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Environmental Toxins

Masterman APES 2012

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Hexavalent Chromium

  • Chromium VI (+6 oxidation state)
  • Used in production of stainless steel, wood preservation, and textile dyes
    • Used as an anti corrosive agent in various surface coatings
  • Recognized as a human carcinogen
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Asbestos-What is it?

-naturally formed,not reusable, long thing fibrous crystal.

-6 different silicate minerals defined as Asbestos.(chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite, and acitonlite .)

-resistance to heat, fire, electrical and chemical made Asbestos popular among manufacturers in late 19th century.(electrical or building insulation.

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Asbestos-Why is it bad?

-first documented asbestos related death recorded in 1906.

-scientist noticed large numbers of deaths in asbestos mining towns.

-mesothelioma(mesothelium cancer)

-more than 100,000 people will die from ship building.

-can take over 20 years for symptoms.

-Asbestosis, lung cancer, Plueral thickening.

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Asbestos-In the environment

-naturally found outdoors and in water(not enough to really cause harm.)

-asbestos mineral breaks down into fiber can only be seen under telescope

-many men who live near rock deposits that may contain asbestos have showed a higher rate of having prostate cancer.

-6% lower chance of mesothelioma for every 10km away from deposits.

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Dioxins

  • A by-product of the manufacture of chemicals using chlorine, such as disinfectants, dry-cleaning fluid, drugs, pesticides and plastic.
  • Also formed during combustion processes such as waste incineration, forest fires, and some industrial processes such as paper pulp bleaching and herbicide manufacturing
  • People are primarily exposed to dioxins by eating food contaminated by the chemical

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Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB's)

  • Was first synthesized by German chemists in 1881
  • Used as a coolant in heaters, transformers, cars, etc.
  • Between 1947 and 1977 GE released between 500,000 lbs and 1,500,000 lbs into the Hudson River.
  • In 1973 the use of PCBs were banned in "open" sources.
  • Was first found to be toxic in the 1930s however these findings were dismissed as negligible.

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PCBs Continued

  • toxicity was first noticed among animals in 1970s when sea birds died at sea and washed up on shore containing large amounts of PCBs
  • Humans can be exposed to PCBs through consuming contaiminated foods

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Mercury