Water pollution: Chemical Polution
A diverse nature of chemical pollutants are derived from industrial and agricultural wastes. These wastes are more commonly finding their way to water supply systems. These pollutants include cyanides, detergent solvents, organic acids and minerals, organ phosphorus compounds, dyes, bleaching agents, pigments nitrogenous substances, ammonia, sulphides, toxic and biological organic compounds. Chemical Pollutants can effect men’s health directly and indirectly (by accumulating in aquatic life like fish, which are consumed as food). The main concern of water pollutants (chemical) is their long term effects that can occur even if present at small level and exposed to prolonged periods of months and years. Their long term effects are also non-specific and difficult to detect and determine. Some new chemical pollutants are difficult to remove with conventional water treatment methods. In developed countries, water-borne communicable disease are now rare and they are now focusing on chemical pollutants of water.
Categories: Environment & Health Tags: Cyanosis, Dental fluorosis
Water Related Diseases
Human Health can be affected by drinking contaminated water through food or directly as drinking water and also by use of contaminated water for personal hygiene or recreation (swimming pools for swimming and diving and other water sports). The term water related disease include water borne disease also. Developing countries carry a heavy burden of water borne diseases due to lack of safe drinking water supply. Among the water borne and water related diseases diarrhea is most important. Water related disease can be biological (water borne disease) and chemical.
Biological: They are two types those caused by the presence of infective agents in water and those due to presence of aquatic host in water.
(1) Due to Infective agents:
These can be subdivided by the type of the infective agent present in water-
(a) Viral: Viral hepatitis (due to hepatitis A virus, Hepatitis E virus) poliomyelitis and rotavirus diarrhea in infants.
(b) Bacterial: Typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, Escherichia coli (E. coli) diarrhea, cholera, bacillary dysentery, Travelers diarrhea etc.
(c) Protozoal: Amoebissis (antameba histolytica), giardiasis (giardia lamblia).
(d) Helmintic: Worm infestation like round worm, thread worm and hydrated disease.
(e) Leptospiral: Weill’s disease
(2) Due to presence of aquatic host:
(a) Snail: Schistosomiasis.
(b) Cyclopes : guinea worm, fish tape worm.
Categories: Environment & Health Tags: Cyclopes, Schistosomiasis.
Acne: Treatment & Management
Before we talk about Acne treatment, we should have clear scientific idea and knowledge about acne. We should know what is acne and causes of acne. Acne is chronic inflammatory disease of pilosebaceous glands. Symptoms are seborrhea, formation of comedones, papules and pustules. Causes of acne are seborrhea, somedogenesis, colonization of pilosebaceous duct with Propionibacterium acnes and production of inflammation. Acne is more common in people whose skin type is oily. This is due to the excess production of sebum from pilosebaceous glands.
Acne treatment should be done both internally as well as externally to clear acne and to prevent acne. Acne treatment generally consists of removing dead cells of skin (epidermis part), reducing sebum production and killing bacteria (Propionibacterium acnes) with oral and topical antibiotics. But the acne treatment depends on the severity of the acne. Treatment varies for mild, moderate and severe acne.
Categories: Acne Tags: Minocycline, Topical isotretinoin
Water Pollution
Pure uncontaminated water dose not occur in nature. The natural water contain impurities both natural and man made. The natural impurities are not dangerous like man made impurities. The natural impurities are dissolved gas (nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide which are picked up during rain), and dissolved minerals (salts of calcium, magnesium and sodium). The minerals are due to contact of water with soil. Natural water also contain suspended impurities (clay, sand, mud, silt etc.) and microscopic organisms (bacteria, virus, planktons, fungi etc). All the natural impurities are derived from the soil, catchments area and atmosphere.
Water pollution by man made containments are more serious which is generally due to human actives mainly urbanization and industrialization. The sources of man made water pollution are
Categories: Environment & Health Tags: BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand), Thermal pollution
Occupational Acne
Oil and Tar Acne: This acne like eruption occurs in areas of skin exposed to and directly in contact with oil and crude tars. It is not common now but out break still occurs. Many patients presents with periorbital (around orbit or eye ball) comedones. People with acne vulgaris are more prone to develop, but it is not proven.
Men are more commonly involved then women . The skin shows comedones and rarely inflammatory lesions. If inflammatory lesion are present they are superficial. Thighs and lower arms are more prone to develop lesion, which occurs within 6 weeks of exposure. The commonest oil involved are impure paraffin mixture used in engineering industry.
Categories: Acne Tags: Chloracne, Chloracnegens, DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichlorethane), Heavy water (D2O), Oil and Tar Acne
