201
The kidney is vulnerable to environmental pollution as most environmental toxins are concentrated by the kidney in the course of filtration. Long-term exposure to
particulate matter PM 2.5 (particle size <2.5 μm in mean aerodynamic diameter) is
linked with augmented risk of membranous nephropathy as well as more rapid
decline in renal function. Exposure to heavy metals results in acute and chronic
kidney injury (Xin et al. 2018).
The anatomic as well as physiologic characteristics differentiate the fetal as well
as newborn kidney from the mature adult kidney. Thus, toxicity to the developing
kidney may involve morphologic as well as functional changes. Several drugs could
interfere with the development of the kidney (Solhaug et al. 2004).
5.19 Gastroenterology
Gastroenterology is a specialization of medical science that is concerned with digestive system and its disorders.
Numerous environmental factors have been linked with the development of
inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Alteration of the gut microbiota, or dysbiosis, is
closely associated with initiation or progression of IBD. Air pollution is a factor
associated with IBD (Ananthakrishnan et al. 2018).
Parasitic diseases and infectious are major reason of death and sickness all over
the world, mostly due to the poor quality of water.
Diarrhea is ranked as the sixth cause of mortality globally in 1997 and the first
cause of morbidity (WHO 1998). Due to underreporting, the correct burden of
waterborne diseases is not known (1999).
Digestive system can also get affected by food contamination (e.g., cysticercosis,
taeniosis, salmonellosis, cryptosporidiosis, and brucellosis) or water contamination
(Box 5.9).
Box 5.8 Itai-Itai
The outbreak of itai-itai (“it hurts - it hurts”) disease, due to cadmium pollution in Jinzu River basin in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, contaminated by slag
from zinc mine and refineries upstream. Irrigation contaminated soil of rice
field by heavy metals including cadmium through irrigation water during the
years between 1910 and 1960s (Aoshima 2012). Irrigation with metalcontaminated water resulted in contamination of the rice with cadmium
resulting in cases of chronic cadmium poisoning consisting of renal disease
and bone pain (osteomalacia) (Tsuchiya 1976; Langford and Ferner 2002).
5.21 Hematology
The kidney is vulnerable to environmental pollution as most environmental toxins are concentrated by the kidney in the course of filtration. Long-term exposure to
particulate matter PM 2.5 (particle size <2.5 μm in mean aerodynamic diameter) is
linked with augmented risk of membranous nephropathy as well as more rapid
decline in renal function. Exposure to heavy metals results in acute and chronic
kidney injury (Xin et al. 2018).
The anatomic as well as physiologic characteristics differentiate the fetal as well
as newborn kidney from the mature adult kidney. Thus, toxicity to the developing
kidney may involve morphologic as well as functional changes. Several drugs could
interfere with the development of the kidney (Solhaug et al. 2004).
5.19 Gastroenterology
Gastroenterology is a specialization of medical science that is concerned with digestive system and its disorders.
Numerous environmental factors have been linked with the development of
inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Alteration of the gut microbiota, or dysbiosis, is
closely associated with initiation or progression of IBD. Air pollution is a factor
associated with IBD (Ananthakrishnan et al. 2018).
Parasitic diseases and infectious are major reason of death and sickness all over
the world, mostly due to the poor quality of water.
Diarrhea is ranked as the sixth cause of mortality globally in 1997 and the first
cause of morbidity (WHO 1998). Due to underreporting, the correct burden of
waterborne diseases is not known (1999).
Digestive system can also get affected by food contamination (e.g., cysticercosis,
taeniosis, salmonellosis, cryptosporidiosis, and brucellosis) or water contamination
(Box 5.9).
Box 5.8 Itai-Itai
The outbreak of itai-itai (“it hurts - it hurts”) disease, due to cadmium pollution in Jinzu River basin in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, contaminated by slag
from zinc mine and refineries upstream. Irrigation contaminated soil of rice
field by heavy metals including cadmium through irrigation water during the
years between 1910 and 1960s (Aoshima 2012). Irrigation with metalcontaminated water resulted in contamination of the rice with cadmium
resulting in cases of chronic cadmium poisoning consisting of renal disease
and bone pain (osteomalacia) (Tsuchiya 1976; Langford and Ferner 2002).
5.21 Hematology