Environmental Tox test 1

Mirex

organochlorine insecticide - was used for fire ants it was banned in the 70s

Atmosphere

ozone depletion threatens us with enhanced UV radiation and air pollution such as acid rain are already causing injury to humans, forests, and crops.

PPCPs

pharmaceuticals and personal care products

Ppcps

pharmaceuticals and personal care products - form of chemical waste

dilution paradigm

"The solution to pollution is dilution" - the idea where you could discard pollution into the environment and it would be diluted sufficiently to cause no harm - in the 1950's-1960's they believe science would solve almost all of the crucial problems of making and would bring us a higher standard of living

Bhopal, India

a storage tank at Union Carbide exploded releasing methyl isocyanate - over 2000 people died. - chemical wastes

organic pollutants

*Polychlorinated Biphenyls ( PCBs) *Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins ( PCDDs) *Organochlorine Insectides *Polybrominated Biphenyls ( PBBs) * Organophosphorous insecticides * Carbamate insectidicides * Pyrethroid insecticides * Phenoxy Herbicides * Anticoagulant Rodenticides * Detergents * Chlorophenols

waste disposal

- Deep well injections - surface impoundments - landfills Hazardous wastes: -heavy metals, PCBs, nuclear wastes

Hexachlorobenzene

- Organochlorine insecticide - Lindane

Selenium

- agricultural drainage in california to cause reproductive failure in birds - chemical waste

Iodine-131

- contaminated local vegetation, dairy from cattle and milk was confused by humans. - resulted from a fire in England plutonium process

fecal coliform bacteria

- hepatitis B, Chlorea, Typhoid, Hepatits A

Itai-itai disease

- resulted from heavy metal poisoning ( cadmium) - they were poisoned by cadmium through the contaminated rice -This itai-itai disease (reflects extreme joint pain - literally translated ouch-ouch disease) was linked to irrigation water contaminated with heavy metal wastes (mainly cadmium) from mining operations -. The cadmium poisoning caused osteoporosis (softening of the bones) and kidney failures. The name of the disease comes from the painful screams due to the severe pain in the joints and the spine.

sources of air pollutants

-Fossil fuel burning, vehicle exhaust, industrial processes, incineration -Greenhouse effect: CO2, NO2, methane, CFCs -Ozone destruction -Acid deposition: SO2, NO -Photochemical smog: ozone, carbon monoxide

Organometallic compounds

-Methyl Mercury -Tributyltin

Chemicals that tested positive in the biosolids

-Triclosan -Musk fragrance -Diphenhydramine -Carbamazepine •Concentrations ranged from 64-1811 mg/kg

Most frequent detected chemicals.

-cholestrol (plant/animal steroid) - N-N diethyltoluamide( insect repellant) -caffeine -triclosan( antimicrobial) -4- Nonlyphenol ( detergent)

interpretation

-conclusions that you got throughout the process, which are entirely affected by scope, and goals that you defined in the first part of the process. Phase 4

Contamination of Land

-landfill sites - sewage sludge - pesticides - atmospheric deposition - flooding of rivers and seas

How does chemicals enter the environment ?

-population growth - more living space meaning destroying wildlife -excessive and wasteful resource use -over development -pollution- anything that harms in the environment

How are PPCPs introduced ?

-•are introduced into the consumer market at exponential rates •Human activity •Residues from pharmaceutical manufacturing •Residues from hospitals •Illicit drug operations •Veterinary drug use Agribusiness

4 Phases of LCA

1. Goal and Scope 2. Inventory analysis 3. Impact Assessment 4. Interpretation

5 steps of a products life cycle assessment

1.Raw Material Extraction 2.Manufacturing & Processing 3.Transportation 4.Usage & Retail 5.Waste Disposal

Creating a sustainable society

1.Regulate population growth 2.Use renewable resources wisely 3.Encourage Earth-sustaining rather than Earth-degrading forms of economic development 4.Reduce pollution 5.Reduce poverty

Phenoxy herbicides

2,4-D and 2,4,5-T . They are highly water soluble when formulated as alkali salts, are readily biodegradable and therefore, not very persistent. They are "infamous" due to their use during the Vietnam War in Operation Ranchhand. Agent Orange consisted of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T and formulations were contaminated with dioxin. 2,4-D is still widely used on urban parks, golf courses and lawns but formulations are no longer contaminated with dioxin. Atrazine is another herbicide that is used on corn and other crops. This compound is relatively more persistent and has contaminated ground water and surface water.

Population

: the earth is finite. The ability to absorb wastes is finite. Its ability to provide food and energy is finite. Its ability to provide for growing numbers of people is finite. Pressures resulting from unrestrained population growth put demands on the natural world that can overwhelm any efforts to achieve a sustainable future. If we are to halt destruction of our environment, we must accept limits to that growth. One estimate indicates that the world population will stabilize at 12.4 billion, the United Nations say it could reach 14 billion. But even now one person in five lives in absolute poverty.

Impact assessment

A form of policy analysis that examines the likely effects or impacts of proposed or adopted policies. These may be environmental, social, economic, or other significant impacts. Phase 3

Pollution

Any addition to air, water, soil or food that threatens the health, survival, or activities of humans or other organisms. -all types of stressors that impact or degrade the environment

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

At four minutes after midnight on March 24, the ship struck Bligh Reef, a well-known navigation hazard in Alaska's Prince William Sound. The impact of the collision tore open the ship's hull, causing some 11 million gallons of crude oil to spill into the water.

Hydrocarbons

Benzene and Benzo[a]pyrenes (PAHs) sources:petroleum and natural gas, incomplete combustion of organic materials - coal, oil, trees, cigarettes

The effects of a chemical on a population of fish will have a high ecosystem relevance

But to change or affect a population is low. the response sensitivity of the population is low

air pollutants

Carbon Oxides ( CO, CO2) Nitrogen Oxides ( NO, NO2) Sulfur Oxides ( SO2, SO3) Volatile Organic Compounds ( Hydrocarbons) Suspended Particles ( heavy metals mercury and cadium)

Organochlorines Insecticides

DDT High toxicity and slow degradation

Water pollutants

Freshwater - sewage - cultural eutrophication - Groundwater- drinking water

Response (Sensitivity)

Function of life, living things can respond to and interact with the environment.

exponential growth

Growth pattern in which the individuals in a population reproduce at a constant rate occurs when a quantity increases by a fixed percentage of a whole in a given time. Can be deceptive cause it starts off slowly but rises to enormous numbers

LCA

Life Cycle Assessment

LULU

Locally Unwanted Land Use

Mercury

Minamata bay - heavy metal poisoning and chemical wastes - chemical waste

what was a shift in paradigms?

Minamata disease and DDT accumulation in birds resulted in the shift in paradigms mentioned earlier. They drew attention away from industrialization to the consequences of ignoring pollutants in ecological systems.

Are naturally occurring chemicals safer than man-made chemicals?

No not necessarily because most chemicals are natural

NIMBY

Not In My Backyard attitude. People don't want things like landfills to be put where they live.

Reduce pollution

Not overloading the capacity of the environment to cleanse and renew itself by natural processes.

Water Pollutants

Oceans -waste dumping - offshore shipping -oil spills -mining

Sustainable society

One that manages its economy and population size without doing irreparable environmental harm. It satisfies the needs of its people without depleting Earth capital and thus jeopardizing the prospects of future generations.

Inventory analysis

Phase 2 of LCA. process of quantifying energy & raw material requirements, atmospheric emissions, waterborne emissions, solid wastes, & other releases for the entire life cycle of a product, process, or activity -the process includes considering all environmental inputs as well as outputs that are highly connected and associated with the service or product that we use for it.

point source pollution

Pollutants discharged from a single identifiable location (e.g., pipes, ditches, channels, sewers, tunnels, containers of various types).

What was the unpleasant side of technology?

Pollution

Reduce poverty

Poverty causes people to use land and other resources unsustainably for short-term survival.

soil

Since 1945, 11% of the earth's vegetated surface has been degraded (an area larger than the size of China and India). Loss of soil productivity is the result.

Use renewable resources wisely

Take no more potentially renewable resources from the natural world that can be replenished naturally. This includes efficient use of energy, water, and other materials, including conservation and recycling.

ecotoxology

The science of contaminants in the biosphere and their effects on constituents of the biosphere, including humans chemicals interact with a target site in an organism -- a protein or biomolecule.This affects the cell, tissue, organ, organ system and eventually the individual.

TBT

Tributyltin ( chemical waste) - chemical used in marine paints Fouling organisms are barnacles and oysters that adhere to the hulls of boats and cause considerable damage. Painting the hulls with paint containing TBT will prevent the organisms from adhering to the surface. Unfortunately, TBT leaches out into the water and harms other non-fouling mollusks.

Urban Sprawl

Unrestricted growth in many urban areas of housing, commercial development, and roads over large expanses of land with little concern for urban planning

Degradation of Land

Urban sprawl - non point source pollution and the use of land for dumping

Encourage Earth-sustaining rather than Earth-degrading forms of economic development

We must move away from fossil fuels to more natural resources, inexhaustible energy sources in order to cut green house emissions and pollution of air and water. We want to make and build structures that are able to generate energy from solar energy .

disposal of hazardous waste by deep well injections

a well is drilled in a dry porous layer and wastes are pumped in. Contamination of groundwater is prevented by the casing and seal around the portion of the well that penetrates groundwater

Reclaimed water

after test these chemicals are found in water. -Erythromycin -Carbamazepine -Fluoxetine -Diphenhydamine

sewage sludge

also known as biosolids, is what is left behind after water is cleaned in waste treatment works. It is high in organic content and plant nutrients and, in theory, makes good fertilizer

DDT

an insecticide that is also toxic to animals and humans

November 18, 1992 earth summit

an urgent warning was sent to government leaders of all nations, signed by over 1,600 scientists from 70 countries. Briefly, the letter said that the environment is suffering critical stress about : atmosphere, water resources, oceans, soil, forests, living species, population

What is LCA (Life Cycle Assessment)?

analysis technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life, which is from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, and use.

Organophosphorus insecticides

are derivatives of World War II nerve poisons and inhibit acetylcholinesterase (review from Tox101 or internet search). They are less stable and less persistent than the organochlorine insecticides but are more acutely toxic. Examples include methyl parathion and malathion.

Sources of pollution

can be - natural -man made -point source -non point source

regulating population growth

can be contreverrsial cause no one wants to limit how many kids they can have

Oceans

destructive pressure on the oceans is severe, particularly around coastal regions which produce most of the world's food fish. The total marine catch is now at or above the estimated maximum sustainable yield. Many fisheries have already shown signs of collapse.

®What is the basis for the setting of safe-exposure levels for certain chemicals in the workplace?

dose responses for chemicals the more your exposed the more effects

Water resources

exploitation of depletable groundwater supplies limit food production. There are heavy demands on drinking water and serious shortages exist in some 80 countries. Pollution of rivers, lakes, and groundwater further limits the supply.

Goal Definition and Scope

first phase of the life cycle assessment

natural pollution

forest fires, dust storms, volcanoes, earthquakes -example: natural sources are volcanic eruptions or erosion of mercury from rocks. This may be one of the sources of mercury in the Ouachita River. Rocks in the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas are high in mercury.

Love Canal

from 1942-1953, Hooker Chemical and Plastics Corporation sealed wastes into steel drums and dumped them into an old canal excavation (named after its builder, William Love) near Niagara Falls, NY. In 1953, the site was covered with clay and topsoil and sold to the Niagara school board for $1. In 1957, Hooker Chemical warned the school board not to disturb the clay cap. In 1959, over 900 homes, a school, and recreation area were built over the site. In 1971-1977, toxic waste bubbled to the surface - ground water, sewers, basements and the playground was contaminated. Discovery of Love Canal led to major concerns regarding hazardous wastes, chemical dump sites and disclosure of information about those sites. This eventually led to the EPA Superfund Bill and also new language such as LULU (Locally Unwanted Land Use) and NIMBY syndrome (Not In My Back Yard). Follow LINK #4 to the Site Fact Sheet:

Anticoagulant rodenticides

generally are lipophilic and have low water solubility. They have a tendency to accumulate in rodents. Some rodents have developed resistance and these compounds may be transferred up the food chain through predation by owls.

Goals for LCA

goal of an LCA is to not only create data but also to facilitate decisions. That's why it is always designed with a specific goal in mind, for example, to make a product more sustainable.

ecosystem relevance

how chemicals would affect a certain species

Silent Spring

in 1962 Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring a book to draw attention to pesticides accumulation in wildlife -

Chlorophenols

include polychlorinated phenols such as pentachlorophenol - a major source is pulp mill effluent and as a wood preservative in creosote. These compounds are water soluble, chemically reactive and of limited persistence.

Carbamate insecticides

inhibit acetylcholinesterase but in a more reversible fashion. They are readily biodegradable. Examples include aldicarb and carbofuran.

pollutant

is a substance or chemical introduced into the environment that has undesired effects, or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource

cultural eutrophication

is when a flux of excess nutrients from human activity are added into a local run-off which in turns speeds up the natural eutrophication. This is caused by human activity, this problem became apparent once the green revolution and industrial revolution began in the last century.

hazardous waste

may remain dangerous for thousands of years but even the most carefully designed landfills can start within months

Molecules

metabolites genes enzymes immune system his pathology have a High response sensitivity but low Ecosystem relevance

DDT/DDE

non toxic to humans -DDE inhibit Ca-dependent ATPase (an enzyme that transport calcium into the egg and gives it strength) in the shell gland of birds resulting in eggshell thinning and egg damage

Toxaphene

organochlorine insecticide

Goal and Scope

process that defines the purpose/ method of including life cycle environmental impacts into the decision making process. Determines 1) type of info that is needed to add value to the decision making process 2) how accurate the results must be to add value 3) how the results should be interpreted & displayed in order to be meaningful & usable Phase 1 of LCA. the purpose of the assessment is established and decisions are made about the details of the product system being studied

Ecosytems

productivity decomposition nutrient cycling food web energy flow have a High ecosystem relevance but a low response sensitivity relevance

Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBBs)

remembers cows and its a flame retardant affected the cows and eventually affected cows

Minamata Bay disease

resulted from heavy metal poisoning from contaminated food -The mercury was taken up or bioaccumulated in the fish and shellfish and the people living near the Bay had tremendous exposures to this toxic heavy metal. Severe birth defects were seen in children born to mothers that had consumed the contaminated fish and shellfish. These birth defects included mental retardation and cerebral palsy.

Toxic pollutants

sewage - heavy metals mercury, cadmium, lead - synthetic organic chemicals -PAHS- Oils and greases - Chlorine

Conventional Pollutants

sewage - total suspended solids - BOD - Fecal coliform bacteria

man-made pollution

substances that contaminate the environment ''anthropogenic" in referring to environmental change caused or influenced by people, either directly or indirectly -serious pollution come from human activity such burning coal which occur urban and industrial area

LD50

the amount of a chemical that kills 50% of the animals in a test population - the lower LD50 is the more toxic. its good for it to be high

Toxicity

the capacity for a chemical to cause harmful effects -that is harmful or fatal to living organisms when absorbed or ingested

Hazards

the chemical is determined by its toxicity and the likelihood that exposure will occur -Hazardous waste is the lower level of potentially harmful substances, toxic is higher. Hazardous waste can be but isn't necessarily toxic.

®Does the presence of a chemical in the body mean that harmful effects will occur?

the mere presence of a chemical ingredient does not automatically mean it will cause harm. that's why there dose responses

Pyrethroid Insecticides

these are synthetic chemicals derived from the naturally occurring pyrethrins (found in the flowering heads of chrysanthemum plants). They have low water solubility, are readily biodegradable and have low persistence. However, they are highly toxic to fish and non-target invertebrates and crop-dusting "accidents" using these compounds frequently cause fish kills.

Detergents

these include alkyl phenol ethoxylates which are a class of surfactants possessing detergent or oil-dispersing properties. They are used as cleaners, surfactants or carriers in pesticides and herbicides, ingredients in toiletries and cosmetics, active ingredients in spermicides, ingredients in latex paints, etc. Their major point of entry into water is through sewage treatment. These compounds and their derivatives are generally not removed by the sewage treatment process and are discharged into receiving waters

conceptual approach

thinking process by individuals or groups, they discuss and design how the product will impact the environment

Forests

tropical rain forests are being destroyed rapidly

Anatytical

uses data and figures of measurements, which quantifies ways in which material product and process interact and imoactcthe environment. Needs large of amount of data.

disposal of hazardous waste in landfills

waste are carefully contained to prevent cross mixing of reactive substances. Fill is capped with impervious clay to prevent infiltration and percolation of water through the fill. Fill bottom is lined and provided with a drainage system to contain and remove any leakage or leachate that occurs. Monitoring wells provides a final check Ha

disposal of hazardous waste in surface impoundments

wastes in large volumes of water are put into impoundments where water eveaporates and wastes accumulates

non-point source pollution

water pollution that does not have a specific point of origin example rain off of fertilizers and pesticides runoff into a steam or like Nonpoint source pollution is the biggest problem we know face in terms of chemical environmental degradation

boomerang paradigm

what you throw away can come back and hurt you example - Minamata bay and Itai-Itai Disease

atmospheric deposition

when volatile compounds or secondary air pollutants are deposited to the land in rain or suspended particles. Inorganic mercury, pcbs, fall out with rane

Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and furans

®By-products of combustion - plastics, chlorine products, paper production process

PCBs

®Fluids in transformers, insulators, dielectrics ®Banned in 1977; PCBs remain in some electrical equipment. Includes 209 congeners, some have half-lives of 7 to 30 years

DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane)

®Organochlorine insecticide - banned in the US in 1972 ®Slow metabolism, high lipophilicity

Chlordane, heptachlor

®Organochlorine insecticides - chlorinated cyclodienes

Aldrin, dieldrin and endrin

®Organochlorine insecticides - chlorinated cyclodienes -highly toxic to mammals, many have been banned but they are still found in the environment -VERY TOXIC

Gaseous Pollutants

®Ozone, oxides of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur

Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins (PCDDs)

®used in the vietnamm war used agent orange- they sprayed it on the forest to see the enemies. ( herbicide) unwanted contaminents Agent Orange was the code name for one of the herbicides and defoliantsthe U.S. military used as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Extremely toxic

Biosolids

•55 chemicals were detected in at least one of the samples •As many as 45 chemicals found in a single sample •25 chemicals found in every sample

Drug classes of Concern

•Antibiotics •Antimicrobials •Estrogenic steroids •Antidepressants •Calcium-channel blockers •Antiepileptic drugs •Genotoxic drugs •Chemosensitizers

PPCP

•Any product used by individuals for personal health or cosmetic reasons or used by agribusiness to enhance growth or health of livestock

Animals and PPCPs

•CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations) -Antibiotics & anti-infectives •Pets -Antifungal, antibiotics, etc.

How do human contribute to PPCPs?

•Excretion •Bathing •Disposal of unwanted medications in sewer & trash

Cause of concern for PPCPs?

•Large quantities of PPCPs enter the environment •Sewage systems not equipped for PPCP removal •Risks posed to aquatic organisms are unknown •Number of PPCPs are growing

What are PPCPs?

•Pharmaceuticals (Rx & OTC) •Illicit drugs •Cosmetic ingredients •Food supplements •Fragrances •Preservatives •Disinfectants •Sunscreen agents

Proper disposal of Rx Drugs

•Take medication out of original containers & throw in trash •Mixing with an undesirable substance (coffee grounds, kitty litter) or putting in impermeable containers •Flush in toilet only if label states to do so •Community pharmaceutical take-back programs

Biosolids

•Treated sludge generated by the treatment of sewage at wastewater treatment plants •In the U.S., generate ~7 million tons of biosolids per year •Generally use ~50% as fertilizers for plants