COURSE JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT

Course Journal Assignment



Course Journal Assignment

Course Journal-Elimination Experiments

Introduction

The containment that I have selected for the concerned study is tobacco smoke.The assignment will be based on discussing the articles on a particular toxin and its impact on health and environment. Tobacco smoke has long been recognized as a major cause of mortality and morbidity, responsible for an estimated 434,000 deaths per year in the United States. It is also a source of indoor air pollution due to the release of harmful chemicals, particles, and carcinogens. Exposure to tobacco smoke affects everybody. (Richter, 2008)

Background

Tobacco smoke from cigarettes, cigars, and pipes is composed of more than 4,000 different chemicals including carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. More than forty of these compounds are known to cause cancer in humans or animals, and many of them are strong irritants. (Bruintjes, 2011) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has concluded that exposure to tobacco smoke in the United States poses a serious and significant public health threat. New long-term studies estimate that about half of all regular cigarette smokers die of smoking-related diseases. However, controversy still surrounds the exact extent of such health effects. (Piazza, 2011)

Common sources of exposure

In recent years, there has been great concern that nonsmokers may also be at risk for some of the above health effects as a result of their exposure to the tobacco smoke (known as secondhand smoke) that occurs in various environments occupied by smokers. The tobacco industry has denied the claim of such health hazards and has legally challenged the EPA over its secondhand smoke findings. In addition, some researchers argue that a number of the studies involve flawed data or the selective interpretation of findings. Many of these critics contend that the health risks involved with secondhand smoke are not as extensive as reported. ...