The cleaner the surrounding air, the healthier the body. But in the modern industrially developing world, there are less and less environmentally friendly places. And the human body is increasingly becoming exposed to the influence of a polluted environment. Dust is one such contamination.
Dust generation and effects on the body
Dust is present wherever a person conducts his activities. Even in a room that is considered clean, there is still a small amount of dust. Sometimes it is visible with a passing sunbeam. Dust can be of various types, for example, road, cement, vegetable, radioactive. It is formed due to crushing of solids, abrasion, evaporation and subsequent condensation into solid particles, combustion, chemical reactions.
The impact of dust on the human body is determined by its chemical composition. Most of all, the effect on the body is manifested by inhalation of dust. As a result, it can cause damage to the respiratory system, bronchitis, pneumoconiosis, contribute to the development of body reactions such as allergies or intoxication and the appearance of various diseases: pneumonia, tuberculosis, lung cancer. Also, exposure to dust can cause eye and skin diseases.
Dust content
Asbestos dust is extremely harmful, it has carcinogenic properties. And carcinogens can cause malignant tumors and cancer. They are also present in air polluted by industrial emissions, exhaust gases, tobacco smoke, etc.
People who work in the paint and varnish industry and breathe in dust containing polycyclic hydrocarbons are most susceptible to carcinogens. Even observing preventive and protective measures, it is possible that carcinogens and other harmful substances enter the body. Accumulation in organic tissues enhances the effect of carcinogens, the consequences do not appear immediately, but after a certain life span.
Dust may contain biologically active substances. Most of them are very important for the body: they have pharmacological activity, have extremely diverse positive physiological functions. But there are also harmful ones, containing salts of heavy metals, tannins, alkaloids. In large doses, it is a poison, in small doses it is used as a potent medicine. Therefore, the harmfulness of dust is determined by its saturation.
Dust containing the smallest sharp particles of solid substances is very harmful. Glass, diamonds, stone. Such is the lunar dust, which was formed from the explosions of falling meteorites. Fortunately, she is not on earth. When viewed through a microscope, it looks like shards with sharp, cutting edges, besides, it is also radioactive. Having inhaled such dust, a person will not live long. But the most harmful on earth is radioactive dust.
