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Abstract
The
exposure of the living population to heavy metals is a
big problem nowadays, when estimating health impacts of
the environment. The main goal of all investigations in
that area is to discover negative health impacts, as early
as possible, and to apply preventive measures in order
to reduce the exposure. In that respect, the very development
of disease is often the mile stone. Our goal is to discover
the changes before the disease is present. By applying
heavy metals biomarkers of effects, biochemical, physiological,
behavioral and other changes of organs and systems are
discovered in a preclinical state. In addition to that,
it provides also the risk estimation from genotoxic and
nongenotoxic heavy metals. The concentration of some heavy
metals in water and soil nearby TENT facilities is several
times higher than average levels for soil, or maximal
allowed concentration, regulated by our legislation for
the analyses of drinking water in village wells. Taking
into account the fact that this is a rural area, the problem
of exposure is additionally complicated by intake of heavy
metals through food, plants and animals grown in this
area.
Molecular
paradigm for the use of biomarkers as a continuum from
exposure to the development of diseases is under the influenece
of several variables: external dose, internal dose, dose
in target tissue, metabolic activation, detoxification,
and early and late biological effects. The progression
from the exposure to the disease could be influenced by
preventive measures, as well as by genetical susceptibility
of the exposed persons. Toxicogenomics is a very important
field of action which uses new technologies based on the
research of genome in order to solve toxicological problems.
Biological
monitoring and molecular dosimetry are periodical measurements
of biomarkers of exposure which serve for the industrial
chemical pollution risk estimation.
Furthermore,
mechanisms are very complicated and the approach has to
be multidisciplinary. Good analytical laboratory basis
and theoretical biological approach are only starting
point for epidemiolgysts, statisticians and physicians.
Only by using this aproach, it would be possible, by applying
certain biomarkers to get the right picture of the level
of exposure and level of the health damage of the population.
Moreover, the application of well designed epidemiological
study would make it possible to estimate attributable
risk for certain metals.
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