Glyphosate is an organophosphorus compound. It is first made
as a isopropylamine salt. Although it is an organophosphorus compound , it
cannot be described as a organophosphate but more of a phosphanoglycine since
it does not contain any cholinesterase qualities. Glyphosate is used on crops
and home lawns to kill unwanted plants and also crop eating insects. The most
popular products that you can find it in are Roundup, Rodeo, and Pondmaster. It is an herbicide and also a pesticide.
Glyphosate is not super toxic, but is still harmful enough to force companies
to a warning label on the products containing it. During acute toxic testing,
it caused severe eye irritation, but it did not cause any changes to the skin.
The chronic toxic tests was performed on animals, however there was no harm
done from the compound. There were no reproductive, teratogenic, mutagenic, or
carcinogenic effects caused by the glyphosate. It is not easily absorbed by the
digestive tract and it did not cause any changes to the rate of body weight
gain, the blood, kidneys, or liver. Some benefits of using glyphosate are it is
low in toxicity and it is very effective weed control. Glyphosate has a
half-life of 40 days, which means half of it will be gone after 40 days. One of
the biggest cons is the fact that it still toxic. Considering everything in
this world being a form of poison, glyphosate is not that bad for our health in
small dosages. Although it kills it’s intended target, glyphosate needs to be
handled with care. The way it works is it prevents a plant’s ability to use
certain enzyme pathways to grow. When it is being applied, it can do this to
any other plants that it comes into contact with. This is part of the reason
people who use high concentrations of it need a license first because they
understand the damage that this compound can do to foliage.
http://www.popsci.com/blog-network/our-modern-plagues/pros-and-cons-herbicide-tolerant-gmos
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Lead Poisoning In Ohio
In Ohio, over 42% of houses were built before 1950, meaning
they most likely are a cause of lead poisoning. There are about 3.7 million
houses in the state that contain lead based paint on the interior or exterior.
Also floors can have dust and paint chips from old painted walls and the dust
can be inhaled or infants can ingest it from chewing on toys that were in the
dust. Lead can damage almost every internal
system in the body, no matter the age. Lead poisoning is the biggest
environmental threat to kids in Ohio. In
2009 in Athens County, 0 .99-2.02% of children tested for blood lead levels greater
than 10 milligrams. From 2005-2009 the highest blood-lead level from a confirmed
lead poisoning case has decreased by .81. In 2005 the number was 1.85 and in
2009 the number was 1.04. The prevalence of confirmed blood lead levels of
children less than 6 years old has decreased dramatically. In 1999, the
prevalence was 8.7%, in 2006, 2.2%, and in 2013, 0.8%. Some easy ways to
prevent children from being exposed to lead are: keeping them away from peeling
paint, mop floors and wipe dust of surfaces at least once a week, make sure
children wash hands often, and wash children’s toys, especially those that are
often chewed on by the child. Foods rich in iron and calcium such as meats,
dairies, and vegetables are good foods to eat to help prevent lead poisoning. The
number of children tested for high blood lead levels in Athens county back in
2009 was about 800. In Franklin County, however, over 30,000 were tested. In
2013, Athens county had 788 children under the age of 3 were tested for high
levels of blood lead. 761of the children had levels under 4 milligrams and 2 of
them had levels higher than 10 milligrams.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Ebola Procedures
The Center for Disease Control has a procedure for U.S.
hospitals that take care of Ebola virus victims. First they give a list of
possible symptoms such as high body temperature, severe headache, vomiting, and
diarrhea. However these symptoms are only relevant when the patient has come
into contact with blood or other bodily fluids from someone is known or suspected
of having Ebola, or lives/has traveled to an area where the disease is
prominent. The CDC recommends that the person testing the patient follow all safety
precautions and wear the Proper Protective Equipment (PPE). They should also be
sure to be cautious when transporting the patient or their bodily fluids
throughout the hospital to avoid spills or any other incidents. If the results come
back positive, the patient is to be isolated, no visitors, and all those
interacting with the patient must have on the necessary PPE. The hospital also
needs to enforce environmental infection control measures. The Ohio Department
of Health is working with the CDC so that procedures can be the same all across
the country. Since an Ohio native who lives in Dallas was recently suspected of
having the virus and has recently been in Akron, the ODH is looking for anybody
she has come in to contact with in order to verify she did not spread the
virus, and if she did they can contain the people and stop it from spreading. The
CDC sent an agency liaison to Ohio after her flight so they could communicate
everything that was going on and to keep everybody on the same page. Having
everyone on the same page is vital, especially with a situation like this where
thousands of people’s lives are at stake. The procedures don’t differ since the
ODH just follows the CDC’s, so the CDC’s procedure is the best by default.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
NEPA
During the rise of industrial buildings and big
manufacturing plants there was a drastic increase in pollution. Air, water, and
trash pollution littered America. People were getting sick easier, the streets
were filled with trash, and also lakes were setting on fire from so many
different chemicals being dumped into the water. Change was needed, so the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was passed on January 1, 1970. This
was one of the first laws that established national awareness and standards for
big waste companies in America. The basis of NEPA was to make sure the
government gave proper consideration and helped the sustainability of the environment
and also to take legal action against companies that did not respect the rules
and comply. The Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ) is the group that
governs what standards and laws are put into place for the companies to follow.
The council is made up of scientists and former CEO’s. Some constructions and
buildings with high restrictions are military bases, highways, airports,
parkland purchases, and government buildings. Companies are required to give
annual reports and also have to pass several inspections. Federal agencies have
to turn in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which lets the government
know about any possible damage done to the environment through air, water, or
any other types of waste. Companies that break these rules are forced to pay
hefty fines and may even be shut down depending how harsh the damage was. New
chemicals are not allowed to be placed into the environment without first being
tested and considered harmless to the environment by the government. The goal
of the NEPA is ensure the safety of the earth: air, water, and plants and also
guarantee sustainability. NEPA also aims to keep the inhabitants healthy and
free from unnecessary toxins caused from excess pollution.
Fluoride and Water
Putting fluoride in water first started in the 1940’s. The
fluoride came from big industrial companies byproducts from manufacturing of
phosphate fertilizers. The amount in public water is about 1 part per million,
but it is much higher in ground water. Fluoride is said to be an enamel
builder, by making it more resistant to acids from bacteria, but many people
believe it does more harm than help. The Food and Drug Administration considers
fluoride a drug when it is used to prevent disease, but the fluoride does not
improve the water’s safety or quality. Since fluoride is considered it’s safe
to say that the “dosage” of it cannot be controlled since everyone literally
drinks different amounts of water each day. According to public health
administrators and some dentists, the fluoride helps those with lower income
since they can’t always afford a visit to the dentist nor have dental
insurance. Some studies have shown that fluoride accumulates in the body and
calcifies on the bones and pineal gland. The kidneys can only excrete about 60%
of the fluoride intake each day. Excess fluoride intake can cause white streaks
or even brown stains on the enamel. People don’t want fluoride in the water
since it does not provide any nutritional benefits to the human body. It is
seen as unnecessary since studies have shown no increase in tooth decay after
someone stops drinking water with fluoride in it. These studies were done in
Germany, Canada, and also Cuba. Other studies in Australia and New Zealand show
that tooth decay was on a decline before fluoride was even being added to the
water. In 2006 the National Research Council (NRC) said that fluoride has been known
to impact with different functions of the brain and also disturb learning and
behavior. However these studies were conducted on animals using high volumes of
fluoride.
http://www.livescience.com/37123-fluoridation.html
http://fluoridealert.org/articles/50-reasons/
http://www.livescience.com/37123-fluoridation.html
http://fluoridealert.org/articles/50-reasons/
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