Chain -- Environmental Contamination -- Adverse Effects on Animals -- ANIMAL SENTINEL SYSTEMS IN OBSERVATIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES -- Descriptive Epidemiology -- Analytic Epidemiologic.

ANIMAL SENTINEL SYSTEMS IN EXPERIMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY -- ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS OF ANIMAL SENTINEL SYSTEMS -- Multifactorial Causality -- Measurement of Exposure and Extrapolation to Humans -- 3 Food Animals as Sentinels -- DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES -- U.S. Department of Agriculture -- Food Safety and Inspection Service -- National Animal Health Monitoring System -- Market Cattle Identification Program -- Food and Drug Administration -- Shellfish Monitoring Programs -- The National Animal Poison Information Network -- Outbreak Investigation -- Methyl Mercury in Fish -- Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Chickens -- Polybrominated Biphenyls in Cattle -- ANALYTIC EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES -- Sheep and Heavy Metals -- Cattle and Heavy Metals -- Cattle and Fluoride -- SUMMARY -- 4 Companion Animals as Sentinels -- DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES -- Veterinary Medicine Data Program -- Poison-Control Centers -- ANALYTIC EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES -- Canine Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure -- Canine Bladder Cancer and Insecticide Exposure -- Lead Poisoning -- Breast Cancer in Dogs -- Diet and Risk of Breast Cancer -- Diet and Survival with Breast Cancer -- Birds and Polytetrafluoroethylene Exposure -- Low-Level Radiation and Cancer -- Cancer in Vietnam-Service Dogs -- Animal Neoplasm Registry -- SUMMARY -- 5 Fish and Other Wildlife as Sentinels -- DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES -- National Programs -- National Status and Trends Program -- Mussel Watch -- National Contaminant Biomonitoring Program -- Registry of Tumors in Lower Animals -- Penrose Laboratory of Comparative Pathology -- Quarterly Wildlife Mortality Report -- State/Regional/Local Programs -- Great Lakes -- Chesapeake Bay -- Puget Sound -- Sacramento-San Joaquin Estuary -- ANALYTIC EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES -- Initial Identification of Hazardous Agents.

Hazard Identification of Chemical Mixtures -- Indication of Bioavailability of Chemicals at Hazardous-Waste Sites -- Water-Quality Monitoring -- Indicators of Air Pollution -- Risk Characterization of Species Under Study -- Dose-Response Relationships -- Contamination of Human Food Chain -- IN SITU STUDIES -- Fish -- Planarians -- Starlings -- Earthworms -- Honey Bees -- SUMMARY -- 6 Animal Sentinels in Risk Assessment -- USE OF ANIMAL SENTINEL SYSTEMS IN EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT -- Animals as General Environmental Monitors -- Animals as Monitors of Their Own Exposure -- Animals as Monitors of Exposure of Their Consumers -- Animals as Surrogate Monitors of Human Exposure -- USE OF ANIMAL SENTINEL SYSTEMS IN HAZARD IDENTIFICATION -- Early Warnings: Initial Identification of Hazardous Agents -- Hazard Identification for Chemical Mixtures -- USE OF ANIMAL SENTINEL SYSTEMS IN DOSE-RESPONSE ASSESSMENT -- USE OF ANIMAL SENTINEL SYSTEMS IN RISK CHARACTERIZATION -- Risks to Animal Species Under Study -- Risk to Consumers of Animal Species Under Study -- Risk to Humans: Animal Sentinels as Surrogates -- USE OF ANIMAL SENTINEL SYSTEMS IN RISK MANAGEMENT -- Management of Risks to Animal Species Under Study -- Management of Risks to Consumers of Animal Species Under Study -- Management of Risks to Human Health: Animal Sentinels as Surrogates -- Animal Sentinel Systems as Monitors of Effectiveness of Risk Management Actions -- SUMMARY -- 7 Selection and Application of Animal Sentinel Systems in Risk Assessment -- SYSTEM DESIGN -- IMPLEMENTATION -- VALIDATION -- PROGRAM INTEGRATION -- 8 Conclusions and Recommendations -- References -- Appendix Workshop Participants.