Allergy acute health effects

The gains for society of improved chemicals control may be substantial, though not easy to quantify in monetary terms. They include, for example, reduced costs for health care as a result of fewer accidents with chemicals, fewer acute health effects caused by poisonings, skin corrosion or bums, reduced risk for chronic effects such as allergies, cancer, etc. Furthermore, improved chemicals control will lead to a reduction of costs for remediation of environmental damage and of other costs following from emissions, e.g. water and soil pollution due to accidents or misuse of chemicals. 

Acute health effects. Characterized by prompt or slightly delayed health effects, acute responses include bums, inflammation, allergies, or other immediate damage to organs such as eyes, lungs, or nervous system. 

From the human perspective, HABs are problematic because they cause (1) risks to human health, (2) loss of natural or cultured seafood resources, (3) impairment of tourism and recreational activities, and (4) damage to noncommercial marine resources and wildlife. Exposure pathways include (1) consumption of toxic shellfish that have accumulated phytoplankton toxins filtered from the water, (2) consumption of tropical fish that have accumulated phytoplankton toxins (ciguatera), (3) inhalation of aerosolized toxins ejected from the sea surface, and (4) skin contact resulting in irritations due to allergy-like reactions. Harmful health effects from acute exposures have been relatively well studied. Less well known are the health effects resulting from chronic exposures to low toxin levels. This is of particular concern with regards to marine mammals and seabirds. 

Asthma, a disease featuring sudden and dramatic variations in respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function, is well known to be related to environmental factors in many cases. Many other factors, however, may play a significant role in the precipitation of asthma attacks, including meteorologic factors, emotional factors, infection, allergy, and physical activity. It has also been demonstrated that there is a significant ethnic variation in factors associated with acute asthma attacks. Nevertheless, between 2 and 5% of the population is subject to asthma attacks, so it has been examined as an indicator of health effects of photochemical-oxidant pollution. 

---