Allergy, health effects

The health effects of non-infectious bioaerosols include allergy symptoms, asthma symptoms, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. 

Food allergy, by definition, describes the adverse health effects that result from the elicitation of allergic reactions to dietary proteins. This does not necessarily imply, however, that allergic sensitization is invariably acquired via dietary exposure to proteins. As will be discussed later in this chapter, sensitization to food proteins may develop following encounter via other routes of exposure. 

Mild skin irritation has been reported by workers at a munitions factory who were exposed to low levels of hexachloroethane. The workers were wearing protective clothing that greatly reduced exposure. No other information is available concerning health effects in people exposed to hexachloroethane. However, results of animal studies can be used to show how it can affect your health. Based on the animal data, hexachloroethane in the air can irritate your nose and lungs and cause some buildup of mucus in your nose, much like an allergy. It can also irritate your eyes and make them... 

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. 

Kabesch, M. and Mutius, E. 2000. Adverse health effects of environmental tobacco smoke exposure in childhood. Allergy Clin Immunol Int J World Allergy Org 12 146-151. 

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. 

Synonyms and trade names picronitric acid, 2,4,6-trinitrophenol, trinitrophenol Use and exposure Picric acid is a white to yellowish crystalline substance and highly flammable. It is used in the manufacture of fireworks, matches, electric batteries, colored glass, explosives, and disinfectants. Pharmaceutical, textile, and leather industries also make use of picric acid. Bouin s picro-formol is used as a preservative solution for biological specimens in laboratories. Toxicity and health effects Picric acid causes different adverse effects on the skins of animals and humans, like allergies, dermatitis, irritation, and sensitization. Absorption of picric acid by the system causes headache, fever, nausea, diarrhea, and coma. In high concentrations, picric acid is known to... 

Other human-health effects of ultraviolet exposure include increased risks of developing cataracts and other damage to the cornea, damage to the retina, a suppressed immune system, sunburns of exposed skin, skin allergies, and an accelerated aging of the skin. 

No documented or theoretical background exists for the use of the TVOC indicator in relation to other health effects (e.g. cancer, allergy, and neurological effects). TVOC should only be used in the low-exposure range (below 25 mg/m, where such effects are less likely to appear). 

The major health effect of nickel and its compounds is contact allergy and allergic contact dermatitis as a result of skin exposure to nickel ions, Ni(II). Inhalation exposure to soluble nickel and nickel oxides/sulfides has caused nasal and pulmonary cancer in workers in nickel refineries although there are no convincing data on carcinogenicity for metallic nickel dust in humans. Exposure to nickel or nickel compounds via routes other than inhalation has not been shown to increase the cancer risk in humans (Aitio 1995). Inhalation of nickel compounds may induce asthma however, nickel-induced asthma is rare. 

Formaldehyde is a strong irritant to mucous membranes. Adverse health effects that are associated with increased VOC concentrations of formaldehyde can begin with eye and respiratory irritation (including allergy and asthma), irritability, inability to concentrate and sleeplessness, and can end up with more serious health problems. The EPA tested formaldehyde levels in a newly constructed test home that contained various UF-bonded building materials and found values below that expected (0.06 ppm), and it is not clear whether adsorption of formaldehyde, most notably by painted gypsum wallboard, contributed to this unexpected result or not [63]. 

Bernstein, J.A., et al. 2008. The health effects of nonindustrial indoor air pollution. /. Allergy Clin. Immun. 121 585-591. 

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. 

Develop a treatment plan with the patient and other health care professionals if appropriate. Choose therapeutic options based on the underlying cause of nausea and vomiting, duration and severity of symptoms, comor-bid conditions, medication allergies, presence of contraindications, risk of drug-drug interactions, and treatment adverse-effect profiles. 

Immunoenhancement, which, as adverse effect, may lead to immune-mediated diseases such as hypersensitivity reactions and autoimmune diseases. Hypersensitivity reactions are the result of normally beneficial immune responses acting inappropriately, causing inflammatory reactions and tissue damage. The two most frequent manifestation of chemical-induced allergy are contact hypersensitivity and respiratory sensitization, both of which can have a serious impact on quality of life and represent a common occupational health problem. Hypersensitivity reactions are often considered to be increased at such a rate to become a major health problem in relation to environmental chemical exposure. 

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