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C H A P T E R 2 5
Environmental and
Occupational Health
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Occupational and Environmental Health Hazards
Hazards such as chemicals, toxins, and othermanufactured hazards are found in the home,
workplace, and environment through the air and
water Hazards affect health, may cause myriad cancers,
neurologic disorders, allergies, and behavioralchanges
Increasing research shows a relationship betweenenvironmental health and reproductive health andchildrens health
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Reproductive and Childrens Health
Environment has shown to impact reproductivehealth, some examples are elevated rates of cancerin reproductive organs, premature births,miscarriages and birth impairments
Fetuses and babies unable to metabolize andinactivate harmful chemicals
Sperm and eggs can be damaged by pesticides,chemicals, or other chemical exposures leadingpotentially affecting the embryos development
Presidents Cancer Panel (2010) found approx. 300chemicals present in umbilical cords
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Reproductive and Childrens Health
Toxins transferred through breast milk
Some babies are at higher risk example indigenous people in the high Arctic are seven times
more prone than babies in the US or Canada
Many chemicals have been banned in the US
Breast milk is still considered better than formuladue to the benefits out weighing the risks
Formula fed babies have a greater risk of earinfections, respiratory tract infections, SIDS, andchildhood leukemia, asthma, diarrhea, and eczema
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Reproductive and Childrens Health
Due to a more vulnerable immune system,physiology, and metabolism children are at greaterrisk of damage to nervous system, brain,reproductive organs, and endocrine system
As the amount of concentrated chemical rises so dothe number of childhood illnesses such as leukemia,
brain cancer, and other cancers linked to
environmental carcinogens
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Occupational Health
OSHA (Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration) focuses on workplace health andsafety
Workers and surrounding environments arevulnerable to industrial practices and pollution
People constantly being exposed to chemicals, suchas pesticides
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Advocacy
Only a few hundred of the tens of thousands of chemicalsused are adequately tested; many chemicals suspected ofcausing cancer are not regulated at all
Community activists, researchers, and advocates areadvocating for a new paradigm that encouragesanticipatory action in the absence of scientificuncertainty
Precautionary Principal: requires taking action in theface of uncertainty, shifting the burden of proof to those
who create risks, and analyzing alternatives to potentiallyharmful chemicals one at a time
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Advocacy
Women are pushing for more research on risks,launching community-based health projects, callingfor enforcement of regulations to keep ourenvironment safe, and insisting that vulnerablecommunities are protected and compensated forhealth burdens
Collaborative on Health and the Environment:
organization of international partnership that paysspecial attention to reproductive and cross-generational impacts
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Types of Hazards - Lead
Lead: neurotoxin, which means affects the nerve cells. Itis natural in the environment in trace amounts: travelsthrough air, food, water, dust, and various products.
Has industrial and commercial uses: plumbing pipes and
car batteries Acute exposure can cause lead poisoning, affects 1
million children in the US. Low income families are at an8 times greater risk, due to standard housing and lack ofnutritional foods. African American children are 5 times
more likely to develop then white children Symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, coma, and
death Long term exposure: brittle bones, anemia, damage to
brain and nervous function, liver, kidney, and bloodsystems
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Types of Hazards - Mercury
Mercury can damage central nervous system,endocrine system, heart, lungs, immune system, andkidneys
Especially harmful to pregnant women and fetuses:
Can cause neurological disorders, decreasedbrain function, delayed onset of walking, permanentkidney damage, and decreased sperm count in boys
Pregnant women are told to are recommended toavoid or ingest a small amount of high risk fish,including tuna and shark
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Types of Hazards - Mercury
Symptoms or Mercury poisoning include itching,burning or pain: skin discolorations; shedding ofskin; muscle weakness; red face; loss of teeth; hairand nails; and photophobia
Mercury has been banned in most cosmetic productsand thermometers
Mercury still found in trace amounts in some eye
make-up
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Types of Hazards Pesticides
Most common and utilized synthetic product
1.2 billion pounds used annually in US, 5 billionworldwide
Exposure has been linked to developmentalproblems and reproductive complications: abnormalovary and menstrual function; decreased spermcount; early puberty; delayed testis, prostate, andpenis development; infertility; miscarriage; stillbirth;
and increased risk of cervical, vaginal, testicular, andchildhood brain cancers
If exposed during pregnancy can cause brain autism
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Types of Hazards and Avoidance Pesticides
Journal of Agro-medicine (2007) every chemicalclass of pesticides has at least one agent capable ofaffecting a reproductive or developmental endpointin laboratory animals or people
Avoidance: -avoid using pesticides in homes and on lawns and gardens
- wear protective clothing when using pesticides
- never smoke, eat, or drink when using pesticides
- do not apply pesticides before a heavy rain, may wash intosewers contaminating water supply
- apply in early cool weather with a small breeze to reduce airtravel
- Follow disposal recommendation, never pour down toilet,
sink, or sewer
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Pesticides and Food Safety
Purchase certified organic foods
Purchase and consume the 15 least sprayed fruitsand vegetables: onions, avocados, frozen sweet corn,
pineapple, mango, frozen sweet peas, asparagus,kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon,grapefruit, sweet potato, and honeydew melon
Wash and limit intake of most sprayed fruits and
vegetables celery, peaches, strawberries, apples,blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, kale,cherries, potatoes, and imported grapes
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Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals EDCs
Industrial and pharmaceutical chemicals that mimicnatural hormones and include any chemical or substancethat affects development and function.
Used to block or interfere with complex hormonalmessages that affect body function such as thyroidmechanics, sexual development and behavior,metabolism, and nervous and immune function
Low level exposure is not greatly understood, howeverincreasing concerns on the danger of high level exposureon reproductive health
Example: diethylstilbestrol, or DES, a synthetic estrogenhave shown high miscarriage rates and vaginal cancers inthe children of pregnant DES users
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Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals EDCs
Found in pesticides, bisphenol (a material used tomake plastic), some cosmetics, flame retardants,glues, sealants, and cleaning products
Fat-soluble they accumulate in animal fat andanimal products and are then consumed
Women at higher risk due to increased body fat
Exposure affected by indoor air quality
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BPA - Bisphenol A
used in hard plastics such as baby bottle linings,cans, sippy cups, food containers, ect
Endocrine disrupting chemical
May cause cancers, infertility, heart disease, liverabnormalities, genital abnormalities, obesity, earlypuberty in girls, cognitive and behavioralimpairments, diabetes, asthma, ADD, hyper activity
disorder, and cardiovascular system abnormalities.
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Other Hazards to Avoid
PCBS Polychlorinated biphenyls, one of the mosthazardous chemicals
Most usage banned since 1979, but can contaminate ourbodies and environment for years
PCS hotspots are NYC, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario Phthalates chemical that makes plastic more pliable
Found in wallpaper, paints, soda cans, pesticides, andfood
Nearly all Americans have this in their urine Exposure associated with asthma, allergies, autism,
endocrine disorder, among others
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Exposure
Exposure is heavily affected by environmentalconditions, gender, race, ethnicity, and class
Economic and social power determines how we are
able to protect ourselves Low socioeconomic status=higher exposure risks
3 of 5 largest landfills in US are based in Black orLatino communities
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Decrease Risks
Be a careful consumer, be aware of ingredients in allfoods and containers
Investigate environmental conditions, get info onunder worker and right to know legislation at
scoregaurd.com Investigate studies, find out who paid for study, are
they biased?
Talk to your neighbors, develop alliances to protectcommunity health
Document your health. Keep a log of exposures anddiagnosis
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Decrease Risks
Work in coalition Join a movement ororganization. There are many organizations work toprotect families and communities, such as TheNational Council for Occupational Safety and Health,Center for Health, Environment and Justice,Physicians for Social Responsibility, and many more
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Improving Workplace Safety
Substitute safer alternatives
Isolate or enclose the process
Improve housekeeping
Accept personal protective equipment Secure Protections
Create Committees
Negotiate contracts
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Women making a Difference
Alice Hamilton grandmother of environmentalmovement
Author of Exploring the Dangerous Trades, a book onoccupational hazards
Rachel Carson author ofSilent Spring, publicized risks ofpesticide dangers
Hazel Johnson cofounded West Harlem EnvironmentalAction to challenge the location of a water treatment plant
Patty Martin founded Safe Food and Fertilizer afterdiscovering hazardous wastes being blended into fertilizerscausing crop failure
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QUOTE by Presidents Cancer Panel
The true burden of environmentally induced cancerhas been grossly underestimated. With nearly80,000 chemicals on the market in the UnitedStates, many of which are used by millions of
Americans in their daily lives and are un- or understudied and largely unregulated, exposure topotential environmental carcinogens is widespread
Page 728 Our Bodies, Ourselves
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Reflection
The chemicals mentioned are widespread andobviously recognized to be harmful. Dont you seesomething wrong with a well known BPA chemical
being used in our childrens baby bottles and cupswhen people are ware of the possible affects? Thisreally boggles my mind. I wonder why thegovernment has not done away with this chemical.They are so worried about healthcare and costs. Why
wouldnt they attack at the root of a lot of diseases?
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