by Olaiya Peter Oni
Our environment is changing every now and then due to various waste or toxic materials being released from several industrial sectors, most of which are detrimental to our general wellbeing. Importantly, it has been observed over the years to be partly responsible for ravaging effects of cancer of important organs especially that of the breast and Prostate.
There is no doubt that the dangerous tendencies of cancer in our current generation is very alarming and threatening, thus, I believe that all hands must be on desk to mitigate against this deadly disease. According to well proven results, one of the major causes of prostate cancer is the continuous exposure of people to environmental toxicants through various sources.
Depending on the exposure level, it has been observed that the exposure to toxicants, for instance, Cadmium, causes some level of testicular damages, prostate cancer and rising case of mortality, like those recorded in calcium-exposed workers.
Cadmium is one of the naturally occurring metals which is abundant in nature and widely used in many industries. It has been generating concern of late due to its frequent accumulation in the environment occasioned by the waste emissions from several industries. There was said to be about 30,000 tons of cadmium getting into the atmospheric space annually.
Some of the key industries that uses this metal include but not limited to those of:
- Pigment Production
- Batteries production
- Coating and Electroplating
- Production of Plastics
- Manufacturing of Fertilizers
- Production of Metallic containers