Teratogenic coordination

A common example of neurobehavioral teratogenic effects caused by polluted food is the Minamata disease. In a number of areas in Japan methylmercury from industrial waste accumulated in fish which was one of the main sources of the food of the local population. Another case of poisoning with methylmercury occurred in Iraq, where people consumed grain seed treated with a methylmercury fungicide. Women with only minimal poisoning symptoms gave birth to children that showed many neurological and behavioral abnormalities, such as mental retardation, coordination deficits and seizures (refs. 12, 13). 

Ethyl alcohol is found in alcoholic beverages and is a known teratogenic material, which is the reason doctors tell pregnant women not to drink alcohol. When a mother drinks, the unborn child drinks as well. Ethyl alcohol causes growth failure and impaired brain development. Unborn children exposed to alcohol may suffer the effects of Eetal Alcohol Syndrome when they are bom. Symptoms of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome include sleep disturbance, jitteriness, a higher incidence of impaired vision and hearing, lack of motor coordination, balance problems, abnormal thyroid function, and a decrease in immune system effectiveness. Additional teratogens include heavy metals, methyl mercury, mercury salts, lead, thallium, selenium, penicillin, tetracyclines, excess Vitamin A, and carbon dioxide. 

A highly toxic substance by ingestion, and possibly by most other routes of exposure moderately toxic by inhalation and skin contact cholinesterase inhibitor toxic effects are similar to those of other carbamate pesticides and include excessive salivation, lacrimation, slow heart rate, blurred vision, twitching of muscle and lack of coordination, nausea, weakness, diarrhea and abdominal pain oral intake of probably 1.5-3 g could be fatal to adult humans a teratogenic substance, producing adverse reproductive effects in experimental animals. 

The Administrator shall coordinate, with the Assistant Secretary for Health of the Department of Health and Human Services, research undertaken by the Administrator and directed toward the development of rapid, reliable, and economical screening techniques for carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, and ecological effects of chemical substances and mixtures. 

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