Priority Pollutants and Their Health Effects

Priority Pollutants and Their Health Effects INTRODUCTION The Priority Pollutants are a set of chemical pollutants EPA regulates, and for which EPA has published analytical test methods. the Priority Pollutant list published at 40 CFR 423, Appendix A,An estimated 25% of death and disease globally, is linked to environmental hazards. The WHO, EPA have listed the persistent pollutants, which are included in this article along with the major and few minor health hazards of the vivid categories of pollutants. [1,2] The UK environmental protection act (EPA) 1990, ‘pollution of the environment’ means pollution of the environment due to the release (into any environmental medium) from any process of substance which are capable of causing harm to man or any other living organism supported by the environment. The escape of any substance capable of causing harm to man or any other living organism supported by the environment. [3] The priority pollutants can be classified on the basis of:- chemical and physical nature source of the pollutant environmental pathway used target organism affected gross effect on the Earth [3] The Environmental Pollution Agency have short listed the priority pollutants. [4] In addition to this comprehensive list Asbestos, Barium, HCB, Cadmium, Tin and Petroleum Hydrocarbons are also included under the broad title of ‘PRIORITY POLLUTANTS’. [5] Priority pollutants can be divided into 3 categories:- Metals Pesticides Volatile and non volatile organics [4] DETECTION OF PRIORITY POLLUTANT (METALS) Atomic Absorption spectroscopy, a very sensitive method used to analyse the priority pollutants by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Due to a few limitations in this methods the ability of dibenzyldithiocarbamate (DBDC) to form complexes with the priority is used, this is then followed by liquid chromatography, on a C18 column and using 64% methanol, 12%acetonitrile,5%tetrahydrofuran and19% Ph 5 acatate buffer as the mobile phase, which is quantified using ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometry. (10 out of the 13 priority pollutants are detected using this method.) [6] Health hazards of heavy metals The major and general health hazard due to metals is their direct influence as a carcinogen.[7,8] Health hazards due to Arsenic The primary concerns are carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. Chronic exposure can result in poisoning of the nervous system, liver damage, and peripheral vascular disease, leading to gangrene of the lower limbs. This condition is commonly known as `black foot disease’. Chronic exposure to As is also associated with leukaemia, kidney and bladder cancers, dermatitis, hyper pigmentation, and arsenical keratosis. Arsenic acts as a non-genotoxic carcinogen. However, it affects DNA methylation and repair. Vomiting, diarrhea Peripheral nervous system problems Decreased intelligence Beathing problems [7,8,9] Cadmium The organs affected the most are:- Kidney : impaired renal functions, Increased excretion of low-molecular weight proteins in the urine. Increased risk of Lung cancer. Bone disorders: Osteomalacia, Osteoporosis and spontaneous bone fracture. Irritation Of The Lungs And Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer Of The Prostrate [8,9] LEAD Impaired Neurological Development (memory and learning difficulties, behavioural problems, reduced IQ) High blood pressure Kidney Failure Miscarriage Decreased sperm count Supression Of Haematological System [9] MERCURY Gastro-Intestinal Disorders (digestive problems) Respiratory Tract Irritation Renal Failure Neurotoxicity Blindness and deafness Lack of co-ordination Mental retardation[9] Pesticides Pesticides enter the food chain through water. This includes the derivatives of chlorinated hydrocarbons, herbicides and insecticides used on the soil. The mentioned categories of pesticides are very resistant and persistent in the environment, and have become ubiquitous over the years. The regularly used pesticides are mentioned.[5,13] DDT(Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloroethane) AldrinandDieldrin, ChlordaneHCBor hexachlorobenzene Heptachlor Lindane Methoxychlor [4] HEALTH HAZARDS DUE TO PERSISTANT PESTIDICES AND INSECTICIDES Pesticides are designed to kill and because their mode of action is not specific to one species, they often kill or harm organisms other than pests, including humans. The health effects of pesticides depend on the type of pesticide. Following are the health hazards caused due to Organophosphates, DDT, Lindane, Carbamate and Pyrethroids. [5] The major health hazards of pesticides are:- Neurological Health Effects Carcinogenic Hormone Disruption Impaired Reproductive Developments Decreased Sperm Count And Motility [10] NEUROLOGICAL HEALTH EFFECTS Memory Loss Loss Of Coordination Reduced Speed Of Response To Stimuli Reduced Visual Ability Altered Or Uncontrollable Mood Reduced Motor Skills. Convulsions And Seizures [10,11] OTHER POSSIBLE HEALTH EFFECTS Asthma Allergies ( skin allergies that are toxic) Hypersensitivity to light, sound and touch Nausea Fatigue [10,11] Acuteorganophosphateandcarbamateexposure causes signs and symptoms of excess acetylcholine, such as increased salivation and perspiration, narrowing of the pupils, nausea, diarrhea, decrease in blood pressure, muscle weakness, and fatigue. Some organophosphates also have a delayed neurological reaction characterized by muscle weakness in the legs and arms. [11] SEMI VOLATILE AND VOLATILE ORGANICS This group of Pollutants is wide ranging and consists of :- Chlorinated Alkanes (Carbon Tetrachloride) Chlorinated Ethenes (Polyvinyl Chloride Or Pvc) Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Naphtalene, Coal Tar), Pesticides, Herbicides And Fumigants (Ddt, Endrin, Aldrin, Lindane, Methoxychlor, Toxaphene And Silvex), Mono-Dichlorobenzenes (Solvents), Benzenes (Benzene, Toluene) Phenols And Chlorophenols And Trihalomethanes (Chloroform, Bromoform). [5] HEALTH EFFECTS DUE TO ORGANICS Vinyl chloride is associated with cancer. PAH, induces cancer lung being the main target, [10] Phenols and chlorophenols lead to alterations in hepatic enzyme activities, gross increased liver weight and histopathological (hypertrophy, vacuolization, hyperplasia, fibrosis, necrosis and degeneration) effects is found following acute, intermediate and chronic oral exposure to PCP, Hepatocyte degeneration and centrilobular hypertrophy, Significant alterations in thyroid hormone levels have been observed, decrease fertility, and growth, signs of chloracne and minor disturbance of lipid metabolism., neurodevelopmental effects in infants. [3,whatever is the rest of the part] [10] Trihalomethanes can lead to colon cancer. [14] CONCLUSION Knowing about pollutants and their health hazards is not the end of it. Research has to be done on ways to curb this disaster and irreversible damage that has lured on our environment. Effort has to be made to find ways to tackle this pollution and PRIORITIZE Our Mother Nature and Human Health rather than POLLUTANTS! REFERENCES. The health and environment linkages initiative, world health organization, UNEP, http://www.who.int, accessed on 02-05-2015. EPA, http://www.water.epa.gov, accessed on 3-05-2015. Gareth Evans and Judith Furlong (2003), Environmental Biotechnology Theory And Applications, John Wiley And Sons Ltd. USEPA Priority Pollutants, http://www.accutest.com, accessed on 3-05-2015. Fishery harbor manual on the prevention of pollution, http://www.fao.org, accessed on 3-05-2015. James H. Shofsthal and James K. Hardy, Method For The Determination Of The Priority Pollutant Metals By HPLC, Journal of Chromatographic Science, Vol 28, Issue 5, Pg 225-229. WHO, Europe, Health Risks Of Heavy Metals From Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution, World Health Organization, 2007, http://www.euro.who.int, accessed on 13-05-2015. Heavy metals; Mercury, Arsenic, Lead, A Century’s Old story http://pollutioninpeople.org/toxics/metals Lars JÃ ¤rup, Hazards of heavy metal contamination, J Epidemiol Community Health2002;56:824-825 UNEP (Urban Environmental Unit United Nations Environmental Programme), Environmental pollution and impacts on public health. Health Risks Of Persistent Organic Pollutants From Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, WHO Europe, Peter Orris, Lin Kraatz, Karen Perry and Joe Asbury, Persistent Organic Pollutants and Human Health,May 2000, published by World Federation Of Public Health Associations. Effect of pesticide on human health www.toxipedia.org,15/05/2015 Pereira and Michael A., Health Risk of the Trihalomethanes Found in Drinking Water Carcinogenic Activity and Interactions, Medical College of Ohio,2000.

Coffee and Starbucks Essay

How Did Starbucks Become an Icon of America Pop Culture? â€Å"Coffee† is a high frequency word in people’s lives. Students like to read books with sunshine and a cup of coffee. Professors like to walk into their classrooms to start their first class with cups of coffee in hand. People usually drink coffee with their breakfast. Most fast food breakfast meals, such as McDonald’s, include a cup of coffee. A cup of coffee in the morning can give people an energetic and fresh day. â€Å"Americans really do like coffee. † This saying comes from a video called The History of Coffee Culture in America. Coffee culture is profound in America. Most American people love coffee not only because coffee culture is popular and cool, but also because it tastes good. Americans already had adapted well to let coffee become a part of their lives. When the topic comes to coffee, people always think of Starbucks because it is different from other coffee stores. It has customized service, superior taste, a wide range of options, and unique packaging and ideals. As time goes on, Starbucks more and more approaches people’s lives and becomes an important part of the coffee culture in America, even in the whole world. Now, the Starbucks brand has become a part of pop culture in this 2 wang century. It uses a superior product, unique principles and attractive designs to make an ordinary coffee shop become special and exceptional. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world (Starbucks). It had 10,924 stores in the United States in 2012, and the company has been expanding and growing quickly in the two years since (Starbucks Company Statistics). The first Starbucks opened in Seattle, Washington, on March 30, 1971, by three partners who met while they were students (Starbucks). People always think the Starbucks green logo is Heather Graham holding up two striped bass, but the symbol actually means obsession, addiction and death. People may not realize that the woman in their green label with twin fishtails is a siren from Greek mythology. She was chosen as the logo because Starbucks was looking for a nautical theme to capture the spirit of Seattle (7 Horrifying). Maybe people will ask, then why is Starbucks called â€Å"Starbucks†? The name â€Å"Starbucks† is not picked randomly by the originator, it actually means a lot. It is nothing to do with the logo and product. Actually â€Å"Starbucks† is a person’s name. In a famous novel called Moby Dick, the whaler â€Å"Pequod† has a first-mate who loves coffee very much. His name is Starbucks. The book Pour Your Heart Into It-How Starbucks Built A Company One Cup at a Time is written by Howard Schultz. He is Starbucks’ chairman. He thought the name â€Å"Starbucks† reminds people of the sea adventure stories and histories about coffee merchant travel around the world to find high quality coffee beans (Dori Jones Yang). The originators actually expected a lot from this name and this company from the beginning. 3 wang. Thefirstandalsothemostimportanttraitforasuccessfulbusinessisasuperior product. They are committed to buying and serving high-quality coffee to keep the pure taste. Starbucks’ coffee beans mainly come from Costa Rica and Asia. They have strict management system to control the quality of coffee beans and other products. That is why Starbucks can keep purity of their coffee (Starbucks). GreatvarietyisanotherreasonpeoplepreferStarbucks. Ithastonsofflavorsof coffees. They also have a secret menu, which not a lot of people know. People also can design their own coffee in Starbucks App. Starbucks also has special coffee for each season even special events, such as pumpkin flavor drinks for Halloween. â€Å"Starbucks up to now is not just a coffee maker. It actually only makes coffee-flavored drinks,† a Starbucks’ marketing manager said in a promotion video. They are professionals at making coffee drinks, and firstly they have to learn how to make it right. Legend is one of the originators; he went to Italy-the birth of coffee-to visit for a few months before they started the business. Starbucksalsohaveauniqueideaabouthowtosealcoffeethathascreativenew practices around the country. They uses Italian words for the cup size such as â€Å"Grande† for medium, not only to demonstrate that they are professional, but also to give people a feeling that it is cool and fashionable. Even though people do not think â€Å"Grande† can prove this coffee store is professional, it will still give people a feeling that they are special. Starbucks does not give much advance publicity, and they do not have a lot of 4 wang posters, but the few posters they have are concise and specific. The main idea of the poster is to express that coffee is equal to energy. The â€Å"Morning† set of posters tells people they need caffeine to make the day full of energy. An energetic day sounds attractive, so Starbucks’ use of people’s desire to have â€Å"an energetic day† encourages people to buy coffee. Starbucks also has another feature. They are not the same as other coffee stores, which encourage people to drink slowly and enjoy the coffee. On the contrary, they make â€Å"fast coffee. † Starbucks has a drive-thru, which is the principle for fast food. Fast coffee attracts different customer groups than other coffee stores. â€Å"Fast coffee† is more suitable for office workers, administrative workers, students, teachers, etc. who are adapting to the fast paced life. They are not poor and they do not have time to sit down and enjoy coffee in the coffee store, so Starbucks is absolutely suitable for them. These kinds of customers account for the vast majority of people. The totally different principles make Starbucks become a totally different coffee store, standing out and becoming a leader of the whole coffee market. The huge customer base makes Starbucks become a part of the coffee culture, not a small coffee company any more. The huge customer group also gives this logo special definition, which is fashionable and cool. People have group psychology, which means people usually are interested in the activities that other people are doing. For example, if 90% of one’s friends like to eat â€Å"pepperoni pizza† for lunch, then that person must want to try it, unless he/she hates pizza. The Starbucks image is another feature. Not a lot of coffee stores write the 5 wang customer’s name on their cup. That is interesting and makes the customer feel special. Starbucks’ special management philosophy and principle make it special enough to make people talk about it and want to become a part of pop culture, too. Thereisanoldsentence,â€Å"Firstimpressionsareveryimportant. †Thedesignand appearance are the first impression that Starbucks gives to customers. So the attractive design is also an important reason why Starbucks has become a part of pop culture in this century. The first important design is the logo, which is the â€Å"enchantress† from the Greek mythology. It gives customers a feeling of mystery, pretty and decorative. The outstanding logo makes their products attractive. Starbucks sells their â€Å"Starbucks China Cups† for not a low price, but still a lot of people want to buy it. The main reason is they are pretty, and people do not think cups with a Starbucks’ logo are ugly. The second reason, of course, people think Starbucks is cool and popular. It is a symbol of fashion. A wide range of options and attractive design makes Starbucks products become more and more welcome. Not only the pretty logo and the products, the gift card is another highlight of attractive design. Most big companies or stores have their own special gift card, but Starbucks has many. They have tons of different design gift cards each year, for different seasons, special festivals, birthdays, birth and graduates. Their pretty designs and special meaning made them popular. Starbucks is popular,but customershave topay forit. Starbucks’ averageprice for coffee ruled higher than other coffee stores. A tall latte in Starbucks is $3. 00 without tax. 6 wang In McDonald’s it is only $1. 99, and in Dunkin Donuts it is only $1. 69 (Yahoo Answers). Thus it can be seen that Starbucks goes far beyond the average price. If people want to enjoy high quality coffee or catch up with fashions, people have to pay more money. Different company usually has different consumer orientation. High-level consumer group usually do not care about a few dollars. They only care about the quality and how easy and fast it is. Actually that group of people is in the minority. Most people care about a few dollars, especially people who loves coffee. Spend few more dollars on each cup of coffee is actually a huge number of money. People have to face a trade-off. Want to catch up with fashions or improve the status? Then pay more money first. NoonecandenythepopularityofStarbucks. Itusesitsspecialdesigntocatch customers’ eyes, such as their representative logo and their special design cups. Then they use excellent products and unique taste to keep customers coming back. Finally uses people’s group psychology and the strong principle to make themselves to became a part of popular culture, not only a coffee shop. Now, Starbucks is a trend. It is expensive, but still a lot people chase after it. Work Cited â€Å"Coffee Culture. † Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Sept. 2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. 7 wang Curtasu, Matei. â€Å"Starbucks Good Morning! Good Morning! † Behance. Behance, 11 July 2012. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. â€Å"Starbucks Company Statistics. † Statistic Brain RSS. Starbucks Company Statistics, 12 Aug. 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. â€Å"Starbucks† Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Sept. 2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. â€Å"The History of Coffee Culture in America. † History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places. N. p. , n. d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. â€Å"Why is Starbucks coffee so expensive? Coffee isn’t worth five bucks! † Blinkie dot org. 5 Nov. 2012. Blinkie dot org. 30 Apr. 2014 Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n. d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. â€Å"7 Horrifying Historical Origins of Famous Corporate Logos. † Cracked. com. Cracked, 16 Feb. 2012. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

Dangers of Undercover Police Cars Essay

By definition, the police are a constituted body of persons empowered by the state to enforce the law, protect property, and limit civil disorder. Many people in today’s society do not trust the police. Many feel that the police are out to get them. While some feel that police keep our society in tact, some feel that they are given way to much power. Policing predominantly concerns the preservation of order and peace in our country. With that being said, keeping peace is much different from what I feel that our police enforcement agencies in this country actually do. Often, they do the opposite. Trying to find anything and everything that a citizen is doing incorrectly is not keeping peace. In fact, this causes the distancing between our police and the citizens they are policing. My bill speaks on the removal of undercover police cars from law enforcement. The impacts that these types of police vehicles have on our society all seems to be negative. They are used as a way to catch our citizens off guard, since these vehicles do not appear to be cops. As citizens, we have the right of knowledge. When a police officer is present, I think that we should be able to know. Why are they hiding from us? If they’re here to protect us, why are the not acting like it? Hiding from us makes it seem like they do not want to protect us, but trick us. Police offices’ auction off police cars that are out of commission. At a fairly cheap price, these cars are stripped off all lighting and sirens. But that is not to say they are not deceiving. With a couple of hundred dollars and computer access, you can order almost identical lights and sirens to a police officer. Here is a very scary story involving an innocent women, a criminal and a unmarked police car: It was only 1:30 in the afternoon when the unmarked police car pulled alongside Laura Johnson’s car with their flashing light on their rooftop, and signaled for her to pull over. She sensed something was off, so she kept going and immediately contacted the dispatcher who checked it out and called her back to tell her there were no unmarked police cars in that area. She was told to keep driving. In a short time 4 police cars surrounded Laura and the suspect car. The police apprehended not only a criminal impersonating a police officer, but a convicted rapist wanted by the police for other crimes. That day, Laura got lucky. But if she wouldn’t have sensed that something was off, her fate could be much different. Finally, these undercover police units cost our taxpayers more money that you may imagine. Police cars are purchased in bulk, averaging around 30 thousand apiece fully loaded. But the technologies of an undercover car, with low-key lighting and high tech LED lights placed all around the car push that number up, to around 34 thousand dollars. Lets say in one year there are 10 new undercover cop cars purchased, that’s 40 thousand dollars wasted! Of our taxpayer’s dollars, that could be used for so many other things. With all of that being said, we must pass this bill to remove undercover police cars. For the conversation of our tax money, the honesty we deserve as citizens, and the safety of the men, women, and children of our community. Thank you for your time.

Heracles Fights Triton