Feb 01 2012
Today we discussed a few more factors that affect toxicity (see previous post), like route of exposure, persistence, and solubility. In particular, we made note of POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) like dioxin, PCBs, and DDT. Substances like these don’t break down in water quickly, and so may persist in the environment for years. Once inside [...]
Jan 29 2012
Thursday and Friday, we watched a video and discussed reasons children are likely to be more vulnerable than adults to the effects of environmental toxins: 1. Age/developmental stage. Children don’t just pop out of the womb with fully developed detox organs (liver, kidneys, lungs) or immune systems, so they may react differently to a toxin [...]
Jan 25 2012
Today, after another preassessment acitvity, I introduced the study of “harmful chemcials” or toxicology. Toxins are lumped into several categories (below) in the text, but some chemicals trigger effects that place them in multiple categories. The quote “the dose makes the poison” is a paraphrase by the Renaissance “scientist,” Paracelsus (you gotta check out his [...]
