5 minute read
April Monthly Luncheon
Wednesday, 6th April 2022 The Secret Life of Chemicals
We were honoured to welcome our guest speaker to the April Monthly Luncheon, Professor Alfred Poulos, who spoke about his book, The Secret Life of Chemicals, published in 2019. Prof Alfred Poulos has worked in universities, research institutes and hospitals in the UK, USA, Canada and has published over 150 papers in the international scientific and medical journals. While his medical and scientific research has been wide and varied, it has chiefly focused on the role fats play in health and disease. His recent interests are in nutrition, and in the chemical pollutants present in our food, water and the environment. The Secret Life of Chemicals provides a guide to the many chemicals present in the environment, and their connection to disease including cancer, heart disease and auto-immune disorders. Below is a summary Professor Poulos’s talk. Humans are exposed to a staggering variety of chemical pollutants. Sources of these pollutants include • Agriculture -APVMA • Plastics • Paper • Water • Electronic waste • Motor vehicles/transport • Power generation • Pharmaceuticals/supplements > 19, 000 FDA • Cosmetics • Clothing • Cleaning • Food additives • Building and construction • Mining • Smelting • Landfill waste • Fire retardants • Industry Some appreciation of the problem of chemical pollution is apparent from the USA Toxic Substances Inventory which lists more than 80,000 industrial chemicals. The Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicine Authority lists more than 3000 herbicide, 1300 pesticide and fungicide chemicals while there are 90,000 registered therapeutic goods, mostly drugs and supplements registered with the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration. Plastics in particular are a major source of pollution. There are many different types of plastics. In addition to the plastic polymers and monomers, plastics may contain a variety of other chemicals including initiators, antioxidants, dyes/inks, flame retardants, light stabilisers, plasticisers, lubricants, whitening agents, and antimicrobials. Environmental degradation of plastics results in the slow release of the various chemical components. Tiny plastics particles, referred to as microplastics, are also generated from the breakdown of plastics and are now found everywhere including the oceans, rivers, lakes and even in reservoirs and tapwater. They are of particular concern because of their ability to bind other chemicals, including pollutants. After being released into the environment, pollutants can be taken up by animals and plants. They have also been detected in human tissues such as in the blood and brain. Environmental chemicals have even been detected in breast milk in some of the most remote parts of the planet (e.g the Faroes Islands). The source of chemicals taken up are many and varied; and include food and food containers, drugs and supplements, water, indoor and outdoor air, smoking/ vaping, surgery/prosthesis/dental, cosmetics, soaps and other detergents. A major source of chemical exposure for many people within their occupation and there is considerable evidence that workplace chemicals can cause diseases. There are mechanisms in our bodies for detoxifying and eliminating chemical pollutants. One particular protein, cytochrome P450 plays an important role but there is increasing evidence that there are slight differences in the genes for this protein (and many other proteins), referred to as polymorphisms, and it is likely that these differences probably affect the efficiency of detoxification and excretion of many pollutants.
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A key question is whether exposure to the very small amounts of apparently non-toxic doses of the great number of chemical pollutants released into the environment from the many different sources is affecting our health and wellbeing. To determine whether our exposure to the small amounts of individual pollutants can cause disease, we have relied on animal studies to assess likely toxicity. Unfortunately these studies rarely take into account the fact that human exposure to a pollutant can take place over long periods of time – even years. Certainly the number of diseases, including for example cancer, respiratory and skin diseases, that are caused by gradual occupational exposure to non toxic amounts of different workplace chemicals is an indication that long term chemical exposure is potentially harmful. In addition, toxicology studies carried out on animals rarely take into account potential synergistic effects of chemical mixtures. That is when the combined activities of different chemicals produce effects greater than that predictable from a knowledge of the effects of each individual drug. Before approval for the use of a particular chemical is given, these factors should be taken into account. Finally, as it has been shown repeatedly that chemically stable substances, such as for example DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), fluorocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls break down very slowly and can accumulate in the tissues of animals and even humans, so this should be considered before approval is given for their use. Thank you Professor Poulos, for informative talk on The Secret Life of Chemicals! Professor Poulos is currently working on another book called “Obesity in the 21st century”. Here are some brief notes on the subject. It is somewhat sobering that, with a large proportion of the world’s population living in developing countries — with barely having enough to eat — the developed world is faced with an “epidemic” of obesity — an epidemic which greatly increases the risk of many different diseases. The emphasis on prevention of obesity has been on diet but diet is but one of many factors which play a role in the development of obesity. This book will look at these factors, and the latest research into how they contribute to the development of obesity, and the many different methods that are being used to treat and prevent obesity. This book is aimed: • to provide the latest and up-to-date information on research into the causes, health consequences and treatment of obesity • to educate and advocate for healthier lifestyle choices, a better understanding of diet and weight loss programs, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. • to enable a general reader to take informed action to reduce the likelihood of putting on weight and to reduce their risk of developing chronic illnesses We look forward to the release of ‘Obesity in the 21st century” and hope that Professor will be available to speak at our luncheon again in the near future.
