What are dioxins and do they pose a threat to you. WHO activities related to dioxins. Poisonous potent substances

Dioxin is a chemical compound that has an adverse effect on the human body. Such a substance can be found in food, air.

A person is not always aware of its existence. What is dioxin, and what to do if poisoning with this compound occurs?

What is dioxin

Dioxin is a fairly common poison derived from organic chemistry. It is formed as a result of the combustion of substances that contain elements such as bromine. In addition, dioxins arise from water chlorination, the burning of household waste, and the use of various herbicides in agriculture.

The compounds are volatile, odorless and invisible. They have a fairly long decay time. They are transmitted through the food chain, which causes them to enter the human body.

Do not change under thermal or chemical attack, slightly soluble in aqueous solutions. The boiling process has no effect on the poison.

The molecular structure of dioxin has a certain symmetry, the molecule is flat. Chemical formula compounds C 12 H 4 Cl 4 O 2 .

Dioxin has the property of gradual accumulation in the body

Where is poison used?

Where is this poison found? Dioxins surround man everywhere. It is a product of the chemical industry, so people living in industrial areas are most at risk.

Often harmful substances contain food products of organic origin, such as milk, meat, fish, various root crops, which collect toxic substances during ripening.

Incineration of household waste (polyethylene, plastic, vinyl chloride) leads to the fact that a large number of dioxins. As a result, even your home or yard can be endangered.

Dioxin is incredibly toxic, so it is practically not used. Many scientists are trying to use it for therapy infectious diseases, but not always successfully. Dioxin is also used to remove various vegetation.

But due to the high toxicity of the poison, its use is minimal, for the most part it is more subject to neutralization.

Dioxidine is an antimicrobial drug obtained synthetically. Its scope is quite wide, but the drug is prescribed only for health reasons.

Application:

Inflammation and purulent infections in an acute form,
Infectious diseases of the nervous system,
Infections of the skin, bones and joints.

Such a medicine is prescribed only by a doctor, it is allowed for use only in stationary conditions. Under no circumstances should the prescribed dosage be exceeded. Otherwise, this synthetic drug can cause quite severe poisoning. In addition, the medication has certain contraindications, so you should not self-medicate.

Video: what are dioxins

Dioxin poisoning (examples)

Why is dioxin dangerous? How does this poison affect the human body?

Dioxin intoxication has been known for a long time. For example, in 1961, the United States contaminated the territory of South Vietnam with a large amount of herbicides during the special operation. The result was the complete disappearance various kinds animals, birds, insects, plants. People also suffered.

In 1976, a huge industrial plant experienced a malfunction, which resulted in the release of dioxin into the environment. Many people were poisoned, animals and birds died.

In 2004, presidential candidate V. Yushchenko was poisoned with dioxin. It took scientists a week to figure out the toxic substance that caused intoxication. The candidate's body was cleansed and no evidence of intent to poison was found.

Dioxin enters through the mouth or Airways. What are the signs to look out for?

Symptoms:

Weakness, lethargy,
Lack of appetite,
Weight loss to the point of exhaustion
Weakness in the muscles
vision problems,
Nausea,
Dizziness,
Pain in the head
Constant desire to sleep
neuroses, irritability,
In case of contact with the skin - itching, allergic manifestations,
Healing is longer.

In addition, dioxin is a substance that can enhance the effect harmful properties salts of heavy metals.

This substance reduces a person's immunity, which leads to the fact that he is more susceptible to various diseases. There is an exacerbation of chronic ailments.

The lethal dose for an adult is 10 -6 per kilogram of body weight. The norm for children is even less, their poisoning occurs and develops faster.

Treatment of dioxin poisoning

What to do if the cause of poisoning was chlorine dioxin?

Poisoning with such a substance is dangerous because it is not always possible to determine it. It is possible to know exactly about this only in case of mass poisoning (for example, in case of accidents at industrial facilities). The victim should be given first aid.

First aid:

Rinse the stomach if a poisonous substance enters through the oral cavity.
Provide fresh air supply
Take the victim to a medical facility.

In the hospital, doctors carry out certain activities aimed at restoring the activity of organs and systems.

Consequences and prevention

Dioxin poisoning can cause the development of various consequences, for example, skin problems, frequent colds. These substances are carcinogens and can provoke the development of malignant neoplasms.

The most severe consequence is death.

What to do to avoid poisoning? must be adhered to certain rules which will help protect your body from the action of a harmful substance.

Rules:

Vegetables and fruits should be chosen only those grown in ecologically clean areas,
All products must have a quality certificate,
Do not dispose of household waste yourself, especially those containing polyethylene.
It is worth giving up hunting and fishing near chemical objects.

Unfortunately, dioxins cannot be eliminated. They surround man everywhere. But the observance of elementary safety rules will allow you to protect the body from the action of harmful substances.

Video: documentary on dioxin

Dioxin poisoning is one of the most serious human hazards. The dangers are hidden and little known to most, but which are easy to face, and the effect of dioxin on the human body is such that it can lead to fatal consequences.

Dioxins and their effect on the human body

But before we talk about what the symptoms of dioxin poisoning look like, let's find out what these substances are and how they affect us. Under this name lies a whole group of chemical compounds that appear as a result of the combustion of substances, part of them are chlorine and bromine. We are talking in particular about various plastics and other similar materials, the appearance of which we owe to the development of organic chemistry.

Dioxins have no smell and taste, they do not dissolve in water. These solid compounds have a strong cumulative effect, that is, they are able to accumulate in the human body for literally years. It's all about the long half-life of 7 to 11 years.

Dioxins are a dangerous poison

The ways in which these hazardous substances several in our body. Firstly, it is dangerous to live near fertilizer, paper, plastic, polyethylene and their processing enterprises. Not without reason, next to such industries, there is always elevated level morbidity.

But if there is no factory near you, this does not mean that you are completely safe. Dioxins can be formed when chlorinated water is boiled, they can be airborne for hundreds of kilometers, they can accumulate in the fatty tissues of the animals we eat.

All in all, general properties dioxins are understandable - they decompose slowly and due to this they easily accumulate in fatty tissues. The absence of smell and taste does not allow to determine how often and in what quantities they enter the body. But what exactly is the danger of this accumulation? What are the consequences of chronic consumption of these substances?

For a fatal outcome, a person does not need any huge doses - ten to the minus sixth power per kilogram of weight is enough. But, thank God, it almost never accumulates in such quantities. But dioxin may be enough for poisoning, because its presence in the smallest quantities contributes to:

development of oncological diseases;
decrease in immunity;
disruption of receptor activity.

Sources of dioxins in the body

Cancer is one of the main indicators of infection in the body. In addition to it, the entire immune system suffers, since the organs associated with it, such as the thymus and the circulatory system, work worse. People become infertile due to the accumulation of dioxins in germ cells. Puberty slows down, as does metabolic processes in general, because this substance directly affects the endocrine glands.

One of critical issues associated with dioxin poisoning is the prolongation in time of onset of symptoms. It is often easy to confuse symptoms of poisoning with symptoms of other illnesses. Although, there are specific signs. For example, the most important symptom of mild poisoning is the appearance of "chloracne", which is the result of the transformation of sebaceous gland cells. These symptoms, in particular, were observed in the victims of the Vietnam War.

In general, the symptoms of poisoning in humans look like this:

During the prodromal period, which lasts no more than 4 days, the person is primarily concerned about a slight weakness, accompanied by mild dizziness and occasional nausea. Such sensations may suggest an acute respiratory viral disease.
Redness of the skin appears along with itching, especially if the substances have got on the surface of the skin;
Later, vision begins to deteriorate, headaches become almost incessant, and when observed general condition no signs of improvement.
The deterioration of the endocrine system leads to a violation of appetite, a person can lose up to a third of body weight;
The defeat of the nervous system is accompanied by increased irritability, drowsiness.
The level of regenerative processes is noticeably reduced, which is one of the reasons leading to problems with the healing of even the slightest wounds.
If the body is simultaneously poisoned by other toxins, then dioxin increases the strength of their effects and, accordingly, the symptoms associated with their poisoning.

The specifics of dioxin poisoning

As you can easily see, there are many non-specific signs in the list, which individually can indicate a variety of diseases. But taken together, they paint a pretty clear picture.

Help with dioxin poisoning

The peculiarity of first aid in dioxin poisoning is associated with the above features of its diagnosis. Often, even analyzes at the very first stages will not help determine the cause, especially since a person without special equipment cannot do this. If you find something similar to the above symptoms, this does not mean that the cause is dioxin. But you can provide some first aid:

wash the stomach of the victim;
provide him with access to oxygen;
call a doctor or take to a hospital.

The last point is especially important, since this type of poisoning cannot be cured at home. A delay in the provision of qualified medical care can make a person disabled for life, and can lead to death. In the hospital, the initial treatment is usually with symptom-relieving drugs, such as digoxin. They also prescribe therapy and a plasma-substituting agent. Further assistance is provided after receiving the results of comprehensive analyzes.

Dioxin is a hidden danger

How to remove dioxins from the body?

Despite the fact that the risk of accumulation of dioxins in the body for modern man very high, this does not mean that poisoning is inevitable. Eat various ways, allowing to remove dioxin from the body, which is the best prevention. Dioxins are excreted as slowly as they slowly accumulate, but if you follow certain rules, you have every chance of preventing your body from infecting.

So, dioxins are removed by drinking high-quality water without chlorine. Therefore it is useful to have good filters or purchase water from artesian wells, or at least simply purified water. Also, you should not eat fish caught in reservoirs located in polluted areas, near factories and cities. This applies to the consumption of meat from wild animals and non-certified products in general.

One of the main sources of dioxins are plastics and polyethylene. You should avoid burning them near you or where you live. And in general, you should abandon the independent disposal of any products of the chemical industry.

The small number of laboratories, of course, makes it very difficult to determine the presence of such hazardous compounds in the food and water we consume, in the air we breathe. Therefore, one has to fully rely on various precautionary measures. At the same time, proper incineration of hazardous waste would also greatly help, as compounds are destroyed at temperatures above 900 degrees.

How to protect yourself from dioxins?

Health implications

The long-term effects of dioxin poisoning on human body manifests itself primarily in various pathologies, even if everything has been withdrawn. In particular, it is the cause of the already mentioned cancer. Pathological changes in the skin are also included in the category of typical long-term effects of exposure to a substance.

The fetus is especially vulnerable during fetal development: premature birth, serious diseases - all these are typical consequences. Newborn babies are also very vulnerable and the effects of exposure can stay with them for life.

Dioxins can be considered one of the most dangerous enemies of man in our time. On the other hand, their presence is an inevitable consequence of the development of civilization. We cannot completely abandon plastic, water disinfection with chlorine or fertilizers. But we may well approach all this carefully enough to avoid fatal consequences.

Video

Watch a very useful and educational film about the dangers of dioxins.

Dioxin is a synthetic poison. It is formed at temperatures from 250 to 800°C as a by-product of many technological processes using chlorine and carbon. The largest amount of dioxins is emitted by steel and paper mills, many chemical plants, pesticide factories and all waste incinerators.

It is dangerous not only for its high toxicity, but also for its ability to persist in the environment for an extremely long time, to be effectively transported through food chains, and thus to have a long-term effect on living organisms. In addition, even in relatively harmless amounts, dioxin greatly increases the activity of specific liver enzymes that decompose certain substances of synthetic and natural origin; at the same time, as a by-product of decomposition, dangerous poisons. At a low concentration, the body manages to remove them without harm to itself. But even small doses of dioxin dramatically increase the release of toxic substances. This can lead to poisoning by relatively harmless compounds that are always present in small concentrations in food, water and air - pesticides, household chemicals and even drugs.

Data recent years showed that the main danger of dioxins lies not so much in acute toxicity as in the cumulative action and long-term consequences of chronic poisoning in small doses.

They accumulate in the tissues (mainly fatty) of living organisms, accumulating and moving up the food chain. At the very top of this chain is a person, and about 90% of dioxins come to him with animal food. Once dioxin enters the human body, it remains there forever and begins its long-term harmful effects.

The reason for the toxicity of dioxins lies in the ability of these substances to accurately fit into the receptors of living organisms and suppress or alter their vital functions.

About 90-95% of dioxins enter the human body through the consumption of contaminated food (mainly animal) and water through the gastrointestinal tract, the remaining 5-10% - with air and dust through the lungs and skin. Once in the body, these substances circulate in the blood, are deposited in adipose tissue and lipids, without exception, all cells of the body.

Dioxins poorly soluble in water and slightly better in organic solvents therefore these substances are extremely chemically resistant compounds. Dioxins practically do not decompose in the environment for tens or even hundreds of years, remaining unchanged under the influence of physical, chemical and biological environmental factors.

Department of Protection report environment The 1998 U.S.A. shows that American adults who receive dioxins only from food, mainly meat, fish, and dairy products, already carry an average dose of dioxin close to the critical ( disease-causing). It is estimated at 13 nanograms of dioxins per kilogram of body weight (ng/kg; nanogram - billionth of a gram; ng/kg - one part by weight per trillion). It would seem that 13 ng / kg is a completely miserable value, and in absolute terms it is so. However, compared to amounts that cause serious disturbances in the body, 13 ng/kg is a serious threat to health. At the same time, 5% of Americans (2.5 million people) carry a dioxin load that is twice the average.

In the body of warm-blooded dioxins, they initially enter adipose tissues, and then are redistributed, accumulating mainly in the liver, less in the thymus (endocrine gland) and other organs, and are excreted with great difficulty.

The effect of dioxins on humans is due to their effect on the receptors of cells responsible for the functioning of hormonal systems. In this case, endocrine and hormonal disorders occur, the content of sex hormones, thyroid and pancreatic hormones changes, which increases the risk of developing diabetes, and the processes of puberty and fetal development are disrupted. Children lag behind in development, their education is difficult, young people develop diseases that are characteristic of old age. In general, the likelihood of infertility, spontaneous abortion, congenital malformations and other anomalies increases. The immune response also changes, which means that the body's susceptibility to infections increases, the frequency of allergic reactions and oncological diseases increases.

In acute dioxin poisoning, loss of appetite, weakness, chronic fatigue, depression, and catastrophic weight loss are observed. A lethal outcome can occur in a few days or even several tens of days, depending on the dose of the poison and the rate of its entry into the body. True, all this occurs at a dioxin load of 96 to 3000 ng / kg - 7 times higher than that of the average US citizen. In the blood of male workers exposed to dioxin, a decrease in the level of testosterone and other sex hormones was found. Particularly disturbing is that these people had a dioxin load only 1.3 times the average.

Consequences of dioxin ingestion. Molecular mechanism of action of dioxin. Easily soluble in fats, dioxin freely penetrates into cells through the cytoplasmic membrane. There it accumulates in lipids or binds to various molecular structures of the cell. The resulting complexes are introduced into DNA chains, thereby activating a whole cascade of reactions that lead to metabolic disorders, the functioning of the nervous system, causing hormonal disorders, changes in the skin, and obesity. Activation of the cytochrome P4501A1 gene, an enzyme that indirectly contributes to cell genetic mutations and cancer development, leads to the most severe consequences. Due to the high stability of the dioxin molecule, the process of gene activation can continue for a very long time. long time causing irreversible damage to the body.

Dioxin enters the body mainly with food. We get 95-97% of dioxin from meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. Dioxin accumulates especially strongly in fish. This is due to the fact that TCDD is a hydrophobic substance, it is "afraid" of water. Once in aquatic environment, dioxin in every possible way seeks to leave it - for example, penetrating into the organisms of the inhabitants of reservoirs. As a result, the content of dioxin in fish can be hundreds of thousands of times higher than its content in the environment. Residents of Sweden and Finland receive 63% of dioxins and 42% of furans through fish products.

Without having a genotoxic effect, dioxins do not affect genetic material body cells directly. However, they are particularly effective in affecting the gene pool of aerobic populations, since it is they that destroy the general mechanism of protecting the gene pool from environmental influences. Environmental conditions can dramatically increase the mutagenic, embryotoxic and teratogenic effects.

Another effect of the genetic plan is that dioxins destroy the mechanism of adaptation of aerobic organisms to the external environment. As a result, their sensitivity to various kinds of stresses and to numerous chemicals, which are constant companions of organisms in modern civilization. The latter aspect is practically bilateral: synergists of dioxins enhance their own toxic effect, and dioxins, in turn, provoke the toxicity of a number of non-toxic substances. The social consequence of this and previous features of dioxin intoxication is a consistent and poorly controlled deterioration in the genetic health of the affected populations.

For toxic action Dioxins are characterized by a long period of latent action. In addition, the signs of dioxin intoxication are very diverse and are largely determined, at first glance, by their combination, as well as the aggravated predisposition of the body to a particular disease.

Most likely, no one will be able to completely avoid contact with dioxins. The general pollution of the environment and food does not leave anyone such a chance. However, it is still possible to reduce the intake of toxic substances into the body. By observing a certain "hygiene" there is hope to get smaller doses of dioxin.

First of all, you should try to reduce the risk of dioxin ingestion. To do this, you need to healthy lifestyle life, eat organic, predominantly vegetable (plants accumulate less dioxins than animals and fish), environmentally friendly - grown on clean soils, food. Fatty fish are especially dangerous, often containing large amounts of toxic compounds in their fat. It is also associated with anthropogenic pollution of the environment, and, therefore, even expensive red fish can be dioxin composition.

You can completely switch to predominantly plant foods - there are much less dioxins in it, because there are almost no fats in plants. Do not decompose dioxin and other methods of cooking meat - frying, baking in the oven, and steamers will not help in this, microwaves, pressure cookers.

For the same reason, it is not worth buying euro products coming from Russian market, where fat, eggs and even milk can be added - this is mayonnaise, pasta, bouillon cubes, ready-made soups, cakes, ice cream, etc.

It is necessary to drink only purified water, in no case should you drink boiled chlorinated water (dioxins can be formed by boiling chlorinated water). When boiling chlorinated water, organic compounds react with chlorine (in megacities in tap water more than 240 compounds are found) and forms organochlorine compounds, such as trichloromethane and dioxin (when phenol enters water, it forms dioxin). Many countries have already abandoned water disinfection by chlorination.

You can purify water with water filters, but you need to change the cartridges in it often so that instead of purified water you don’t get a lot of bacteria from a dirty filter. Today, there is such a modern material - activated carbon fibers, which are superior in quality to activated carbon. Fibers are able to absorb heavy metal ions and inhibit the vital activity of bacteria.

Also shungite is not worse activated carbon has the ability to purify water from many organic matter- including heavy metals

Thanks to the specially organized crystal lattice Based on carbon, shungite has the ability to purify water and saturate it with a specific mineral composition, giving it unique healing qualities.

Dioxins are popularly called substances that make up a separate group of complex chemical compounds. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin, or TCDD, is called the "progenitor" of all dioxins on Wikipedia. They are formed as a result of thermal processing or combustion of various substances, they are not noticeable by smell, and have no color. Therefore, knowing what dioxin is, how to determine this kind of intoxication in yourself or loved ones and provide competent assistance is very important.

Dioxins and their effect on the human body are well studied, based on the evidence, the following conclusions were made:

getting into the human body, they are excreted for a long time,
they belong to accumulative (cumulative) toxins, their half-life in the body is 7-11 years,
the subsequent intake of dioxins accelerates their accumulation, bringing the concentration of these poisons to a level that is critical for health.

TCDD and its derivatives are solid compounds that do not dissolve in water. These chemicals enter the human body with inhaled air, food, and drink. TCDD is present in the environment "thanks" to the chemical industry, so those who live near plants that process polyethylene, plastics, fertilizers, paper, are at risk for dioxin intoxication.

However, the rest who do not live near industrial enterprises, there is no need to relax.

Fertilizers washed out of the beds can "travel" through the sewers, falling directly into wastewater, and from there, after going through several cycles, into our water supply.
The wind carries chemicals hundreds of kilometers in the form of suspended microparticles.
After all, we do not know what the bird, fish, cow and other animals that were bought in a store or in the market ate. The possibility that they drank water or ate something containing dioxin compounds cannot be ruled out.

When boiling chlorinated water under the influence of high temperature dioxins are formed.

Compounds in nature are in continuous circulation, so the dioxin danger can lie in wait for a person where he least expects it. TCDD accumulates mainly in fatty tissues, therefore, a sharp weight loss can also provoke intoxication. Destroying toxins directly in the body will not work, because this requires a temperature of 900 ° C and above.

The world community once again became convinced of how insidious the discussed poisons were when, in 2004, presidential candidate V. Yushchenko was poisoned with an unknown poison. As it turned out after numerous studies, it was a dioxin compound. After a lengthy debate on this topic V. Yushchenko in 2009 nevertheless made the correct diagnosis and removed 95% of dioxin from the body.

Processes contributing to the production of dioxins

As already mentioned, for the most part they appear due to industrial processes. However, in the course of natural reactions, dioxins can also be formed, and their effect on the human body is just as detrimental as that of synthetically created “brothers”. Contribute to the appearance of these toxins can, for example, forest fires or volcanic eruptions.

However, industry still bears the main responsibility for environmental pollution with dioxins. The main "suppliers" of these poisons are:

factories where the processes of melting, bleaching pulp with the use of chlorine take place;
enterprises producing certain types of herbicides, pesticides,
uncontrolled incinerators that do not fully burn waste.

Although the formation of TCDD derivatives is local, they spread easily, and today there is practically no such corner on the planet where there would be at least some percentage of dioxins. Their highest concentration is usually found in sediments, soils, food products, especially milk and its derivatives, fish, shellfish, meat. The content of these toxins is relatively low in the air, water, and plants.

There are many stocks of used industrial oils based on polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the world, many of them contain polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF), derivatives of TCDD. When they are stored and/or disposed of improperly for too long, they release dioxins that pollute water, food, and air.

It must be said that the complete disposal of PCDF is a laborious and complex process. These substances must be handled as hazardous waste. by the most the best option their disposal is incineration in specially designated facilities.

Difference Between Dioxin and Dioxidin

Dioxidine is a synthetic antimicrobial drug (AMP) with a wide spectrum of activity. On the territory of the countries former USSR it was approved for use in 1976.

Only a doctor can prescribe dioxidine due to its specific toxicological properties. The basis for this is the vital signs of the patient.

Dioxidine is used to treat anaerobic infections caused by multiresistant strains. This medicine has shown its effectiveness in the fight against severe purulent infections, it is used both locally and endobronchially (a solution is injected through a catheter into the bronchial cavity).

This medicine contains dioxin. For this reason, dioxidine belongs to dangerous xenobiotics, which are used only in the treatment of severe forms:

purulent and inflammatory processes,
infections of the skin, bones, joints,
CNS infections.

Dioxidin is used exclusively in stationary conditions in combination with other drugs. It acts as a backup option when other AMPs have failed in the fight against infections of the skin, respiratory organs, and others. Dioxidine is also prescribed for allergies to other medicines in this group.

If the dose is incorrectly calculated, dioxidine will cause poisoning - this main reason why you can not use this drug alone. This medicine destroys the membrane structures of bacteria, thereby preventing them from multiplying. This is the effectiveness of dioxidine, but the danger due to its use is also quite large.

How dioxin affects the human body

When the concentration of dioxins in the human body is low, their impact on health is minimal, they do not cause any changes. However, there is a threshold dose, when it is exceeded, various pathological processes begin to develop in the digestive, respiratory, and skin organs. Due to the cumulative properties of TCDD derivatives, they are capable of causing very serious effects.

It has been established that the lethal dose for humans is 6-10 g per kilogram of body weight. And in smaller quantities, this poison alien to the body causes poisoning, for which certain concentrations have not been established. Intoxication will be in any case, just the clinical manifestations may differ.

The effect of PCDF poisoning on humans occurs at different times and not all of the symptoms that we list below occur. It all starts with the defeat of enzyme systems, and can end with the development of various mutations. Dioxins also enhance the effect of other toxins on the body, if any are present in it. If other carcinogens have penetrated into the internal organs, systems, it is likely that, having reacted with dioxins, they will cause cancer.

PCDF enhances the action:

mercury,
lead salts,
cadmium
nitrates,
sulfides,
chlorophenols,
radiation.

What causes the destructive action of dioxins?

they lower immunity, as they inhibit the process of cell division,
contribute,
disrupt the work of receptors that are responsible for the work and interconnection of organs.

To summarize all of the above, the effect of dioxins on the human body is as follows:

suppression of the immune system by inhibiting the work of the organs responsible for this function (hematopoiesis, thymus),
the poison has a teratogenic effect, that is, it disrupts the intrauterine development of the fetus,
inhibits reproductive function, causing infertility or provoking mutations in the next generation,
in young people (girls and boys), dioxin slows down the process of puberty,
slows down metabolism
inhibits the work of the endocrine glands, disrupting the balanced functioning of the body,
provokes cancer.

All these are long-term consequences, when a person for years, unwittingly and without suspecting it, takes dioxin in certain doses. Acute poisoning with this toxin looks different.

How poisoning manifests itself

If happened acute poisoning dioxins, the effects of intoxication are very pronounced. When the maximum permissible concentration of the poison has entered the body, a lethal lesion develops, which is determined by the following symptoms:

physical exhaustion,
anorexia,
general oppression,
weakness,
eosinopenia (decrease in the concentration of eosinophils in the blood),
lymphopenia (reduction of lymphocytes in the blood),
leukocytosis (increased concentration of white blood cells),
neutrophilia (an increase in neutrophilic granulocytes in the blood).

Then the symptoms pass to various organs:

pancytopenic syndrome (devastation of peripheral blood and bone marrow at the cellular level),
destruction of immunocompetent systems and tissues.

Outwardly, poisoning manifests itself as:

subcutaneous swelling,
shortness of breath, a feeling of heaviness due to the accumulation of fluid in the pericardial, chest and abdominal cavities.

First, the eyes swell, then the neck, face, torso. Sometimes there is swelling of the lung tissue, but this is observed quite rarely.

Non-fatal poisoning is not so acute, since it is a long process of accumulation of poison in the body - from several months to ten years. The basis of the symptoms is a violation of metabolic processes, due to which there are:

changes in the liver epithelium,
degeneration of the epithelium of the stomach, intestines,
loss of appetite
loss of up to a third of body weight,
dehydration,
hair loss, eyelashes,
the appearance of chloracne - an acne-like skin lesion.

If treatment is not started on time, toxins will begin to destroy the lymphoid tissue, thereby worsening the functioning of the nervous system and endocrine glands.

How to help a victim of dioxins

The insidiousness of dioxins is that even an experienced doctor is not immediately able to determine that the patient's health problems are precisely because of these toxins. If there was no mass poisoning, for example, from an explosion at a chemical plant, it is almost impossible to establish that a person suffered from TCDD derivatives.

If you suspect this kind of intoxication, first aid to the patient consists in general techniques:

provide him with access to fresh air,
wash the stomach
give sorbent,
provide plenty of fluids
rush to the hospital.

At the hospital, resuscitators and toxicologists will prescribe the necessary tests and appropriate treatment. Therapy is aimed at removing the maximum of poisons from the body and stopping the symptoms of poisoning caused by them - stabilizing the functioning of organs and systems. For this, in particular, huge doses of plasma-substituting solutions are prescribed.

How to prevent dioxin poisoning

This will be especially difficult for those who live in dangerous areas - next to the industries mentioned at the beginning of the article. However, both they and others can do something to keep the harmful chemicals from accumulating so quickly in the body, which would have time to remove them. For this you need:

abandon fish caught in water bodies near which chemical plants are located,
abandon the game caught in the same places,
do not eat non-certified products, be especially careful about market stalls,
install good filters on the faucet that remove chlorine compounds from the water,
do not burn chemical products and polyethylene products on fires.

Your only defense is correct behavior. Because it is impossible to detect dioxins in the environment due to the nature of their chemical properties. And it is still difficult to determine their presence in products due to the fact that not every city in our country has a laboratory equipped with everything necessary for this.

Dioxins Polychlorinated polycyclic compounds resulting from anthropogenic activities.

These are solid colorless crystalline substances, chemically inert and thermally stable (decompose when heated above 750 C). The family of dioxins (polychlorodibenzoparadioxins (PCDC), polychlorodibenzodifurans (PCDF) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCDF)) includes hundreds of organochlorine, organobromine and mixed chlorobromoorganic cyclic ethers, of which 17 are the most toxic.

Dioxins poorly soluble in water and slightly better in organic solvents, so these substances are extremely chemically resistant compounds. Dioxins practically do not decompose in the environment for tens or even hundreds of years, remaining unchanged under the influence of physical, chemical and biological environmental factors.

Dioxin formation

Sources of dioxins are enterprises of almost all industries where chlorine is used, but the most dangerous are chemical, petrochemical and pulp and paper plants. Waste incineration plants that destroy chlorinated waste are today one of the main sources of emissions of dioxin compounds into the atmosphere.

Dioxins are formed only due to human activities. Dioxins are by-products of plastics, pesticides, herbicides, metals, paper, defoliants. Dioxins are formed when garbage is burned in incinerators(in case of violation of the rules for the disposal of industrial waste), in city landfills, when burning synthetic motor oil, coatings and gasoline, etc. Water chlorination is also a significant source of dioxins.

When burning one kilogram of PVC, up to 50 micrograms of dioxins are formed. Their effective destruction is possible only at temperatures above 1150-1200 degrees Celsius.

In the biosphere, dioxins are sorbed by the soil (accumulating in its top layer). From there, they are rapidly taken up by plants and soil organisms. Then, with vegetables and fruits, as well as through birds and animals, they enter the human body. A feature of dioxins is their ability to bioaccumulate. With each intermediate link, the concentration of dioxins increases.

Harm

Dioxin poisoning

Dioxins cause a number of serious diseases, among which are the formation of malignant tumors, reduced immunity, a decrease in the content of the male hormone, diabetes, impotence, endometritis, learning disabilities, and mental disorders.

The main danger of dioxin is its effect on the most important systems of the body - endocrine, immune, cardiovascular. Children, the weak, the sick and the elderly are especially vulnerable.

Dioxins have acute and chronic toxicity, the period of their latent action can be quite long (from 10 days to several weeks, and sometimes several years).

Dioxin refers to a type of poison that accumulates in the cell and tissues of the body. Therefore, each subsequent portion of it is absorbed by the body faster, causing increasingly strong toxic effects. When ingested by humans or animals, dioxins accumulate in fatty tissues and are extremely slowly (decades) decomposed and excreted from the body (the half-life from the human body is up to 30 years). Dioxins are many times more toxic than sodium cyanide, strychnine, curare poison.

Even in negligible concentrations, dioxin causes genetic changes in the cells of affected individuals, causing chronic intoxication and increasing the incidence of tumors, i.e. has a mutagenic and carcinogenic effect.

Signs of dioxin poisoning are:

Weight loss
Loss of appetite
The development of skin diseases
Acute depression
Drowsiness
Violations of the functions of the nervous system
Metabolic disorders
Changes in blood composition

The effect of dioxins on the human body

Many of the dioxins are strong carcinogens and teratogens. Once in the body, dioxins act at the molecular level, suppressing the immune system and grossly interfering with the processes of cell division and specialization, they provoke the development of cancer. Main action dioxins on humans is due to their influence on the receptors of cells responsible for the functioning of hormonal systems. Dioxins interfere with the complex well-functioning work of the endocrine glands, "masquerading" as natural hormones, but, not being such, they violate normal work the entire system of the body - regulating its metabolism, reproduction, growth, development.

As a result, hormonal and endocrine disorders occur - the content of sex hormones, thyroid and pancreatic hormones changes, this increases the risk of developing diabetes, the processes of puberty and fetal development are disrupted. Children lag behind in development, their education is difficult, young people develop diseases that are characteristic of old age.

Dioxins interfere with reproductive function, dramatically slowing down puberty, increasing the likelihood of infertility, spontaneous abortion, birth defects and other anomalies.

Women often have disorders menstrual cycle, and in the worst case, the reproductive function is disturbed. At the same time, there are practically no acute reactions (as with ordinary poisoning).

Dioxins cause profound disturbances in almost all metabolic processes, suppressing the immune system, causing immunodeficiency, increasing the body's susceptibility to infections, and increasing the frequency of allergic reactions - leading to the state of the so-called "chemical AIDS". Studies have confirmed that dioxins cause genetic mutations (malformations) and congenital anomalies in children.

Being the strongest mutagen, developing organisms are especially sensitive to dioxin - the embryo, fetus, newborns, as well as young individuals. This poison is especially dangerous for a long period of latent action. Signs of dioxin damage are very difficult to determine - they depend on the dose, the age characteristics of the body and its condition.

Dioxin compounds accumulate in the organisms of future mothers, in breast milk, damaging the sexual functions of unborn children, destroying the immune system. Through the placenta and breast milk dioxins are transmitted to the fetus and child. During breastfeeding, the mother loses up to 40% of all dioxins (accumulated in the body of a woman throughout her life), which were in her fatty tissues (because dioxins easily bind to fats - they are lipophilic).

Benefit

Dioxins have no useful properties.

Properties of dioxin

Until dioxin accumulates in a certain amount, its effect on the body is very difficult to notice. But when the threshold dose of this poison is exceeded, a disease develops. After all, dioxin is considered the most toxic of all known poisons precisely because of the cumulative effect.

The lethal (lethal) dose for these toxic substances reaches 10-6 g per 1 kg of live weight, which is much higher than the similar value even for some chemical warfare agents, such as sarin, somana, tabuna.

Dioxins are xenobiotics - these are substances that are alien to living organisms. For dioxins, there are no maximum permissible concentrations - they are toxic in any quantities, only the forms of manifestation of this toxicity will change. In small doses, they cause a mutagenic effect and affect various enzyme systems of the body.

Moreover, dioxins are characterized by a synergistic effect - it enhances the effect of toxic substances. And if some other carcinogen enters the body, then in the presence of dioxin, the likelihood of cancer will increase many times over.

Dioxin is a synergist to the effects of such toxicants as:

lead salts
cadmium
Mercury
Nitrates
sulphides
Chlorophenols
radiation

Dioxins in the environment

Dioxins in food

First of all, you should try to reduce the risk of dioxin ingestion. To do this, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle, eat organic, mostly vegetable (plants accumulate less dioxins than animals and fish), environmentally friendly - grown on clean soils, food. We must try to buy only certified products.

Do not fish near pulp and paper mills or near waste incinerators. You can not buy it in these areas with your hands (without relevant documents). Fatty fish are especially dangerous, often containing large amounts of toxic compounds in their fat. It is also associated with anthropogenic pollution of the environment, and, therefore, even expensive red fish can be dioxin composition.

You can completely switch to predominantly plant foods - there are much less dioxins in it, because there are almost no fats in plants.

You should not eat dangerous imported products today - pork, beef, eggs, European poultry, but if this still happens, then before cooking the bird, you need to free it from skin and fat, and also remove all the bones from the carcass - they are places of concentration dioxin. It is best not to consume the broth, as boiling does not destroy the poisonous substance.

Do not decompose dioxin and other methods of cooking meat - frying, baking in the oven, and steamers, microwave ovens, pressure cookers will not help in this.

For the same reason, you should not buy euro products that enter the Russian market, where fat, eggs and even milk can be added - these are mayonnaise, pasta, bouillon cubes, ready-made soups, cakes, ice cream, etc.

Dioxins in household waste

It is mandatory for everyone to refrain from burning plastic materials, household waste and especially urban leaves. Leaves are colossal filters - they absorb all heavy metals. Purifying the air from pollution, trees accumulate toxic substances in their crowns, mainly from transport, as well as from soil and water.

When burning trees from environmentally polluted places, harmful substances pass into the aerosol state - they are emitted into the air:

Dioxins
Carbon monoxide
Sulfur dioxide
Nitrogen oxides
Benz-a-pyrene
hydrocarbons

How to reduce the amount of toxins in the body

We consume more than 15 kg of air per day. Many donor plants (such as palm trees, ivy, ferns, ficuses, etc.) purify the air of toxic impurities.

To date, one of the most effective and fairly economical methods of air purification enclosed spaces from organic and some inorganic environmental pollutants is the method of photocatalytic oxidation.

Photocatalytic air purifier destroys toxic impurities - dioxin, phenol, formaldehyde, ammonia, ozone, hydrogen sulfide, etc. Under the influence ultraviolet radiation in the presence of a photocatalyst, harmful impurities decompose into harmless air components - carbon dioxide and water.

It is necessary to drink only purified water, in no case should you drink boiled chlorinated water (dioxins can be formed by boiling chlorinated water). When chlorinated water is boiled, organic compounds react with chlorine (more than 240 compounds are found in megacities in tap water) and form organochlorine compounds, such as trichloromethane and dioxin (when phenol enters water, it forms dioxin). Many countries have already abandoned water disinfection by chlorination.

Also, shungite, no worse than activated carbon, has the ability to purify water from many organic substances, including heavy metals:

Colloidal iron of water pipes
Dioxins
Nitrates
Nitrites
Pesticides
Phenols
Organochlorine compounds
Oil products
Radionuclides
helminth eggs
Viruses
bacteria

Thanks to a specially organized crystal lattice, which is based on carbon, shungite has the ability to purify water and saturate it with a specific mineral composition, giving it unique healing qualities.