Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Sept 24: Shourya Missile, developed by the Defence Research
and Development Organisation, was successfully flight-tested at 2.30
pm on Saturday from the launch complex-III of Integrated Test Range in
Balasore.
According to an official statement here, the missile with a range of
700 km was launched from a canister in a ground launch mode. "The
launch of the missile was perfect like in textbook and followed the
path exactly to the predefined target in the Bay of Bengal. All the
radar stations, telemetry stations, electro-optical stations all along
the East Coast have tracked and monitored all the mission parameters,"
it said.
Ships located near the target have also tracked and witnessed the
final event. The missile has reached the target within few metres
accuracy. It is equipped with multiple advanced computing systems,
very high accuracy navigation and guidance systems.
The missile is capable of carrying a war head of one tonne including
nuclear weapons.
DRDO chief controller Dr Avinash Chander congratulated all the
scientists and employees of DRDO and other establishments. DRDL
director Dr P Venugoplalan, ITR director Dr SP Dash, System Planning
and Implementation Centre director Dr Satish Kumar, and programme
director Dr AK Chakravarti monitored all the preparatory operations.
Dr A Joseph, project director, and his team prepared the missile and
conducted the launch flawlessly.
Pages
▼
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Friday, 23 September 2011
Neutrinos: When speed gets a new maximum limit
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Sept 23: City astrophysicist Dr BG Sidharth's theory on the
speed of sub-atomic particles neutrinos on Friday got a strong
scientific backing with the European physicists announcing that the
neutrinos have crossed the cosmic speed barrier.
It's a long held view that light travels at the speed of 29,97,92,458
metres per second and the famous theory of relativity proposed by
Albert Einstein is based on this speed barrier in physics. Now the
experiment carried out by Oscillation Project with Emulsion Tracking
Apparatus (Opera) at the CERN laboratory, 1.4 km below the earth, in
Geneva showed that neutrinos travelled at a speed of 29,97,98,454
metres per second. This exceeds the limit of speed in the universe.
Dr Sidharth, who heads BM Birla Science Centre, predicted way back in
2000 that the speed of neutrinos may show a sensational deviation from
Einstein's theory of relativity. His work replaces the usual Einstein
energy momentum formula with the so-called Snyder-Sidharth
Hamiltonian, which shows that the speed of neutrinos is slightly
greater than that of light.
"There are other interesting ramifications like the mass of a particle
and its antiparticle may differ slightly," Dr Sidharth pointed out.
The Opera result is based on the observation of over 15000 neutrino
events. The observation shows that neutrinos travel at a velocity 20
parts per million above the speed of light. European researchers,
however, are cautious of debunking the theory of relativity. "Given
the potential far-reaching consequences of such a result, independent
measurements are needed before the effect can either be refuted or
firmly established," says a CERN official release.
Hyderabad, Sept 23: City astrophysicist Dr BG Sidharth's theory on the
speed of sub-atomic particles neutrinos on Friday got a strong
scientific backing with the European physicists announcing that the
neutrinos have crossed the cosmic speed barrier.
It's a long held view that light travels at the speed of 29,97,92,458
metres per second and the famous theory of relativity proposed by
Albert Einstein is based on this speed barrier in physics. Now the
experiment carried out by Oscillation Project with Emulsion Tracking
Apparatus (Opera) at the CERN laboratory, 1.4 km below the earth, in
Geneva showed that neutrinos travelled at a speed of 29,97,98,454
metres per second. This exceeds the limit of speed in the universe.
Dr Sidharth, who heads BM Birla Science Centre, predicted way back in
2000 that the speed of neutrinos may show a sensational deviation from
Einstein's theory of relativity. His work replaces the usual Einstein
energy momentum formula with the so-called Snyder-Sidharth
Hamiltonian, which shows that the speed of neutrinos is slightly
greater than that of light.
"There are other interesting ramifications like the mass of a particle
and its antiparticle may differ slightly," Dr Sidharth pointed out.
The Opera result is based on the observation of over 15000 neutrino
events. The observation shows that neutrinos travel at a velocity 20
parts per million above the speed of light. European researchers,
however, are cautious of debunking the theory of relativity. "Given
the potential far-reaching consequences of such a result, independent
measurements are needed before the effect can either be refuted or
firmly established," says a CERN official release.
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
The so-called lower castes and tribals are genetically closer to one another than to people belonging to upper castes
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: The so-called lower castes and tribals are genetically
closer to one another than to people belonging to upper castes.
An original research study by the city-based Centre for Cellular and
Molecular Biology reveals that lower caste populations in India are closer to
tribal populations because of the tribal origin of the lower castes.
According to CCMB senior scientist Kumarasamy Thangaraj, the origin of
the caste system in India has been a subject of debate with many linguists and
anthropologists suggesting that it began with the arrival of Indo-European
speakers from Central Asia about 3500 years ago. Previous genetic studies
based on Indian populations failed to achieve a consensus in this regard.
In the present study the CCMB scientists analysed the Y-chromosome and
mitochondrial DNA of three tribal populations of southern India and
compared the results with available data from the Indian subcontinent in an
attempt to reconstruct the evolutionary history of Indian caste and tribal
populations.
The scientists did not find any significant difference in the mitochondrial
DNA between Indian tribal and caste populations, except for the presence of
a higher frequency of west Eurasian-specific haplogroups in the higher
castes, mostly in the north western part of India. On the other hand, the study
of the Indian Y lineage revealed distinct distribution patterns among caste
and tribal populations.
"The paternal lineage of Indian lower castes showed significantly closer
affinity to the tribal populations than to the upper castes. The frequencies of
deep-rooted Y haplogroups such as M89, M52, and M95 were higher in the
lower castes and tribes, compared to the upper castes," says Dr Thangaraj.
The study suggested that the vast majority (more than 98 per cent) of the
Indian maternal gene pool, consisting of Indo-European and Dravidian
speakers, is genetically more or less uniform, suggesting that invasions after
the late Pleistocene settlement might have been mostly male-mediated.
However, Y-SNP data provided compelling genetic evidence for a tribal
origin of the lower caste populations in the subcontinent. Lower caste groups
might have originated with the hierarchical divisions that arose within the
tribal groups with the spread of Neolithic agriculturists, much earlier than the
arrival of Aryan speakers.
The Indo-Europeans established themselves as upper castes among this
already developed caste-like class structure within the tribes. The Indian
society and culture might have been affected by multiple waves of migration
and gene flow that occurred in the historic and prehistoric times.
The first among this is the ancient Palaeolithic migration by the modern
humans during their initial colonisation of Eurasia. This is followed by the
early Neolithic migration, probably of proto-Dravidian speakers,
from the eastern horn of the Fertile Crescent. The Indo-European speakers,
who might have arrived about 3,500 years ago, are the third potential source
of Indian gene pool.
"Indian tribal and caste populations derived largely from the same genetic
heritage of Pleistocene southern and western Asians, receiving limited gene
flow from external regions since Holocene. The paternal lineage of Indian
castes are more closely related to the Central Asians than to the Indian tribal
groups, thereby supporting the view that Indian caste groups are primarily the
descendants of the Indo-European migrants," Dr Thangaraj points out.
The newly defined Indian-specific mitochondrial sub-clad, M41, was found
in about five per cent of the Pardhan samples. This lineage was previously
reported as an undefined M lineage found at a very low frequency in caste
(Brahmin, Yadava and Mala) and tribal (Koya and Lambadi) populations of
AP, but not anywhere else in India.
Indian populations were founded by a rather small number of females,
possibly arriving on one of the early waves of out-of-Africa migration of
modern humans; ethnic differentiation occurred subsequently, through
demographic expansions.
The results suggest that the Indian subcontinent was settled soon after the
initial out-of-Africa expedition, and that there had been no complete
extinction or replacement of the initial settlers; rather it might have been
restructured in situ by the major demographic episodes of the past, and by the
relatively minor gene flow due to the recent invasions from both the West
and the East.
The lower caste shows more similarity with the tribal groups than with the
upper caste populations (4.72 per cent difference between the upper
and lower castes). This is suggestive of a tribal origin for the Indian lower
castes. Geography does not seem to have affected this association of the
tribal groups with the lower castes. At the same time, significant variation
(6.17 per cent) was observed between upper castes and tribal groups.
However, variation of Dravidian tribal groups with Dravidian higher castes
was found to be lower (4.4 per cent) than that with Indo-European speaking
north Indian higher castes (8.1 per cent).
Hyderabad: The so-called lower castes and tribals are genetically
closer to one another than to people belonging to upper castes.
An original research study by the city-based Centre for Cellular and
Molecular Biology reveals that lower caste populations in India are closer to
tribal populations because of the tribal origin of the lower castes.
According to CCMB senior scientist Kumarasamy Thangaraj, the origin of
the caste system in India has been a subject of debate with many linguists and
anthropologists suggesting that it began with the arrival of Indo-European
speakers from Central Asia about 3500 years ago. Previous genetic studies
based on Indian populations failed to achieve a consensus in this regard.
In the present study the CCMB scientists analysed the Y-chromosome and
mitochondrial DNA of three tribal populations of southern India and
compared the results with available data from the Indian subcontinent in an
attempt to reconstruct the evolutionary history of Indian caste and tribal
populations.
The scientists did not find any significant difference in the mitochondrial
DNA between Indian tribal and caste populations, except for the presence of
a higher frequency of west Eurasian-specific haplogroups in the higher
castes, mostly in the north western part of India. On the other hand, the study
of the Indian Y lineage revealed distinct distribution patterns among caste
and tribal populations.
"The paternal lineage of Indian lower castes showed significantly closer
affinity to the tribal populations than to the upper castes. The frequencies of
deep-rooted Y haplogroups such as M89, M52, and M95 were higher in the
lower castes and tribes, compared to the upper castes," says Dr Thangaraj.
The study suggested that the vast majority (more than 98 per cent) of the
Indian maternal gene pool, consisting of Indo-European and Dravidian
speakers, is genetically more or less uniform, suggesting that invasions after
the late Pleistocene settlement might have been mostly male-mediated.
However, Y-SNP data provided compelling genetic evidence for a tribal
origin of the lower caste populations in the subcontinent. Lower caste groups
might have originated with the hierarchical divisions that arose within the
tribal groups with the spread of Neolithic agriculturists, much earlier than the
arrival of Aryan speakers.
The Indo-Europeans established themselves as upper castes among this
already developed caste-like class structure within the tribes. The Indian
society and culture might have been affected by multiple waves of migration
and gene flow that occurred in the historic and prehistoric times.
The first among this is the ancient Palaeolithic migration by the modern
humans during their initial colonisation of Eurasia. This is followed by the
early Neolithic migration, probably of proto-Dravidian speakers,
from the eastern horn of the Fertile Crescent. The Indo-European speakers,
who might have arrived about 3,500 years ago, are the third potential source
of Indian gene pool.
"Indian tribal and caste populations derived largely from the same genetic
heritage of Pleistocene southern and western Asians, receiving limited gene
flow from external regions since Holocene. The paternal lineage of Indian
castes are more closely related to the Central Asians than to the Indian tribal
groups, thereby supporting the view that Indian caste groups are primarily the
descendants of the Indo-European migrants," Dr Thangaraj points out.
The newly defined Indian-specific mitochondrial sub-clad, M41, was found
in about five per cent of the Pardhan samples. This lineage was previously
reported as an undefined M lineage found at a very low frequency in caste
(Brahmin, Yadava and Mala) and tribal (Koya and Lambadi) populations of
AP, but not anywhere else in India.
Indian populations were founded by a rather small number of females,
possibly arriving on one of the early waves of out-of-Africa migration of
modern humans; ethnic differentiation occurred subsequently, through
demographic expansions.
The results suggest that the Indian subcontinent was settled soon after the
initial out-of-Africa expedition, and that there had been no complete
extinction or replacement of the initial settlers; rather it might have been
restructured in situ by the major demographic episodes of the past, and by the
relatively minor gene flow due to the recent invasions from both the West
and the East.
The lower caste shows more similarity with the tribal groups than with the
upper caste populations (4.72 per cent difference between the upper
and lower castes). This is suggestive of a tribal origin for the Indian lower
castes. Geography does not seem to have affected this association of the
tribal groups with the lower castes. At the same time, significant variation
(6.17 per cent) was observed between upper castes and tribal groups.
However, variation of Dravidian tribal groups with Dravidian higher castes
was found to be lower (4.4 per cent) than that with Indo-European speaking
north Indian higher castes (8.1 per cent).
Laugh a day keeps the doctor away
By Syed Akbar
For the health conscious Hyderabadis, "an apple a day keeps the doctor
away" is no longer the magic mantra. This age-old proverb has just
metamorphosed for the stress-ridden Hyderabadis, who now believe that
"laugh a day keeps the doctor away".
No wonder then that the number of laughter clubs in twin cities has doubled
in just a couple of years. And the number is growing fast with new clubs
added to the list every month as more and more people are turning to
"laughter therapy" or "Hasya Yoga". The city has a couple of Hasya Yoga
centres where chronic health problems are simply "laughed out" without the
prescription of any conventional medicines.
Says Dr Sriranga Lakshmi, consultant neurologist at Apollo Hospitals,
DRDO, "when one laughs the neuro transmitters get activated and when these
are activated one overcomes depression. The work efficiency goes up.
Moreover, laughing also leads to our facial muscles and the whole body
being exercised resulting in burning of body calories".
One minute of a good bout of laugh is equivalent to 10 minutes of jogging.
"All one has to do is a hearty laugh, just smiling and giggling will not help",
says OA Seth, secretary of Hasya Yoga Club, KBR Park.
Seth points out that laughter therapy beats stress effectively and solves health
problems like high blood pressure, heart ailments, depression, cough and
cold, peptic ulcers, insomnia, allergies, asthma and migraine and even cancer-
related stress.
Shirin Panjwani, who runs a "laughter clinic", gives examples of two persons
recovering from severe health problems through simple laughing techniques.
Stating that "laughter is inner jogging", Shirin recalls how one Shyamala
Reddy got rid of chronic sinus problem within six months of taking to
laughter therapy.
"After all conventional medicines failed to give relief, Shymala Reddy
underwent laughter therapy. Within three months she set aside all her
woollen clothes she used to wear to keep herself warm to reduce sinus
problem. And within six months she got rid of the problem. Another person,
an officer in LIC, had his facial texture improved within a month of joining
the laughter club. All the wrinkles on his forehead vanished in no time," she
observes.
Hasya yoga or laughter therapy is a 5000 year old Indian tradition that
modern-day Indians have forgotten to utilise for their benefits. As the A
Japanese proverb says, "time spent in laughter is time spent with God", but
the Indian ancient texts have emphasised the importance of laughter in one's
life thousands of years before the Japanese learnt to employ the technique.
Laughing leads to release of endorthins from different parts of the body,
brain etc. These help in dilation of the blood vessels and improved blood
circulation resulting in good health, according to Dr Suchi Madhusudan,
consultant endocrinologist.
Dr Madan Kataria, who is known as the "Hasya Yoga Guru" and runs a
website extolling the importance of laughter therapy, argues that since more
than 70 per cent of illnesses have some relation to stress, laughter is the best
medicine to treat mind-related diseases.
Laughter reduces the release of stress related hormones and aids in
relaxation. "Our studies have shown that people suffering from a variety of
diseases have benefited in some way or the other. There is a 10-20 mm drop
in blood pressure after a 10 minute laughter session. The daily guffaws
strengthen the immune system of the body by helping to increase the count of
natural killer lymphocytes and raise the antibody levels. The antibodies in the
mucous membranes of the nose and respiratory passages increase after
laughter therapy," according to Dr Kataria.
A typical laughter yoga session in city parks, mainly KBR and Indira parks,
lasts between 20 and 30 minutes as too much of laughter is also bad for
health.
World-wide there are 3000 laughter clubs and of them Mumbai has 90 and
Bangalore 78. With new laughter clubs coming up in the city, Hyderabad is
all set to beat Mumbai and Bangalore when it comes having a "hearty laugh".
For the health conscious Hyderabadis, "an apple a day keeps the doctor
away" is no longer the magic mantra. This age-old proverb has just
metamorphosed for the stress-ridden Hyderabadis, who now believe that
"laugh a day keeps the doctor away".
No wonder then that the number of laughter clubs in twin cities has doubled
in just a couple of years. And the number is growing fast with new clubs
added to the list every month as more and more people are turning to
"laughter therapy" or "Hasya Yoga". The city has a couple of Hasya Yoga
centres where chronic health problems are simply "laughed out" without the
prescription of any conventional medicines.
Says Dr Sriranga Lakshmi, consultant neurologist at Apollo Hospitals,
DRDO, "when one laughs the neuro transmitters get activated and when these
are activated one overcomes depression. The work efficiency goes up.
Moreover, laughing also leads to our facial muscles and the whole body
being exercised resulting in burning of body calories".
One minute of a good bout of laugh is equivalent to 10 minutes of jogging.
"All one has to do is a hearty laugh, just smiling and giggling will not help",
says OA Seth, secretary of Hasya Yoga Club, KBR Park.
Seth points out that laughter therapy beats stress effectively and solves health
problems like high blood pressure, heart ailments, depression, cough and
cold, peptic ulcers, insomnia, allergies, asthma and migraine and even cancer-
related stress.
Shirin Panjwani, who runs a "laughter clinic", gives examples of two persons
recovering from severe health problems through simple laughing techniques.
Stating that "laughter is inner jogging", Shirin recalls how one Shyamala
Reddy got rid of chronic sinus problem within six months of taking to
laughter therapy.
"After all conventional medicines failed to give relief, Shymala Reddy
underwent laughter therapy. Within three months she set aside all her
woollen clothes she used to wear to keep herself warm to reduce sinus
problem. And within six months she got rid of the problem. Another person,
an officer in LIC, had his facial texture improved within a month of joining
the laughter club. All the wrinkles on his forehead vanished in no time," she
observes.
Hasya yoga or laughter therapy is a 5000 year old Indian tradition that
modern-day Indians have forgotten to utilise for their benefits. As the A
Japanese proverb says, "time spent in laughter is time spent with God", but
the Indian ancient texts have emphasised the importance of laughter in one's
life thousands of years before the Japanese learnt to employ the technique.
Laughing leads to release of endorthins from different parts of the body,
brain etc. These help in dilation of the blood vessels and improved blood
circulation resulting in good health, according to Dr Suchi Madhusudan,
consultant endocrinologist.
Dr Madan Kataria, who is known as the "Hasya Yoga Guru" and runs a
website extolling the importance of laughter therapy, argues that since more
than 70 per cent of illnesses have some relation to stress, laughter is the best
medicine to treat mind-related diseases.
Laughter reduces the release of stress related hormones and aids in
relaxation. "Our studies have shown that people suffering from a variety of
diseases have benefited in some way or the other. There is a 10-20 mm drop
in blood pressure after a 10 minute laughter session. The daily guffaws
strengthen the immune system of the body by helping to increase the count of
natural killer lymphocytes and raise the antibody levels. The antibodies in the
mucous membranes of the nose and respiratory passages increase after
laughter therapy," according to Dr Kataria.
A typical laughter yoga session in city parks, mainly KBR and Indira parks,
lasts between 20 and 30 minutes as too much of laughter is also bad for
health.
World-wide there are 3000 laughter clubs and of them Mumbai has 90 and
Bangalore 78. With new laughter clubs coming up in the city, Hyderabad is
all set to beat Mumbai and Bangalore when it comes having a "hearty laugh".
US Looks to India for Research on Medicinal Plants for Cancer Cure
By Syed Akbar
With more and more health-conscious Americans turning to plant products
for their daily needs, the United States is now looking towards the ancient
Indian systems of herbal medicine to unravel the secrets of cure hidden in
herbs native to sub-continent.
A team of American researchers visited Hyderabad early this week to chalk
out a strategy with local scientists to develop new medicinal products from
natural sources like plants and herbs. America does not have traditional
medicine while India has a heritage of natural medicinal products that trace
back in history to more than 5000 years.
The American scientists will utilise the traditional knowledge of herb-based
Indian medicinal systems like Ayurveda, Unani and Sidda and explore their
curative properties as part of their project to validate the medicinal properties
of the herbs grown on Indian soil. The emphasis will be on new herbal drugs
for cancer, malaria and other life-threatening diseases, besides natural
pesticides for agricultural use.
The demand for consumer products derived from plants, herbal products,
botanicals, dietary supplements, phytomedicines and nutraceuticals,
dramatically increased in the US in the past five years. But, the quality of the
products that are on the marketplace is highly variable and neither the
consumer nor the healthcare professional is able to distinguish between high
and low quality products.
"India has a rich tradition of herbs and herbal products. But many of them
lack scientific validation. Our research collaboration with the Americans will
help us understand these natural products in a more scientific way," says Dr
JS Yadav, director of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology.
The IICT and the National Centre for Natural Products Research, University
of Mississippi, have tied-up to discover new drugs from natural sources.
While India provides its rich and varied herbarium to the Americans, the
latter will revalidate the medicinal properties of Indian herbs for effective use
for the benefit of humanity at large.
Over the years, natural products have been the mainstay of drug discovery
programme. Although several other systems have come into being, desired
results could not be obtained. Hence the focus is again shifted to natural
products, says Prof Larry Walker, director of NCNPR, USA.
Natural products are currently used across the world as herbal drugs, dietary
supplements and neutraceuticals. With increase in demand for the natural
products, big pharma companies from across the globe have once again
shifted their attention towards natural products and increased their efforts
towards finding new bioactive molecules from them.
According to Prof Ikhlas Khan, director, FDA programme, USA, natural
products offer a vast and virtually unlimited source of new agents for both
pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. "As part of the MoU signed
between IICT (CSIR) and NCNPR, we are conducting basic and applied
multidisciplinary research to discover and develop natural products for use as
pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements and agrochemicals, and to understand
the biological and chemical properties of medicinal plants," he points out.
The Indo-US research focus will be on discovering new drugs for unmet
therapeutic needs such as cancer and infectious diseases, improving the
quality and safety of botanical dietary supplements, and discovering new,
effective agrochemicals that will not harm the environment. It will also target
on discovering bioactive natural products, developing novel technologies and
processes that facilitate the discovery of bioactive natural products and
providing research based information on plant-derived products with
medicinal or agricultural applications.
Prof Walker says that emphasis will be on agents that control certain
infectious diseases, cancer and immune disorders. Chemical constituents
responsible for biological effects are identified and then either isolated and
purified in the search for new single entity pharmaceutical ingredients, or
characterised and standardised in the search for new multicomponent
botanical products.
Current products include the discovery and development of antifungal agents
for life-threatening infections, anti-cancer agents that target specific critical
processes in the cancer cell, antibiotics effective against bacteria that are
resistant to many current antibiotics, new drugs for tuberculosis, malaria and
other tropical parasitic diseases, antioxidants for cancer prevention,
immunostimulatory botanicals, anti-inflammatory botanicals, and the
development of Dronabinol Hemisuccinate suppositories to control nausea
due to chemotherapy and for pain management.
"Our goal is to identify botanical products with the potential to improve
human health and to conduct applied research that will enhance the safe and
proper use of botanical products by heatlhcare professionals and consumers,"
says Prof Khan.
Although the science of pharmacognosy is enjoying a vigorous renaissance
due to the widespread use of herbal medicine and natural products as
supplements, Dr Yadav feels that challenges are being faced to authenticate
and standardise these products.
On the other hand re-emerging diseases require new approaches and
solutions. As history indicates, the best source for new chemical entities is
the natural source. "In order to explore full potential of natural products the
collaborative research is needed," he says.
"Our natural products research effort is a broad, multidisciplinary, integrated
programme with three major emphasis areas: the discovery and early
development of potential new drugs and agrochemicals from natural
products; the understanding and science-based characterisation of botanical
products used as dietary supplements; and research on medicinal plants, the
production and processing of their pharmaceutical actives, and their potential
for the development of alternative crops", observes Prof Walker.
With more and more health-conscious Americans turning to plant products
for their daily needs, the United States is now looking towards the ancient
Indian systems of herbal medicine to unravel the secrets of cure hidden in
herbs native to sub-continent.
A team of American researchers visited Hyderabad early this week to chalk
out a strategy with local scientists to develop new medicinal products from
natural sources like plants and herbs. America does not have traditional
medicine while India has a heritage of natural medicinal products that trace
back in history to more than 5000 years.
The American scientists will utilise the traditional knowledge of herb-based
Indian medicinal systems like Ayurveda, Unani and Sidda and explore their
curative properties as part of their project to validate the medicinal properties
of the herbs grown on Indian soil. The emphasis will be on new herbal drugs
for cancer, malaria and other life-threatening diseases, besides natural
pesticides for agricultural use.
The demand for consumer products derived from plants, herbal products,
botanicals, dietary supplements, phytomedicines and nutraceuticals,
dramatically increased in the US in the past five years. But, the quality of the
products that are on the marketplace is highly variable and neither the
consumer nor the healthcare professional is able to distinguish between high
and low quality products.
"India has a rich tradition of herbs and herbal products. But many of them
lack scientific validation. Our research collaboration with the Americans will
help us understand these natural products in a more scientific way," says Dr
JS Yadav, director of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology.
The IICT and the National Centre for Natural Products Research, University
of Mississippi, have tied-up to discover new drugs from natural sources.
While India provides its rich and varied herbarium to the Americans, the
latter will revalidate the medicinal properties of Indian herbs for effective use
for the benefit of humanity at large.
Over the years, natural products have been the mainstay of drug discovery
programme. Although several other systems have come into being, desired
results could not be obtained. Hence the focus is again shifted to natural
products, says Prof Larry Walker, director of NCNPR, USA.
Natural products are currently used across the world as herbal drugs, dietary
supplements and neutraceuticals. With increase in demand for the natural
products, big pharma companies from across the globe have once again
shifted their attention towards natural products and increased their efforts
towards finding new bioactive molecules from them.
According to Prof Ikhlas Khan, director, FDA programme, USA, natural
products offer a vast and virtually unlimited source of new agents for both
pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. "As part of the MoU signed
between IICT (CSIR) and NCNPR, we are conducting basic and applied
multidisciplinary research to discover and develop natural products for use as
pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements and agrochemicals, and to understand
the biological and chemical properties of medicinal plants," he points out.
The Indo-US research focus will be on discovering new drugs for unmet
therapeutic needs such as cancer and infectious diseases, improving the
quality and safety of botanical dietary supplements, and discovering new,
effective agrochemicals that will not harm the environment. It will also target
on discovering bioactive natural products, developing novel technologies and
processes that facilitate the discovery of bioactive natural products and
providing research based information on plant-derived products with
medicinal or agricultural applications.
Prof Walker says that emphasis will be on agents that control certain
infectious diseases, cancer and immune disorders. Chemical constituents
responsible for biological effects are identified and then either isolated and
purified in the search for new single entity pharmaceutical ingredients, or
characterised and standardised in the search for new multicomponent
botanical products.
Current products include the discovery and development of antifungal agents
for life-threatening infections, anti-cancer agents that target specific critical
processes in the cancer cell, antibiotics effective against bacteria that are
resistant to many current antibiotics, new drugs for tuberculosis, malaria and
other tropical parasitic diseases, antioxidants for cancer prevention,
immunostimulatory botanicals, anti-inflammatory botanicals, and the
development of Dronabinol Hemisuccinate suppositories to control nausea
due to chemotherapy and for pain management.
"Our goal is to identify botanical products with the potential to improve
human health and to conduct applied research that will enhance the safe and
proper use of botanical products by heatlhcare professionals and consumers,"
says Prof Khan.
Although the science of pharmacognosy is enjoying a vigorous renaissance
due to the widespread use of herbal medicine and natural products as
supplements, Dr Yadav feels that challenges are being faced to authenticate
and standardise these products.
On the other hand re-emerging diseases require new approaches and
solutions. As history indicates, the best source for new chemical entities is
the natural source. "In order to explore full potential of natural products the
collaborative research is needed," he says.
"Our natural products research effort is a broad, multidisciplinary, integrated
programme with three major emphasis areas: the discovery and early
development of potential new drugs and agrochemicals from natural
products; the understanding and science-based characterisation of botanical
products used as dietary supplements; and research on medicinal plants, the
production and processing of their pharmaceutical actives, and their potential
for the development of alternative crops", observes Prof Walker.
Human health and pollution: How safe is the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe?
By Syed Akbar
How safe is the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe?
Research studies show that with rapid urbanisation and consequent increase
in pollution levels, the "burden of disease" has increased manifold during the
last one decade.
Incidence of autism in children due to pollution increased 10 fold while male
birth defects went up by two times with sperm count decreasing by one per
cent every year. The burden of asthma in children shot up by 200 per cent
even as acute lymphocytic leukaemia (cancer of white blood cells) recorded a
62 per cent increase. Incidence of childhood brain cancer increased by 30 per
cent. Preterm births recorded 23 per cent increase while infertility in couples
went up by five to 10 per cent. Pollution is also the major factor in three to
five per cent of birth defects in India.
The statistics are alarming. But more shocking are research reports that reveal
that vegetables, fruits, cereals and even fish tend to accumulate heavy metals
and dangerous chemicals from the soil. This simply means we consume a
plethora of harmful chemicals and metals ranging from phthalate esters to
mercury whenever we eat fruits or vegetables. These dangerous elements
continue to accumulate in our bodies through food, water and air and cause a
"synergetic effect", the overall result of which is disastrous to our health. The
chemical accumulation in the food chain is because of water pollution and the
increasing tendency to use sewage (treated or untreated) for horticulture.
The Environmental Working Group of the United States, in a chemical
analysis of placental blood of 10 new born babies, found that on an average
200 industrial chemicals and pollutants in the umbilical cord. The total
number of chemicals that made their way into the blood stream of the babies
through their mothers is a whopping 287.
Of the 287 chemicals detected in umbilical cord blood, as many as 180 cause
cancer, 217 are poisonous to the brain and nervous system and 208 cause
birth defects.
With pollution eating into the health, the adult mortality rate (probability of
dying per 1,000 population between 15 and 60 years of age) for Indians by
the World Health Organisation is as high as 275 for men and 202 for women.
This is as against 91 and 48 respectively for Israel and 198 and 136
respectively for Lebanon despite these two countries witnessing large-scale
deaths in violence. If put in simple words, pollution has emerged a major
killing factor as compared with deaths in insurgency or terrorism.
According to a National Environment and Health Action Plan report for India
by the World Health Organisation, about 70 to 80 per cent of water borne
diseases are caused due to contamination of surface and ground water due to
discharge of untreated/partially treated sewage and industrial effluents into
the water bodies.
The University of Hyderabad which conducted a study on horticultural crops
grown on the polluted riverbed of Musi found "bioaccumulation" in a number
of leafy vegetables, vegetables and fruits including pomegranates. Irrigation
of agricultural fields with treated/ untreated effluent containing heavy metals
such as chromium, lead, mercury or arsenic will also lead to absorption of
harmful elements into plant bodies through roots.
Research by Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University revealed pesticide
residue in vegetables and fruits. Though most of the pesticide goes off with
the washing, still minute portions remain and this minute quantity goes on
accumulating in the body causing serious health problems including cancer.
Another WHO report focusing on Southeast Asia region points out that over
40 per cent of the global burden of diseases from environmental factors falls
upon children below five years of age. More than five million children die
each year from environmental-related diseases.
According to the report, in India each year over three million people die
prematurely from water-related diseases and another two million succumb to
indoor air pollution from smoky stoves. Infants and young children top the
list followed by women from rural households. One million die from urban
air pollution.
Increased industrialisation and urbanisation has resulted in hundreds of
thousands of chemicals being released into the atmosphere every day. What
worries the health experts is that the health hazards of only a very few of
these chemicals are known. Most commonly used chemicals like
organochlorines can cause grave harm to the unborn or new-born child. In
some cases the foetus is also affected.
Studies by Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition have shown that
the milk of Indian mothers contains among the highest amount of the
insecticide HCH (Hexachlorocyclohexanes) anywhere in the world. Another
NIN report shows that excessive administration of veterinary medicines to
cattle is leading to pharmaceutical residues in the cattle milk. No wonder then
that you take a bout of veterinary medical residues along with your morning
tea or coffee. Moreover, increased absorption and storage of toxins in the
growing organs of children and adolescents increase the chance for
development of serious or life threatening disease throughout life.
The chemicals and metals that have made their way into our bodies through
either the food chain or vehicular pollution include mercury (accumulates in
seafood and harms brain development); Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (from
burning petrol or garbage and causes cancer); Polybrominated
dibenzodioxins and furans (plastic production and incineration, harms
hormone system); Perfluorinated chemicals (from products like Teflon and
food wrap coatings, birth defects and cancer); Polychlorinated
dibenzodioxins and furans (from PVC production, causes cancer);
Organochlorine pesticides (DDT and other pesticides, reproductive defects);
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (furniture foam, computers, and televisions,
affects thyroid); Polychlorinated Naphthalene (Wood preservatives and
varnishes, causes liver and kidney damage); and Polychlorinated biphenyls
(Industrial insulators, nervous system problems).
--------
The Ill Effects
--------
At risk are our reproductive, immune and digestive systems. Harmful effects
of pollution, particularly the air pollution (both indoor and outdoor), on
human body have been well established by a series of studies in Hyderabad
conducted by the National Institute of Nutrition, the Centre for Cellular and
Molecular Biology, the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, the Institute
of Genetics and Hospital for Genetic Diseases (Osmania University), Owaisi
Hospital and Research Centre and Mahavir Hospital among others.
Atmospheric pollution can damage male and female reproduction, immune
system, hearing, cardiovascular (heart) system and blood, liver, skin, lungs,
brain and nerves, kidneys, stomach and intestines, hormonal system and
vision and cause cancer and birth defects.
"Ozone layer depletion is occurring because of pollution, which is leading to
UV light reaching earth", says dermatologist Dr Anup Lahiry adding that
"this in turn is leading to sensitivity to light, skin allergies and ageing of the
skin. Pollution is also making skin more oily and acme prone".
A study on the harmful effects of vehicular pollution on children by the
National Institute of Nutrition showed that nearly one-third of those tested in
Hyderabad had lead levels of 15 micrograms per decilitre or more in their
blood. This is as against the upper permissible limit of 10 microgram per
decilitre.
The study revealed that lead toxicity not only inhibits cognitive development
and loss of intelligence but also causes anaemia and progressive damage to
organs. Chronic low level exposure to lead damages organ system including
brain, nervous system, haemoglobin synthesis and renal functions.
Automobile emissions enter lungs directly and from there into the blood
stream. In some cases the pollutants enter bone marrow and remain there for
as long as six years. The damage is gradual but irreversible.
Says consultant palmonologist Dr S Mallikarjun Rao, "industrial pollution
and mainly vehicular pollution is leading to high levels of air pollution. The
air has high levels of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen,
suspended particular matter and other chemicals causing allergic reactions,
recurrent cold, bronchitis, precipitate asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease, lung cancers etc. It also leads to increase in mental stress levels.
There is increase in the incidence of such diseases in cities like Hyderabad in
the recent past".
Heavy metal contaminants like mercury retard normal brain development and
lead to permanent impairment. Vinyl teethers and plastic toys commonly sold
in the Indian markets contain chemicals such as DEHP (Di (2-ethylhexyl)
phthalate), that leach and hamper the development of the child's reproductive
system.
A survey by UNICEF in different parts of the country reveals that 19.3 per
cent of under five children suffer from acute respiratory infections.
According to WHO, indoor air pollution from solid fuels ranks fourth among
risks to human health in developing countries and ranks higher still in India
(third), just below malnutrition and lack of safe sanitation and drinking
water. As many as 34,000 women die every year in the country due to
chronic obstructive disorders.
No wonder then that the number of pollution related patients has increased in
cities like Hyderabad, New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai.
"Lots of patients with respiratory allergies from simple running nose to
severe asthmas are reporting of late due to air pollution. Constant exposure to
noise due to vehicular traffic and blaring sounds from loud speakers can lead
to hearing loss at an early age. Such noise can also lead to irritation.
Prevention and protection is the best option," suggests senior ENT surgeon
Dr Sajeet Kumar.
With the discovery of vaccines infectious diseases like polio, smallpox,
diphtheria and rheumatic fever have declined. Surprisingly pollution-related
health problems including asthma, autism, attention deficit and hyperactivity
disorders, childhood brain cancer and acute lymphocytic leukaemia have
increased in the recent past.
-------
Infertility
-------
Pollution and infertility. May sound strange. But studies by the Hyderabad-
based Centre for Infertility Management, Hetero Research Foundation,
Owaisi Hospital and Research Centre show that chemical pollutants like
phthalate esters are causing endometriosis in women. What is worrying is
that women are also passing on infertility to their sons, besides suffering
themselves from the painful endometriosis.
"Women with endometriosis showed significantly higher concentrations of
Di-n-Butyl Phthalate, Butyl Benzyl Phthalate, Di-n-Octy phthalate and
diethyl Hexyl phthalate," points out fertility expert Dr Roya Rozati
concluding that phthalate esters are instrumental in the aetiology of
endometriosis. As many as 49 infertile women were studied for the purpose
in Hyderabad.
Carbon monoxide from burning of fossil fuels combines with haemoglobin in
the blood to form carboxyhemoglobin reducing the oxygen carrying capacity
of the blood. This poisonous gas also contributes to adverse pregnancy
outcomes, including miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight, and early infant
mortality.
"Environmental pollution is directly related to malfunction of testes leading
to male infertility. It is also related to failures in treatment in reproductive
units (test tube baby centres). It can also cause ovarian dysfunction, resulting
in female infertility," warns Dr Meera Rajagopal a fertility specialist at
Akshaya Fertility Centre.
Pollution is also stated to be the cause of undescended testis in infants. This
is a common birth defect with two to five per cent of babies born having
undescended testis. But with increasing levels of pollution, the percentage of
children suffering from the problem has increased greatly even in developed
countries like the USA. Pollution prevents testicles from completely
descending into the scrotum during pregnancy. Children born with this defect
are at higher risk for testicular cancer and breast cancer.
Five to 10 per cent of couples suffer from infertility-related problems. About
50 per cent of pregnancies end in abortions and three to five per cent of
babies are born with defects.
Health experts have found significant regional differences in sperm count
that cannot be explained by differences in genetic factors. Pollution is also
related to increasing incidence of hypospadias (deformed penis). Average
sperm counts in industrialised countries appear to be declining at a rate of
about one percent each year.
====
Cancers
====
Incidence of cancers particularly of lung, breast, uterus, testicular, prostate
and gastrointestinal tract. Exposure to chemicals like dioxin during foetal
development has been found to cause endocrine-related cancers like breast
and uterine cancers in women. Dioxin in men even in minute quantities (0.02
to 10 parts per billion) will change the testosterone levels and cause diabetes
and also changes the sex ratio of children i.e. a man with this much little
quantity of dioxine in the blood will father twice as many girls as boys.
"Environmental pollution has several deleterious effects on diseases of
kidney and urinary bladder. Some specific agents when exposed for a long
time can also cause bladder cancer. Water pollution in relation to kidney
stones is under investigation," says senior urologist Dr V Raja Gopal.
Childhood cancer cases increased by 27.1 per cent while brain and nervous
systems cancers increased by 56.5 per cent. The incidence of testicular cancer
also went up to 66 per cent. The effect of pollution on cancers can be gauged
from the fact that only 10 per cent of cancers are related to genetic factors
and the rest to environment pollution.
Pollution is being projected as a major factor for increase in breast cancer. A
report by US Environmental Protection Agency points out that among girls
born today, one in seven is expected to get breast cancer and one in 30 is
expected to die from it. Among those 65 and younger, breast cancer
incidence rose 1.2 per cent per year, corresponding to a doubling every two
generations (58 years).
Consultant dietician Sunita Sapur says the gastrointestinal tract may get
affected due to adulterated food. "The microvilli in the GI tract which
produce enzymes for digestion also get affected which leads to digestive
disorders and mal-absorption of essential nutrients. To remove toxic
substances certain organs like liver, kidneys have to stretch their
performance. Adulterated food can also cause cancers of the stomach, liver
damage and kidney problems," she adds.
An EPA reports says the incidence of testicular cancer is doubling about
every one and a half generations or 39 years. Testicular cancer is now the
most common cancer in men in the age group of 15 to 35 years. Prostate
cancer has emerged as the most common cancer among men and the second
most lethal among all cancers.
"Tobacco and smoke cause environmental pollution and lead to lung cancers,
laryngeal cancers, oesophageal cancers etc.," says medical oncologist Dr
SVVS Prasad. Coloured agents in food are suspected to lead to cancers.
Pickled foods containing nitrites and nitrates can cause stomach cancers. Soft
foods without fibre can cause colon cancers. Pollution because of pesticides
can cause cancers like non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. "Environmental pollution
with radiation like radon gas emitted from concrete buildings can lead to
cancers like leukaemia. Asbestos pollution can cause lung cancers. Radiation
from X rays and atomic energy plants can also cause cancers," he observes.
----
The Pollutants
----
A number of environmental chemicals are potentially ototoxic or capable of
damaging hearing or equilibrium. They include trichloroethylene used in
household spot removers, rug cleaning solutions, paints, waxes, pesticides,
adhesives and lubricants.
Solvents with neurotoxicity like Xylene used in paints, varnishes and
thinners, can affect hearing by injuring the brain. Styrene, used in plastics,
resins, synthetic rubber and insulation, disrupts the ability of the brain to
process speech and other complex sound. Hexane, used in shoe factories,
damages the hearing nerve pathways in the brain.
Carbon disulphide, an insecticide, causes hearing loss. Another chemical
toluene can damage the hearing whether inhaled or absorbed by contact with
the liquid form. Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause injury to the delicate
nervous system.
Butyl nitrate, used in room fresheners, causes loss of hearing.
Mercury poisoning causes unsteady walking, weakness, visual and sensory
disturbances. Organic tin compounds used in the manufacture of
polyurethane foam, silicone rubber and polyvinyl chloride causes severe
health problems.
An exposure to methyl mercury to foetus will cause measurable damage to
the functioning of the brain. A study by ZM Patel and RA Adhia of the
Genetic Research Centre, National Institute for Research in Reproductive
Health, Mumbai, on 17653 new-born babies revealed 294 (1.6 per cent) had
major malformations and 1400 (7.92 per cent had minor malformations, 328
(1.8 per cent) were stillbirths. Polygenic traits accounted for 45.1 per cent
while chromosomal aetiology was found in four per cent. A genetic basis was
found in 65.4 per cent of cases.
---------
What To Do
----------
There is no shortcut route to escape from the harmful effects of pollutants
and chemicals that have made their way into our food chain. The US
Environmental Protection Agency suggests that people should stay indoors as
much as they can during days when pollution levels are high.
"Many pollutants have lower levels indoors than outdoors. If you must go
outside, limit outside activity to the early morning hours or wait until after
sunset. This is important in high ozone conditions because sunshine increases
ozone levels," an EPA report points out.
Other steps suggested by EPA are: Don't exercise or exert yourself outdoors
when air-quality reports indicate unhealthy conditions. The faster you
breathe, the more pollution you take into your lungs. However, if you live or
work close to a known pollution source, or if you have a chronic heart or
lung problem, talk with your doctor about other ways to protect yourself from
air pollution.
Though Ayurvedic doctors prescribe Panchakarma therapy to "detoxify" the
body, unfortunately real and effective systems that detoxify and excrete
industrial chemicals are not available. Ayurvedic doctors claim that
panchakarma will eliminate environmentally toxic substances like
polycholorinated biphenyl and pesticides through natural purification
methods.
To protect from the pollution of radiation, one should wear good quality
sunglasses. "Pollution leads to increase in the incidence of dry eye syndrome,
which is a chronic problem in itself. One should wear glasses to reduce the
problem," says Dr Shikha Fogla, consultant ophthalmologist.
How safe is the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe?
Research studies show that with rapid urbanisation and consequent increase
in pollution levels, the "burden of disease" has increased manifold during the
last one decade.
Incidence of autism in children due to pollution increased 10 fold while male
birth defects went up by two times with sperm count decreasing by one per
cent every year. The burden of asthma in children shot up by 200 per cent
even as acute lymphocytic leukaemia (cancer of white blood cells) recorded a
62 per cent increase. Incidence of childhood brain cancer increased by 30 per
cent. Preterm births recorded 23 per cent increase while infertility in couples
went up by five to 10 per cent. Pollution is also the major factor in three to
five per cent of birth defects in India.
The statistics are alarming. But more shocking are research reports that reveal
that vegetables, fruits, cereals and even fish tend to accumulate heavy metals
and dangerous chemicals from the soil. This simply means we consume a
plethora of harmful chemicals and metals ranging from phthalate esters to
mercury whenever we eat fruits or vegetables. These dangerous elements
continue to accumulate in our bodies through food, water and air and cause a
"synergetic effect", the overall result of which is disastrous to our health. The
chemical accumulation in the food chain is because of water pollution and the
increasing tendency to use sewage (treated or untreated) for horticulture.
The Environmental Working Group of the United States, in a chemical
analysis of placental blood of 10 new born babies, found that on an average
200 industrial chemicals and pollutants in the umbilical cord. The total
number of chemicals that made their way into the blood stream of the babies
through their mothers is a whopping 287.
Of the 287 chemicals detected in umbilical cord blood, as many as 180 cause
cancer, 217 are poisonous to the brain and nervous system and 208 cause
birth defects.
With pollution eating into the health, the adult mortality rate (probability of
dying per 1,000 population between 15 and 60 years of age) for Indians by
the World Health Organisation is as high as 275 for men and 202 for women.
This is as against 91 and 48 respectively for Israel and 198 and 136
respectively for Lebanon despite these two countries witnessing large-scale
deaths in violence. If put in simple words, pollution has emerged a major
killing factor as compared with deaths in insurgency or terrorism.
According to a National Environment and Health Action Plan report for India
by the World Health Organisation, about 70 to 80 per cent of water borne
diseases are caused due to contamination of surface and ground water due to
discharge of untreated/partially treated sewage and industrial effluents into
the water bodies.
The University of Hyderabad which conducted a study on horticultural crops
grown on the polluted riverbed of Musi found "bioaccumulation" in a number
of leafy vegetables, vegetables and fruits including pomegranates. Irrigation
of agricultural fields with treated/ untreated effluent containing heavy metals
such as chromium, lead, mercury or arsenic will also lead to absorption of
harmful elements into plant bodies through roots.
Research by Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University revealed pesticide
residue in vegetables and fruits. Though most of the pesticide goes off with
the washing, still minute portions remain and this minute quantity goes on
accumulating in the body causing serious health problems including cancer.
Another WHO report focusing on Southeast Asia region points out that over
40 per cent of the global burden of diseases from environmental factors falls
upon children below five years of age. More than five million children die
each year from environmental-related diseases.
According to the report, in India each year over three million people die
prematurely from water-related diseases and another two million succumb to
indoor air pollution from smoky stoves. Infants and young children top the
list followed by women from rural households. One million die from urban
air pollution.
Increased industrialisation and urbanisation has resulted in hundreds of
thousands of chemicals being released into the atmosphere every day. What
worries the health experts is that the health hazards of only a very few of
these chemicals are known. Most commonly used chemicals like
organochlorines can cause grave harm to the unborn or new-born child. In
some cases the foetus is also affected.
Studies by Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition have shown that
the milk of Indian mothers contains among the highest amount of the
insecticide HCH (Hexachlorocyclohexanes) anywhere in the world. Another
NIN report shows that excessive administration of veterinary medicines to
cattle is leading to pharmaceutical residues in the cattle milk. No wonder then
that you take a bout of veterinary medical residues along with your morning
tea or coffee. Moreover, increased absorption and storage of toxins in the
growing organs of children and adolescents increase the chance for
development of serious or life threatening disease throughout life.
The chemicals and metals that have made their way into our bodies through
either the food chain or vehicular pollution include mercury (accumulates in
seafood and harms brain development); Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (from
burning petrol or garbage and causes cancer); Polybrominated
dibenzodioxins and furans (plastic production and incineration, harms
hormone system); Perfluorinated chemicals (from products like Teflon and
food wrap coatings, birth defects and cancer); Polychlorinated
dibenzodioxins and furans (from PVC production, causes cancer);
Organochlorine pesticides (DDT and other pesticides, reproductive defects);
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (furniture foam, computers, and televisions,
affects thyroid); Polychlorinated Naphthalene (Wood preservatives and
varnishes, causes liver and kidney damage); and Polychlorinated biphenyls
(Industrial insulators, nervous system problems).
--------
The Ill Effects
--------
At risk are our reproductive, immune and digestive systems. Harmful effects
of pollution, particularly the air pollution (both indoor and outdoor), on
human body have been well established by a series of studies in Hyderabad
conducted by the National Institute of Nutrition, the Centre for Cellular and
Molecular Biology, the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, the Institute
of Genetics and Hospital for Genetic Diseases (Osmania University), Owaisi
Hospital and Research Centre and Mahavir Hospital among others.
Atmospheric pollution can damage male and female reproduction, immune
system, hearing, cardiovascular (heart) system and blood, liver, skin, lungs,
brain and nerves, kidneys, stomach and intestines, hormonal system and
vision and cause cancer and birth defects.
"Ozone layer depletion is occurring because of pollution, which is leading to
UV light reaching earth", says dermatologist Dr Anup Lahiry adding that
"this in turn is leading to sensitivity to light, skin allergies and ageing of the
skin. Pollution is also making skin more oily and acme prone".
A study on the harmful effects of vehicular pollution on children by the
National Institute of Nutrition showed that nearly one-third of those tested in
Hyderabad had lead levels of 15 micrograms per decilitre or more in their
blood. This is as against the upper permissible limit of 10 microgram per
decilitre.
The study revealed that lead toxicity not only inhibits cognitive development
and loss of intelligence but also causes anaemia and progressive damage to
organs. Chronic low level exposure to lead damages organ system including
brain, nervous system, haemoglobin synthesis and renal functions.
Automobile emissions enter lungs directly and from there into the blood
stream. In some cases the pollutants enter bone marrow and remain there for
as long as six years. The damage is gradual but irreversible.
Says consultant palmonologist Dr S Mallikarjun Rao, "industrial pollution
and mainly vehicular pollution is leading to high levels of air pollution. The
air has high levels of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen,
suspended particular matter and other chemicals causing allergic reactions,
recurrent cold, bronchitis, precipitate asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease, lung cancers etc. It also leads to increase in mental stress levels.
There is increase in the incidence of such diseases in cities like Hyderabad in
the recent past".
Heavy metal contaminants like mercury retard normal brain development and
lead to permanent impairment. Vinyl teethers and plastic toys commonly sold
in the Indian markets contain chemicals such as DEHP (Di (2-ethylhexyl)
phthalate), that leach and hamper the development of the child's reproductive
system.
A survey by UNICEF in different parts of the country reveals that 19.3 per
cent of under five children suffer from acute respiratory infections.
According to WHO, indoor air pollution from solid fuels ranks fourth among
risks to human health in developing countries and ranks higher still in India
(third), just below malnutrition and lack of safe sanitation and drinking
water. As many as 34,000 women die every year in the country due to
chronic obstructive disorders.
No wonder then that the number of pollution related patients has increased in
cities like Hyderabad, New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai.
"Lots of patients with respiratory allergies from simple running nose to
severe asthmas are reporting of late due to air pollution. Constant exposure to
noise due to vehicular traffic and blaring sounds from loud speakers can lead
to hearing loss at an early age. Such noise can also lead to irritation.
Prevention and protection is the best option," suggests senior ENT surgeon
Dr Sajeet Kumar.
With the discovery of vaccines infectious diseases like polio, smallpox,
diphtheria and rheumatic fever have declined. Surprisingly pollution-related
health problems including asthma, autism, attention deficit and hyperactivity
disorders, childhood brain cancer and acute lymphocytic leukaemia have
increased in the recent past.
-------
Infertility
-------
Pollution and infertility. May sound strange. But studies by the Hyderabad-
based Centre for Infertility Management, Hetero Research Foundation,
Owaisi Hospital and Research Centre show that chemical pollutants like
phthalate esters are causing endometriosis in women. What is worrying is
that women are also passing on infertility to their sons, besides suffering
themselves from the painful endometriosis.
"Women with endometriosis showed significantly higher concentrations of
Di-n-Butyl Phthalate, Butyl Benzyl Phthalate, Di-n-Octy phthalate and
diethyl Hexyl phthalate," points out fertility expert Dr Roya Rozati
concluding that phthalate esters are instrumental in the aetiology of
endometriosis. As many as 49 infertile women were studied for the purpose
in Hyderabad.
Carbon monoxide from burning of fossil fuels combines with haemoglobin in
the blood to form carboxyhemoglobin reducing the oxygen carrying capacity
of the blood. This poisonous gas also contributes to adverse pregnancy
outcomes, including miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight, and early infant
mortality.
"Environmental pollution is directly related to malfunction of testes leading
to male infertility. It is also related to failures in treatment in reproductive
units (test tube baby centres). It can also cause ovarian dysfunction, resulting
in female infertility," warns Dr Meera Rajagopal a fertility specialist at
Akshaya Fertility Centre.
Pollution is also stated to be the cause of undescended testis in infants. This
is a common birth defect with two to five per cent of babies born having
undescended testis. But with increasing levels of pollution, the percentage of
children suffering from the problem has increased greatly even in developed
countries like the USA. Pollution prevents testicles from completely
descending into the scrotum during pregnancy. Children born with this defect
are at higher risk for testicular cancer and breast cancer.
Five to 10 per cent of couples suffer from infertility-related problems. About
50 per cent of pregnancies end in abortions and three to five per cent of
babies are born with defects.
Health experts have found significant regional differences in sperm count
that cannot be explained by differences in genetic factors. Pollution is also
related to increasing incidence of hypospadias (deformed penis). Average
sperm counts in industrialised countries appear to be declining at a rate of
about one percent each year.
====
Cancers
====
Incidence of cancers particularly of lung, breast, uterus, testicular, prostate
and gastrointestinal tract. Exposure to chemicals like dioxin during foetal
development has been found to cause endocrine-related cancers like breast
and uterine cancers in women. Dioxin in men even in minute quantities (0.02
to 10 parts per billion) will change the testosterone levels and cause diabetes
and also changes the sex ratio of children i.e. a man with this much little
quantity of dioxine in the blood will father twice as many girls as boys.
"Environmental pollution has several deleterious effects on diseases of
kidney and urinary bladder. Some specific agents when exposed for a long
time can also cause bladder cancer. Water pollution in relation to kidney
stones is under investigation," says senior urologist Dr V Raja Gopal.
Childhood cancer cases increased by 27.1 per cent while brain and nervous
systems cancers increased by 56.5 per cent. The incidence of testicular cancer
also went up to 66 per cent. The effect of pollution on cancers can be gauged
from the fact that only 10 per cent of cancers are related to genetic factors
and the rest to environment pollution.
Pollution is being projected as a major factor for increase in breast cancer. A
report by US Environmental Protection Agency points out that among girls
born today, one in seven is expected to get breast cancer and one in 30 is
expected to die from it. Among those 65 and younger, breast cancer
incidence rose 1.2 per cent per year, corresponding to a doubling every two
generations (58 years).
Consultant dietician Sunita Sapur says the gastrointestinal tract may get
affected due to adulterated food. "The microvilli in the GI tract which
produce enzymes for digestion also get affected which leads to digestive
disorders and mal-absorption of essential nutrients. To remove toxic
substances certain organs like liver, kidneys have to stretch their
performance. Adulterated food can also cause cancers of the stomach, liver
damage and kidney problems," she adds.
An EPA reports says the incidence of testicular cancer is doubling about
every one and a half generations or 39 years. Testicular cancer is now the
most common cancer in men in the age group of 15 to 35 years. Prostate
cancer has emerged as the most common cancer among men and the second
most lethal among all cancers.
"Tobacco and smoke cause environmental pollution and lead to lung cancers,
laryngeal cancers, oesophageal cancers etc.," says medical oncologist Dr
SVVS Prasad. Coloured agents in food are suspected to lead to cancers.
Pickled foods containing nitrites and nitrates can cause stomach cancers. Soft
foods without fibre can cause colon cancers. Pollution because of pesticides
can cause cancers like non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. "Environmental pollution
with radiation like radon gas emitted from concrete buildings can lead to
cancers like leukaemia. Asbestos pollution can cause lung cancers. Radiation
from X rays and atomic energy plants can also cause cancers," he observes.
----
The Pollutants
----
A number of environmental chemicals are potentially ototoxic or capable of
damaging hearing or equilibrium. They include trichloroethylene used in
household spot removers, rug cleaning solutions, paints, waxes, pesticides,
adhesives and lubricants.
Solvents with neurotoxicity like Xylene used in paints, varnishes and
thinners, can affect hearing by injuring the brain. Styrene, used in plastics,
resins, synthetic rubber and insulation, disrupts the ability of the brain to
process speech and other complex sound. Hexane, used in shoe factories,
damages the hearing nerve pathways in the brain.
Carbon disulphide, an insecticide, causes hearing loss. Another chemical
toluene can damage the hearing whether inhaled or absorbed by contact with
the liquid form. Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause injury to the delicate
nervous system.
Butyl nitrate, used in room fresheners, causes loss of hearing.
Mercury poisoning causes unsteady walking, weakness, visual and sensory
disturbances. Organic tin compounds used in the manufacture of
polyurethane foam, silicone rubber and polyvinyl chloride causes severe
health problems.
An exposure to methyl mercury to foetus will cause measurable damage to
the functioning of the brain. A study by ZM Patel and RA Adhia of the
Genetic Research Centre, National Institute for Research in Reproductive
Health, Mumbai, on 17653 new-born babies revealed 294 (1.6 per cent) had
major malformations and 1400 (7.92 per cent had minor malformations, 328
(1.8 per cent) were stillbirths. Polygenic traits accounted for 45.1 per cent
while chromosomal aetiology was found in four per cent. A genetic basis was
found in 65.4 per cent of cases.
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What To Do
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There is no shortcut route to escape from the harmful effects of pollutants
and chemicals that have made their way into our food chain. The US
Environmental Protection Agency suggests that people should stay indoors as
much as they can during days when pollution levels are high.
"Many pollutants have lower levels indoors than outdoors. If you must go
outside, limit outside activity to the early morning hours or wait until after
sunset. This is important in high ozone conditions because sunshine increases
ozone levels," an EPA report points out.
Other steps suggested by EPA are: Don't exercise or exert yourself outdoors
when air-quality reports indicate unhealthy conditions. The faster you
breathe, the more pollution you take into your lungs. However, if you live or
work close to a known pollution source, or if you have a chronic heart or
lung problem, talk with your doctor about other ways to protect yourself from
air pollution.
Though Ayurvedic doctors prescribe Panchakarma therapy to "detoxify" the
body, unfortunately real and effective systems that detoxify and excrete
industrial chemicals are not available. Ayurvedic doctors claim that
panchakarma will eliminate environmentally toxic substances like
polycholorinated biphenyl and pesticides through natural purification
methods.
To protect from the pollution of radiation, one should wear good quality
sunglasses. "Pollution leads to increase in the incidence of dry eye syndrome,
which is a chronic problem in itself. One should wear glasses to reduce the
problem," says Dr Shikha Fogla, consultant ophthalmologist.