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THE SKIN AND THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT Our skin, the external covering of our body and our major means of communication with the environment, is most effected by changing external conditions. Skin is the largest organ of the human body and, except for the kidney, receives the greatest blood flow. It is our shell of protection from such external physical damage as radia tion and foreign substances as well as infectious agents. The skin regulates our body temperature by sweating, flushing, and shivering and regulates fluid balances and vitamin D synthesis. The most significant cause of the increase in skin damage is the decrease of ozone in the stratosphere, which allows more ultraviolet radiation to reach the earth. The depletion of ozone is caused not only by the natural solar cycle of ultraviolet light output and by such natural disasters as the recent eruption of the Mt. Pinatubo volcano, but also by destructive man-made pollutants such as chlorofluorocarbons and halons. The increase in ultraviolet radiation has caused health prob lems, particularly of the skin and eye. The Ozone Layer Our protective shield, the ozone layer hovers 15 to 50 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, providing a pro tective band around our planet. By itself ozone is a pale blue, pungent-smelling gas that is extremely poisonous and any animal that directly inhales more than a trace of it, will die. But, above the earth it is a fragile yet extremely efficient filter that screens almost all of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. If the ozone layer were to disappear, the sun’s ultraviolet light would destroy the surface of the globe and annihilate all terrestrial life, except perhaps for certain primitive underwater organ- ims. Although some of the depletion of ozone can prob ably be attributed to the natural cycle governing the mechanics of the balance of the earth’s cuter environ ment and to natural disaster, a portion is definitely man-made. In 1928, man developed chronofluorocarbons (CFC’s). They were inert and stable, nonflammable, nonpoisonous, easy to store and inexpensive. They were highly useful as working fluid for refrigerators and as propellants of aerosol sprays, solvents in computer manufacturing and components in foams useful in buildings, cars and fast-food containers. Ironically, the chemical stability of the CFC’s that makes them so use ful to manufacturing also enable them to attack the ozone layer. Other major culprits are helons, such as Freon and certain bromide compounds used maily in fire extin guisher. There are even more damaging that the most destructive CFC’s, since they destroy the ozone ten times more effectively. These chemical substances have very long lives and the ability to double themselves. For example, the CFC’s last an average of 74 years in the atmosphere and some types double every 17 years. Halons persist for an average of 110 years and double every 5 years. The implications for destroying the environment are obvious: the destruction will continue for several gener ations, even if production is stopped immediately. With the increase in CFC’s and halon, scientists are now realizing there is perhaps a catastrophic decrease in the ozone layer the protects us from the sun’s most harmful rays. Health Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation UVC — the highest energy from the sun is poten tially the most dangerous, though most of it is screened by the ozone layer. UVB in the mid-energy range is the most increased by ozone depletion, and is most biologi cally destructive. This energy is of greatest concern to dermatologists, because it is clearly implicated in the skin damage of acute sunburn and skin cancer. Physicians are already very aware of the marked increase in the skin cancer, not only because of in creased UVB owing to the existing decrease of ozone, but also because of increased exposure. We now have more leisure time, which we increasingly spend on out side activities. Skin cancers have increased in number more than any other form of cancer. One in every three cancers is skin cancer, and one in six Americans will develop a skin cancer in his or her lifetime. More than 500,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States alone, most of which are not melanoma skin cancers, the most dangerous variety. Even more frightening is the rapid increase in the rarer but lethal metastic malignant melanomas, which have doubled in frequency in just the past 20 years. The increased ultraviolet radiation also increases the frequency of cataracts. Ultraviolet radiation is the primary cause of irritation or exacerbation of many other eye disorders. UVE is the lowest energy range of ultraviolet radiation, though far from harmless. Although ray per ray, UVA is less damaging than UVB, it pene trates the skin more deeply to damage the connective tissue between cells, thus destroying collagen and elas tic tissue and producing the appearance of premature aging of the skin. (The above excerpts are from a paper written by Dr. Karen E. Burke, Dermatologist and Dermatologic Surgeon, Cabrini Med ical Center, NY. Dr. Burke was part of the United Nation’s con ference entitled “Health and the Environment: Global Partners for Global Solutions,” heald in April In New York City, which brought together prominent international environmental medi cine experts and world leaders. The purpose was to define the central issue and to promote responsible solutions to the health problems associated with continuing environmental degradation.) “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ТРАВЕНЬ 1992 23
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