Occupationally-related Disease

Asbestosis is a lung disease that occurs as a result of inhaling asbestos particles, and it is marked by severe fibrosis and a high risk of mesothelioma which is cancer of the pleura. Asbestos is used for insulation in buildings and as an ingredient such as roofing shingles, water supply lines, and water blankets due to its tensile strength, poor heat conduction, and relative resistance to chemical attack. About 125 million people in the world are exposed to asbestos in the workplace.

Evidence of the association between asbestos exposure and nonmalignant respiratory disease has been well established since the 1930s. In 1964 a study of insulation workers was published by Irving Selikoff which showed evidence of carcinogenicity.

The World Health Organization (WHO) implemented a Global Plan of Action on Workers' Health from 2008-2017. This plan called the Global Campaign for the Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases sought to eliminate asbestos-related diseases by raising awareness through different sets of educational materials and by working with international partners.

The World Federation of Public Health Associations, the International Trade Union Confederation, and the International Commission on Occupational Health joined to seek a global ban on mining and use of asbestos products. Currently, there are 40 industrialized countries that have banned asbestos. The American Public Health Association (APHA) supported the Bruce Vento Ban Asbestos and Prevention Mesothelioma Act of 2008.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has three standards to protect workers from the hazards of asbestos depending on the type of workplace: general industry, shipyards, and construction. For general industry, the standards cover things such as maintenance work, exposure during brake and clutch repair, and manufacture of asbestos-containing products. For shipyards, the standards cover construction, maintenance, alteration, repair, renovation and demolition of structures containing asbestos. For construction, the standards cover construction, alteration, repair, maintenance, or renovation and demolition of structures containing asbestos. 

Occupational Safety and Health Organization

The World Health Organization has an occupational health program that promotes the improvement of working conditions and other aspects of environmental hygiene. The WHO recognizes that occupational health is closely linked to public health which is why they address all determinants of worker's health such as the risk for disease and injury in the occupational environment, social and individual factors, and access to health services. Some occupational health topics covered by the WHO include asbestos-related diseases, chemical risk factors and hazards, dust, HIV/AIDS in the workplace, noise, and stress at the workplace.

One of their programs specifically looks at eliminating asbestos-related diseases by providing information about replacing asbestos with safer alternatives and by developing economic and technological mechanisms to stimulate its replacement. This program also works towards improving early diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation services for asbestos-related diseases. It also provides information on the hazards associated with asbestos-containing materials and by raising awareness that waste containing asbestos should be treated as hazardous waste.

MSDS and ToxNet

The health risks associated with clear gloss varnish (a blend of alkyd resin and aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents) if brought in contact with the skin causes inflammation, erythema, scabs, and oedema. This chemical is also flammable in excess of 21 degrees Celcius if exposed to an ignition source. The Material Safety Data Sheet did not say if this chemical is a carcinogen. When working with this chemical, protective gloves, eyewear, and clothing should be worn as well as a face mask to reduce the inhalation of this chemical which can cause irritation and would require medical attention. Aside from the Material Safty Data Sheet training on how to handle this chemical was also given.

This Material Safety Data Sheet was helping in outlining the major health risks associated with this particular chemical. The major health risks with this chemical were inhalation which is why they recommended being in a well-ventilated area when working with this chemical as well as when it is stored. In addition, because this chemical is highly flammable they recommend using foam, sand, or CO3 extinguishers. Breathing in the fumes of this chemical also poses a health risk which is why protective masks should be worn at all times.

Heavy Metals

I thought it was interesting that the first article, Lead Poisoning, mentioned a switch in looking at adult lead poisoning to lead poisoning in children. Children are more sensitive to lead because of their hand-to-mouth activity and their developing central nervous system is more vulnerable than a mature CNS. Therefore it makes sense that researchers would want to focus more on the effects of lead exposure in children and the longterm damages this could cause. One major source of lead poisoning nowadays is old paint chips found in older buildings. This type of environment, of course, is mostly seen among lower-income minority populations. The second article, An Environmental Health Response to a Severe Outbreak of Childhood Lead Poisoning in NigeriaCasey Bartrem, showed a successful implementation of a public health intervention in order to control this outbreak. They were able to relocate the population in order to remove them from lead exposure as well as minimize their exposure by providing them with safer mining practices. 

Green Chemistry

Green chemistry is the perfect response to climate change and pollution because it aims to create products that will cause little to no harm to humans and the environment while preventing the generation of pollution. The #1 principle of green chemistry is to prevent waste and one way to do this is to produce products that are biodegradable like many plastics nowadays. Another way would be to reuse products instead of throwing them away after one use, for example by purchasing reusable water bottles, bags, and glass instead of plastic containers. Principle #7 of using renewable feedstocks like agricultural products instead of depletable ones like fossil fuels is another great strategy.

I recently read an article about a chemical engineer named Sandra Ortiz who developed a plastic made from cactus juice. Although it still currently in the testing phase, this plastic is flexible and durable and resembles petroleum-based plastic. The best part about this plastic is that it is a renewable source because the prickly pear plant will continue to grow back over time. It takes between 2-3 months to break down in the soil and 7 days if soaked in water and put in compost. This is just one example of how green chemistry can be used to create products that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Six Chemical Classes

Highly Fluorinated Chemicals: Are Non-stick and waterproof products worth our health?
Highly fluorinated chemicals are man-made chemicals that can be found in several of our daily use products such as carpets, clothing, food packaging, cosmetics, and protective coatings on cookware. These chemicals are often called forever chemicals because they remain in the environment forever. Since they are used in the manufacturing of many products, they can end up in landfills and waterways and eventually get into our food. Some of the health concerns associated with high levels of fluorinated chemicals in our bodies include thyroid disease, kidney and testicular cancer, decreased fertility and higher levels of cholesterol. It can be overwhelming to learn about just how many of the products we rely on contain fluorinated chemicals. However, some steps we can take in order to decrease our exposure to these chemicals is to avoid purchasing non-stick coated cookware, cosmetics that have perfluor or polyfluor on the label, and clothing that is water or stain resistant.
Antimicrobials: Are they helping us or hurting us?
Antimicrobials are widely used because of their ability to kill microorganisms that can make us sick. These chemicals can be found in many everyday products such as handsoaps, school supplies, clothing, and food and storage containers. Although they do kill harmful bacteria, they also kill the good bacteria that naturally protect us from other harmful microorganisms. Antimicrobials have been found in water sources, fish, and breastmilk. Some of the health concerns associated with antimicrobial use include hormone disruption, increased allergen sensitivity, and antibiotic resistance. Some things we can do to minimize our exposure to antimicrobials is to avoid purchasing antimicrobial or antibacterial products, products that have triclosan or triclocarban on the label and ask for products without antimicrobials when possible.
Flame Retardants: Do they save lives or cause harm?
Flame retardants are found in many products and used because of their supposed ability to slow or stop fires, however, they have been found to only delay the spread of fires by a few seconds. These chemicals can be found in products such as mattresses, insulation, furniture foam, and television cases. Flame retardants have been shown to actually make fires more dangerous and they release toxic smoke that causes deaths. These chemicals can end up the soil, rivers, and oceans. Infants are at higher risk of being exposed to flame retardants than adults which harms their brain development. Some of the health concerns associated with exposure to flame retardants include decreased IQ in children, cancer, hormone disruption, and decreased fertility. To decrease our exposure to flame retardants we can avoid purchasing furniture that was manufactured using flame retardants, clean using a damp cloth or HEPA filter, and avoid rebonded carpet padding.
Bisphenols + Phthalates: Hormone disruptors
Bisphenols and Phthalates are chemicals used in many products because of their ability to make plastics stronger or more flexible. Both chemicals are hormone disruptors that can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled, or ingested when leaked into the food we eat. Bisphenols can be found in plastic containers, receipts, teething toys, and canned food liners. Some health concerns associated with Bisphenol A (BPA) hyperactivity, depression, type 2 diabetes, and decreased fertility. Phthalates can be found in toys, personal care products, and flexible plastics. Some health concerns associated with phthalates include decreased fertility, increased allergies, and reproductive problems. Some things we can do to decrease our exposure to bisphenols and phthalates is to clean with a damp cloth or HEPA filter, avoid plastic containers to heat up our food, and wash our hands after handling receipts. The good news is that both these chemicals don't stay in our bodies for long and after a few days of not using products containing these chemicals the levels in our bodies start to decrease.
Some Solvents: Are they contaminating the air we breathe?
Solvents are chemicals used to dissolve or disperse other substances found in products like adhesives, household cleaners, nail polish remover, aerosols, and oil-based paints. They can contaminate groundwater and eventually end up in our drinking water. We can absorb these chemicals by inhalation, ingestion, or absorbing them through the skin. Some health concerns associated with exposure to solvents include increased cancer risk, trouble with balance, and altered fetal development. To reduce our exposure to these harmful chemicals we can use water-based paint and adhesives, switch to water cleaning instead of dry cleaning, and select cleaning products that contain the 'Safer Choice' eco-label.
Certain Metals: Elemental hazards
Metals such as mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and lead are used as conductors and/or for their corrosion resistant abilities. These chemicals can be found in water, fish, rice cereals, cosmetics, paint in older buildings, and some jewelry. Some health concerns associated with these metals include damages to the nervous system and kidneys, impair brain development in infants, increase the risk of skin and bladder cancer, weaken bones, high blood pressure, and infertility. Things we can do to reduce our exposure to these metals is to avoid eating fish that can accumulate high levels of mercury like tuna and fish, wash our hands after coming in contact with pressure-treated wood, avoid breathing in cigarette smoke and test water to make sure it is safe t drink. 

Ideal Chemical Policy

An ideal chemical policy is one that:

1) bans the use of the most highly toxic persistent chemicals

2) moves towards the production of alternative, safer chemicals

3) rewards the use of alternative chemicals

4) finds ways to manage/eliminate the persistent chemicals in the environment

5) test all new chemicals before entering the market

Banning the use of the most highly toxic chemicals currently out in the environment is a very important aspect of an effective chemical policy because it would eliminate the number of and rate of such chemicals. Another important aspect would be for manufacturers to move towards the production of alternative chemicals that are safer for humans and the environment. Rewarding those who are already using and/or manufacturing such alternatives would motivate more people to do the same. In addition to this, finding ways of managing and eliminating the persistent chemicals in the environment so that once that chemical has been banned, traces of it still out in the world do not expose animals and crops which could eventually expose us. Lastly, having a strict policy of testing all new chemicals before entering the market.

One aspect that I find particularly important of this ideal chemical policy is finding ways to manage and eliminate the persistent chemicals out in the environment. For chemicals that are as highly toxic as persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic chemicals (PBTs) banning the use of and production of them will not eliminate those already out in the environment and because they are slow to degrade there is a risk that they will continue exposing animals, plants, and humans until something is done to control them. For example, by finding a way to naturally break down such chemicals in the environment while phasing out the production of this chemical.

Chemical Policy Reform

Phase Out Persistent, Bioaccumulative, or Highly Toxic Chemicals

This paper proposes eliminating chemicals that are slow to degrade, accumulate in our bodies or living organisms, or are highly hazardous to humans or the environment. It also aims to ensure that these chemicals are not exported to other countries once they are eliminated in the United States.

According to this paper, the U.S. government lacks the authority or policy to prevent most chemicals from being used in products or released into the environment. In addition, only a very small portion of chemicals currently require testing before being used in manufacturing products or being released into the environment. This is why there is an urgent need for a chemical policy reform.

This paper also argues that an effective chemical policy reform will combine a phase-out of certain highly toxic chemicals with policies addressing the management and substitution of other harmful chemicals. A key point of an effective chemical reform policy is to reward the use of safer alternatives and eventually requiring the adoption of such safer alternatives. The goal of this reform is to transfer to using safer chemical alternatives without disrupting industry sectors, jobs, and the economy.

Current federal approaches to regulate these highly toxic chemicals such as the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) have not been effective.

I think that in addition to phasing out highly toxic chemicals and finding alternatives for these, another important aspect of effective chemical policy reform is to manage the remaining chemicals out in the environment after it has already been phased out. Otherwise, although this chemical will no longer be produced traces of it will still exist since it is persistent in the environment. 

Pesticides

Last night I made roasted cauliflower soup. I used onion, garlic, cauliflower, vegetable stock, and butter to make this soup. After exploring the What's on my Food website I found that cauliflower has 15 pesticide residues, 6 of which are neurotoxins and 5 of which are suspected hormone disruptors. I couldn't find any information on garlic or onion. The most commonly found pesticides on cauliflower are Imidacloprid, Deltamethrin, and DCPA the first two of which are also toxic to honeybees. 

I was definitely surprised to find so many pesticide residues on a vegetable I regularly eat. I always rinse my fruits and vegetables before eating them, however, I know that pesticide residues can still remain on them even after washing. According to the Consumer Reports website on pesticides in produce, washing fruits and vegetables in regular water is just as effective as washing them in special fruit and veggie washes or dish soap and water.

There is an urgent need for a chemical policy reform. Looking through these websites and seeing how many pesticides are on the foods we eat is troubling. We need to find alternatives to these harmful chemicals and slowly but surely move towards eliminating or banning all highly toxic chemicals that are persistent in the environment and in organisms. In addition, testing should be required for all newly released chemicals with no exception. 

Topic of Interest: PFAS

PFAS or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a group of man-made chemicals that are very persistent in the environment and in the human body. Commonly referred to as "forever chemicals" because they don't break down and can accumulate over time, they can be found in food packaging materials, commercial household products, electronics, living organisms such as fish, and humans. 

The Environmental Protection Agency has several measures to identify solutions to address PFAS in the environment. Thanks to the PFOA Stewardship Program, many PFAS previously manufactured in the United States were phased out. Although they are no longer manufactured here in the U.S. they are still produced internationally and can be imported to the country.

Most recently the EPA's PFAS Action Plan outlines the agency's plan to address PFAS and to protect public health. The agency is taking a proactive cross-agency approach to provide states, tribes, and communities with the necessary tools to identify and address this toxic chemical.

However, PFAS are currently not regulated. 

Agency's Role

The U.S. Department of Agriculture "provides leadership on food, natural resources, agriculture, nutrition, rural development, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management". One of the ways that this agency has an impact on environmental quality is through the establishment of regional climate hubs for risk adaptation and mitigation to climate change. These hubs deliver science-based knowledge and provide:

• technical support for land managers to respond to drought, heat stress, floods, pests, and changes in the growing season

• assessments and regional forecasts for hazard and adaptation planning to provide more time to prepare

• outreach and education for farmers, ranchers and forest landowners on ways to mitigate risks and thrive despite changes

This program is important in making sure that farmers and ranchers have the resources to effectively keep growing their crops even when environmental changes occur.

Local Environmental Services

Los Angeles offers environmental health services through the Department of Public Health. Some of the programs offered include Toxicology and Environmental Assessment which assesses and reduces toxic related disease and injury, advocates for solutions to toxic exposures and educates the public in order to empower them to protect themselves, their families and communities. 

The Los Angeles County Food Redistribution Initiative (LACFRI) aims to provide the public with resources to safely donate and recycle excess food and supports policies that divert food from landfills. Many schools now offer leftover food from lunch for students to take home after school as a part of this initiative.

One program I was surprised to find was a community health outreach effort to support residents living near a battery recycling facility in the City of Industry called Quemetco. I think it's great that programs such as these support communities that are at greater risk of exposure to toxic chemicals such as arsenic and lead released by the plant.

Another program offered is the Emergency Preparedness and Response Program which develops plans and established procedures to coordinate a response to emergencies and disasters by partnering with other agencies. They do this by offering training, drills, and exercises in order to create a workforce that is able to manage the health effects of any emergency. Other programs offered through the LA Department of Public Health are those for lead hazards, public pools, septic tanks, chemical hazards, land use, food safety, housing, public pools, and air quality.