The relationship between the concentration of toxic chemicals in the environment (also known as bio-magnification) and the occurrence of diseases in animals, humans and all other living and non-living organisms in an ecosystem.
Hypothesis
An increase in concentration of toxic chemicals causes an increase in the occurrence of diseases in animals, humans and all other living organisms in the ecosystem.
Research Question
What is the relationship between concentrations of toxic chemicals in the environment (also known as bio-magnification) and the occurrence of diseases in animals, humans and all other living and non-living organisms in an ecosystem?
Aims
At the end of this research paper the reader should have In-depth knowledge on:
what bio-magnification
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It is a cheaper alternative for students.
Encourages continuous improvement as information can easily be edited.
Introduction
Bio-magnification (also referred to as bio-amplification) is a huge environmental problem all around the world. According to Romero et al (2017), bio-magnification is the increase in the amount or concentration of a toxic chemical or substance in the ecological food chain. These increased amounts of toxic substances can be found in water, soil, human tissue, animal issue and etc.
Some examples of toxins that ‘biomagnify’ are is Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), Mecury and Cadmium. These chemicals are commonly referred to as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP’S).
Real-life example of bio-magnification
1. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT).
A common example of bio-magnification is Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). DDT is an insecticide that was commonly used in the United States. DDT was banned approximately 40 years ago, after it was found that DDT poses some serious
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environmental concerns. According to Zhang et al (2017), DDT was the preferred pesticide because it is odourless, colourless, tasteless and is an effective pesticide in controlling the spread of
For example, a cow that is consuming intoxicating water the milk that is producing the humans are going to drink it and now is not only the cow being intoxicated, but the person consuming the milk. Leading to health issues, on top of that, pollution of the air because of the natural gasses the cars, truck, factories are thrown in the air. Ending with the person either getting really sick of intoxication or even death. The cow spreading this issue to everyone drinking milk and having the owner either to put him to sleep causing him to
The pesticide DDT banned in 1987 was a detrimental to the environment leading to it to be banned in 1987. DDT remains in the soils for a long period of time. The chemicals affect the ecology of the soil and water run off causing contamination of livestock and native animals and aquatic species. Studies indicated a range of human health impacts from DDT including cancers, infertility, miscarriage and nervous system impairment. The social and economic impact of DDT use in viticulture was significant.
Environmental Hormone Mimics and Their Serious Health Threats Chemicals affecting human health have been a problem for the past years and have still been a growing problem for our society. Issue 10 is concerned about this problem. It is pointing out the major harms and the reasons for this problem. First, it is talking about the argument that is against these chemicals. After this, an argument that says these specific chemicals do not necessarily have an affect in human health is discussed.
In his short story, “Top of the Food Chain”, T.C. Boyle effectively argues that humans are destroying their planet with chemicals and that the general consensus of the public is that it is okay. He argues this efficaciously through the use of rhetorical and satirical devices, which are used throughout his story. Overall, I agree with Boyle’s argument that DDT is an especially harmful chemical to our planet, and while it may have had a place at one time, there is no need for it any longer.
Evidence provided to support these claims of human and wildlife harm is largely from laboratory studies in which large doses are fed to test animals, usually rats or mice, and field studies of wildlife species that have been exposed to the chemicals mentioned above. In laboratory studies, high doses are required to give weak hormone activity. These doses are not likely to be encountered in the environment. However the process of bioaccumulation can result in top-level predators such as humans to have contaminants at levels many million times greater than the environmental background levels (Guilette 1994). In field studies, toxicity caused by endocrine disruption has been associated with the presence of certain pollutants. Findings from such studies include: reproductive disruption in starfish due to PCBs, bird eggshell thinning due to DDT, reproductive failure in mink, small penises in alligators due to DDT and dicofol (Guillette 1994, Colburn et al 1996). In addition, a variety of reproductive problems in many other species are claimed to be associated with environmental contamination although the specific causative agents have not been determined. One recent discovery that complicates the situation is that there are many naturally occurring "phytoestrogens", or chemicals of plant origin that exhibit weak estrogenic properties.
and is existing surely because of humans themselves- overpopulation. “Overpopulation is the problem” and causes other externalities such as pollution, deforestation, and a greater handful of biodiversity losses. In addition, overpopulation causes economic and political factors such as more consumption per person and the reduction of resources that can be provided per person. This contributes to the strain on ecological systems and the economic and population growth. With overpopulation, many resources become finite and an umpteen amount of ecosystems are being destroyed. Overpopulation relates to the impact of humans on pollution. Obviously with more human life, there is more necessity for jobs such as factories that give off fumes, automobiles, and the use for burning fossil fuels. In greater extent, this leads to an environmental factor in that it accumulates chemicals in food chains such as mercury, arsenic, and copper. It can lead to political problems as well, when trying to interact with other countries and stop the problem of global pollution and eventually endin...
The study was expanded to include pollution of the atmosphere by carbon dioxide, smoke, dust particles, and things of that
Toxicology." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. 4th ed. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Student Resources in Context. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
The poisons that we are introducing into our environment is causing us a new slew of health problems. We once had to worry about things such as the bubonic plague, but now, we have to worry about what Rachel refers to as “environmental disease” (p.169).
Biomagnified pollutants become more concentrated as they move up the food chain, becoming much more intensified at higher levels of the food chain than they are towards the bottom. They are soluble in fats, long-lived, mobile and biologically active, retaining in tissues for a long time. Below is a table of information of some common biomagnified pollutants.
Toxicology is the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms. Forensic toxicology takes it a step further, including a number of
that can endanger the health of human beings, plants, and animals, or that can damage
According many scientific researchers, our entire population has been dowsed with chemicals. There are several aspects of this dowsing that should concern us. First, and foremost, many of these chemicals are suspected to have damaging health effects on humans, as well as, other life forms. Second, most of these chemicals have only recently been produced so the environment is clearly changing and being challenged by these newcomers. Third, almost all of these chemicals exist in the forms and amounts that they do because of human practices-including agricultural, industrial, and many domestic activities as well. Fourth, many of the chemicals that we produce don't get used in a productive way-that is, they are wasted, disposed of, and/or left abandoned; consider that less than 5 percent of pesticides actually make contact with their host target. Fifth, most, if not all, of the chemicals used have replacements that are much less harmful or toxic. And sixth, and perhaps most discouragingly, many of us knowingly buy and use these chemicals without a moment's hesitation.
Everyday, alarming amounts of toxins are released into the atmosphere. Over the recent years global climate change, better known as “global warming” has become a worldwide problem facing our planet, and as the world becomes continuously warmer, the effects that climate change will pose to our planet and to the people who live on this earth, will be detrimental.
Efforts to improve the standard of living for humans--through the control of nature and the development of new products--have also resulted in the pollution, or contamination, of the environment. Much of the world's air, water, and land is now partially poisoned by chemical wastes. Some places have become uninhabitable. This pollution exposes people all around the globe to new risks from disease. Many species of plants and animals have become endangered or are now extinct. As a result of these developments, governments have passed laws to limit or reverse the threat of environmental pollution.