While technology has radically improved our day-to-day
existence, one area of our lives is still deteriorating – our living
environment. Environment pollution is one of the most pressing concerns of the
21st century and one that currently poses the greatest threat to
humanity and its lifestyle.
Environmental exposures refer
to the exposures of people to pollutants found in their environment. Although
some environments may contain pollutant agents in amounts that aren’t hazardous
to human health and are technically legal, prolonged and frequent exposure to
these agents may cause severe, chronic and acute health problems.
In this article, we will focus on the environmental
exposures, the ways they happen and some of the most common environmental
pollutants, in order to raise awareness and help you protect your health.
About exposure
Exposure refers to the contact with pollutant agents.
Basically, if we don’t make contact with hazardous substances, they are not a
threat to our health. Moreover, even if we are in contact with such substances,
their level of severity depends on their amount.
When we are evaluating the dose of a certain dangerous
substance, bodyweight is an important factor to take into consideration. For
example, when a child is exposed to the same amount of some substance as an
adult, it may harm them more.
The larger the amount of the substance we are exposed to,
the bigger the chances it will affect our health. Even if some substance is normally
not considered dangerous, in large amounts it can become toxic.
Routes of
environmental exposures
The term “routes of exposure” refers to
different ways toxic substances can enter our body or just come into contact
with it.
For instance, inhalation of dust, vapors or gases is one of
the most common routes. This way chemicals enter through our nose, go through
the air passages and then end up in our lungs. After they are absorbed in the
lungs, these chemicals enter the bloodstream and are distributed to the rest of
our body.
Direct contact is when substances are absorbed through our
eyes or skin, after which they enter the bloodstream. With people who have
cracked or cut skin, these substances are more likely to enter the body.
Ingestion is when we absorb the chemicals found in food,
drinks, cigarettes etc. by swallowing them. Children are more likely to get
poisoned this way, as they often put their fingers in their mouths. Just like
with the other routes, after they are ingested, the chemicals enter our
bloodstream and then spread through the whole body.
These routes of environmental exposures can determine the
level of toxicity of a certain substance. For example, touching lead is not
dangerous at all, while swallowing it can cause some major health issues.
Furthermore, toxic chemicals can cause harmful effects right
away or days, months and even years later. Short term exposures are called
acute, while long term ones are called chronic.
Acute exposures are when our contact with a chemical lasts
for a few minutes or a few hours. Chronic exposures are when we are making
contact with a toxic substance repeatedly for a prolonged period of time. For
example, if a certain chemical is used over and over continuously for a few
years on the job, the exposure becomes chronic.
Common pollutants
Air
pollution
It’s a well-known fact that
the pollutants
from the air can be harmful to our health. Air in bigger cities is
significantly more polluted than the air in rural areas, as it contains
chemicals such as ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide,
and particulate matter. EV cars, trucks,
and transportation vehicles are leading the charge to combat air pollution. EV charging systems
are now available for large fleets of transportation firms.
Lead
Lead is a metal frequently used in our environment, and it
can be carcinogenic and neurotoxic – lead poisoning remains one of the most
severe environmental hazards. When poisoned, all of our organs are susceptible
to injury. Babies, children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to this
substance.
BPA
BPA or Bisphenol-A is a
chemical used to keep bacteria from food, hard plastic objects and prevent
metal cans or other similar metal objects from rusting. It can be found in the
products we use on a daily basis such as water bottles, food containers, cash
register receipts etc.
Mold
Exposure to mold can be quite dangerous, especially when it
comes to children. The human body can absorb mold in three ways: by eating food
which contains mold, by touching mold, and by breathing in its spores. There
are more than 200 different kinds of mold, and they usually grow in moist
environments.
Pesticides
Although designed to kill unwanted pests, they can harm
human bodies as well. Exposure to pesticides in the prenatal period can cause
serious damage and change the way our biological system functions.
To sum up, these are only some of the toxic chemicals that
can be found everywhere around us. It’s important to have a certain amount of
knowledge about them and pollution exposures, in order to protect ourselves and
our families. Even though we, in most cases, can’t really avoid using them or
exposing ourselves to them, what we can do is to cut them down to a minimum.
Green Jobs
How to Apply for a Green Job With the demand for green jobs skyrocketing so far in 2017, giving yourself a unique edge can be difficult—yet absolutely necessary—in order for you to become a proud worker for Mother Earth. Follow these steps to successfully claim your next environmentally friendly employment opportunity. 1. Resume: Make sure … Continue reading..
