PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Environmental Pollution”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Cardiovascular disease and environmental pollutants: the Arctic aspect.

Environmental pollution in the Arctic is due to long range transport from lower latitudes or to local industrial activities. Since the latter are not different from point source exposure in the rest of the world the paper focuses on the former aspect which is the main type of environmental pollution in the western Arctic. The environmental pollutants of major significance are heavy metals (mercury, cadmium, lead) and persistent organic pollutants (PCB's, pesticides) and the main exposure is through the traditional diet of sea mammals (mercury, cadmium, persistent organic pollutants) and through smoking (cadmium). There is rather strong evidence that lead is a (weak) risk factor for high blood pressure even at low levels of exposure. Apart from lead there is little evidence that the above mentioned pollutants are significantly related to cardiovascular diseases. Since the pollutants, however, are found in the traditional diet together with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and selenium which are believed to promote cardiovascular health there is an indirect link between the pollutants and cardiovascular disease. This becomes relevant when dietary guidelines are developed for arctic populations. Epidemiological evidence from Greenland relevant for this discussion is presented, i.e. i) findings from a countrywide interview survey on dietary habits which show that sea mammals are widely consumed and appreciated for health and other reasons and that there is virtually no fear of pollution, and ii) mortality results which do not support the hypothesis that the low rate of ischemic heart disease in Inuit is due to their traditional diet.

Arctic Regions↗
PubMed1984

Avian endocrine responses to environmental pollutants.

Many environmental contaminants are hazardous to populations of wild birds. Chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides and industrial pollutants are thought to be responsible for population declines of several species of predatory birds through eggshell thinning. Studies have demonstrated that these contaminants have estrogenic potency and may affect the functioning of the gonadal and thyroidal endocrine subsystems. Petroleum crude oil exerts toxicity externally, by oiling of plumage, and internally, by way of ingestion of oil while feeding or preening. Extensive ultrastructural damage to the inner zone of the adrenal, diminished adrenal responsiveness to adrenocorticotrophic hormone, and reduced corticosterone secretion rate suggest that low levels of plasma corticosterone reflect a direct effect of petroleum on the adrenal gland. Suppressive effects of oil on the ovary and decreases in circulating prolactin have been associated with impaired reproductive function. Large-scale field studies of free-living seabirds have confirmed some of the inhibitory effects of oil on reproduction that have been observed in laboratory studies. Organophosphorus insecticides, representing the most widely used class of pesticides in North America, have been shown to impair reproductive function, possibly by altering secretion of luteinizing hormone and progesterone. Relevant areas of future research on the effects of contaminants on avian endocrine function are discussed.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMed2002

Mutagenesis by environmental pollutants and bio-monitoring of environmental mutagens.

There is serious concern about the adverse effects of environmental pollutants on human health. Various mutagens, which pollute air, water, and food, possibly induce mutations in humans, and are suspected of causing cancer. Environmental mutagens, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and heterocyclic amines are known to bind to nucleotides, resulting in the formation of DNA adducts. Some DNA adducts are fixed as mutations through replication of DNA. Reactive oxygen species generated by pollutants also induce the formation of DNA adducts. DNA adducts have been detected as a marker for the exposure of humans and wild life to mutagens. Because of its high sensitivity the 32P-postlabel-thin layer chromatography (TLC) method is widely used for the analysis of DNA adducts formed by PAH and related bulky compounds. However, new systems are required for detecting mutations induced in genomic DNA in vivo to monitor environmental mutagens. Recently, transgenic animals, in which a target gene for detecting mutations is integrated, have been developed. With these transgenic animals, not only mutant frequency but mutation spectra can be determined. We review here recent advances in the detection of DNA adducts formed by environmental pollutants and their application for biological monitoring of environmental mutagens. We also discuss transgenic animals as important tools for evaluating the total mutagenic potential of environmental chemicals.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Lactate dehydrogenase activity in human placenta following exposure to environmental pollutants.

The impact of environmental pollution at the place of residence of pregnant women and of their smoking habits on the cellular energy metabolism of placental tissue was investigated. Samples of full-term placentas were randomly collected from two environmentally different regions of Slovakia (Bratislava, Stará Lubovna) and the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was measured. Our results showed enhanced LDH activity in the placenta that was dependent on both the type of environmental pollutants at the place of residence and the smoking habits during pregnancy. The enhanced LDH activity may reflect hypoxic conditions due to the accumulation of heavy metals and toxic compounds of tobacco smoke in the placental tissue. A high content of heavy metal particles, found in placental samples from Stará Lubovna in our previous studies, might contribute to the increased LDH activity in placentas from this region. We hypothesize that fine metal particles deposited in the placental tissue might be phagocytozed by the syncytiotrophoblast, thus contributing to the decreased oxygen level in placental tissue.

Environmental Pollutants↗
PubMed1992

Molecular and genetic damage in humans from environmental pollution in Poland.

Extreme environmental pollution such as that found in the highly industrialized Silesian region of Poland has been associated with increased risk of cancer and adverse reproductive outcomes. Among the most prevalent carcinogenic and mutagenic air pollutants in Silesia are the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) which are largely produced by industrial and residential combustion of coal. Molecular epidemiology aims to prevent disease by using biological markers to identify risks well before clinical onset to allow effective intervention. Here, we use a battery of biological markers to measure molecular and genetic damage in peripheral blood samples from residents of Silesia and from persons living in a rural, less polluted area of Poland. The results show that their exposure to environmental pollution is associated with significant increases in carcinogen-DNA adducts (PAH-DNA and aromatic adducts), in sister chromatid exchange including high-frequency cells, and in chromosomal aberrations as well as a doubling in the frequency of ras oncogene overexpression. We found that aromatic adducts on DNA were significantly correlated with chromosomal mutation, providing us with a molecular link between environmental exposure and a genetic alteration relevant to cancer and reproductive risk.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Activation of transcription factors in zebrafish cell cultures by environmental pollutants.

Many classes of environmental pollutants are found at significant levels in the aquatic environment. We are designing a fish model as an inexpensive and efficient system for the assessment of aquatic pollution. Three classes of environmental pollutants-halogenated and nonhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and potent electrophiles-are known to upregulate particular mammalian genes via the activation of specific DNA motifs called aromatic hydrocarbon (AHREs), heavy metal (MREs), and electrophile (EPREs) response elements, respectively. We have made plasmid constructs, using these mammalian or trout response elements to drive the luciferase reporter gene. Here we show that transient transfection of the zebrafish ZEM2S cell line with these reporter constructs imparts dose-dependent gene induction upon exposure to a variety of chemicals within each of these three classes of inducers: [a] (AHRE-mediated) 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, 3-methylcholanthrene, 3,4,5,3',4',5'-hexabromobiphenyl, Aroclor 1254, and benzo[a]pyrene; [b] (MRE-mediated) Cd(2+), Zn(2+), Hg(2+), and Al(3+); and [c] (EPRE-mediated) tert-butylhydroquinone, Hg(2+), Pb(2+), As(3+), Cu(2+), and Cd(2+). As expected, some agents gave a response to only one of the three classes, whereas others gave a mixed (AHRE- plus EPRE-mediated or MRE- plus EPRE-mediated) response. In response to several environmental agents, we found that differences in the electrophoretic mobility shift assay, using the AHRE or MRE as probe, were consistent with the degree of transcriptional activation seen with the reporter constructs. Our data suggest that these reporter constructs might be valuable for the generation of transgenic zebrafish in order to carry out mechanistic and developmental studies of transcriptional activation by environmental contaminants; moreover, such transgenic zebrafish lines might be useful as a sentinel for assessing aquatic pollution.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

In situ assessment of genotoxic hazards of environmental pollution.

The potential impact of the environmental pollutants on human health can be evaluated by the laboratory analysis of the environmental samples or by the measurement of the biological effects on indigenous populations and/or specific test organisms placed in the environment to be monitored. A canary in a cage, used by 19th century miners as a biological indicator for rising levels of toxic gases, is a classical example of in situ hazard identification. The induced toxic effects are often the result of synergistic and antagonistic interactions among various physical and chemical factors that are difficult to reproduce in the laboratory. Therefore, conceivably the biological effects measured on or near the impacted site have greater relevancy for hazard assessment to man than from the data derived from the environmental samples analyzed in the lab. The organisms most commonly employed for the assessment of mutagenicity under real-world conditions are: (1) flowering plants, (2) wild and captive mammals, and (3) aquatic vertebrates. Plant species such as Tradescantia paludosa, Zea mays, and Osmunda regalis have been used for monitoring ambient air quality around several major industrial cities in the U.S.A., nuclear power plants, and industrial waste sites, and also for the assessment of potential health effects of municipal sewage sludges. Domestic animals such as dogs can be used as sentinels to provide information on the effects of contaminants in the environment and have been used to a limited extent to evaluate the environmental influences on the occurrence of breast cancer and osteosarcoma. Cytogenetic analysis from feral and wild animals has been employed for assessing the health hazards and prioritizing the clean-up efforts at hazardous waste sites. Aquatic animals have been used more often than terrestrial animals or plants to identify and characterize the genotoxic effects of environmental pollution. Since 1970, a number of studies has been reported on the mutagenic and neoplastic effects on aquatic animals from coastal areas and continental rivers, lakes, and ponds. The limitations of in situ environmental assessment are lack of control over the physical environmental components, inherent variability and interactions of test organisms, lack of control of exposure doses, and difficulty of finding concurrent experimental controls. Nevertheless, flowering plants, terrestrial, and aquatic animals may serve as useful sentinels and biomarkers of environmental pollution.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

[Psychological disorders and environmental pollution].

In the past years Environmental Medicine has established itself in the departments of community medicine. The clients of these health offices as well as those attending other Environmental Outpatient Departments and who suffer from anxiety in connection with environmental pollution show increasingly psychomatic and even psychiatric disturbances. This paper demonstrates, from the psychiatrists as well as the environmental physicians point of view, the relationship between psychological disturbances and environmental pollution in a typical case-history. The differentiation between possibly toxically induced symptoms and psychologically caused symptoms will be made clear. The aim of this interdisciplinary paper is to contribute towards reducing contact anxiety between Psychiatry und Environmental Medicine also to reduce the clients' fears of psychiatrisation and thus to facilitate therapeutic intervention.

Anxiety Disorders↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Susceptibility to environmental pollutants among minorities.

Susceptibility to environmental pollutants involves both biological and nonbiological factors. Individuals belonging to minority groups are much more likely to be subject to a number of these factors. This paper examines biological susceptibility of minorities to environmental pollutants and provides specific examples of susceptibility resulting from: genetic makeup; occupation; other factors such as compromised health status, exposure to mixtures of pollutants, substance abuse, and unemployment; and social inequality of access to health care, education, and communication skills. Recommendations are made for specific actions and for additional studies.

Disease Susceptibility↗
PubMed2006

Disturbance of human immunohomeostasis by environmental pollution and alcohol consumption.

Environmental pollution and consumption of alcohol evoke various immunomodulations promoting the progress of different pathologies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of alcohol consumption intensity on the immune system functions of humans living in ecologically different regions, i.e. in a district polluted with industrial siftings (Trakai, n = 270) and in a relatively clean district (Sirvintos, n = 250). In the Trakai cohort 96% and in Sirvintos group 89% of persons consumed alcohol. With regard to alcohol consumption habits the immunohaematological indices were investigated in the following four groups: abstinents, light alcohol users, moderate alcohol users and alcohol abusers. We determined the compensatory mechanisms of immune system functions of moderate alcohol users and alcohol abusers in comparison with abstinents in the relatively clean Sirvintos district. In the Trakai district polluted with industrial siftings such compensatory reactions where not found. Thus, damage to the immune system functions is not only an endogenous risk factor for many diseases, but also an indicator of organism injury. This investigation stated, that immunity disturbance in humans depends on alcohol consumption intensity and place of residence.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Identification of 5-(deoxyguanosin-N2-yl)- 1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydro-6-aminochrysene as the major DNA lesion in the mammary gland of rats treated with the environmental pollutant 6-nitrochrysene.

The environmental pollutant 6-nitrochrysene (6-NC) is a potent carcinogen in several animal models including the rat mammary gland. 6-NC can be activated to intermediates that can damage DNA by simple nitroreduction, ring oxidation, or a combination of ring oxidation and nitroreduction. Only the first pathway (nitroreduction) has been clearly established, and DNA adducts derived from this pathway have been fully characterized in in vitro systems. We also showed previously that the second pathway, ring oxidation leading to the formation of the bay region diol epoxide of 6-NC, is not responsible for the formation of the major DNA adduct in the mammary gland of rats treated with 6-NC. Therefore, in the present study, we explored the validity of the third pathway that involves the combination of both ring oxidation and nitroreduction of 6-NC to form trans-1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydro-6-hydroxylaminochrysene (1,2-DHD-6-NHOH-C). During the course of this study, we synthesized for the first time 1,2-DHD-6-NHOH-C, N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-6-aminochrysene, and N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydro-6-aminochrysene. Incubation of 1,2-DHD-6-NHOH-C with calf thymus DNA resulted in the formation of three adducts. Upon LC/MS combined with 1H NMR analyses, the first eluting adduct was identified as 5-(deoxyguanosin-N2-yl)-1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydro-6-aminochrysene [5-(dG-N2-yl)-1,2-DHD-6-AC], the second eluting adduct was identified as N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydro-6-aminochrysene, and the last was identified as N-(deoxyinosin-8-yl)-1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydro-6-aminochrysene. We also report here for the first time that among those adducts identified in vitro, only 5-(dG-N2-yl)-1,2-DHD-6-AC is the major DNA lesion detected in the mammary glands of rats treated with 6-NC.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Cadmium contamination in wild birds as an indicator of environmental pollution.

Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental pollutant that has serious toxicity in humans and animals and causes Itai-Itai disease. However, there is little available information on its contamination in wildlife as an indicator of environmental pollution. The Cd contents in the kidney and liver of 85 wild birds from 9 different prefectures in Japan were investigated. The ranges of the Cd contents in the kidney and liver in all birds were ND-174.4 and ND-21.2 microg g(-1) dry wt., respectively. The mean Cd contents were higher in the oil-contaminated birds than those in the non-contaminated ones. Furthermore, a strong correlation was obtained only between the Cd contents in the kidney and those in the liver of the oil-contaminated seabirds and not in the other non-contaminated ones. These results suggest that wild birds reflect the level of environmental contamination which should be monitored.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Environmental pollution and congenital abnormalities according to the data of environmental health monitoring].

Study of the environmental pollution (ambient air, drinking water, food and fodder) in southern Ukraine industrial region and study of congenital developmental defects were carried out. 78,678 newborns were examined. The most significant environmental factors responsible for congenital developmental defects, as authors proposed, were the ambient air pollution and environmental radioactivity.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗