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a. Review the effects of arsenic as a soil pollutant on human health. You need to consider the major sources of arsenic (both natural & man-made), pathways for uptake by people and the impacts on human health.
Soil pollution due to Arsenic (As) has been grabbed much attention in recent years due to its intimidation to human health and unfavorable effects on the growth of animals and plants (Duker et al , 2005; Williams et al., 2005). Volcanisms released Arsenic in the air which is brought to the earth surface by the rain water and contaminate the soil. Arsenic is also produced by the weathering of arsenic-containing minerals and ores, and by Sources commercial or industrial processes.
Arsenic (As) is a lethal metalloid found in rocks, sediments, water, soil and air. It enters into the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems through a combination of natural processes such as volcanism, process of weathering and biological activity, as well as a result of anthropogenic (Human made) activities. Excessive utilization of As-based pesticides, fertilizers or herbicides, wood preservatives, arsenic additives in domestic animals feeds, pharmaceutical works, electronics industries, ammunition and galvanizing factories, and coal or petroleum incineration (Simith et al., 1998:Matschullat, 2000), and indiscriminate disposal of industrial wastes and domestic (sewage) , as well as mining activities, have resulted in extensive contamination of Arsenic in soil / terrestrial ecosystems attracts worldwide attention principally because of its undesirable impact on human health(Lee et al., 2008; Duker et al., 2005; Liao et al., 2005; Liu et al., 2005; Ongley et al., 2007).
High concentrations of Arsenic are commonly originate ...
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... in inhabitants living close to smelters and arsenical chemical factories. Citizens who live near waste sites with arsenic may have an increased risk of lung cancer as well.
Direct contact of skin with the high concentration of compounds of inorganic arsenic present in the soil may cause skin irritation with some swelling and redness. But is does not appear that the direct skin contact may lead to any serious internal infections.
Almost no data is available about the effects of organic arsenic compounds on human beings. Researches in animals show that most simple organic arsenic compounds (such as methyl and dimethyl compounds) are less lethal than the inorganic forms. In animals, intake of methyl compounds can result in diarrhea, and lifetime disclosure can damage the kidneys. Lifetime contact to dimethyl compounds can harm the urinary bladder and the kidneys.
Residents living closest to manufacturing plants and factories reap the most adverse health affect, however, hazardous air pollutants effect the ozone layer which effects everyone.
5). The high mortality rates are related to the environmental exposures of the coal mining along with other factors such as smoking, poverty, education, age, race and sex. “Higher lung cancer incidence and mortality in the Kentucky Appalachia is thought to result from higher smoking rates and correlates of poor socioeconomic conditions which limits the population access to health care” (Hendryx, O'Donnell, & Horn, 2008, p. 2). The population residing in coal mining areas, are exposed to contaminated water and air from the coal mining and there is a concern for respiratory illnesses related to the pollutants. The fumes or toxin released from the coal mine, this places the individual at a risk for respiratory issues such as emphysema, black lung, brown lung and
Breast cancer is the second leading cancer to cause death in women. A combination of factors contributes to the etiology of breast cancer, such as genetic and environmental dynamics [ACS, 2014]. One particular area of interest is the study of metalloestrogens, which are inorganic compounds that can bind to the estrogen receptor and mimic the biological functions of estrogen in breast cancer cells. Arsenic is one such metalloestrogen and has been classified as carcinogenic to humans [IARC]. Studies in humans have shown that long-term exposure to arsenic is associated with bladder, kidney, lung and liver cancers [1,2,3]. Arsenic exposure has also been correlated with an increase in the incidence of breast cancer [4]. People can be exposed to arsenic in different settings such as in the workplace, in drinking water or from medical treatments. Through these methods of exposure, various mechanisms of internalization can take place through inhalation, ingestion, or through skin contact. We hypothesize that prolonged arsenic exposure results in the expression of genes that promote breast cancer progression. In this study, we propose to investigate the effect of prolonged arsenic exposure on gene expression, by comparing the global gene expression of a breast cancer cell line that has been chronically exposed to low-dose arsenic with that of a control cell line. Genes found to be differentially expressed in arsenic adapted cells will be examined further. We also aim to extend our understanding of the direct effect of arsenic, by studying the signal pathway that results in gene expression when arsenic binds to the estrogen receptor.
[HTML] Metabolism and possible health effects of aluminum.from nih.gov PO Ganrot - Environmental Health Perspectives, 1986 - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
...per cubic meter of air, they found. While people who smoke may also live in more polluted areas, the large group of the studies showed that even so, pollution can raise even a non-smoker’s risk of cancer.
Acid rain has been proven to have damage forests, fresh waters and soils, killing insect and aquatic life-forms. It also causes damage to buildings and impacts on human health. Many people do not know what acid rain actually is. Acid rain is any form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, low pH levels, higher than normal amounts of sulfuric and nitric acid, occurs naturally and from man made sources. Forms when gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals (what is acid rain?). The only water that will not have some amount of acidity is pure water. Pure water has a pH of 7 which is neutral; regular, unpolluted rain water has a pH of around 5.6. The acidity in rain water comes from the presence of Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxide, and Sulfur Dioxide. CO2 reacts with water to form carbonic acid. Nitrogen and water react during lightning storms, forming Nitric Oxide. NO is then oxidized to form N02. The NO2 reacts with water to form nitric acid. Due to this, the pH is lowered to be slightly acidic (Acid Rain). Acid rain can occur naturally in the environment, but the problem occurs when human interaction is the cause of the acidic levels.
Arsenic is the 20th most common element in the earth’s crust and can be found naturally in our environment. There is around 0.006 to 0.03 ppm or arsenic distributed in seawater, and 20 ppm of arsenic in soil (before pesticides). Every human will ingest about 0.5 to 1 mg of arsenic in a day from food and water, because arsenic is present in higher quantities in se...
Thinner soils that have fewer nutrients are more vulnerable to the effects of acid rain. Thicker soils are more affective at buffering acid rain. Over many years soils that aren’t the best at buffering out acid rain can become increasingly acidic. This leads to a decrease in the ability to support healthy plant life. Over time soils may become so acidic that aluminum dissolves and is carried by rain water into bodies of water. Aluminum that is dissolved is very toxic and harmful to all aquatic life.
Forensic toxicology is one of the oldest disciplines in forensic science history and dates back hundreds of years. However, the actual understanding and examination of forensic toxicology only dates back for about 200 years. Due to the development of technology, this discipline has been able to progress and flourish.
Pollution is a massive problem, due to burning excessive amounts of fossil fuels and produces global warming. The rising in temperature of earth has resulted huge melting of polar ice caps, flooding of low-lying areas, and also rise in sea levels. If these conditions conquer the surface of earth it will face radical changes. Hence, the ozone holes are also being created trough this process, that creates a harmful UV rays that enters the earth surface. Apparently it affect human life trough causing diseases like cancer. Melanin that present in the skin reacts trough these high wave radiations. Skin cancer is one of the major forms of disease that known to be caused due to these reactions of the pigment present in the skin and infra-red rays. Besides that, when burnt sulphur, dioxide gas will also be produced. This factor forms acid rain. Acid rain could leads to destructions of most of monuments that were made up of brickwork or marbles. Even a lot of crops are affected due to the acidification of loams.
When the water comes into contact with the pyrite, the chemical reactions that take place causes the water to increase in pH which will dissolve heavy metals which stay in solution. However, when the pH levels reach a certain stage, the iron can then precipitate out, coating sediments with the characteristic yellow, red or orange colourings (D.E.P. 2, 2002; U.S.G.S.; U.S.E.P.A., 2002). The rate that A.M.D. advances is also influenced by the presence of certain bacteria (Doyle; U.S.G.S). A.M.D that has dissolved heavy metals such as copper, lead and mercury can contaminate ground and surface water. Especially at risk are mines that are located above the water table (Keller, 2000; D.E.P. 2, 2002). The sources of water that get polluted can be surface water that permeates into the mine, shallow ground water flowing through the mine or any water that comes into contact with the waste tailings produced by mines.
...’s rapid development is putting increasing pressure on local water resources but has simultaneously deteriorated the quality of urban groundwater in many cities. Groundwater has been significantly polluted in over half of China’s 660 cities. Contamination transfer through the soil is partly responsible for this. The government has finally recognised this issue and is now spending tens of billions of Yuan each year on heavy metal soil remediation and treatment of over-exploited groundwater. The Shanghai Centre for Soil Remediation was opened in 2005 to study soil remediation technologies on industrialised areas and keep a close eye on toxic soils in China. Sino-Singapore Tianhin Eco-City is being developed on polluted marshlands; this process has so far included the removal of contaminated, alkaline soil to be filtered and cleaned and later placed back (Best, 2011).
The most prevalent source of agricultural water pollution is soil that is washed off of fields. These fields have been treated with fertilizers and pesticides, which over time have accumulated heavy metals that are then transferred to lakes and streams. The excess particles cloud the water blocking vital oxygen and sun for the aquatic plants.
Nearly every person in the world uses salt or some form of a salt as there are many salts in the world. In America alone we use a lot of salt every day we are one of the top salt using countries in the world. Salt has a part in many things in everyone’s daily lives. Salt has many important things to it such as its crystallization, what salt is and ammonia.
In our days, mining for resources is inevitable. The resources we need are valuable in everyday life. Such resources mined up are coal, copper, gold, silver, and sand. However, mining poses environmental risks that can degrade the quality of soil and water, which can end up effecting us humans if not taken care of and many of the damages are irreversible once they have occurred.