Chemical Hazards

Chemical Hazards

Chemical health hazards are often associated with chronic and acute negative health effects, whether long-term or short-term exposure. Usually, these chemicals can be from natural sources (such as volcanic eruptions) or from made-made sources (such as sewage wastes dumped into the river). Some of the health impacts can range from simple and acute symptoms, such as eye skin or eye irritation and nausea, to chronic conditions, such as kidney failure, lung disease, and cancer (Public Health Ontario, n.d). Therefore, it is often the role of public health care workers, including environmental health specialists, to counsel the public on health hazards associated with exposure to certain dangerous chemical hazards as well as provide proper guidance on how the public should access contaminated environments, including water bodies, land areas, and so on. As the community’s Environmental Health Specialist, it is one duty to inform and guide relevant public officials on what needs to be done to guarantee the safety of the population. Accordingly, it is essential to provide critical information to the city council about the issue of mercury contamination in the community lake region, which is not only one of the primary recreational and camping attractions for many visitors but also a major fishing ground. Specifically, the plan is to inform the park community about the potential hazards involved with swimming/fishing in the community lake because of mercury pollution. Do you need help with your assignment ? Contact us at eminencepapers.com.

Explain to the park community what the risks from fishing and swimming in the lake may be, due to mercury contamination.

Risk of inhaling elemental mercury

Mercury is a neurotoxin that can produce a range of behavioral and neurological disorders. Swimming/fishing in polluted lakes can expose people to minimal and, sometimes, substantial levels of mercury, depending on the duration of exposure. Besides the length of exposure, the toxicity of the lake will also depend on the form of mercury present in the lake. In this case, swimming and spending time in a contaminated environment can expose people to elemental mercury, which is mainly inhaled. Once people inhale these vapors (which is the main route of entry for elemental mercury), they are immediately absorbed through the lungs before quickly being passed into the bloodstream. Studies have shown that elemental mercury easily crosses the blood-brain barrier (WHO, 2017).

Inhaling elementary mercury vapors can produce a range of behavioral and neurological diseases, with some of the common symptoms being headaches, neuromuscular changes (such as twitching, muscle atrophy, and weakness), memory loss, insomnia, and tremors. It can also lead to disturbances in sensations, emotional changes (including excessive shyness, nervousness, irritability, and mood swings), nerve response changes, and reduced mental functions. If these poisonous fumes are inhaled for longer periods, they can damage the thyroid as well as the kidneys. In addition, studies have shown that high exposures to inorganic mercury can lead to death (EPA, n.d.).

Risk of ingesting inorganic mercury

Besides elemental mercury, swimming can also expose people to inorganic mercury, mainly ingested in contaminated water. Excessive exposure to an inorganic form of mercury can lead to damage to the kidneys, nervous systems, as well as the gastrointestinal tract. The common symptoms of exposure to substantial amounts of inorganic mercury may range from muscle weakness, memory loss, mood swings, mental disturbances, to dermatitis/skin rashes (EPA, n.d.).

Risk of ingesting organic mercury (methylmercury)

Finally, eating shellfish and fish obtained from the contaminated lake can expose people to high levels of organic mercury, especially methylmercury. Nearly everyone has at least some minuscule levels of methylmercury in their bloodstream, although they often occur at harmless levels. However, if the public is allowed to continue consuming seafood (fish) obtained from the contaminated lake, their methylmercury levels are like going to surpass the minimum levels. As a well-documented neurotoxin, these elevated levels of organic mercury will potentially result in symptoms like muscle weakness, issues with peripheral vision, problems with coordination in movements, ‘pins and needles sensations (around the mouth, feet, and hands), as well as impairment of hearing, speech, and walking (EPA, n.d.).

Compare the risks from being in the lake water or eating fish caught in the lake, for different types of lake users (pregnant women, young children, older children, adults).

Children (especially older children), if exposed to high levels of mercury (whether elemental, inorganic, or methylmercury), often develop pink’s disease (Acrodynia). The symptoms of this disease include hair loss, sweating, muscle weakness, behavioral changes, hypertension, increased heart rate, itching of the skin, pain, desquamation (peeling of the skin), as well as reddening of the soles and palms (Horowitz et al., 2002). Besides the peripheral neuropathic symptoms (pain and itching), children can also experience salivation, insomnia, memory impairment, and emotional lability. For young children (infants), exposure to significant levels of mercury might result in delayed development of visual-spatial awareness, language and speech, fine motor skills, and cognition. Therefore, if pregnant mothers consume or inhale large amounts of mercury, they might delay the development of their newborns’ motor and cognitive abilities. A study by Koren & Bend (2010) also indicates that neurodevelopmental abnormalities and brain defects in the fetuses can occur if pregnant mothers ingest huge levels of methylmercury during pregnancy. Besides harming unborn babies, mothers can also expose their bodies to several neurological and physical conditions, similar to other adults.

On the other hand, for adults, mercury toxicity due to too much inhalation or intake can result in several acute symptoms, including tremors, pathogenic shyness, numbness, memory issues, irritability, depression, and anxiety. Adults are also prone to mercury poisoning. The advanced symptoms associated with mercury poisoning range from vision changes, trouble walking, nerve loss in the face and hands, muscle weakness, lack of coordination, and difficulties in speech and hearing. Mercury can severely or even permanently damage motor functions at extremely higher levels. They can lead to kidney damage, permanent brain damage, and circulatory failure.

Prepare a list of recommendations and organize the list by potential uses of lake water and consumption of fish caught in the lake.

Potential Uses of Lake Water

1. Water for consumption (including drinking and cooking) should have mercury levels of below 0.5-1.0 µg per liter (WHO, 2005).
2. Water treatments methods, including sedimentation, coagulation, as well as filtration, should be used to remove inorganic mercury (which is effective in filtering out about 80 percent)
3. Activated, powdered carbon should be used because it can remove both organic and inorganic mercury during coagulation.
4. Ion exchange and granular-activated carbon can also be used as alternative treatment models.

Consumption of fish caught from the lake

1. Consume smaller fish, such as tilapia, cod, catfish, sardines, herring, salmon, freshwater trout, etc.
2. Avoid eating large predatory fish, such as groupers, sharks, and so on.
3. Avoid consuming properly uncooked or raw shellfish and fish. Proper cooking should be done at temperatures of 63° C.
4. Limit the fish consumed from the lake to less than 170 g (6 ounces) each week.

References

EPA. (n.d.). Health effects of exposure to mercury. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/mercury/health-effects-exposures-mercury#methyl

Horowitz, Y., et al. (2002). Acrodynia: A case report of two siblings. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 86(6), 453. doi:10.1136/adc.86.6.453

Koren, G., & Bend, J. R. (2010). Fish consumption in pregnancy and fetal risks of methylmercury toxicity. Canadian Family Physician, 56(10), 1001.

Public Health Ontario. (n.d.). Chemical health hazards. Retrieved from https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/health-topics/environmental-occupational-health/health-hazards/chemical

WHO. (2005). Mercury in drinking water. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/mercuryfinal.pdf

WHO. (2017). Mercury and health. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mercury-and-health#:~:text=Health%20effects%20of%20mercury%20exposure&text=Neurological%20and%20behavioural%20disorders%20may,and%20cognitive%20and%20motor%20dysfunction.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

---

Module 2 – Case

CHEMICAL HAZARDS

Assignment Overview

You are an Environmental Health Specialist in the public health department of the county where you reside. The city council is concerned about mercury pollution in a local lake area that is a major fishing and camping recreational attraction and brings many visitors.

Case Assignment

Your task in this Case Assignment is to:

• Explain to the park community what the risks from fishing and swimming in the lake may be, due to mercury contamination.
• Compare the risks from being in the lake water or eating fish caught in the lake, for different types of lake users (pregnant women, young children, older children, adults).
• Prepare a list of recommendations and organize the list by potential uses of lake water and consumption of fish caught in the lake.

Assignment Expectations

Use information from your module readings/articles as well as appropriate research to support your paper.

Length: The Case assignment should be 3-5 pages long (double-spaced).

Assessment and Grading: Your paper will be assessed based on the performance assessment rubric that is linked within the course. Review it before you begin working on the assignment. Your work should adhere to these MSHS Assignment Expectations.