BIOL 326 Final

Endocrine Disruptor

Mimic or interpret hormone functions

Poison

Attack cellular metabolism

Allergens

Activate the immune system

Neurotoxins

Attack/inactivate nerve cells

Mutagens

Damage genetic material

Teratogens

Cause birth defects

Carcinogens

Cause cancer

Persistance

How long toxins stay in environment

BPS’s

Persistant biocummulative toxins

Synergism

Chemical interaction increase toxicity

PCBs

Industrial chemicals

• Often act as endocrine disruptors

Phthalates

Plastics

• Often act as endocrine disruptors

Bisphenol A.

Plastics.

• Often act as endocrine disruptors

Metabolism

Body breaks toxins down

• Cleanup solution

Chelation

Removes metals from body

• Cleanup solution

Physical cleanup

Remove contaminated soil

• Cleanup solution

Bioremediation

Use organisms to clean toxins

• Cleanup solution

Mortality

Death

Morbidity (DALY)

Sickness

• Feeds into chronic disease

Bioaccumulation

Absorbed or stored in organs

• Increases over time

Biomagnification

Through food chain

• Increases up the food chain

Acute

• Short-term

• Easier to rid

Chronic

• Long-term exposure

• Hard to rid

Coal

• Coal → mercury → brain damage → regulate

• Neurotoxin & biomagnification

Mining

• Mining → acid water → kills fish → treat

• Low pH & heavy metal toxicity

Fracking

• Fracking → chemical leaks → water pollution → prevent

• Exposure & persistance

1. Exposure

• Dose- how much

• Duration- how long

• Rout-

  • Air (inhaled)

  • Water/food (ingested)

  • Skin contact

What determines how dangerous a toxin is?

2. Solubility

• Water soluble- moves easily

• Fat/oil soluble- stored in body tissue

What determines how dangerous a toxin is?

3. Susceptibility

• Age- greater on young

• Occupation- farmers, factory workers

What determines how dangerous a toxin is?

Formeldehyde

• Natural product of combustion

• Used in industrial processes

• Inhaled, swallowed

  • Poison

  • Carcinogen

  • Allergen

  • Toxin

Atrazine

• Very common herbicide

• Found in water above safe levels

• Inhaled, swallowed, persistant

  • Poison

  • Carcinogen?

  • High implication of teratogen

Chlordane

• Pesticide

• Very persistent (20 years +-)

• Inhaled, swallowed, absorbed

  • Poison

  • Carcinogen

  • Toxic

  • Bioaccumulator

Risk Assessment

• Used to decide “safe levels”

• EPA standard-

  • 1 in 1 million risk of harm or death

Toxicology

Study of how chemicals harm living things and the environment

Effects include:

• Humans

• Animals

• Ecosystems

Agriculture

uses lots of hazardous materials

Statistics

• About 2 million deaths/years globally from toxins

• About 53 million Disability Adjusted Life Years

• Lead exposure = ½ of this

• Most affected: under 16