APES- Chapter #10: Environmental Health, Pollution and Toxicolog Learning Objectives: Serious environmental health problems and

diseases may arise from toxic elements in water, air, soil, and even the rocks on which we build our homes. fter reading this chapter, you should understand: ! "ow the terms toxic, pollution, contamination, carcinogen, synergism, and biomagnifications are used in environmental health #hat the classification and characteristics are of major groups of pollutants of environmental toxicology #hy there is controversy and concern about synthetic organic compounds such as dioxin #hether we should be concerned about exposure to human$produced electromagnetic fields #hat the dose$response concept is and how it relates to L%$&', (%$&' and )%$&', ecological gradients, and tolerance "ow the process of biomagnifications works and why it is important in toxicology #hy the threshold effects of environmental toxins are important #hat the process of risk assessment in toxicology is and why such processes are often difficult and controversial #hat the precautionary principle is and why it is important !ead: Toxic Air Pollution and Human Health: Stor o" a Southea#t Hou#ton $eigh%orhood 1: &hat are #ome o" the chronic health e""ect# o" expo#ure to 'en(ene) %ownsiness, di**iness, and headaches+ irritation to eyes, skin, and respiratory tract+ and loss of consciousness at high levels of exposer. *: &hat are #ome o" the potential #ource# o" 'en(ene in the environment) (obacco smoke and evaporating gasoline at service stations. +: &h i# it #o hard to lin, health pro%lem# to toxic air pollution) ,ecause they have been used for so long and aren-t breaking state or federal pollution laws. -: &h it i# #aid that %et.een a #tate o" health and a #tate o" di#ea#e i# a gra (one o" #u%optimal health, a #tate o" im%alance) ,ecause a person may not be diagnosed with a specific disease but may not be healthy. /: Explain .hat happened at 0a,e $ o#, Cameroon1 (here was a massive release of carbon dioxide which when it reached the surface of the lack it rose to the atmosphere killing many animals and more than ./'' people. 2: &hat i# the di""erence %et.een a pollutant and a contaminant) 0ollutant: substance that pollutes something 1ontaminant: (he state of being contaminated 3: 4e"ine the "ollo.ing: 5 Toxin: Substances that are poisonous to living things. 5 Toxicolog : Science that studies toxins or suspected toxins. 5 Carcinogen: (oxin that increases the risk of cancer. 5 S nergi#m: n important concept in considering pollution problems. 5 Point #ource#: 6ive example: 0ollutants introduced into the environment. 2pipes discharging into waterways.3 5 Area #ource# 7non-point8: 6ive example: 4onpoint sources, are more diffused over the land and include urban runoff. 2fertili*er runoff3 5 9o%ile #ource#: 6ive example: utomobile exhaust. 2 agricultural runoff from pesticides3

:: 4e"ine the "ollo.ing: 7;denti" .hen the are u#ed8 5 ppm: 0arts per million 5pesticide measurements6 5 pp%: 0arts per billion 5pesticide measurements6 5 mg<0: 7illigrams or micrograms per liter 5water pollution6 5 =g<m+: 7icrograms of pollutant per cubic meter of air 5air pollution6 >: &hat i# an ;n"ectiou# Agent) 76ive example#8: Spread by the interactions between individuals and by the food, water, air, soil, and animals we come in contact with. 2 ".4. flu3 A Clo#er 0oo, 1011 Sud%ur Smelter#: A Point Source 10: Explain .hat happened to the area #urrounding the Sud%ur Smelter a# a re#ult o" the relea#e o" heav metal pollution into the air (he nickel contaminated the soils, forests were devastated by decades of acid rain and the deposition of particulates containing heavy metals. 11: &hat are #ome common heav metal# "ound in the environment) &hat health ha(ard# can the po#e to human# rsenic, chromium, copper, nickel, and lead. (hey can let out toxic chemicals into the air and kill plants. 1*: &hat i# the concept o" 'od 'urden) (he 8uantity of heavy metals in our bodies. &hat are the %od %urden# "or the "ollo.ing) 5 Antimon : /mg 5 9ercur : .9mg 5 Ar#enic: ./mg 5 Cadmium: 9'mg 5 0ead: .&' mg 1+: 4e"ine %iomagni"ication<%ioaccumulation: (he accumulation or increasing concentration of a substance in living tissue as it moves through a food web. 1-: 4e#cri%e ho. Cadmium i# a good example o" %iomagni"ication1 :t can enter the environment through burning coal from the ash. (he ash is disposed in a landfill. 1/: Ho. doe# 9ercur enter the environment) ;olcanic eruptions and erosion of natural mercury deposit. 12: 4e"ine 9eth lation: #hen mercy is in surface water, it enters into complex biochemical cycles. 13: 4e"ine ?olatili(ation: 1onservation of li8uid mercury to vapor form. !ead: A Clo#er 0oo, 101*- 9ercur and 9inamata, @apan &hat are the - maAor "actor# that mu#t %e con#idered in evaluating and treating toxic environmental pollutant#) )xposure, amount of pollutants, how long the person was exposed, and how it entered the body. 1:: 4e"ine: Per#i#tent Brganic Pollutant 7PBP8 and de#cri%e the propertie# that de"ine them 0O0 is a synthetic compound that was first produced decades ago. (he properties that define it are carbon based molecular structure which contains highly reactive chlorine, they are manufactured by people, persistent in the environment, polluting<toxic, soluble in fat and occurs in forms that allow them to be transported by wind, water and sediment.

!ead: A Clo#er 0oo, 101+- 4ioxin: Ho. 4angerou# i# it) Ho. i# 4ioxin produced) :t-s a by product of chemical reactions including combustion of compounds containing chlorine in the production of herbicide. &hat happened in Time# 'each, 9i##ouri) :t was evacuated after the discovery of oil being sprayed on the town-s road to control dust. (he whole area had become contaminated. 1>: 6ive #ome example# o" HAAC#: 01,s, pesticides, herbicides, and phthalates. *0: Explain ho. PC'C# are harm"ul 7"ound in pla#tic#8: (hey interfere with growth and development of organisms, as well as cause many types of cancers such as breast and prostate cancer. !ead: A Clo#er 0oo, 101-- 4ema#culini(ation and Demini(ation o" Drog# Explain ho. hormone di#ruptor# 7Endocrine di#ruptor#8 .or, 4atural hormones produced by the body will send chemical messages to the cell where the hormone disruptor was introduced. (he chemicals bind to the receptor molecules and obstruct the role of natural hormones. *1: Ho. can Thermal Pollution a""ect a %od o" .ater and itC# %iodiver#it ) Explain1 :t will cause a body of water to heat up changing the concentration of dissolved oxygen. :t disrupts the fish spawning cycle and can make the fish more susceptible to disease. **: &hat are example# o" particulate#) (he burning of oil and coal, volcanic eruptions, fires, and dust storms. *+: &h i# a#%e#to# harm"ul to human#) :t gives lung disease and causes cancer and tumors. *-: Ho. can E9D 7Electromagnetic Dield#8 %e harm"ul to human#) 0eople have exposed have increased risk of having leukemia, lymphomas, and nervous system cancers. */: Ho. i# noi#e pollution mea#ured) :n decibels 5d,6 *2: &hat are #ome voluntar expo#ure# to pollutant#) %rugs and alcohol. *3: &hat i# meant % the Euote, Fever thing i# poi#onou#, et nothing i# poi#onou#G) Explain1 (oo much of one thing is harmful, but a little isn-t harmful. :n small amounts of something can do someone well but too much of something can kill one or make them ill. *:: 4e#cri%e the Fdo#e-re#pon#eG1 4ra. and la%el the generali(ed do#e-re#pon#e curve1 Explain each #tep1

(his means the dose response is an effect of a certain chemical on an individual based on the dose age amount. t point concentration is neutral, neither harmful or beneficial. t point , the high concentration becomes an increasing benefit. ,etween points , and 1 is the maximum benefit, after the points there will be a decreasing benefit. 0oint % is like point a neutral. 0oint ) though is toxic and harmful. 0oint = leads to death. nd the space between % and = is said to be toxic.

*>: 4e"ine the "ollo.ing: 5 04-/0: 1rude approximation a chemical-s toxicity. 5 E4-/0: %oes that causes an effect in &'> of the observed subjects. 5 T4-/0: %oes that is toxic to &'> of observed subjects. 5 04-0: 7ax does that doesn-t cause any deaths. +0: Explain the concept o" a thre#hold do#e: (hreshold ? max dosage before an effect. @oing under causes no harm. @oing above would affect a person. 4o threshold ? little drop could have a negative effect. +1: 4e"ine: 5 'ehavioral tolerance: Aesults from changes in behavior. 5 Ph #iological tolerance: Aesults when the body of an individual adjusts to tolerate a higher level of pollutant. 5 6enetic tolerance: 5 daptation6 Aesults when some individuals in a population are naturally more resistant to a toxin than others. +*: Explain the di""erence %et.een an acute and chronic e""ect1 cute ? occurs soon after exposure large amounts of pollutants 1hronic ? occurs over long period of time, small amounts of pollutants. ++: Explain the #tep# o" ri#, a##e##ment: .. :dentify the ha*ard ? test materials see if exposure would cause health problems B. %oes ? how much is 2safe3 9. )xposure assessment ? "ow long were you exposed. C. Aisk characteri*ation ? #hat are the health risks. +-: &hat i# the precautionar principle) #hen there is a serious environmental damage and we don-t wait for scientific proof of danger, but take precautionary steps to prevent potential harm to the environment. !ead: F;# 0ead in the Hr%an Environment Contri%uting to Anti#ocial 'ehaviorG +/: &hat i# the main point o" the di#cu##ion a%out lead in the %one# o" children and %ehavior) :f lead is in a human system it would lead to increased risk of attention$deficit disorder, aggressive behavior, and delin8uency, in children. +2: &h i# it di""icult to e#ta%li#h #tandard# "or accepta%le level# o" pollution) ;n giving our an#.er, con#ider ph #ical, climatological, %iological, #ocial, and ethical rea#on#1 ,ecause there are so many pollutants. )ach are different with different acceptability levels. (o find out all of them would take a lot of time, hard work, and money. #hat would need to be found is level of

pollution that is good and bad as well.