Chemical Poisoning Health Article

Yard chemicals

Yard materials that can be toxic to humans and pets include:

• Insecticides. Toxic chemicals that can be found in insecticide preparations include chlordane, lindane, toxaphene, arsenic, lead, malathion, diazinon, and nicotine.
• Rodenticides (chemicals that kill mice or rats). Rodenticides often contain very toxic chemicals, such as sodium fluoroacetate, phosphorus, thallium, barium, strychnine, methyl bromide, and cyanides.
• Herbicides (chemicals that kill weed). Herbicides contain carbaryl and diazinon, which increase the risk of childhood brain cancer.

Occupational hazards

Workers are often exposed to toxic effects of various chemicals in their working environment:

• Polluted air. Workers in poorly ventilated plants which manufacture paints, insecticides, fungicides, pesticides.
• Radiation. Workers in poorly constructed nuclear chemical plants.
• Contaminated environment. Miners who labor underground.
• Obnoxious fumes. Fire fighters are most at risk.
• Skin contact with toxic chemicals. Crop pickers being accidentally sprayed with insecticides.

Toxic chemicals in foods

Highly processed or prepackaged foods use various chemical additives to make these foods look more attractive, taste better, or store for longer periods of time. Harmful substances that can be found in foods include:

• Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a common flavoring agent. Excessive consumption of MSG may cause hyperactivity, memory loss, or other types of brain damage. It is often associated with the so-called "Chinese restaurant syndrome" characterized by headaches, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, and flushing of skin, due to the MSG content in the food.
• Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame or saccharin. These sweeteners can cause a variety of health problems, including headaches (migraines included), dizziness, seizures, depression, nausea, and vomiting, and abdominal cramps. Their use may be associated with hyperactivity in children. Whether or not they may increase risk of cancer is unknown at this time. Pregnant women should definitely avoid using these sweeteners.
• Artificial colors. Color additives can be found in a variety of foods including cereals, juices, candy, frozen foods, ice cream, cookies, pizza, salad dressings and soft drinks. Children and adults alike may be exposed to cancer-causing artificial colors such as Red numbers 8, 9, 19, and 37, or Orange number 17.
• Preservatives. Many of the preservatives found in foods are very hazardous. Nitrates, a common preservatives in cured and luncheon meats and canned products, are known to cause cancer. In addition, a pregnant woman who consumes large amounts of nitrates (for example, through eating hot dogs or salami) unknowingly increases risk of brain damage in her unborn child. Synthetic antioxidants are used in prepackaged foods to prevent food spoilage. Common synthetic antioxidants, such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), can be found in cereals, baking mixes, or instant potatoes. These products are known to cause brain, liver, and kidney damage, as well as respiratory problems.
• Food contaminants. Fruits and vegetables are definitely healthy foods. However, they may contain dangerous herbicide and pesticide residues on the surface. Fish in contaminated lakes or rivers may contain mercury, dioxin, PCBs, or other polluted chemicals. Babies of mothers who ate contaminated fish during pregnancy have lower birth weight, smaller heads, developmental delays, and lower scores on tests of baby intelligence.