Compatibility with human health

The relevance of such use of enzymes to agriculture will be examined in terms of a) feasibility in crop resistance, b) compatibility with the concurrent use of biological control agents in insect pest management (IPM) systems, c) compatibility with products of gene transfers, and d) compatibility with human health. 

Compatibility with Human Health. Many biochemical factors of resistance against insects and pathogens can constitute a health hazard for human consumers (19,61,109,131). But in the tomato plant, the use of proteinase inhibitors, phenolics, and/or PPO as bases of resistance appears compatible with human health because a) tomato fruit is not consumed in quantities sufficient to lead to acute or chronic poisoning, and b) at the time of ripening these substances are substantially or completely absent from the fruit (132 Felton and Duffey, unpublished data). 

Green chemistry is an initiative that promotes the design and application of chemical products and processes that are compatible with human health and that preserve the environment. The founders of the initiative have developed a set of 12 principles to guide work in this area ... 

Matters of human health tended to dominate public health discussions until the past decade. There is now increasing awareness that ecological and environmental issues must be taken into consideration when evaluating the compatibility of lead and zinc with sustainable development. As with human health, there are distinct differences between lead and zinc. All... 

Salt, i.e. sodium chloride, an indispensable body constituent, is present in most natural foods but whether humans get enough from these sources or need additional amounts is a matter of dispute. Certain primitive tribes survive on what is naturally present in their food but, on the other hand, wars have been fought over sources of salt, and for centuries its trade was more important than that of any other commodity. Efficient mechanisms exist within the body of normal subjects both for the conservation and for the excretion of salt and a wide range of intakes is compatible with the health of such individuals. There is undoubtedly a minimum requirement for salt for the maintenance of electrolyte balance because, although its excretion in the urine can be reduced to an almost negligible amount, salt is also lost in sweat. At the other extreme, provided it is accompanied by an adequate intake of water, large amounts of salt can be excreted by normal subjects so that how much, if any, extra salt one adds to one s food resolves itself into a matter of taste. 

The new antimicrobial is an order of magnitude less toxic, several orders of magnitude less volatile, easier to handle, more compatible with other water treatment chemicals, more effective against biofilms, and it generates less than half the disinfection by-products compared to chlorine or other alternatives. One hundred fifty billion gallons of industrial water have by now been successfully treated globally. Use of this new antimicrobial has substantially reduced environmental and human health risks from industrial water treatment by replacing nearly thirty million pounds of chlorine. The new product is proven to comparatively perform better, more safely, and it is substantially easier to apply than chlorine. 

CNTs are of importance as useful bio-nanomaterials for pharmaceutical applications and biomedical engineering. However, despite the contribution of CNTs to bio-nanomaterials for pharmaceutical applications, the potential risks of CNTs about the exposure to human health have not been adequately assessed. Toxicology issues associated with CNT inhalation, dermal toxicity, pulmonary, biodistribution, biocompatibility, blood compatibility, and elimination need to be addressed prior to their pharmacological application in humans. 

Abraham MH, Hassanisadi M, Jalali-Heravi M et al. (2003) Draize rabbit eye test compatibility with eye irritation thresholds in humans a quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis. Toxicol Sci 76 384-391 Curren RD, Harbell JW (1998) In vitro alternatives for ocular irritation. Environ Health Perspect 106, Suppl 2 485M92 Draize JH, Woodard G, Calvery HO (1944) Methods for the study of irritation and toxicity of substances applied topically to the skin and mucous membranes. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 82 377-390... 

Saccharin sodium is the oldest artificial sweetener. It is a sulfanilamide derivative and is stable within a wide range of temperatures but, in the presence of acids, does react chemically, and therefore is not compatible with preservatives that require low pH. In its acidic form, saccharin is not particularly water soluble. Therefore, the form used is usually the sodium salt. The calcium salt is also sometimes used, especially for restricting dietary sodium intake. Many studies have been carried out on saccharin, with some showing a correlation between saccharin consumption and increased cancer (especially bladder cancer) and others showing no such correlation. Nevertheless, no study has ever shown health risks in humans when saccharin is taken at normal doses. It has been approved for use in the USA but not in Canada, and was approved for use in Europe for children over 3 years of age. 

Six surfactants/cosolvents were selected for the evaluation program on the basis of (a) solution chemistry, (b) proven ability to desorb/solubilize PAHs from soil particle surfaces in previous studies, (c) human health and environmental protection, and (d) compatibility with in situ electrochemical remediation technique. The chosen surfactants/cosolvents were (a) 3% Igepal CA-720, (b) 5% Igepal CA-720, (c) 5% Triton X-100, (d) 3% Tween 80, (e) 40% ethanol, and (f) a mixture of 40% ethanol and 5% Igepal CA-720. Two clayey soils, kaolin and glacial till, were selected for the study. Kaolin consists mainly of kaoUnite clay mineral, while glacial till consists of a combination of different soil minerals including quartz, feldspar, carbonates, iUite, chlorite, vermiculite, and trace amounts of smectite. 

The toxieity of triehloroethylene is dependent upon metabolism and induction of cytochrome P450. Triehloroethylene is metabolized through chloral hydrate to compounds including trichloroacetic acid and dichloroacetic acid which alter intercellular communication, induce peroxisome proliferation and may promote tumor production. Significant variability in trichloroethylene metabolism in 23 human haptic microsomal samples was reported by Lipscomb et al. It was also demonstrated that the trichloroethylene metabolism is dependent on enzymatic activities of the cytochrome system, and they conclude that their data indicates that humans are not uniform in their capacity for CPY dependent metabolism of trichloroethylene and increased activity may increase susceptibility to trichloroethylene induced toxicity in humans. These observations are compatible with the variability reaction which is depending on nutritional factors, enzyme induction factors, hormonal factors and interaction with other environmental chemicals, prescription medications and general health conditions, and explains the variable reports as far as trichloroethylene and level of liver toxicity in the various individuals studied. 

Hazards identification. Clear and brief indication of the most important hazards, in particular the critical hazards to human health and the environment. Should be compatible with information on the label but need not repeat it. 

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