Alternative remedies, toxicity

Zinc deficiency and toxicity have been reviewed (1,2). Zinc supplementation reduces the incidence of infection and increases the survival rate after infections in elderly people (3). However, oral zinc sulfate has been overused in many fields of therapy, particularly in dermatology, despite the fact that some of the indications once claimed for it have been discredited and only a few disorders have been clearly shown to result from zinc deficiency. Dosages have often been high, for example the equivalent of 45 mg of metallic zinc three times a day. Zinc oxide is used topically as an astringent and protectant. Zinc chloride is used as an astringent and a desensitizer for dentine. Zinc sulfate is sometimes used as an ophthalmic astringent. Zinc oxide is used as an anti-infective agent. Zinc is also found in some freely available alternative remedies and in non-medicinal products such as shampoos. 

Even when modern, Western medical services are available, Asians frequently consider using indigenous or alternative remedies, and folk or traditional medicine may be tried first for treatment of a psychiatric disorder. Such treatment must be noted and monitored to avoid adverse drug interactions between traditional Asian herbal medicines and Western psychotropic medications. Also necessary is assessment of drug efficacy and toxicity, as well as placebo effects. Several studies have found that compliance with psychopharmacotherapy may be more problematic in non-Westem than among Western populations. For example, Western medicines are believed to be more potent and more likely to cause side effects than are non-Western therapies, and interpretations and perceptions of side effects differ as well (Lee 1993 Smith et al. 1993). 

To express that it is not just the amount of waste but rather its environmental impact, Sheldon introduced the environmental quotient EQ as the E factor multiplied by an unfriendliness quotient, Q, which can be assigned a value to indicate how undesirable a byproduct is. For example, Q = 0 for clean water, 1 for a benign salt, NaCl, and 100-1000 for toxic compounds. Evidently, catalytic routes that avoid waste formation are highly desirable, and the more economic value that is placed on, for example, the unfriendliness quotient, the higher the motivation to work on catalytic alternatives. Waste prevention is much to be preferred over waste remediation. 

REMEDIATION ALTERNATIVES ON HIGH TOXICITY AND DANGEROUS SITES... 

Plants are living organisms with physical requirements that are often in conflict with the nature of the pollutant or the industrial setting to be remediated. These requirements can include soil pH, soil texmre, and available nutrients. Hybrid poplars are reasonably tolerant of organic compounds, but high concentrations of metals, salts, and ammonia are toxic. Phytoremediation is also a slower process than alternative technologies, and cleanup often requires several growing seasons. 

There is an evolving variety of alternative healthcare practices and products to choose from. (See Terminology sidebar.) Adults and adolescents alike are asking themselves questions such as, Should I take a pill for my headache, or drink chamomile herbal tea There are several scientific counterparts to this seemingly simple question, for example Are these both remedies Are they equally effective Is one healthier or less toxic than the other Can they be used together At this time, there is no comparative information on codeine versus alternative medicine (e.g., acupuncture) as effective treatments for pain, cough, and diarrhea. 

Phytoextraction is the best approach to remove the contamination primarily from soil and isolate it, without substantially alternating the soil structure and fertility. It is also referred as phytoaccumulation. As the plant absorbs, concentrates, and accumulates toxic metals and radionuclides from contaminated soils and waters into plant tissues, it is best suited for the remediation of diffusely polluted areas, where pollutants occur only at relatively low concentrations and superficial distribution in soil (Rulkens et al., 1998). Several approaches have been studied to enhance the effectiveness of phytoextraction, including the use of chelators to increase the bioavailability and plant uptake of metal contaminants. In order to make this... 

This subsection discusses practical approaches to assessing uncertainty in Superfiind site risk assessments and describes ways to present key information bearing on tlie level of confidence in quantitative risk estimates for a site. The risk measmes used in Superfund site risk assessments usually are not fully probabilistic estimates of risk, but conditional estimates given a considerable number of assumptions about exposure and toxicity (e.g., risk given a particular future land use). Thus, it is important to fully specify the assumptions and uncertainties inlierent in tlie risk assessment to place tlie risk estimates in proper perspective. Another use of uncertainty characteriztition can be to identify areas where a moderate amount of additional data collection might significantly improve the basis for selection of a remedial alternative. 

Selenium sulfide is used as an antiseborrheic agent and as a shampoo in the treatment of Tinea versicolor. Selenite is also found in mineral supplements and is used in parenteral nutrition. However, selenium has gained undeserved popularity as a constituent of health foods and alternative tonics, perhaps because selenium deficiency has been implicated in the pathogenesis of some forms of malnutrition in children. However, even in children with selenium deficiency the benefit to harm balance has not been estabhshed. Indeed, in protein deficiency it seems to be particularly toxic. Nor is there any serious basis for its reputation as a remedy for cystic fibrosis, to prevent aging, or as a sexual stimulant. 

Abstract In the last decade, it became increasingly evident that the fuel oxygenate methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) is nearly ubiquitous in the worldwide environment. The detection frequency of MTBE rivals other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that have been produced and used for a much longer period of time. Its mere presence in water bodies used as drinking water reservoirs (rivers, lakes, or groundwater tables) has aroused concern about its potential sources, persistence, or possible adverse effects (aesthetic or toxic implications) for end-users and aquatic life. The purpose of this chapter is to provide an updated overview of the current environmental concentrations, the occurrence of the pollutant in the different aquatic compartments, the relevance of diffuse and point sources, and the different alternatives for remediation of MTBE contaminated sites. 

The effectiveness of thermal desorption to decontaminate soil containing HO and of UV photolysis to destroy HO toxic constituents has been demonstrated in bench- and pilot-scale tests. Some additional technical information is needed for a complete evaluation of the process and to provide the basis for design of a full-scale system for on-site remedial action. This project illustrates the requirements for developing and implementing new process technology for solving contaminated-soil environmental problems. Only through such demonstration efforts can more cost-effective and environmentally sound remedial action alternatives be made available. 

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