Question

See if you can conduct an exposure assessment for lead, mercury, formaldehyde, asbestos, potassium cyanide, or any chemical of interest to you. What are the sources of exposure; what is the frequency/magnitude and duration of exposure; how does the exposure occur – from drinking, air inhalation, skin contact, and so forth; and are there any sensitive groups within the population?

Answer 1

The sources of exposure includes

1. Water resources- like ponds, river, sea and wells. By analysing these water resources we can detect the presence of toxic materials.
2. From Air pollution- check the quality of air by assessing the level of contaminants, dust particles, fog, smog, smoke coming from industries as well as vehicles.
3. Mining stations- various toxic gases or substances might be present with the underground mining rocks or shells. Like asbestos materials.

The magnitude and duration

The magnitude will not be that much high, about part per million (ppm).

1. For example the concentration of Fluoride in drinking water must be up to 1 ppm. The fluoride ions make the enamel on teeth harder but if the F^- concentration is above 2 ppm it causes brown mottling of teeth.
2. The drinking water get contaminated with lead while using the lead pipes for transportation of water. The permissible limit of lead in drinking water is 50 ppb (parts per billion) otherwise it can damage kidney, reproductive system and liver etc…
3. Mercury is toxic to all organisms. It will cause brain damage by the bioaccumulation of mercury in the form of methyl mercury. This was evidenced by “Minamatha” matter in 1960 in japan. The mercury contaminated fish products killed the life of thousands of human beings.

The main causes of all these problems are not chemistry, but it originate from the misuse and mishandling of knowledge. take better safety measures, use effluent treatment systems in industry, control the population of vehicles using traditional fuels or non-renewable fuels, keep the purity of water resources always without ignoring, the officials and government authorities need to inspect properly, all these industries and instruments and take sudden action against pollution and pollutants.

Toxic gases will spread easily through the atmosphere without any reason. The excess quantity of elements like mercury and lead will pass through the bodies of one organism to another.