Word: toxicants
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...pall causes gagging and choking, and there have been reports of respiratory problems from as far away as Bahrain. Eventually some of the toxic by-products will enter the food chain and work their way up, a phenomenon dubbed petroleum poisoning. "I think the whole region is in for a bath of carcinogenic, mutagenic and possibly teratogenic chemicals," says Peter Montague of Greenpeace, referring to compounds that cause cancer, mutations and congenital deformities...
Upon further experimentation, Michaelson injected the rat livers with turpentine, a toxic substance. He found that he could thereby select for fibrinogen-producing cells, which fight the poison...
During a routine checkup two weeks earlier, Shawntea was found to have a level of 25 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood. If that toxic level is maintained, it could affect her mental capabilities and result in grave behavioral and physical problems. "She was living in raggedy housing and eating plaster from a big hole in the wall," says her grandmother, who accompanied her. To Dr. Needleman, that is an important clue; it is likely that some of the earlier coats of paint on the wall contained lead. "Make sure she washes her hands before she eats," he says...
Even in minute quantities, lead is highly toxic. Some historians suggest that widespread lead poisoning contributed to the decline of ancient Rome, where the metal was used for tableware, weapons, cosmetics and water pipes in aqueducts, as well as in the processing of wine. Its prevalence, some conjecture, may have caused sterility, miscarriages and even insanity, particularly among members of the upper classes, who imbibed heavily...
While adults, especially those in certain occupations and industries, are vulnerable to lead poisoning, small children are at the greatest risk. Dr. Joseph LaDou of the University of California at San Francisco explains that children are "exquisitely sensitive" to the toxic metal because their nervous systems and brains are still developing...