Comprehensive Health Blog » Environment & Health

Water pollution: Chemical Polution

admin — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 10:57:18 +0000

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.

Water Related Diseases

admin — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:27:26 +0000

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 Pollution

admin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 01:18:57 +0000

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

Effects of Heat on Humans

admin — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:31:38 +0000

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:

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.

Effects of Radiation on Humans

admin — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:04:05 +0000

The biological effects of radiation on human can be divided into two groups, somatic effects and genetic effects. (1) Somatic effects: A dose of 600 to 700 roentgen is invariably fatal in humans and a dose of 400 to 500 roentgen can kill up to 50% of people. Those who are not killed, also suffer from [...]

Types of radiation

admin — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:24:03 +0000

Ionizing radiation is the radiation which can penetrate tissues and deposit its energy within them. They are of three types of electromagnetic radiation: alpha particles, beta particles (electron) and protons.

Alpha particles are 10 times more harmful than X-rays, beta particles or gamma rays but they have very little penetrating force. But they are dangerous it enters the body by inhalation or wound. X-rays & gamma rays are of short wave length and can penetrate deep.

Alpha particles can penetrate 4cm in air, 0.05mm in tissue and no penetration in lead. Beta particles can penetrate 6 to 300cm in air, 0.06-4mm in tissue and 0.005 to0.3 mm in lead. Gamma rays can penetrate 400 meters in air, 50cm in tissue and 40mm in lead. X-rays can penetrate 120-240 meters in air 15 to 30cm in tissue and 0.3 mm in lead.

Radiation: a Discussion

admin — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:52:54 +0000

Radiation is a part of man’s environment. Man is exposed from two sources of radiation natural and man made. Natural sources of radiation are cosmic rays internal rays like carbon-14 and Potassium-40, atmospheric and terrestrial. Man made sources of radiation are medical & dental X-rays, radioisotopes for treatment of killer disease like cancer, radioactive fall out [...]

Ventilation

admin — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 06:30:43 +0000

Ventilation is replacement of vitiated indoor air by fresh supply of outdoor air. Modern concept of ventilation includes quality of incoming air in terms of air temperature, humidity and purity of air with a view to provide an environment that is comfortable and free from risk of infection. To decide the standard of ventilation is a [...]

Effects and Control of Noise Pollution

admin — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 14:11:44 +0000

Noise pollution can cause two types of pollution, auditory and non auditory. Auditory problems: Auditory fatigue can appear in the region of 90 dB and it is greatest at 400 Hz. It is generally associated with buzzing, whistling and ringing in the air. Deafness is the most serious problem of noise pollution. Temporary deafness or hearing [...]

Noise Pollution: an Understanding

admin — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:25:18 +0000

Noise can be defined as “unwanted sound”, but this is a subjective definition due to the fact that one person’s sound may be another person’s noise. So a better definition of noise is “wrong sound, in the wrong place, at the wrong time”.

The 20^th century has been described as the “century of noise”. It has become a very important stress factor. The term ‘noise pollution’ is of recent origin and signify a vast cacophony of sounds that are produced in modern life that leads to health hazards like deafness, sleepless ness, annoyance etc.

Air Pollution Monitoring

admin — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:03:41 +0000

The best indicators of air pollution are sulphur dioxide, suspended particulate matters (SPM) and smoke. These are monitored daily over several sites in a city. The results are than collected centrally. Generally the following pollutants are monitored.

Sulphur dioxide: This is most important indicator of air pollution and a major contaminant in cities and industrial areas. Its concentration is estimated in all air pollution surveys.
Smoke & soiling index: A known volume of air is filtered through a white filter paper under specified condition and the stain measured by photoelectric meter. It is expressed as micrograms per cubic meter of air as an average over a period of time.

Effects of Air Pollution

admin — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:23:38 +0000

More than one billion urban residents are exposed t air pollution level more than recommended. Air quality in industrialized countries have improved in last two decades but that of developing countries air quality has deteriorated due to increase in industrial activity without proper control and planning, increased power generation and congestion in streets with [...]

Air pollutants: a Discussion

admin — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:33:12 +0000

More than 100 substances has been identified which cause air pollution. The important air pollutants are discussed below; they are carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide, sulphur trioxide, nitrogen oxides, organic campounds like hydrocarbons, ketones, aldehydes, flourine compounds, radio active compounds, ozone etc. Air pollution is a serious problem in the modern time. [...]

Air pollution: An Open Discussion

admin — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 01:10:55 +0000

The immediate environment of man comprises of air on which all the living beings depends. Air supplies the life giving oxygen and also serves several other functions. The body is cooled by air contact, the special senses of smell & hearing also acts through air. Many infections disease are spread through air. Air pollutants [...]

Environment and Health: Broad Perspective

admin — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:45:06 +0000

The study of disease is actually the study of human and his environment. The term environments include all the external factors living or nonliving, material or nonmaterial which surrounds human. But in modern definition of environment along with basic air, water and soil, it also includes social and economic conditions in which we live. [...]