Toxic Turmoil

Over the past two decades the world has witnessed an increasing number of disasters involving massive exposure of the population to radiation, chemical toxins, or other hazardous agents. The recent bombings of the World Trade Center in New York - setting aside all other personal, economic, or geopolitical aspects encompassed by this tragic event - is yet another unfortunate example. Besides the massive loss of life, a large segment of the population of Manhattan was willfully exposed to large clouds of dust and smoke, asbestos, and other harmful materials. As a consequence of this terrorist act, apprehension about possible further attacks, perhaps with biological or chemical weapons, will continue to hold the country in its grip for quite some time. The term ecological disaster' is used to indicate these incidents, some minor, some catastrophic or apocalyptic. Often these accidents are followed by widespread fear of future adverse health effects.
In many cases these fears are justified or partly justified for those who became exposed. However sometimes illness may occur in the absence of significant exposure to toxic substances. Concerns and worries about health tend to facilitate the appearance of medically unexplained symptoms or syndromes. This mental health component has received relatively little attention in the disaster literature. It can occur simultaneously with direct physical consequences and is not always clearly distinguishable from it. This situation appears to be particularly likely to occur in the wake of chemical and nuclear events, which are usually followed by years of disputes about facts and opinions about health effects and their relation to the disaster.
This book presents an overview of research on the psychological and societal consequences of ecological disasters. It gives in-depth case studies on most of the major incidents that have occurred in the 1980s and 1990s. It summarizes the accumulated knowledge in this area and identifies areas of future research. It can serve as a resource for practitioners and policymakers dealing with current and future ecological calamities and may help them to define an adequate response to the complex public health challenges these incidents represent.