Effects of the Toxins

While watching a video regarding the e-waste I pondered this question: "Do we really know the effects of these toxins?" Yes, we all know that lead, cadmium, and arsenic are toxic to our bodies, but what do these people really go through. It's a lot like the smoking campaign, we all knew smoking was bad but actually seeing a women with a tracheotomy has sort of a scare factor. For those of you who have not seen this video I have tagged a link for your viewing pleasure
Smoking Lady
The effects of these metals are extremely gruesome. They affect the lungs, kidneys, nervous systems, and the reproductive systems. In the video I have attached is a quick animation of the effects of the cadmium.
Cadmium Poisoning

Here's some lists of symptoms  according to the mayoclinic and other sources  regarding each toxin and effects once it enters the body

Lead Poisoning: 

• High blood pressure
• Declines in mental functioning
• Pain, numbness or tingling of the extremities
• Muscular weakness
• Headache
• Abdominal pain
• Memory loss
• Mood disorders
• Reduced sperm count, abnormal sperm
• Miscarriage or premature birth in pregnant women

Cadmium Poisoning:
 - Diarrhea, stomach pains and severe vomiting
- Bone fracture
- Reproductive failure and possibly even infertility
- Damage to the central nervous system
- Damage to the immune system
- Psychological disorders
- Possibly DNA damage or cancer development
Arsenic Poisoning: (acute exposure)

Vomiting

Abdominal pain

Diarrhea

Dark urine (termed black water urine)

Dehydration

Cardiac problems

Hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells)

Vertigo

Delirium

Shock

Death

Yikes! Not one of these symptoms are good. Lead poisoning is said to be one the reasons the Roman Empire fell. History does repeat itself, I guess. But let's face it, our country loves feeding everyone with garbage just so that it can make a profit *cough* McDonalds *cough*. One thing I truly want to highlight is cadmium's effect on the CNS. I have researched more into this and noticed that it impacts many crucial areas of the brain, of these is the hypothalamus. For those of you who don't know, the hypothalamus is the area of the brain that controls your appetite, sex drive, sleep cycles, as well as your endocrine system. Impacting this area can cause HUGE problems with a person! Another area impacted is the hippocampus, the area responsible for creating new memories. What I find even more interesting is that OSHA has many regulations on exposure to these metals, but that is only in America. To me, this sounds a lot like the gas chambers in the holocaust, but with less genocidal tendencies.


Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Definition." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 12 Mar. 2011. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.

Cadmium - Cd." Cadmium (Cd). N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013

"Arsenic Poisoning Symptoms, Causes, Treatment - What Are the Symptoms of Arsenic Poisoning? - MedicineNet." MedicineNet. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.

"Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.