My new knowledge regarding toxicology does make me want to question my patients regarding their potential exposures in their homes, schools and workplaces, because their exposures can affect their overall health. Although everyone can be exposed to toxins, knowing the direct causes of ones' exposures allows me, as a healthcare professional, to educate the patient and reduce or limit their risk for being further exposed to toxins. For example, some occupations might have greater risks of exposure compared to others and I would want to ensure that my patients are in a safe environment when performing their jobs. I will definitely add this new knowledge about toxicology in my practice to have a better understanding of its harmful effects on my patients' health.
Fracking
I am not aware of any gas or oil activity in my community in the San Francisco Bay Area. I was doing some research and stumbled upon this page on Center for Biological Diversity, which contains a press release regarding San Francisco's approval of a resolution to oppose President Trump's plan to expand offshore fracking in the Pacific Ocean. According to the Center for Biological Diversity (2018), it is stated that "there are already more than 30 offshore drilling platforms and hundreds of miles of underwater oil and gas pipelines off California's coast. Operators want permits to frack offshore wells, using chemicals that are toxic to wildlife."
Lead
I do feel comfortable educating patients about lead-based paint poisoning prevention as lead can have detrimental effects to their health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2017) provided a very detailed infographic to educate the public about lead poisoning shown below:
There are tips from the CDC regarding the actions to take if there are elevated lead levels in my community's water.
I have not done any work on lead poisoning in the past; however, I have recently discovered that the lead problem in my community and in San Francisco Bay Area is primarily from paint from old housing. According to an article published two years ago on Reuters, the state of California had higher rates of childhood lead poisoning than Flint, Michigan. (The primary source of lead exposure was water in Flint.) The image below from Reuters and the California Department of Public Health shows the percentage of lead exposure in the state of California in 2017:
Asthma
I am not aware of the specific risks of adult onset asthma as a nurse but I am very interested to learn more due to exposure of particulate matter in the hospitals and other institutions. So far, I do not know of any nurses who developed asthma. However, I can see where the issue would arise as nurses (and other hospital staff) are constantly exposed to cleaning products (potential trigger to asthma) in order to keep hospitals clean and protect everyone that visits the hospitals from organisms. I suppose some ways of eliminating or reducing the exposures would be wearing masks to prevent inhaling the product and donning gloves to prevent direct contact with the product. It would be a lot easier if these products were toxic-free so everyone wins in a safe environment.
Perchlorethylene
I am not sure if there are any dry cleaners near me that uses perchlorethylene, because I, surprisingly and honestly, have never been to the dry cleaners. I did not know there are non-toxic alternatives to perchlorethylene but that is good to know after learning that it is a carcinogen posing risks to workers that work with the liquid. If I ever have to do any dry cleaning, I will now turn to "wet cleaning."
Center for Biological Diversity. (2018, January 10). San Francisco Passes Resolution Against Offshore Drilling, Fracking. Retrieved from https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2018/offshore-drilling-01-10-2018b.php
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017, January 26). Infographic. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/infographic.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016, February 18). Water. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips/water.htm
Schneyer, J. (2017, March 22). Exclusive: Lead poisoning afflicts neighborhoods across California. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-lead-california-exclusive/exclusive-lead-poisoning-afflicts-neighborhoods-across-california-idUSKBN16T18Y
Hi Candy,
ReplyDeleteFracking makes me so angry! The idea that the earth is being robbed of natural resources and then the pollutant from that process is being placed back into the ground is horrible. In the series we watched it was sad to see how little the United States is investing in renewable energy. The fact that waste water from fracking is left in pools near homes, which has the potential to contaminate the ground and eventually drinking water forever, is inexcusable. I feel the need to get more involved in my community and my environment to protect my family from what could potentially be going on around me. I did not find any fracking sites in Contra Costa county but there is a huge refinery less than 25 miles away.
I was shocked to find out about the dangers of PERC and the horrible effects it has for both those who work in effected dry cleaners as well as the patrons of those shops. I am also on the lookout for a "wet" dry cleaner to protect my family from the effects of PERC. My husband picked up my older son's dry cleaning today and I refuse to let him wear it until it is washed at home and taken to a "wet" dry cleaner - or I need to learn to iron.
Great Post!
Cinnamon