EESA10H3 Lecture Notes - Distillation, Persistent Organic Pollutant, Heptachlor
Document Summary
Human health and environment lec 4: chemical hazards and human health. Two main kinds of chemical hazards: endocrine disrupters and chemical body burdens. Data in respect to chemical hazards and their effect on health mostly stems from animal studies, not human exposure. Endocrine system uptakes some chemicals which mimic some hormones disrupts hormone function in the body product and metabolism will be different if regulated by chemicals can be direct or indirect. Direct effects: bind to hormone receptors, alter the appearance of some genes, changes in the level of produced proteins. Indirect effects: altering hormone production, altering hormone transport, altering hormone metabolism. Doesn"t have really big health effects in adults one can still live normally. Fetuses are more sensitive to these chemicals however. Synthetic estrogen used by physicians to prevent spontaneous abortion (1948-1971) Greater than 1 million women took it between 1960-1970. Daughters whose mothers took des have increased incidents of (in adult life):