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Environmental Medicine O.A. CHERKASOVA N.I.MIKLIS ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE Vitebsk, 2017 MINISTRY OF HEALTH CARE OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS VITEBSK STATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY THE GENERAL HYGIENE AND ECOLOGY DEPARTMENT O.A.CHERKASOVA N.I. MIKLIS ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE Recommended by Educational and methodical association on high medical and pharmaceutical education of the Republic of Belarus as tutorial for the students of high educational establishments on the specialty 1-79 01 01 «General medicine» Vitebsk, 2017 УДК 61+574]=111(07) ББК 51.201я73 C 51 Reviewed by: V.N.Bortnovsky, Неаd of the Dpt of general hygiene and ecology with studying of radiation medicine, MС, Ass. Prof., Gomel State Medical University; M.A.Shcherbakova, MС, Ass. Prof. of Anatomy and Physiology Dpt, Vitebsk State University of P.M. Masherov. Cherkasova, O.A. C 51 Environmental medicine: Tutorial / O.A. Cherkasova, N.I. Miklis – Vitebsk: VSMU, 2017. – 221 p. ISBN 978-985-466-792-8 The content of the tutorial « Environmental medicine» for students of high medical educational establishments corresponds with the basic educational plan and program, proved by Ministry of Health Care of the Republic of Belarus. The tutorial is prepared for students of medical, pharmaceutical, stomatological, medical-preventive, medical-diagnostic faculties of institutes of higher education. It is confirmed and recommended to the edition by the Central training-methodical Council of the VSMU, th, March, report № . УДК 61+574]=111(07) ББК 51.201я73 © O.A. Cherkasova, N.I. Miklis, 2017 © Vitebsk State Medical University, 2017 ISBN 978-985-466-792-8 Preface Environmental medicine is an interdisciplinary field. Because environ- mental disharmonies occur as a result of the interaction between humans and the natural world, we must include both when seeking solutions to environ- mental problems. It is important to have a historical perspective, appreciate economic and political realities, recognize the role of different social experi- ences and ethical backgrounds, and integrate these with the science that de- scribes the natural world and how we affect it. Environmental health address- es all the physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person, and all the related factors impacting behaviors. It encompasses the assessment and control of those environmental factors that can potentially affect health. It is targeted towards preventing disease and creating health-supportive envi- ronments. The content of the tutorial « Environmental medicine» for students of high medical educational establishments corresponds with the basic educa- tional plan and program, proved by Ministry of Health Care of the Republic of Belarus. One of the objectives in the teaching of ecological medicine is the de- sire to induce students to mastering new material, namely to see the direct link between environmental factors and the occurrence of certain diseases in humans, understand approaches to address of such phenomena. Knowledge of correlation mechanisms of human impact on the environment and diseases in humans will help to identify and implement a set of measures to prevent ecologically related diseases. The tutorial includes 5 chapters and describes the following topics: in- troduction in environmental medicine, ecological and medical characteristics of biosphere, ecological and medical consequences of biosphere pollution, protection of environment from pollution, ecological and medical characteris- tic of residence conditions, ecological and medical problems of nutrition. When writing the tutorial the materials of the Law on health care, sanitary and epidemiological wellbeing of the population, the environment protection accepted in the Republic of Belarus were used, there are references to docu- mentation regulating the requirements to environmental factors, populated areas, residence conditions, nutrition. The tutorial combines the scientific nature of his writing with accessibility for students. The manual is intended for students of medical, pharmaceutical, stoma- tological, medical-preventive, medical-diagnostic faculties of institutes of higher education. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the many collaborators and students who have worked with me on various pro- jects, short courses, and workshops that we have developed over the years. 3 ________________Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION IN ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE __________________ 1. THEORY PART Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION IN ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE An organism and environment, their interrelations An organism is any contiguous living system (such as animal, fun- gus, micro-organism, or plant). In at least some form, all types of organ- isms are capable of responding to stimuli, reproduction, growth and devel- opment, and maintenance of homeostasis as a stable whole. An organism may be either unicellular (a single cell) or, as in the case of humans, comprise many trillions of cells grouped into specialized tissues and organs. The term multicellular (many cells) describes any or- ganism made up of more than one cell. All organisms living on Earth are divided into the eukaryotes and prokaryotes based on the presence or absence of true nuclei in their cells. The prokaryotes represent two separate domains, the Bacteria and Archaea. Eukaryotic organisms are characterized by the presence of a membrane- bound cell nucleus, and contain additional membrane-bound compartmen- talization called organelles (such as mitochondria in animals and plastids in plants, both generally considered to be derived from endosymbiotic bacte- ria). Fungi, animals and plants are examples of kingdoms of organisms that are eukaryotes. The organism experiencing a need for inflow of matter, energy and information is entirely dependent on the environment. The unity of organ- isms and the environment is reflected in the main environmental law K.F. Rul'e – I.M. Sechenov: the results of development of any organism are determined by the ratio of its internal characteristics and characteris- tics of the environment in which it is located. Environment is a combination of natural and changed by person's activity nature factors which show effect of influence on organism. Abiotic environment is all forces and phenomena of nature, the origin of which is not directly related to the activity of living organisms. 4 ________________Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION IN ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE __________________ Biotic environment is the forces and phenomena of nature, the origin of which is directly related to the activity of living organisms. Human environment – is an environment of human caused by a set of objects, phenomena and factors that determine the conditions of his life. It includes natural and artificial, created by the man himself. Organisms and resources compose ecosystems which, in turn, main- tain biophysical feedback mechanisms, that moderate processes acting on living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) components of the planet. Ecosys- tems sustain life-supporting functions and produce natural capital like bi- omass production (food, fuel, fiber and medicine), the regulation of cli- mate, global biogeochemical cycles, water filtration, soil formation, ero- sion control, flood protection and many other natural features of scientific, historical, economic, or intrinsic value. An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) in conjunction with the nonliving components of their envi- ronment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system. These biotic and abiotic components are regarded as linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. As ecosystems are defined by the network of interactions among organisms, and between organisms and their environment, they can come in any size but usually encompass specif- ic, limited spaces (although some scientists say that the entire planet is an ecosystem). The biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems. It can also be called the zone of life on Earth, a closed (apart from solar and cosmic radi- ation and heat from the interior of the Earth), and self-regulating system. From the broadest biophysiological point of view, the biosphere is the global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relation- ships, including their interaction with the elements of the lithosphere, hy- drosphere, and atmosphere. The term "biosphere" was coined by geologist Eduard Suess in 1875, which he defined as: "The place on Earth's surface where life dwells." Some life scientists and Earth scientists use biosphere in a more lim- ited sense. For example, geochemists define the biosphere as being the to- tal sum of living organisms (the "biomass" or "biota" as referred to by bi- ologists and ecologists). In this sense, the biosphere is but one of four sepa- rate components of the geochemical model, the other three being litho- sphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. The narrow meaning used by geo- chemists is one of the consequences of specialization in modern science. 5 ________________Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION IN ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE __________________ Some might prefer the word ecosphere, coined in the 1960s, as all encom- passing of both biological and physical components of the planet. Biosphere boundary in lithosphere is up to 5 km, in hydrosphere - up to 11 km, in atmosphere - up to 20-40 km. The greatest life concentration is marked in a top part of hydrosphere and in border of lithosphere surface layer with ground layer of atmosphere. Biogeocenose is an interrelated complex of living and inert compo- nents
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