Environment & Health

Use Bikes and Save Your Health and World

These days more and more people are buying cars and this is unfortunate in many ways. Buying car is not unfortunate, buts its misuse and excess use is the unfortunate part. Buying car not only cost you more, but it has a bigger toll to environment as well as your health. Your health is the greatest sufferer, if you buy a car. Car and transportation is approximately 20% of total budget in a typical American family and it is seen that this is the second costly thing in a family budget, after housing. If you buy a car it can not only drain your pocket but may even drain your life away (because you will lead a sedentary lifestyle and endanger your health-the true wealth).

Researches (one even do not need the proof of research study to know that bikes are better for health and finance than cars) has shown that using bike instead of car can give wonderful results (better health and better finance).

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A Natural and Safe Insect Repellent: Nootkatone

Many of us do not use insect repellent (against mosquitoes, bed bugs, tics etc.) because of various reasons such as not able to remember every day or every time we go out, some individuals do not like the odor, some individuals are concerned about a chemical being placed on the skin, some do not like the greasy feeling, some are concerned about the harm insect repellents may cause and many more reasons. Whatever may be the reason of not using insect repellents, the result is contacting insect borne diseases such as Lyme disease (caused by tick bite), malaria, dengue, Yellow fever, West Nile Fever and other numerous insect borne diseases.

Researchers are trying to solve the problem of not using insect repellents, by developing a natural, non toxic, non greasy insect repellent (and thereby overcoming some problems associated with currently available insect repellents), which is safe enough to be consumed.

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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.

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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.

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

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Effects of Heat on Humans

Effects of Heat: There are 14 documented disorders which can be due to excess exposure to heat. Some of the common and important disorders are discussed below:

1. Heat stroke: Also known as sunstroke. This is due to failure of heat regulating mechanism of human body . The main feature of heat stroke is very high body temperature of about 110 degree Fahrenheit(43⁰ Centigrade). High temperature is accompanied by convulsion, delirium and partial or complete loss of consciousness. Skin is usually dry and hot. Sweating is absent or very scanty. Death rate is high (about 40%) even it quick medical attention is provided. Treatment of heat stroke consists of rapidly cooling the body in ice water till rectal temperature falls blow 102 degree Fahrenheit. Rectal temperature should be continuously monitored. It indicate the progress of treatment as well as guard against hypothermia, that may occur if cooling is continued for very long . Further treatment of heat stroke is supportive & symptomatic. The patient should be hospitalized for several days, till temperature control & regulatory mechanism become stable.

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