Toxicologia 🧫🧪

Gestión & Formación

9 Dec 201806:46

Summary

TLDRThis video script delves into the field of toxicology, a discipline that studies the harmful effects of chemical and physical agents on biological systems. It highlights the importance of understanding the nature and mechanisms of injuries caused by toxic substances. The script covers occupational toxicology, which focuses on the impact of workplace contaminants on health, and environmental toxicology, which deals with the damaging effects of chemicals in the environment on humans, animals, and ecosystems. It also discusses acute and chronic exposure, the classification of toxic substances, and the factors influencing toxic effects. The video emphasizes the significance of monitoring chemical behaviors and using biomarkers for detecting chemical substances in the body, such as arsenic, benzene, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and lead, to prioritize the study of chemicals based on their health risks and exposure populations.

Takeaways

🔬 Toxicology is defined by the World Health Organization as the study of harmful effects of chemical and physical agents on biological systems, and it assesses the extent of damage based on exposure.
👷‍♂️ Occupational toxicology focuses on the harmful effects of workplace contaminants on worker health, particularly in industries where exposure to dangerous chemicals occurs under unsafe conditions.
🌿 Environmental toxicology deals with the damaging effects of chemicals or toxic agents present in air, water, soil, food, and other environmental factors on humans, domestic animals, wildlife, and the ecosystem.
🧪 Toxicity is a property of a chemical molecule or compound that can cause harm or adverse effects on living organisms.
🚑 Acute exposure occurs over a short duration where the chemical or physical agent is rapidly absorbed, and its effects appear immediately.
🔄 Chronic exposure involves repeated exposure to low doses over a long period, leading to the accumulation of the toxic agent in the body as it is not eliminated as quickly as it is absorbed.
🌫 Toxic substances can be classified into various forms such as gases, vapors, mists, aerosols, dusts, fumes, and fibers, each with distinct characteristics and modes of exposure.
💉 The route of toxic exposure is crucial, with skin acting as a barrier, but some substances can be absorbed through it. Oral ingestion and respiratory inhalation are common routes, especially in occupational settings.
🔍 Factors modifying the response to a toxic agent are based on a triad of agent, receptor, and environment, considering aspects like genetic makeup, nutritional status, sex, age, emotional state, and environmental conditions.
🧪 Monitoring chemical behavior is fundamental and involves observation, assessment of individual exposure, and inference of substance frequency in tissues, organs, and body fluids, along with biological alterations.
📊 Biological indicators are essential for detecting chemical substances, with specific tests for arsenic, benzene, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and lead in urine, blood, hair, and saliva.
🛑 Criteria for prioritizing the selection of chemical or toxic substances for study should be based on the presumed threat to human health, the type of health disorder and its latent sequelae, the relationship with the agent's formulation and application, and the type and magnitude of exposed populations.

Q & A

What is toxicology according to the World Health Organization?
-Toxicology is defined as the discipline that studies the harmful effects of chemical and physical agents on biological systems and establishes the magnitude of damage based on the exposure of living organisms to these agents.
How did the understanding of occupational health effects evolve in the 19th and 20th centuries?
-In the late 19th century and throughout the 20th century, the knowledge of the effects of occupational activity in certain industries led to the recognition of serious diseases and deaths caused by exposure to dangerous chemicals and toxic agents under unsafe working conditions.
What is the focus of occupational toxicology?
-Occupational toxicology focuses on studying the harmful effects on workers' health produced by environmental contaminants in the workplace.
What is environmental toxicology concerned with?
-Environmental toxicology is concerned with the damaging effects of chemical substances or toxic agents present in the air, water, soil, food, and other environmental factors to which humans, domestic animals, fish, wildlife, and other ecosystem elements are exposed.
What is acute exposure in terms of toxicology?
-Acute exposure occurs due to a short-duration exposure where the chemical or physical agent is rapidly absorbed, either in one or several doses, within a period not exceeding 24 hours, and its effects appear immediately.
What is chronic exposure and how does it differ from acute exposure?
-Chronic exposure occurs with repeated exposures to low doses over a long period. The effects manifest because the toxic agent accumulates in the organism, meaning the amount eliminated is less than the amount absorbed, as the effects produced by repeated exposures accumulate.
How can toxic substances be classified based on their state?
-Toxic substances can be classified as gases, vapors, mists, aerosols, foams, dusts, fumes, and fibers, each with specific characteristics and behaviors under ambient pressure and temperature conditions.
What is the most common route of toxic exposure in the workplace?
-The respiratory route is the most common in the workplace, especially in manufacturing facilities, due to the frequent use of unstable substances that can be diffused and cause local damage or enter directly into the bloodstream.
What factors can modify the response to a toxic agent?
-Factors that modify the response to a toxic agent are based on a triad of agent, receptor, and environment, which includes analyzing aspects such as structure, genetics, nutritional status, sex, age, emotional state of the receptor, temperature, high partial pressure of oxygen in the environment, and factors of the toxic agent.
What are some representative biological indicators for detecting chemical substances?
-Representative biological indicators for detecting chemical substances include arsenic in urine, blood, and hair; benzene and phenol in urine; cadmium and chromium in urine and blood; mercury in urine, blood, and saliva; and lead in blood and urine.
What criteria are essential for determining the priority in the selection of chemicals or toxic substances for study?
-The essential criteria for determining the priority in the selection of chemicals or toxic substances for study should be based on the presumption of a threat to people's health, the type of disorder and its latent sequelae on health, the relationship of the agent's formulation and application, and the type and magnitude of the populations exposed.

Outlines

00:00

🧪 Introduction to Toxicology and Occupational Health

This paragraph introduces toxicology as a discipline that studies the harmful effects of chemical and physical agents on biological systems. It explains how toxicology assesses the damage caused by exposure to these agents. The text also delves into the history of occupational toxicology, highlighting the rise of serious diseases and deaths due to exposure to hazardous chemicals and toxic agents in unsafe working conditions during the late 19th and 20th centuries. The paragraph outlines the role of occupational toxicology in studying the health effects on workers caused by environmental contaminants and environmental toxicology, which deals with the damaging effects of chemicals or toxic substances present in air, water, soil, food, and other environmental factors on humans, domestic animals, fish, wildlife, and other ecosystem elements. It also discusses the concept of toxicity as a property of a chemical molecule or compound capable of causing harm to living organisms and differentiates between acute and chronic exposure to toxic agents.

05:00

🌡 Monitoring Chemical Behavior and Toxic Substances

This paragraph focuses on the importance of monitoring the behavior of chemical substances, emphasizing the need to observe, evaluate, or calculate an individual's exposure to these agents. It discusses the use of biological indicators for detecting chemical substances, providing examples such as arsenic in urine, blood, and hair; benzene and phenol in urine and blood; cadmium and chromium in urine and blood; mercury in urine, blood, and saliva; and lead in blood and urine. The paragraph concludes by stressing the essential criteria for determining the priority in the selection of chemical or toxic substances for study, which should be based on the presumed threat to human health, the type of disorder and its latent sequelae on health, the relationship between the production and application of the agent, and the type and magnitude of the exposed populations.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Toxicology

Toxicology is defined by the World Health Organization as the discipline that studies the harmful effects of chemical and physical agents on biological systems. It is central to the video's theme as it encompasses the nature and mechanisms of injuries caused by harmful agents, as well as the evaluation of biological changes they induce. The video discusses how toxicology is applied in different contexts such as occupational and environmental settings.

💡Occupational Toxicology

Occupational Toxicology is a branch of toxicology that focuses on the study of harmful effects on workers' health caused by environmental contaminants in the workplace. The video script mentions the rise of serious diseases and deaths due to exposure to dangerous chemicals under unsafe working conditions, highlighting the importance of this field in protecting worker health.

💡Environmental Toxicology

Environmental Toxicology deals with the damaging effects of chemical substances or toxic agents present in the air, water, soil, food, and other environmental factors. The video emphasizes how this field is concerned with the impact of these agents on humans, domestic animals, fish, wildlife, and other ecosystem elements, showcasing the broad scope of environmental health.

💡Toxicity

Toxicity refers to the property of a chemical molecule or compound that can produce harmful effects on living organisms. The video script explains that these damages can be caused by particular circumstances of exposure, such as acute or chronic exposure, and the effects can manifest immediately or over time due to accumulation in the body.

💡Acute Exposure

Acute exposure occurs due to a short-duration exposure where the chemical or physical agent is rapidly absorbed, either in one or several doses, within a period not exceeding 24 hours. The video script uses this term to describe a type of exposure where effects appear immediately, emphasizing the sudden impact of toxic agents.

💡Chronic Exposure

Chronic exposure involves repeated exposures to low doses over a long period, where the toxic agent accumulates in the body because the amount eliminated is less than the amount absorbed. The video script explains that the effects of chronic exposure manifest over time as the repeated exposures lead to a cumulative effect.

💡Toxic Substances Classification

The video script classifies toxic substances into various categories such as gases, vapors, mists, aerosols, dusts, fumes, and fibers. This classification is important for understanding the different forms in which toxic agents can be present and their potential routes of exposure to living organisms.

💡Routes of Exposure

Routes of exposure refer to the ways in which a toxic element comes into contact with an individual. The video script mentions skin as a barrier, ingestion as a relevant route through direct consumption of water or the toxic substance itself, and the respiratory route as the most common in occupational settings, especially in manufacturing where substances can be inhaled directly into the bloodstream.

💡Biological Monitoring

Biological monitoring is a procedure that involves observing, evaluating, or calculating an individual's exposure to chemical substances. The video script explains that it includes the analysis of samples and the inference of substance frequency in tissues, organs, and body fluids, as well as biological alterations. This process is crucial for detecting the presence of toxic substances within the body.

💡Biological Indicators

Biological indicators are representative markers used for the detection of chemical substances in the body. The video script provides examples such as arsenic levels in urine, blood, and hair; benzene and phenol levels in urine and blood; and levels of cadmium, chromium, mercury, and lead in urine and blood. These indicators are essential for assessing exposure and potential health risks.

💡Chemical Substance Prioritization

The video script discusses the essential criteria for determining the priority in the selection of chemical substances or toxins for study, which should be based on the presumption of a threat to human health, the type of disorder and its latent sequelae on health, the relationship with the agent's formulation and application, and the type and magnitude of exposed populations. This prioritization is vital for focusing research and regulatory efforts on the most harmful substances.

Highlights

Toxicology is defined by the World Health Organization as the study of harmful effects of chemical and physical agents on biological systems.

Toxicology assesses the magnitude of damage based on the exposure of living organisms to harmful agents.

19th and 20th centuries saw the rise of occupational diseases and deaths due to exposure to dangerous chemicals and toxins in unsafe working conditions.

Occupational toxicology focuses on studying the harmful effects of workplace contaminants on workers' health.

Environmental toxicology deals with the damaging effects of chemicals or toxins present in air, water, soil, food, and other environmental factors.

Toxicity is a property of a chemical molecule or compound that can produce harmful effects on living organisms.

Damages can be caused by particular circumstances of exposure, such as acute exposure occurring over a short duration.

Chronic exposure happens with repeated exposure to low doses over a long period, leading to the accumulation of the toxic agent in the body.

Toxic substances can be classified into gases, vapors, mists, aerosols, foams, dusts, fumes, and fibers.

The route of toxic exposure, such as through the skin, ingestion, or respiratory system, greatly influences the impact of toxic substances.

Skin acts as a barrier, but certain substances can still be absorbed through it.

Oral ingestion involves direct consumption of water or the toxic substance itself.

Respiratory exposure is common in the workplace, especially in manufacturing industries.

Factors modifying the response to a toxic agent depend on a triad of agent, receptor, and environment.

Monitoring chemical substances involves observation, evaluation, and calculation of individual exposure.

Biological indicators are crucial for detecting chemical substances, such as arsenic in urine, blood, and hair.

Other notable indicators include benzene and phenol in urine, cadmium and chromium in urine and blood, and mercury and lead in blood and urine.

Criteria for prioritizing the study of chemical substances should be based on the presumed health threat, type of disorder, and the populations exposed.