ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ON HUMAN HEALTH Flashcards
tackles forest regeneration
Socio-ecological systems
tackles rising sea levels
Climate change
Any poisonous chemical substance and its by-products or organism present in our immediate environment that negatively affects human health
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS
TOXIN #1:
naturally occurring substances that accumulate and cause damage to the environment and living beings, including humans
include substances known as semimetals or metalloids that can have the same deleterious effects
HEAVY METALS
Heavy metals discharge into the environment, primarily via water systems, leading to contamination.
Sources: Natural sources like rocks, volcanic eruptions, and dust particles, as well as industrial and domestic activities.
Indirect Pollution
Heavy metals directly contaminate soil, leading to immediate exposure risks.
Sources: Similar to indirect pollution but directly affecting soil through industrial and domestic activities.
Direct Pollution
Accumulation of heavy metals, in toxic amounts, in the soft tissues of the body.
Symptoms may vary depending on the type of metal and the level of exposure, ranging from mild to severe neurological, respiratory, and gastrointestinal effects.
Heavy Metal Poisoning
Found in topical creams, herbicides, and paintS.
Symptoms:
hyperpigmentation in the skin and misalignment in the nails.
ARSENIC
Found in batteries, paint, gasoline, and construction materials.
Symptoms: distal pore and Burton’s line in the gums.
Lead
Found in dental amalgam and liquid in thermometers.
Symptoms include tremors, visual and hearing impairments.
Mercury
TOXIN #2:
Introduction of harmful substances into the environment.
Pollutants can be natural, such as volcanic emissions.
Can also be created by human activity, such as trash or runoff produced by factories.
POLLUTION
contamination of the indoor or outdoor air by a range of gasses and solids that modify its natural characteristics
mix of hazardous substances from both human-made and natural sources
Health Effects: Brain damage, stroke, asthma, allergy, bronchitis, lung cancer, heart disease, skin irritation.
Air Pollution
PART OF THE OZONE THAT IS NOT GOOD AND CONSIDERED A POLLUTANT
TROPOSPHERE
PART OF THE OZONE THAT IS GOOD AND BENEFICIAL BC IT PREVENTS ULTRAVIOLET RAYS FROM REACHING US
STRATOSPHERE
air pollutant that is emissions from vehicles
carbon monoxide
Rising sea levels
Global Warming
Chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons contribute to ozone depletion.
Ozone Layer Destruction
Gasses mixed with water vapor create acid rain.
Acid Precipitation
Indicator of thermal inversion
Fog but color gray, means there is accumulation of pollutants
Smog
Excessive——- leads to global warming
greenhouse gasses
It is normal to have this otherwise the earth will be cold. However, excessive amounts would lead to Global Warming.
greenhouse gasses
Produced from the interaction of chemicals with the sunlight.
Can be brown or grayish blue.
Smog
atmospheric conditions that trap smog and prevent its dispersal
Thermal Inversion
It is formed in the atmosphere because of chemical reactions between pollutants.
Particulate matter, also called PM
Harmful substances contaminating water ecosystems, degrading water quality and quantity, rendering it toxic to humans and other species.
Occurs when harmful substances contaminate a body of water
Water Pollution
Origins of pollutants are diffuse and challenging to trace, such as agricultural runoff.
Non-point Sources
Pollution can be directly traced to specific sources like factories, mines, and oil tankers.
Point Sources
Consumption of contaminated organisms, such as fish, can lead to exposure to pollutants.
Indirect Impact
Immediate exposure to contaminated water can lead to poisoning.
Direct Impact
Releases toxic chemicals to the environment
Waste discharges from factories and industrial activities.
Industrialization
Pesticides, fertilizers and farm wastes
Runoff from agricultural areas, including fields and farms
Agriculture
Natural weathering
Weathering of rocks, releasing pollutants into water bodies
Natural factors
Algal blooms due to nutrient-rich pollutants, leading to toxin production harmful to aquatic life and humans.
Red Tide
Lack of access to clean water and medical facilities exacerbates the impact of waterborne diseases, leading to dehydration and death.
Dehydration and mortality
Waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, and salmonellosis, resulting from contaminated water sources.
Health Impacts
Primary producers in aquatic ecosystems, sensitive to changes in water quality and useful as biological indicators.
Phytoplankton
Flagellated
If you have sample water containing —–, you’ll notice rapid movement due to their flagella.
Eyespot cytoplasm is in near the canal
green in color
very fast in terms of movement
Euglenophyta
thick cell wall made of silica
When they die the silica goes to the ocean floor
brown coloration.
Bacillariophyta
flagellar insertion
Pigmentation
Can swim in the water
Outer covering called the theca
Their cell wall is very thick
Cause red ride especially in coastal areas
The toxins during the red tide is stable in hot and acidic environment
Dinophyta
known to be the green algae
chlorophyll-a and -b as photosynthetic pigments
solitary colonial or filamentous
Chlorophyta
Prokaryotic organisms lacking nucleus
Blue-green in nature
Can exist as solitary organisms or in colonies
Cause harmful algal blooms
Cyanophyta
