Chapter 17 Environmental Hazards and Human Health

Core Case Study: Are Baby Bottles and Food Cans Safe To Use Core Case Study: Are Baby Bottles and Food Cans Safe To Use? The BPA Controversy Some synthetic chemicals act as hormone mimics and disrupt the human endocrine system 93% of Americans older than 6 have BPA levels above the threshold level set by the EPA Higher in children and adolescents BPA (bisphenol A) Estrogen mimic – excess effects on males In polycarbonates and other hardened plastics Baby bottles, sipping cups, reusable water bottles, sports drinks, microwave dishes, food storage containers. liners of most food and soft drink cans

We Face Many Types of Hazards Biological: Pathogen: an organism that causes disease in other organisms Chemical Physical Cultural Lifestyle choices Risk Probability of suffering harm from a hazard

Some Diseases Can Spread from One Person to Another Infectious disease Pathogen invades the body and multiplies Transmissible disease Contagious or communicable disease Infectious disease transmitted between people Flu, tuberculosis, measles Nontransmissible disease Not caused by living organisms Heart disease, most cancers, diabetes

Some Diseases Can Spread from One Person to Another Infectious diseases spread through Air, water, food, body fluids Can cause epidemics and pandemics. Can also build up resistance to drugs and pesticides Since 1950, death from infectious diseases have declined due to Better health care, better sanitation, antibiotics, vaccines

Science: Pathways for Infectious Diseases in Humans Figure 17.3: Science. There are a number of pathways on which infectious disease organisms can enter the human body. Question: Can you think of other pathways not shown here? Fig. 17-3, p. 439

Major Causes of Death from Infectious Diseases in the World, 2007 Figure 17.4: Global outlook: The World Health Organization estimates that each year, the world’s seven deadliest infectious diseases kill 11.3 million people—most of them poor people in less-developed countries (Concept 17-2). This averages about 31,000 mostly preventable deaths every day—roughly the same as wiping out everyone in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Alabama or all the people in Delhi, India, each year. Question: How many people, on average, die prematurely from these diseases every hour? (Data from the World Health Organization, 2007) Fig. 17-4, p. 439

Case Study: The Growing Global Threat from Tuberculosis One in ten will become sick with TB 1.8 million deaths each year, primarily in less-developed countries Why is tuberculosis on the rise? Not enough screening and control programs Genetic resistance to a majority of effective antibiotics Person-to-person contact has increased AIDS individuals are very susceptible to TB

Lung Tissue Destroyed by Tuberculosis Figure 17.5: The colorized red areas in this chest X-ray show where TB bacteria have destroyed lung tissue. Fig. 17-5, p. 440

Viral Diseases and Parasites Kill Large Numbers of People #1 Killer - Influenza or flu virus #2 Killer - HIV #3 Killer - Hepatitis B virus (HBV) Emergent diseases: West Nile virus Reduce chances of infection: Wash your hands Avoid touching your face Avoid sick people

We Can Reduce the Incidence of Infectious Diseases Good news Vaccinations on the rise Oral rehydration therapy Bad news More money needed for medical research in developing countries

Some Chemicals Can Cause Cancers, Mutations, and Birth Defects Toxic chemicals Carcinogens Chemicals, types of radiation, or certain viruses the cause or promote cancer Mutagens Chemicals or radiation that cause mutations or increase their frequency Teratogens Chemicals that cause harm or birth defects to a fetus or embryo

Case Study: PCBs Are Everywhere—A Legacy from the Past Class of chlorine-containing compounds Very stable Nonflammable Break down slowly in the environment Travel long distances in the air Fat soluble Biomagnification Food chains and webs Banned, but found everywhere

Potential Pathways on Which Toxic Chemicals Move Through the Environment Figure 17.9: PCBs and other persistent toxic chemicals can move through the living and nonliving environment on a number of pathways. Fig. 17-9, p. 447

Some Chemicals May Affect Different Systems Some natural and synthetic chemicals in the environment can weaken and harm our Immune system Nervous system Neurotoxins: PCBs, arsenic, lead, some pesticides Endocrine system

Many Factors Determine the Harmful Health Effects of a Chemical Toxicity dependent on Dose Age Genetic makeup Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) Solubility Persistence Biomagnification Response Acute effect: immediate or rapid Chronic effect: permanent or long-lasting

Toxicity Ratings and Average Lethal Doses for Humans Table 17-1, p. 453

Are Trace Levels of Toxic Chemicals Harmful? Insufficient data for most chemicals We are all exposed to toxic chemicals Are the dangers increasing or are the tests just more sensitive?

Some Potentially Harmful Chemicals Found in Most Homes Figure 17.15: A number of potentially harmful chemicals are found in many homes. Most people have traces of these chemicals in their blood and body tissues. We do not know the long-term effects of exposure to low levels of such chemicals. (Data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and New York State Department of Health) Questions: Does the fact that we do not know much about the long-term harmful effects of these chemicals make you more likely or less likely to minimize your exposure to them? Why? Fig. 17-15, p. 455

Why Do We Know So Little about the Harmful Effects of Chemicals? Severe limitations estimating toxicity levels and risks Only 2% of 100,000 chemicals have been adequately tested 99.5% of chemicals used in the United States are not supervised by government

Global Outlook: Number of Deaths per Year in the World from Various Causes Figure 17.16: Global outlook: Scientists have estimated the number of deaths per year in the world from various causes. Numbers in parentheses represent death tolls in terms of the number of fully loaded 200-passenger jet airplanes crashing every day of the year with no survivors. Because of the lack of media coverage of the largest annual causes of death and its sensational coverage of other causes of death, most people are misinformed and guided by irrational fears about the comparative levels of risk. Question: Which three of these items are most likely to shorten your life span? (Data from World Health Organization, 2007) Fig. 17-16, p. 458

Chapter 21 Solid and Hazardous Waste

Core Case Study: E-waste—An Exploding Problem Electronic waste, e-waste: fastest growing solid waste problem Most ends up in landfills and incinerators Composition includes High-quality plastics, valuable metals, toxic and hazardous pollutants Shipped to other countries - What happens in China and India? International Basel Convention Bans transferring hazardous wastes from developed countries to developing countries

Core Case Study: E-waste—An Exploding Problem What should be done? Recycle E-cycle Reuse Prevention approach: remove the toxic materials

We Throw Away Huge Amounts of Useful Things and Hazardous Materials (1) Solid waste Industrial solid waste Mines, farms, industries Municipal solid waste (MSW) Trash Hazardous waste (toxic waste) Threatens human health of the environment Organic compounds Toxic heavy metals Radioactive waste

We Throw Away Huge Amounts of Useful Things and Hazardous Materials (2) 80–90% of hazardous wastes produced by developed countries U.S. is the largest producer - Leader in solid waste problem; Leader in trash production, by weight, per person; Recycling is helping Why reduce solid wastes? ¾ of the materials are an unnecessary waste of the earth's resources Huge amounts of air pollution, greenhouse gases, and water pollution

Natural Capital Degradation: Solid Wastes Polluting a River in Indonesia Figure 21.3: Natural capital degradation. These solid wastes pollute a river in Jakarta, Indonesia, a city of more than 11 million people. The man in the boat is looking for items to salvage or sell. Fig. 21-3, p. 560

We Can Cut Solid Wastes by Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling Six strategies: Redesign manufacturing processes and products to use less material and energy Develop products that are easy to repair, reuse, remanufacture, compost, or recycle Eliminate or reduce unnecessary packaging Use fee-per-bag waste collection systems Establish cradle-to grave responsibility Restructure urban transportation systems

We Can Burn or Bury Solid Waste or Produce Less of It Waste Management Reduce harm, but not amounts Waste Reduction Use less and focus on reuse, recycle, compost Integrated waste management Uses a variety of strategies

We Can Use Integrated Management of Hazardous Waste Integrated management of hazardous wastes Produce less Convert to less hazardous substances Rest in long-term safe storage

Case Study: Recycling E-Waste 70% goes to China Hazardous working conditions Includes child workers Reduce toxic components in electronics Dell and HP take recycle their products Europe has high-tech smelters with strict standards

Case Study: Hazardous Waste Regulation in the United States (1) 1976: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) EPA sets standards and gives permits Cradle to grave Covers only 5% of hazardous wastes

Case Study: Hazardous Waste Regulation in the United States (2) 1980: Comprehensive Environmental, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) National Priorities List 2010: 1300 sites, 340 sites cleaned so far Pace of cleanup has slowed Superfund is broke Laws encouraging the cleanup of brownfields

International Treaties Have Reduced Hazardous Waste (1) Basel Convention 1992: in effect 1995 amendment: bans all transfers of hazardous wastes from industrialized countries to less-developed countries 2009: Ratified by 195 countries, but not the United States

International Treaties Have Reduced Hazardous Waste (2) 2000: Delegates from 122 countries completed a global treaty Control 12 persistent organic pollutants (POPs) - “Dirty dozen” includes DDT, PCBs, dioxins. Everyone on earth has POPs in blood 2000: Swedish Parliament law By 2020 ban all chemicals that are persistent and can accumulate in living tissue

We Can Make the Transition to Low-Waste Societies 2000: Swedish Parliament law By 2020 ban all chemicals that are persistent and can accumulate in living tissue Norway, Austria, and the Netherlands Committed to reduce resource waste by 75% East Hampton, NY, U.S. Reduced solid waste by 85%

Unit 7 test review According to 2003 CDC study what % of Americans over 6 showed trace BPA level above EPA thresholds? What are the 5 main types of hazards? Examples of biological hazards, natural hazards, viral diseases, transmissible and non-transmissible diseases. Terms – pandemic, epidemic, malaria, west nile virus, lyme disease, carcinogen, immune system, endocrine system, toxicity, dose, biomagnification, chronic effects, acute effects.

The top toxic substances in terms of human and environmental health. % of e-waste components containing materials that could be recycled/reused? US produces how much of the world’s solid waste? Approaches for dealing with solid waste (waste reductions, integrated waste management, etc.) % of solid waste buried in US landfills. Most efficient beverage container on the market. What can people do to save resources?