8
Toxins produced by living organisms (bio-toxic hazards) can be divided according to the organisms that create them into:
• Zootoxins – poisons of animal origin
• Phytotoxins – poisons of plant origin
• Bacteriotoxins – toxins produced by bacteria that are divided into:
– Endotoxins – produced in bacteria (e.g., Salmonella)
– Exotoxins – secreted by bacteria (e.g., aflatoxin, botulinum toxin)
– Mycotoxins – produced by fungi
Today’s life cannot be imagined without the daily use of chemicals. They are
used in the form of medicines for therapy, in the form of pesticides they are used in
agronomy, in industry they are based on all chemical syntheses and production, in
households cleaning agents enable quality life, and every day we are in contact with
countless substances present in the products, for care, hygiene, and medical and
decorative cosmetics. In addition, we are surrounded by countless poisons of natural
origin, such as plants (poisonous plants and mushrooms), animals (poisonous
snakes, spiders, and other animals), and marine (poisonous fish).
As a consequence of daily exposure, a large number of acute and chronic poisonings occur every day, which are already gaining momentum on a modern epidemic,
and according to WHO data, poisonings rank third among the most common causes
of death in the world immediately after.
1.1.3 “Specific Environment”: Definition and Aspects
Anthropogenic pollutants can be defined as any chemical that is unknown to the
natural ecosystem and that is released into the natural ecosystem through human
activities and can cause undesirable, direct, or indirect effects on human and/or
other organisms and on the natural physical, chemical, and biological balance and
environmental processes. Anthropogenic pollutants are often produced and used for
rapid industrialization in agriculture and industries (Binetti et al. 2008). The discharges of these harmful anthropogenic pollutants have led to local and global environmental degradation when they accumulate in air, water, sediments, soils, and
biota, including humans (Lodeiro et al. 2016). This condition creates special and
specific conditions in certain segments of the environment. The newly created environment for the living organism can lead to toxicity (if the concentration of certain
chemicals is high), or a specific condition is created to which the organisms adapt.
Adaptation in the biosphere also leads to modification of some physiological mechanisms in organisms, and they are evaluated over time. In the last three decades,
most of these compounds have been hydrophobic organic compounds, attracting the
attention of a large number of studies, due to their presence in the environment and
the tendency for bioaccumulation. “Hydrophono” means low water solubility,
which is a major factor influencing the future of hydrophobic organic compounds in
the environment (Binetti et al. 2008).
B. Balabanova
Toxins produced by living organisms (bio-toxic hazards) can be divided according to the organisms that create them into:
• Zootoxins – poisons of animal origin
• Phytotoxins – poisons of plant origin
• Bacteriotoxins – toxins produced by bacteria that are divided into:
– Endotoxins – produced in bacteria (e.g., Salmonella)
– Exotoxins – secreted by bacteria (e.g., aflatoxin, botulinum toxin)
– Mycotoxins – produced by fungi
Today’s life cannot be imagined without the daily use of chemicals. They are
used in the form of medicines for therapy, in the form of pesticides they are used in
agronomy, in industry they are based on all chemical syntheses and production, in
households cleaning agents enable quality life, and every day we are in contact with
countless substances present in the products, for care, hygiene, and medical and
decorative cosmetics. In addition, we are surrounded by countless poisons of natural
origin, such as plants (poisonous plants and mushrooms), animals (poisonous
snakes, spiders, and other animals), and marine (poisonous fish).
As a consequence of daily exposure, a large number of acute and chronic poisonings occur every day, which are already gaining momentum on a modern epidemic,
and according to WHO data, poisonings rank third among the most common causes
of death in the world immediately after.
1.1.3 “Specific Environment”: Definition and Aspects
Anthropogenic pollutants can be defined as any chemical that is unknown to the
natural ecosystem and that is released into the natural ecosystem through human
activities and can cause undesirable, direct, or indirect effects on human and/or
other organisms and on the natural physical, chemical, and biological balance and
environmental processes. Anthropogenic pollutants are often produced and used for
rapid industrialization in agriculture and industries (Binetti et al. 2008). The discharges of these harmful anthropogenic pollutants have led to local and global environmental degradation when they accumulate in air, water, sediments, soils, and
biota, including humans (Lodeiro et al. 2016). This condition creates special and
specific conditions in certain segments of the environment. The newly created environment for the living organism can lead to toxicity (if the concentration of certain
chemicals is high), or a specific condition is created to which the organisms adapt.
Adaptation in the biosphere also leads to modification of some physiological mechanisms in organisms, and they are evaluated over time. In the last three decades,
most of these compounds have been hydrophobic organic compounds, attracting the
attention of a large number of studies, due to their presence in the environment and
the tendency for bioaccumulation. “Hydrophono” means low water solubility,
which is a major factor influencing the future of hydrophobic organic compounds in
the environment (Binetti et al. 2008).
B. Balabanova