Zinc (Zn)

Zinc (Zn) is of the natural element, which is bluish-white shiny metal. This element is found naturally in the earth’s crust, and is present in air, soil, water, and all food. Zinc is also found in many commercial uses such as coatings to prevent rust, dry cell batteries, mixed with other metals to make alloys like brass, and bronze. Pennies in the United States are made with zinc and copper. Zinc compounds are made when other elements combine with zinc. Zinc compounds can be found in hazardous waste sites, and include zinc chloride, zinc oxide, zinc sulfate, and zinc sulfide. These compounds are used in everyday items such as paint, rubber, dyes, wood preservatives, and ointments.

Zinc is an essential part of our diet. Too much or too little exposure of zinc can cause serious side effects. Side effects to occur, the person has to be exposed to 10-15 times higher amount of Zn that is normal for good health. Inhalation of Zn (dust or fumes) can cause short-term diseases called metal fume fever.

Exposure to Zinc:

• Ingesting in small amount of food and water
• Drinking contaminated water or beverage
• Eating too many dietary supplements that contain Zn
• Working in hazardous locations such as construction, painting, smelting, and welding, mining, etc.

Ingestion of large doses of Zn can cause:

• Vomiting
• Stomach cramps
• Nausea
• Anemia
• Decrease level of good cholesterols

Zinc is entered through the environment by natural processes, but most come from human activities like mining, steel production, coal burning, and burning of waste.

• There easily attached o soil, sediments, and dust particles in the air
• Depending on the soil, zinc compound can move into the groundwater an into lakes, rivers, oceans.
• Most zinc stays bound to soil and do not dissolve in water
• It builds up in fish and other organisms, but not in plants.

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=301&tid=54

Measles

Measles is a respiratory disease that is caused by a virus, also called measles.  Before the vaccine was created, it was estimated 3-4 million people were infected with measles in the United States. Even though it has almost been eradicated, it can still kill up to 164,000 people each year around the world. Recently, we have seen outbreaks occurring in developed nations regarding measles, including the United States.

Symptoms:

•   Fever
•   Runny nose
• Cough
• Rashes all over the body   

Complications:

• Pneumonia- most common complication, and often the cause of death in young children.
• Ear Infection- 1 in 10 cases have ear infection and permanent loss of hearing can occur.
• Diarrhea- 8% of the cases

Measles is a highly contagious disease that is spread through air by breathing, coughing, or sneezing.  If a child is not vaccinated, and is exposed to the virus will get the disease.

There use to be low incidence of measles outbreak and deaths in countries with high rate of vaccination, but recently we have seen outbreaks occurring in these countries, including the United States, due to lack of childhood vaccination. This year the United States saw a record-breaking number of measles cases with 593 cases. This is the most reported since the year 2000. Measles is a preventable disease by having children vaccinated using the MMR vaccine.

http://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/overview.html

Babesiosis

Babesiosis is a disease that is caused by microscopic parasites that infect the red blood cells. The Babesia infection in the United States is commonly caused by the tick/parasite Babesia microti.  Other Babesia tick has been detected in different cases, but Babesia microti is more of the common parasite found in human.  Babesia microti is spread by tickborne transmission, and is frequent in particular regions and season. These ticks can be found in parts of the Northeast and upper Midwest region, and its prevalent during the warm months.

There are several ways to get infected by Babesia parasite:

•  Most common way is through a bite of an infected tick during an outdoor activity
•  Transfusion from a blood donor who has the infection, but they have no symptoms (Less    common)
•  Congenital transmission, from mothers to her baby during pregnancy or delivery (very rare case)

This parasite is not transmitted from person to person. These symptoms can range from being asymptomatic to life threatening disease.  Many people do not feel sick if they are infected, and some people might experience flu-like symptoms. Since this parasite attacks the red blood cells it can cause special type of anemia called hemolytic anemia. Hemolytic anemia can lead to jaundice or dark urine. 

Patients who are at risk:

•  who do not have spleen
•  weak immune system
•  other serious health conditions
•  the elderly.

Treatment is available to patients infected by Babesiosis. Patients who do not show signs of having Babesiosis do not need to be treated.

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/babesiosis/gen_info/index.html

Rachel Carson responsible for the deaths of millions African children

Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring discussed the repercussion of DDT on the environment and human health. By exposing the truth about DDT, she didn’t know that the aftermath of not using pesticide could be just as deadly as using pesticide.  By banning DDT in the United States, and in many different countries, it allowed third world countries to suffer. Countries in Africa, which used DDT to kill mosquitoes that carried Malaria, caused many children to get infected. The movement to ban DDT caused critics to blame her for the deaths of millions of African children. It is believed that DDT is the most effective way to kill large population of mosquitoes, which would reduce the spread of Malaria. Using DDT was an easier alternative, since many countries in Africa could not afford a better protection against these mosquitoes. Carson argued that she did not want to ban DDT altogether. Mosquitoes are a rapidly evolving species. Even if DDT were being used against them, the mosquitoes would start becoming resistant to the pesticide, which would render the DDT useless. If the DDT were useless it would end up increasing the population of mosquitoes.  Her point was to increase awareness of the danger effects that pesticides can have on our environment and health, but it may take time for her opponents to realize at that time there weren’t many alternative to choose from.

Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson was a writer, scientist, and ecologist that changed the environmental movement during her lifetime.  Carson was hired by the U.S Bureau of Fisheries to write radio scripts during the Depression, and at the same time wrote articles that discussed topics about natural history for the Baltimore Sun. She dedicated her career in the federal service for fifteen years, working as a scientist and editor in 1936, then rose to gain the position as Editor-in-Chief of U.S Fish and Wildlife Service. Through her book, Silent Spring, she gained notoriety due to the publication of her book that discussed the negative impact of long-term use of chemical pesticides in our environment. There was a huge backlash against her by the pesticide companies, and some people in the government, but she never backed down. In the end, she testified in front of Congress in 1963 that called for policy change that protects the human health and the environment. Due to her hard work, it led to the creation of U.S Environmental Protection Agency. 

http://www.rachelcarson.org/Biography.aspx#.U-Ex141dVwQ