Basic Concepts in Environment, Agriculture and Natural Resources Management: An Information Kit (IIRR, 1993, 151 p.): Pollution: Pollution and long-term effects on the human body

Basic Concepts in Environment, Agriculture and Natural Resources Management: An Information Kit (IIRR, 1993, 151 p.)

Pollution

		Toxic and hazardous wastes
		Pollution and long-term effects on the human body
		Urban pollution: The metro Manila environment
		Mining operations: environmental effects on soil, water, communities and atmosphere
		Pesticides: environmental and health effects

Pollution and long-term effects on the human body

Parts of the body affected by various pollutants

POLLUTION AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS ON THE HUMAN BODY

Many different kinds of pollutants affect the human body unknowingly because the chronic (months to years of exposure to the pollutants) are not dramatic compared to the acute (few seconds to days exposure) menaces. The more pronounced acute symptoms are diarrhea, eye and skin irritation, cough and sneezing. Often, by the time clinical symptoms (months to years of exposure to the pollutants) emerge, permanent damage has already been done. Pollutants may also affect the unborn child of a pregnant mother. The effects may appear as abortion, stillbirth and congenital birth defects.

Some pollutants, its long-term effects and the specific organs affected are presented below.

Pollutant	Sources	Organs Affected/Effects
Lead	Lead battery manufacture	Brain
	Paint/Smelting industry	Impairment of learning and intelligence in school children
	Ingestion of crayons containing lead pigment	Lead encephalopathy (damaged to brain tissue)
	Chewing of toys with paint	Mental retardation
	Leaded gasoline	Digestive system
		Persistent abdominal pain
		Kidney
		Bloody urine
		Bone
		Damage to the formation of hemoglobin; joint pains; anemia
		Death
Mercury	Gold extraction from mineral ores	Brain
	Electrical contacts and vapor lamps	Tremor, loss of memory, lack of, confidence, vague fears and depression
		Kidney
		Bloody urine
		Oral cavity
		Gingivitis (infection of the gums)
Arsenic	Pesticides containing arsenic	Skin
	Copper smelting	Chronic irritation of the skin
		Digestive system
		Persistent abdominal cramps, nausea
		and vomiting (simple attack)
		Eyes
		Chronic irritation/permanent
		impairment of vision
Irritant Gases/Asphyxiants	Fumes from smoke-belching cars; emissions from	Heart
Sulfur dioxide	industries; cigarette smoke	Aggravation of cardiovascular illnesses
Hydrogen	Coal gas industry	Brain
Sulfide (H₂S)	Gold extraction from mineral ores	Loss of consciousness; impairment of mental function
Ammonia	Fertilizer industry	Aggravation of respiratory diseases (asthma, pneumonia)
Nitrogen dioxide		Cancer
Carbon dioxide		Eyes
Carbon monoxide		Reduction of vision
Hydrogen cyanide		Coma/death
Cigarette smoke and
Dusts (vegetable animal)	Cotton fibers	Lungs
	Coffee bean hull	Respiratory tract irritation (cough, sneezing) asthma, pneumonia
	Rice hull
	Sugarcane bagasse	Cancer
	Animal feathers	Death
Pesticide	Manufacturing, packaging industry	Brain
	Residues from food	Nervous disorder (paralysis); loss of consciousness
	Pesticide from household use	Behavioral disorder (mental disorder)
		Multi-organ
		Cancer
		Skin
		Chronic allergy
		Lungs/heart
		Chest tightness/pain, chronic respiratory tract irritation
Ultraviolet radiation	Destruction of the ozone layer	Skin
	Prolonged exposure to	Cancer of the skin
	sunlight	Eyes
		Eye impairment (e.g., cataract)
Cadmium	Anti-rust plating material	Lungs
	As salts used as pigments and	Chronic pulmonary irritation
	coloring agents for plastics,	Prostate
	ceramics and glass	Cancer
	In nuclear reactors as	Heart
	absorbing material	Hypertension (High-blood pressure)
		Bone
		Itai-itai disease (softening of the bone associated with pain)
		Kidney
		Chronic kidney damage
Barium	Geothermal industry	Lungs
	As a component of pesticide	Chronic irritation of the nose and throat
	As pigments of white paints.	Pneumonia-like symptoms
		Reproductive organs
.		Impaired female and male
		reproductive functions.