Health hazards of modern-day living

SCIENCE and technology have gifted us with numerous conveniences of daily living, inventions and innovations meant to improve our quality of life, if not actually extend it.

Of late, however, we have been made aware that in the process of seeking to make life and living easier, we could be spawning new, unseen “enemies” that threaten our health in ways never before anticipated.

Here are four of such alarming developments – directly or indirectly traceable to scientific and technological advances – and the possible disorders and diseases resulting from them.

1. Contamination from industrial pollutants

The use and/or improper disposal of industrial pollutants, such as lead and mercury, can lead to hazardous and even fatal consequences, according to Dr. Irma Makalinao, pharmacy and toxicology specialist and professor at the College of Medicine of the University of the Philippines. The doctor explains that industrial-purpose mercury chloride, when dumped into river and marine systems, interacts with bacteria to “bio-transform” into methyl mercury, a highly poisonous substance.

Increasing numbers of marine life such as fish have been found to contain substantial levels of mercury poisoning, and humans ingesting such contaminated fish are likewise at risk of methyl mercury poisoning. In humans, Makalinao adds, “methyl mercury attacks certain regions of the nervous system. A classic example of methyl mercury poisoning is Minamata disease,” named after the Japanese city where it was first observed in 1956, which results in severe neurological disorders or even death.

Lead and mercury are also used in various amounts in the production of certain home and hospital appliances. Recently, lead has been found in children’s toys. Lead, even in tiny amounts, affects the development of the nervous system of a child, which makes the presence of this heavy metal in children’s toys doubly alarming.

“But it’s not only the dose that determines [the toxicity] but the timing of the exposure,” Makalinao says.

And if you think lead and mercury are the only problems in your glass of tap water, get ready for a virtual drug cocktail in your next sip. The Clean Water Action website points to an Associated Press investigative report in March 2008, which found the drinking water of millions of Americans possibly contaminated by a wide range of pharmaceuticals – from prescription drugs, to cattle antibiotics, to hormones, and even antidepressants. The health complications resulting from ingesting this “cocktail” is yet to be determined.

2. Abuse of antibiotics

It has become a habit. We come down with a cold or cough, and the first thing we reach for is antibiotics – without a health expert’s recommendation. That practice, according to former health secretary Dr. Jaime Galvez-Tan, has given rise to “new bacteria, new viruses” resulting in new, drug-resistant diseases such as the bird flu, swine flu, SARS, and new strains of dengue, to name just a few.

Indirectly, the overindulgence in antibiotics by the livestock industry presents the same danger to humanity. Veterinarian Dr. Rosemarie Antegro, who heads the viral vaccine production laboratory of the Bureau of Animal Industry, reveals that livestock feeds contain an abundance of vaccines, drugs and growth promoters. That’s on top of much of the same stuff being injected into livestock to ensure a seemingly healthy, heavy animal come slaughter time. The thing is, BAI inspectors have had their hands tied ever since the supervision of animal farms and slaughterhouses was “devolved” a few years ago, meaning the task of monitoring now lies in the hands of municipal inspectors.

As humans ingest drug-laden meat, they, too, become “treated” with the chemicals the animals were made to ingest. Galvez-Tan describes that a new, more toxic strain of E. coli bacteria might have resulted from this process.

3. Frying/grilling + poorly ventilated living spaces such as condos = cancer?

Now may be the time to rue the day you struck out the exhaust fan from your blueprint. Biochemistry, molecular and nutritional oncology specialist Dr. Romy de Villa, dean of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Medicine, theorizes that frying foods in a poorly ventilated environment can be a deadly idea.

“The most common way of cooking is frying. Frying generates fumes containing the chronically [not immediately] toxic chemical acrolein,” explains De Villa. “Frying foods in poorly ventilated condominium units can result in accumulated fumes that could be inhaled by the dwellers.”

Makalinao goes even further, pointing to studies suggesting that grilling meats isn’t as healthy as it sounds. “When we burn meat, what is generated are polyaromatic hydrocarbons [polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons].” These PAHs, she continues, are linked to the development of cancer.

4. Night owls dig early graves.

We’re not vampires or bats. We’re not made nor meant to sleep out the day and work through the night. But in the name of global commerce and all the dollars it promises, thousands of young Filipinos burn the midnight lines at call centers. The heavy trade-off is the natural hormone melatonin.

Melatonin production only occurs at night, and is dependent on a dark environment. Melatonin, according to Dr. Neil Nedley in his book “Proof Positive: How to Reliably Combat Disease and Achieve Optimal Health through Nutrition and Lifestyle,” helps keep insomnia at bay (insomnia being linked by some studies to depression). Melatonin appears to also slow the aging process, with particular probable effects such as being an antioxidant and an immune system enhancer. It could also help in coping with stress, and may increase one’s ability to experience pleasure, as well as maintain a positive outlook and mood.

Without melatonin, the health outlook for these young professionals doesn’t look so bright. –Tessa Salazar, Philippine Daily Inquirer