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RE: Hazardous vs. Radioactive Materials
Well,
bear with me too, but I'm 99% sure they are still using sodium nitrite in
preserved meats (at least I add it to my homemade sausage). The general
feeling is that the cancer risk from the nitrites (actually nitrosamines - which
the nitrites are converted into in the stomach) is less than the risk of
botulism. Interesting risk risk tradeoff - I wonder if the anti food
irradiation folks would back that after comparing the data showing cancer risks
of food irradiation (none?) to nitrosamines (a lot of animal data, no human
data). Nitrosamines are also naturally produced when the meat is smoked
(as are GOBS of PAHs). Nitrosamines I'm pretty sure are also found
naturally in scotch.
Also,
to take issue with Dr. Cohen's post (rare that I can, so I feel I must, and to
be fair, I"m really taking issue with the source he quotes), I don't
particularly like the implication that the chemicals found in plant products
that act to prevent herbivory have anything to do with carcinogenicity.
>From an herbivores perspective, I don't think the risk of getting cancer (which
is unlikely to occur before being eaten by a bobcat) plays into the decision to
munch on a plant. It may be that some of the chemicals that act to prevent
herbivory ARE carcinogens (maybe 50% based on the NRC report), but I think there
is no relation between the two categories other than chance. And on a
minor point - aflatoxin is a by product of a mold that grows on peanuts - not a
product of the peanuts themselves.
And
finally, the Institute of Medicine today came out with a report stating that
cancer risks in the US could be cut by 1/3 if we ate right, didn't smoke,
exercised, and got cancer screening. Cancer is the number 2 killer
in the US, heart disease number 1. If we ate right, didn't smoke and
exercised, we'd also make an impact on heart disease as
well.
-Eric
Eric Frohmberg
Toxicologist
Key Plaza, 8th Floor
11 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0011
Tel: (207) 287-8141
FAX: (207) 287-3981
TTY: (207) 287-8066
eric.frohmberg@state.me.us
Bear with
me - I'm working from memory here, but I recall that sodium nitrite is
produced in your body and is present in saliva. It's part of the immune
system, for dealing with ingested bacteria.
Sodium
nitrite is the preservative in bacon, ham, and sausages that is stated to
be carcinogenic. I think they don't use it any more since a few years
back.
Dave
Neil
-----Original
Message-----
From: BLHamrick@AOL.COM
[mailto:BLHamrick@AOL.COM]
Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2003 2:37
PM
To: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
Subject: Hazardous vs.
Radioactive Materials
This may be slightly off-topic for this list, but I was
wondering if anyone knew of any specific hazardous materials (carcinogens)
that are present in the natural background, as radioactive material is, and
what the "background" risk levels might be for those hazardous
materials.
Barbara