St. Paul University Philippines

! St. Paul University Philippines!
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500

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! SCHOOL OF NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF PHARMACY
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PHR126 – CLINICAL TOXICOLOGY
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EXERCISE NO. 7
Environmental Toxicology
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! Objectives:
I.
! 1. Determine
At the end of the exercise, the students should be able to:
different environmental toxins/pollutants and their effects in living
! 2. systems;
! 3. identify importance of environmental health;
construct an awareness program regarding environmental health.
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II.Discussion:
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One of the major environmental problems that the world is facing is Global
warming. The drastic change in the environmental condition greatly affects both living
and non-living systems,such as plants, animals, humans, different bodies of water,
land and the atmosphere. Different contributory factors considered is pollution.
Improper waste management, “kaingin system”, dynamite fishing, smoke belching

and few environmental pollution controls are some of the reasons of pollution. Climate
change was brought by pollution, and when it comes to connecting the dots between
climate change and health , the lines are clear. The large arrays of pollutants are the
major determinants for the different health effects associated to pollution. Pollutants
are considered as toxic substances or contaminants which can be detrimental or
harmful to living systems, especially to humans, upon exposure (acute) or for a long
period of time (chronic). Pollutants can be categorised as air, land and water
pollutants.
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General Categories of Pollutants
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1. Air Pollutants
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A. Ozone
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Ground level or “bad” ozone is not emitted directly into the air , but is created by
chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds
(VOC) in the presence of sunlight. Emissions from industrial facilities and electric
utilities, motor vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapours, and chemical solvents are some of
the major sources of (NOx) and VOC.
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Ozone in the air we breathe can harm our health- typically on hot, sunny days
when ozone can reach unhealthy levels. Even relatively low levels of ozone can cause
health effects. People with lung disease, children, older adults, and people who are
active outdoors may be particularly sensitive to ozone (EPA).
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B. Particular Matter (PM)
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“Particular matter”, also known as particle pollution or PM, is a complex mixture of
extremely small particles and liquid droplets. Particles pollution is made up of a
number of components, including acids(such as nitrates and sulfates ) organic
chemicals, metals, and soil or dust particles.
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The size of particles is directly linked to their potential for causing health problems.
EPA is concerned about particles that are 10 micrometers in diameter or smaller
because those are the particles that generally pass through the throat and nose and
enter the lungs. Once inhaled, these particles can affect the heart and lungs and cause
serious health effects.(EPA)
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C. Carbon Monoxide (CO)
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CO is classed toxicologically as a chemical asphyxiant. It can be cause harmful
health effects by reducing oxygen delivery to the body’s organs (like the heart and
brain) and tissues. At extremely high levels, CO can cause death.
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Exposure to CO can reduce the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. People with
several types of heart disease already have a reduced capacity for pumping oxygenated
blood to the heart, which can cause them to experience myocardial schema (reduced
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oxygen to the heart), often accompanied by chest pain (angina), when exercising or
under increased stress. For these people, short-term CO exposure further affects their
body’s already compromised ability to respond to the increased oxygen demands of
exercise or exertion (EPA)
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D. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO ) 2
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Nitrogen Dioxide, like ozone is a deep lung irritant that can produce serious health
effects if it is inhaled at high concentrations. Potential life threatening exposure is a
real world problem for farmers, as sufficient amounts of NO2 can be liberated from
fermenting fresh silage. NO2 exposure concentrations near roadways are of particular
concern for susceptible individuals, including people with asthma asthmatics,
children, and the elderly. 
 
The sum of nitric oxide (NO) and NO2 is commonly called nitrogen oxides or NOx.
Other oxides of nitrogen including nitrous a sic and nitric acid are part of the nitrogen
oxide family. NOx react with ammonia, moisture, and other compounds to form small
particles. These small particles penetrate deeply into sensitive parts of the lungs and
cause or worsen respiratory disease Ozone is formed when NOx and volatile organic
compounds react in the presence of heat and sunlight (EPA)
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E. Sulfur Dioxide (SO )2
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Sulfur Dioxide is one of a group highly reactive gasses known as “oxides of
sulfur” (SOx) It is a water-soluble irritant gas that is absorbed predominantly in the
upper airways and stimulates bronchoconstriction and mucus secretion in a number
of species, including humans. 
 
The largest sources of SO2 emissions are from fossil fuel combustion at power
plants (73%) and other industrial facilities (20%) Smaller souces of SO2-emissions
include industrial processes such as extracting metal from ore, and the burning of
high sulfur containing fuels by locomotives, large ships, and non-road equipment. SO2
is linked with a number of adverse effects on the respiratory system. (EPA)
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2. Land pollutants
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Land Pollutants can be in the form of:
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A. Agricultural waste- pesticides or insecticides, fertilisers dead animals or
animal wastes and land conversion.
B. Industrial wastes- waste from demolition and construction processes, toxic
industrial chemicals, mining and landfill.
C. Human actions- deforestation or “kaingin system”, desertification and
inadequate waste treatment or disposal.
D. Others- urbanization, metals production, nuclear research and soil pollution.
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3. Water Pollutants
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A. Microorganisms
-common water borne pathogens such as:
• Giardia lamblia
• Vibrio cholera
• Entamoeba histolytica
• Escherichia coli
• Entero viruses
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B. Water disinfectants
• Chlorine & Chlorinated compunds (Chlorites, Chloramines, Chlorine
dioxide)
• Bromate
• Haloacetic acids (HAAS)
• Trihalomethanes (THMS)
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C. Inorganic Chemicals
• Arsenic
• Asbestos
• Beryllium
• Cadmium
• Cyanide
• Mercury
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D. Organic Chemicals
• Benzene
• Carbon tetrachloride
• Chlorobenzene
III. Materials:
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Wastes/recycled materials (plastic bottles, garbage bag, plastics, newspaper, etc)
Art materials
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IV. Procedures:
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1. List down the different air, land and water pollutants and identify the source,
toxic effect and what to do to counter it.
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2. List down the government agencies and NGO who take care in protecting the
environment and their activities.
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5
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Name/s: ___________________________________
Year & Section/Set: ________________________
Score: ____________
Date: _____________
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ANSWER SHEET FOR EXERCISE NO. 7
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Observations/Results/Conclusions:
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1. Environmental Pollutants
A. Air Pollutants
Antidote
Air Pollutant Source Toxic Effects
Management
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B. Water Pollutants
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Antidote
Water Pollutant Source Toxic Effects
Management
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C. Land Pollutants
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Antidote
Land Pollutant Source Toxic Effects
Management
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2. Government Agencies/ NGO
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• Description/ Advocacy
• Activities against environmental pollution
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!Remarks/Conclusion:
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Questions to Answer:
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1. What is ecotoxicology? What are the ecological scales relevant to it?
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2. What are the health effects of the common air pollutants?
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3. What are the threats and effects of Global warming?
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4. What is Green-house effect? Enumerate effects on climate change.
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5. Describe and illustrate the mechanism of toxicity of Carbon monoxide
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6. What are the different Nationoal policies and programs for Environmental health
(Description)
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7. Enumerate ways on how to control or manage pollution
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8. As a pharmacy student what can you contribute to the improvement of
Environmental Health 
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! St. Paul University Philippines!

Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500

Improper waste management, “kaingin system”, dynamite fishing, smoke belching

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