Lindsay Pasquale
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Biological Poisons
Poisons are harmful to living organisms. The famous saying “the
dose makes the poison” relates to this very well because we are able to handle
a certain amount of a substance but there is a point to where it becomes
poisonous. That’s why we have standards by Occupational Safety and Health
(OSHA) agency or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), if a company is working
with a poisonous substance there is a standard of how much you are able to be
exposed before it becomes harmful. Some poisons are manufactured by humans,
others such as biological poisons are produced by bacteria, fungi, protists,
plants, and animals.
There are three different ways to get exposed by poisons;
absorption through the skin, inhalation into the lungs, and ingestion in the
gut. Our skin has an important job of forming a barrier against many poisons,
but it provides a route of entry for liquids. Inhalation provides a route of
entry into the bloodstream for volatile molecules. There are some enzymes and
acids that enable some ingestion poisons from entering. After exposure, most
poisons toxic effects come quickly.
Treatment is available but not guaranteed for every poison. Antidotes
is a common treatment available for a few poisons. Treatment focuses on
removing the poison from the body and maintain respiration and circulation
until the effects are reduced as the compound excretes over time.
The major agricultural chemicals are pesticides, which include insecticides,
herbicides, fungicides, fumigants and rodenticides. Herbicides is a chemical
which is commonly used to kill plants. The potential of this chemical to
produce toxicity in humans is low. A high dose of this can cause muscular and
neurological symptoms. Warfarin is an anticoagulant drug used as a rodent
poison. Originally, it was a drug to treat thromboembolism, a disease caused by
blood clots. The restriction caused by blood clotting by warfarin can lead to internal
bleeding. Since it can induce internal bleeding, it is also used as
rodenticide. Alar, is used as a plant growth regulator to improve the appearance
and shelf life of apples. But the use of alar has decreased because of the
harms it may cause. There were concerns that it may cause tumors in children
who eat the apples.
General air pollutants include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and
carbon monoxide. Sulfur dioxide is an acidic pollutant that irritates the
respiratory tract. If it irritates the throat, it will cause a harsh cough and
may result in a shortness of breath, lung edema, or pneumonia. Nitrogen oxides
are oxidizing pollutants; it can also cause respiratory irritation. It tends to
be more irritant to the lung rather than the upper respiratory tract. Lastly,
carbon monoxide is an asphyxiating pollutant that binds to hemoglobin more
strongly that oxygen. Tissues lack oxygen which result in many toxic effects. The
human brain is especially sensitive to lack of oxygen, in result most of the symptoms
are neurological. Asphyxiation is the term that describes lack of oxygen, which
is what carbon monoxide is.
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