Act Naturally (2011): Download HD Movie
Joao Charlesbois
Asbestos is a term used for several types of naturally-occurring fibrous minerals found in many parts of California. When rock containing asbestos is broken or crushed, asbestos fibers may be released and become airborne. Asbestos emissions present a significant risk to human health on a statewide and local level. The California Air Resources Board adopted two Airborne Toxic Control Measures to address some of the health concerns associated with the release of naturally-occurring asbestos.
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A naturally occurring retirement community (NORC) is a community or neighborhood with a growing population of older adults in which the dwellings were not purposefully intended for older adults when they were originally designed and/or built.
Evaluates the carcinogenic risk to humans posed by the ingestion of several naturally occurring substances. Separate monographs are presented for two food items (salted fish and pickled vegetables), two naturally occurring plant substances (caffeic acid and d-limonene), four heterocyclic aromatic amines found in cooked meat and fish, and selected mycotoxins, including aflatoxins. The monograph on salted fish concentrates on fish as traditionally prepared in southern China, where very high rates of nasopharyngeal carcinoma have been linked to the consumption of salted fish prepared in a manner which involves putrefaction. The monograph concludes that Chinese-style salted fish is carcinogenic to humans. The second monograph concludes that pickled vegetables, prepared according to traditional Asian methods, are possibly carcinogenic to humans. Caffeic acid was judged to be possibly carcinogenic to humans. The report was unable to classify the carcinogenicity of d-limonene. For the heterocyclic aromatic amines present in cooked meat and fish, IQ was classified as probably carcinogenic to humans; MeIQ, MeIQx, and PhIP were classified as possibly carcinogenic. The most extensive monograph, on aflatoxins, concludes that naturally occurring mixtures of aflatoxins are carcinogenic to humans and that aflatoxin M1 occurring in milk is possibly carcinogenic. Toxins derived from Fusarium moniliforme and ochratoxin A, which has been linked to Balkan endemic nephropathy, were classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans. The remaining mycotoxins could not be classified.
Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) is defined as, Materials which may contain any of the primordialprimordialExisting from the beginning of time, naturally occurring. radionuclides or radioactive elements as they occur in nature, such as radium, uranium, thorium, potassium, and their radioactive decay productsdecay productsThe atoms formed and the energy and particles emitted as radioactive material decays to reach a stable form., such as radium and radon, that are undisturbed as a result of human activities." 1
The effects of nano-TiO(2) (rutile) and non-nano-TiO(2) on the germination and growth of naturally aged spinach seeds were studied by measuring the germination rate and the germination and vigor indexes of aged spinach seeds. An increase of these factors was observed at 0.25-4% nano-TiO(2) treatment. During the growth stage, the plant dry weight was increased, as was the chlorophyll formation, the ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activity, and the photosynthetic rate. The best results were found at 2.5% nano-TiO(2). The effects of non-nano-TiO(2) are not significant. It is shown that the physiological effects are related to the nanometer-size particles, but the mechanism by which nano-TiO(2) improves the growth of spinach seeds still needs further study.
Naturally occurring CD4+ regulatory T cells, the majority of which express CD25, are engaged in dominant control of self-reactive T cells, contributing to the maintenance of immunologic self-tolerance. Their depletion or functional alteration leads to the development of autoimmune disease in otherwise normal animals. The majority, if not all, of such CD25+CD4+ regulatory T cells are produced by the normal thymus as a functionally distinct and mature subpopulation of T cells. Their repertoire of antigen specificities is as broad as that of naive T cells, and they are capable of recognizing both self and nonself antigens, thus enabling them to control various immune responses. In addition to antigen recognition, signals through various accessory molecules and via cytokines control their activation, expansion, and survival, and tune their suppressive activity. Furthermore, the generation of CD25+CD4+ regulatory T cells in the immune system is at least in part developmentally and genetically controlled. Genetic defects that primarily affect their development or function can indeed be a primary cause of autoimmune and other inflammatory disorders in humans. Based on recent advances in our understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of this T cell-mediated immune regulation, this review discusses how naturally arising CD25+CD4+ regulatory T cells contribute to the maintenance of immunologic self-tolerance and negative control of various immune responses, and how they can be exploited to prevent and treat autoimmune disease, allergy, cancer, and chronic infection, or establish donor-specific transplantation tolerance.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral often used in building materials and construction. Because asbestos has been proven to cause serious and fatal diseases, it is strictly regulated in its use as a building material and where it occurs naturally.
To reduce public exposure to naturally occurring asbestos, the Air District regulates all construction and mining activities that produce dust potentially containing naturally occurring asbestos. The Airborne Toxic Control Measure places requirements on the following activities in areas where naturally occurring asbestos is likely to be found:
Asbestos is a term used for a group of silicate minerals that occur as asbestiform fibers having high tensile strength, flexibility, and heat and chemical resistance. Asbestos is a known carcinogen and inhalation of asbestos may result in the development of lung cancer or mesothelioma. The asbestos contents of many manufactured products have been regulated in the U.S. for a number of years. For example, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has regulated the amount of asbestos in crushed serpentinite used in surfacing applications, such as for gravel on unpaved roads, since 1990. In 1998, new concerns were raised about possible health hazards from activities that disturb rocks and soil containing asbestos and may generate asbestos-laden dust. These concerns led CARB to revise their asbestos limit for crushed serpentinite and ultramafic rock in surfacing applications from five percent to less than 0.25 percent, and to adopt a new rule requiring best practices dust control measures for activities that disturb rock and soil containing naturally occurring asbestos.
The California Geological Survey (CGS) provides information on the geology of asbestos occurrences in California, and has developed Guidelines for Geologic Investigations of Naturally Occurring Asbestos in California (PDF) to assist geologists conducting investigations related to naturally-occurring asbestos.
NOA includes several types of naturally occurring fibrous minerals found in serpentine and ultramafic rocks. Serpentine and ultramafic rocks are common in the Sierra foothills, Klamath mountains and coast ranges. NOA is known to occur in Caltrans Districts 1 through 6, 8 9 and 10. Asbestos is a known carcinogen and can be released from these rocks when they are broken and crushed or by weathering and erosion. When NOA is disturbed by construction, grading and other surface activities, asbestos fibers can become airborne. Such activities are regulated by the California Air Resources Board to reduce dust emissions during construction-related activities.
Did you know that naturally occurring oil seeps from the seafloor are the largest source of oil entering the world ocean? In fact, they account for nearly half of the oil released into the ocean environment every year.
When an oil spill occurs in an area with many naturally occurring seeps, responders may have a hard time telling the difference between spilled oil and seep oil. The difference is important because the environmental impacts of oil are determined not only by the amount of oil released into the environment, but also by the type of oil and the speed at which it will disperse. Natural seeps release oil slowly over time, allowing ecosystems to adapt, whereas oil spills from human activities like commercial oil transport can quickly release oil in quantities that overwhelm an ecosystem.
OR&R tracks naturally occurring oil seeps, helps distinguish oil seeps from production-platform leaks and other spills, and works with partners like the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to enhance techniques like oil fingerprinting to determine where oil originates.
The waters off of Southern California are home to hundreds of naturally occurring oil and natural gas seeps. These seeps, which probably have been leaking for thousands of years, contribute about five million gallons of oil to the ocean annually. Slicks from larger seeps are visible by satellite, and have been known to travel as far as 100 miles down the coast. Some are even persistent enough to become features on nautical charts! More Information
- Office of Response and Restoration
- Natural Seeps and Oil Spills
- How does oil get into the ocean? (Infographic)
- How do we respond to oil spills? (audio podcast)
- Oil in the Ocean (Ocean Today video)
Author: NOAA
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If proper precautions are taken, construction work can be done safely in areas of greenstone bedrock. While naturally occurring asbestos is not regulated by the local governments, if you have general questions about greenstone bedrock, you may contact the Fairfax County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (703-246-2444, TTY 711, hd...@fairfaxcounty.gov) or the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District. For naturally occuring asbestos within the City of Fairfax, you may also contact the city's Code Administration division at 703-385-7830.
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