How environmental pollution can affect your health.

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Health substances are relatively easy to recognize and evaluate, especially when these effects are immediate, and poisoning or acute poisoning, respiratory problems or skin. It is much more difficult to establish a causal association when the toxic agent causes damage to health after a long time or when metabolic, physiological or pathological symptoms appear long after the former position. In the case of some toxic substances that induce cardiovascular diseases or cancer.

The alterations present in organisms by contact with a contaminated environment depend on the type of compounds that are in the blends, the route of contact, concentration, duration of exposure to these compounds and the type of metabolism the body exposed. Contact with these toxic compounds can occur through inhalation or orally, whether in the water or by eating contaminated food.

Currently numerous studies that are related to the effects produced some toxic compounds in humans and other organisms are known. This data collection began at approximately around the world in 1950, and studies have shown that exposure to high levels of aromatic hydrocarbons, carbon, nitrogen or sulfur dioxide, heavy metals and environments with a very high density diverse nature suspended particles can alter metabolic functions and cause illness or death in humans, experimental animals and even wildlife animals.

After many years of research it is estimated that only human activity involves frequent use of more than 80,000 different substances and that annually are introduced or modified in its formulation approximately 2000 compounds, most of which are toxic. Because of this they have released the lists of hazardous substances and the limits that must not be exceeded to avoid jeopardizing health. This list of toxic substances released into the environment seems almost infinite, and the repercussions that have sprung up in the environment and health show great variation from day to day.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons (compounds composed of chains of carbon and hydrogen, such as those found in oil and its derivatives) are frequent contaminants in the environment, because they are released during natural processes such as volcanic activity and that are used in the manufacture countless products. This causes that are regularly present in water, soil, plants and even animals and human tissues. 

It has been shown that nearly all hydrocarbons are carcinogenic and capable of inducing genetic alterations that have serious implications for organizations. The toxicity caused by hydrocarbons has been extensively studied in animals for experimentation, because of the increase in respiratory diseases of allergic type, leather and some types of cancer have been observed in people who work or live in highly contaminated areas hydrocarbons.

People who are in polluted environments with low concentrations of hydrocarbons may develop irritation of eyes, nasal mucosa, upper respiratory tract, throat and skin. Asthmatic patients aggravate their condition by contact with such compounds. In people without asthma, they may be shortness of breath (dyspnea), cough, chest spasm or choppy breaths. The symptoms that occur from exposure to hydrocarbons in high concentrations can be dizziness, nausea, vomiting, stomach irritation, dizziness, tachycardia, headache, anxiety, confusion, depression and in some cases unconsciousness, convulsions and death. Some recent studies have postulated that exposure to high concentrations of hydrocarbons may even encourage the suicidal impulse in some people. In fact, Mexico states that have high rates of suicide are those who have more problems of environmental pollution.

In the late nineties a comparative study was conducted in different regions of Italy; in this research the immune response was evaluated in two populations. One was an uncontaminated region, and its population had no occupational exposure to toxic compounds. The other region was an area heavily contaminated with hydrocarbons and particulate matter, the product of vehicular traffic and industrial activity in the area. When comparing both populations it was found that mononuclear cells from peripheral blood of people exposed to environmental toxic compounds produced significantly both spontaneous and gamma interferon and interleukin 4. The gamma interferon is a cytokine, immune system messenger molecule that is related to the macrophage activity immune responses in both innate and adaptive; Interleukin 4 is another cytokine involved in stimulating the production of antibodies and inhibition of some macrophages. These findings suggest that polluted environments can cause alterations in the immune response.

We began to see pollution as a normal transitional process of development, and little has been reflected in relation to prevention research-based preservation of the environment.

At present some frequently used mixtures of hydrocarbons having the capacity to alter the health of large populations because they may be dispersed in the environment. Such is the case of certain aircraft fuel known as JP-8, whose exact formula is unknown, but whose effects in humans and experimental animals have been studied for years. When workers exposed to airports JP-8, after a few minutes of inhalation presented bronchospasm, nausea, headache, muscle fatigue and irritation of the eyes can become conjunctivitis. When the exposure pathway is through the skin, JP-8 is rapidly absorbed and can cause an almost immediate inflammatory reaction, and also decrease the immune response.

In experimental models it has been observed that this compound, administered orally, produce increased liver size and decrease in the thymus weight and a reduced immune response in mice. This could be shown by experiments in rodents, to which were inoculated with bacteria and viruses and were treated with different doses of JP-8. After several days of treatment, most animals had severe infections; some of them died for this cause, unlike the group of animals that were only inoculated with infectious agents and never had contact with JP-8. This group of rodents could solve their infectious to step a few days without treatment tables.

Snuff smoke is not just a mixture of more than 20 types of aromatic hydrocarbons which are treated snuff leaves; also it contains a lot of particles that result from the combustion of organic matter is mixed with the leaves of snuff

Snuff smoke is not just a mixture of more than 20 types of aromatic hydrocarbons which are treated snuff leaves; also it contains a lot of particles that result from the combustion of organic matter is mixed with the leaves of snuff. This cigar smoke, which contains many carcinogenic compounds affects not only the smoker, but also to people who are close to him, because that is normally released in confined spaces. This makes more efficient entry into the body either through inhalation or through the skin. Even a lot of people have died from lung cancer due to exposure to cigarette smoke passively, ie, by living with smokers.

The vinyl benzene is a hydrocarbon that is not found in any natural source; It is part of the composition of cigarette smoke, the smoke produced by internal combustion vehicles and is used in small amounts as a flavoring of snow, ice cream and some sweets. Human expose ourselves to low concentrations of vinyl benzene in many ways: breathing ambient air, food and water to drink. Also occupational exposure to this hydrocarbon, because it is used extensively in the manufacture of polymers and copolymers (plastic) such as polystyrene, latex, resins, and rubber insulators. The vinyl benzene has been classified as a genotoxic and carcinogenic compound, because it induces an increased frequency of chromosomal and multiple alterations in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) which is the gene aberrations. People exposed to this compound may have memory loss, difficulty concentrating or studying and damage to the nervous system, bone marrow, liver, kidney and reproductive system. It was also observed a significant decrease in the immune response of individuals chronically exposed to this hydrocarbon, manifested by recurrent infections or the presence of malignant tumors.

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

This colorless, odorless gas is formed in all combustion processes of carbon-containing substances. In non-industrial indoor environments, their main sources are human breathing and smoking. The carbon dioxide levels may also be increased by the existence of other combustion (food preparation and heating equipment) or the proximity of traffic routes or industrial areas.

Although carbon dioxide is not considered a potentially toxic or carcinogenic agent, by displacing oxygen in concentrations greater than 30,000 ppm can cause one or more of the following symptoms: cerebral vasodilation, headache, nausea, dizziness , sweating, tremor, sleepiness, mental confusion, increased blood pressure and even narcosis, bronchospasm, suffocation and death, depending on concentration and exposure time.

In the air of the open, the carbon dioxide concentration is between 300 and 400 parts per million, and in urban areas can reach concentrations to 550 parts per million. The concentration limit for occupational exposure to daily periods of 8 hours is 5000 parts per million; the concentration limits for short exposures (15 minutes) is 15 thousand parts per million. These levels of carbon dioxide are hard to find in non-industrial indoor environments such as offices, schools and general services. In practice, in these areas they are values ​​of 2000 and up to 3000 parts per million. If these levels are exceeded it may be due to uncontrolled combustion, in which case the health risk cannot be due to carbon dioxide but to the presence of other combustion by-products, mainly carbon monoxide, the exposure limit is very low (25 ppm). 

Current human communities were born and raised in a polluted world. Other generations of the past, they removed the right to know nature as it was before, without waste, without toxic pollutants, with wild animals and vegetation. What will the world in the future, after the actions that we exert on nature?

Carbon monoxide (CO)

Carbon monoxide is a highly toxic gas produced by the combustion of hydrocarbons such as gasoline. It is one of the components of mixtures of hydrocarbons that are the product of internal combustion vehicles or small machines that run on gasoline or diesel. This hydrocarbon has the ability to accumulate rapidly in areas that appear to have good ventilation and is difficult to perceive their presence because it is non-irritating and lacks color and smell, which is why an exposed person may fall unconscious and become incapacitated for help .

The mechanism of action of carbon monoxide begins when this compound binds to the blood hemoglobin to form carboxyhemoglobin; It replaces oxygen and decreases the ability of blood to transport inside the body. There are factors that can determine the severity of carbon monoxide poisoning, as its concentration in the environment, exposure time and especially the activity being performed during exposure, which affects the respiratory rate, which is a factor important in the uptake of carbon monoxide by the body.

Usually the symptoms initially presented by carbon monoxide poisoning at a concentration of 80 to 100 parts per million, are muscle weakness, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and, when the concentration reaches between 100 and 200 parts per million, headache, dizziness, confusion and nausea, which are intermittent and may go unnoticed or be confused with other ailments associated with diseases such as flu or gastrointestinal problems occur. These symptoms may occur for several days or even weeks after exposure to carbon monoxide. People with cardiovascular disease or hypertension are at increased risk of dying from carbon monoxide poisoning and babies of pregnant women who are exposed to carbon monoxide for long periods of time. Exposure to concentrations above 700 parts per million by periods of little more than an hour cause much more serious effects on the central nervous system, such as comatose states and death.

Conclusions

Workers can carry hazardous substances from work to home on their clothes, the body, tools and other items. Inadvertently, workers can expose their families to these substances and affect your health. It can also occur when the home and workplace are not separated, as in the farms.

How many generations does it take for us to realize that we are extinct human species?

Many people manufacture, process or dispose of hazardous compounds into the environment without information, training or responsibility to do so, so that the environment has become a reservoir of toxic compounds that have seriously altered ecosystems and human communities. Food produced for human and animal consumption are produced and consumed substances that are adverse health and potentially carcinogenic, such as pesticides, without a certainty the type and concentration reaching these compounds in foods have or Water.

Need to be informed and convince the community that environmental pollution is a serious problem that affects us all, and that the consequences of the activities of the past generations are currently experiencing, with the increased frequency of chronic diseases -degenerative, allergies, infections and cancer. Needless to human populations reconsider if there is no improvement of the environment, based on attitudinal changes in the processes of industrialization and transportation habits, food and waste and recycling materials whenever we breathe, eat or drink water we are increased our risk of disease and death caused by environmental pollution we have consolidated over the years and in the future will be much more serious.

Much has been documented about the thousands of species of plants and animals due to human activity have become extinct in the world, and to have developed successful to preserve some species at risk campaigns. Environmentalists often wonder how many children have to be born malformed, many with intractable diseases die in the first months of life, and how many children people have to die from cancer, many people have to live with poor health, how many generations will waiting for us to do awareness: how long humans launch a campaign for the preservation of the human species?