This conference will focus on the science behind environmental poisons and factors that can confer extra vulnerability. Topics to be covered include: aging as a determinant of susceptibility to toxicants; gender differences in poisoning responses; phthalate risks; silica and asbestos immunotoxicity; the fetal basis of adult disease; nanomaterials--mechanisms of action; lessons learned from melamine contamination of infant formulas; inhaled particles--can they reach the brain; and toxicants that can enter through skin.