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1 Chemicals in the Food and Beverage Industry: An Introduction
rigor and complies with a few essential rules (Dikshith 2013; Gorguner and Akgun
2010):
(1) Contact with concentrated acids and bases may cause severe burns of skin,
mucous membranes, and eyes
(2) The extent of the damage depends on four factors: the corrosion power, the
concentration, the temperature of the solution, and contact duration
(3) Inhalation of acid vapors may cause irritation and burns of the respiratory tract
(4) Chronic exposure to weak or diluted acids and bases can cause tissue damage
(dermatitis). Salicylic acid or oxalic acid may, for example, reduce the keratin
layer protecting the skin with consequent tissue irritation
(5) In addition to direct tissue damage, some acids, such as chromic acid or picric
acid, even if diluted, may cause allergic reactions.
(6) The dilution of acids/bases concentrated in water is strongly exothermic and
may lead to splashing.
1.13 Endocrine Disruptors
An endocrine disruptor is, according to the WHO, a chemical substance of natural
or synthetic origin, able to interfere with the endocrine system, that is to say cells
and organs involved in the production of hormones and their action on so-called
target cells. These substances are suspected of causing malformations, male infertility
problems, or even increasing the risks of developing certain cancers with additional
allergic reactions (Bergman et al. 2013; WHO 2020).
In general, endocrine disruptors are capable of acting on the synthesis, secretion,
transport, binding, or elimination of natural hormones. However, these hormones
are involved in reproduction, growth and development, maintenance of homeostasis
(maintenance of the internal environment), and energy availability. As a result, an
endocrine disruptor is responsible for possible disturbances in all of these functions,
causing harmful effects on the health of an organism or its descendants, by acting on
the endocrine system. As a reminder, the role of the endocrine system is to regulate
many of the complex activities of the human body.
The most important and well-documented health concerns related to endocrine
disruptors are effects on development and reproductive effects (Bergman et al. 2013;
WHO 2020). Some of the disorders that have been observed in animal studies include
the following: oligospermia (low sperm count), testicular cancer, and hyperplasia of
the prostate in adult males and adenocarcinoma of the vagina, ovulation disorders,
breast cancer, and uterine fibroids in adult females. Disruption of thyroid function,
obesity, bone metabolism, and diabetes are also linked to exposure to endocrine
disruptors.
One of the characteristics of endocrine disruptors is the absence of a dose–response
relationship. Indeed, for a ‘conventional’ pollutant, the more the pollutant is present in
large quantities in an organism, the more toxic it is. On the contrary, this relationship
1 Chemicals in the Food and Beverage Industry: An Introduction
rigor and complies with a few essential rules (Dikshith 2013; Gorguner and Akgun
2010):
(1) Contact with concentrated acids and bases may cause severe burns of skin,
mucous membranes, and eyes
(2) The extent of the damage depends on four factors: the corrosion power, the
concentration, the temperature of the solution, and contact duration
(3) Inhalation of acid vapors may cause irritation and burns of the respiratory tract
(4) Chronic exposure to weak or diluted acids and bases can cause tissue damage
(dermatitis). Salicylic acid or oxalic acid may, for example, reduce the keratin
layer protecting the skin with consequent tissue irritation
(5) In addition to direct tissue damage, some acids, such as chromic acid or picric
acid, even if diluted, may cause allergic reactions.
(6) The dilution of acids/bases concentrated in water is strongly exothermic and
may lead to splashing.
1.13 Endocrine Disruptors
An endocrine disruptor is, according to the WHO, a chemical substance of natural
or synthetic origin, able to interfere with the endocrine system, that is to say cells
and organs involved in the production of hormones and their action on so-called
target cells. These substances are suspected of causing malformations, male infertility
problems, or even increasing the risks of developing certain cancers with additional
allergic reactions (Bergman et al. 2013; WHO 2020).
In general, endocrine disruptors are capable of acting on the synthesis, secretion,
transport, binding, or elimination of natural hormones. However, these hormones
are involved in reproduction, growth and development, maintenance of homeostasis
(maintenance of the internal environment), and energy availability. As a result, an
endocrine disruptor is responsible for possible disturbances in all of these functions,
causing harmful effects on the health of an organism or its descendants, by acting on
the endocrine system. As a reminder, the role of the endocrine system is to regulate
many of the complex activities of the human body.
The most important and well-documented health concerns related to endocrine
disruptors are effects on development and reproductive effects (Bergman et al. 2013;
WHO 2020). Some of the disorders that have been observed in animal studies include
the following: oligospermia (low sperm count), testicular cancer, and hyperplasia of
the prostate in adult males and adenocarcinoma of the vagina, ovulation disorders,
breast cancer, and uterine fibroids in adult females. Disruption of thyroid function,
obesity, bone metabolism, and diabetes are also linked to exposure to endocrine
disruptors.
One of the characteristics of endocrine disruptors is the absence of a dose–response
relationship. Indeed, for a ‘conventional’ pollutant, the more the pollutant is present in
large quantities in an organism, the more toxic it is. On the contrary, this relationship