Environmental toxicants

Increasingly, environmental toxicants, chemical, biological, and physical, threaten ecosystems and human health. Sources of these toxicants are those progressing naturally and anthropogenically, such as industrial emissions, agricultural practices, and urbanization. Their impact is exacerbated by their persistence and ability to bioaccumulate, most especially on the at-risk populations of children and pregnant women. Assessing health risks requires an understanding of mechanisms of toxicity, such as oxidative stress and DNA damage to hormonal and immune system disruption. Although detection technologies have advanced, including chromatography, spectroscopy, and biomonitoring, it continues to be challenging to identify and quantify the toxicants more precisely, especially emerging contaminants such as microplastics and nanomaterials. Pathways to mitigation of toxicant exposure are available via the use of pollution control technologies, bioremediation, and sustainable practices. Generating social innovations requires raising public awareness, engaging the community, and initiating policy interventions. To advance future research, emerging toxicants must be studied, omics technologies integrated, and global sustainability goals aligned. Integration of multidisciplinary approaches and science-driven policies offers an opportunity to address these challenges, ensuring public health and promoting a sustainable future through environmental toxicology. This chapter underscores the urgency of proactive measures to mitigate the pervasive impacts of environmental toxicants.