Re: AIDS and dioxin

[Harriet Rosenberg <hrosenbe@yorku.ca>]

I think pesticide exposure may be very wothwhile following up.
Thanks,
H


Harriet Rosenberg
Health and Society Programme
Social Science Division (Arts)		 
York University
Note New E-Mail Address: hrosenbe@yorku.ca 
			
On 1 Aug 1996, Patricia Dines wrote:

> <<(HR) I have sent the information on AIDS and dioxin to colleagues doing
> research on AIDS education in Namibia, South Africa and Botswana. Am I correct
> in assuming that domestic wood fires that may also contain plastics could be a
> signifcant source of dioxins and hence immunosuppressants and thus play a role
> in the progression  of AIDS. Wood fires are the dominant form of fuel for
> cooking and  heating and in my experience in Botswana a common way of trash
> disposal. I am also thinking that pesticide exposure might be very significant.
> Should we be thinking about enviro exposures as well as condoms in AIDS
> education?>>
> 
> <<(Philip Fleischer) Any fire may be a source but the volume burned makes a big
> difference in how significant a source is.
> 
> Pulp mill power boilers amd municipal waste incinerators burn 100s and
> even 1000s of tons per day.  Domestic cooking or disposal fires are
> insignificant compared to these.>>
> 
> Harriet - 
> 
> (1) I can't speak to the impact of one fire overall, and I agree with Philip
> that the amount of exposure _at the site in question_ would be a factor in
> determining the amount of impact.  But I've smelled burning plastic and it
> clearly isn't healthy to burn it near or in a home and breathe the smoke
> directly.  Just because incinerators are worse or partially diluted by distance,
> doesn't mean close and direct exposure is a good idea!  So I think it's useful
> to tell people that burning plastic is unhealthy (which they probably suspect
> anyway, if they're aware of their bodies at the time...).
> 
> (2) I think your underlying issue is vital to ask and explore - the overall
> relationship between AIDS and toxic exposures, especially pesticides.  The book
> _AIDS Inc._ discusses strong correlations between areas with AIDS concentrations
> in Africa and toxic sites and other threats to the immune system.  Like so many
> times when there's a possible connection between health problems and toxic
> exposures, the chemical companies that develop the pharmaceutical solutions also
> produce the toxins and thus it's not in their self-interest to explore toxins as
> a possible cause of the disease.  Nevertheless, the evidence continues to grow
> showing the immune-suppressing qualities of so many chemicals (as well as
> carcinogenic, neurotoxic, etc...).   
> 
> I agree that it's vital that research and public education at least consider
> that a key way to reduce the risk of diseases like cancer, AIDS, ADD, Alzeimers,
> etc. is to assess and drastically reduce toxic exposure, both individually and
> globally.  And I think it's a good way to take care of our own health as well.
> 
> So I encourage you to keep asking questions down that road.  If we can't depend
> on the chemical-company researchers to bring up the issue, then it's up to us.
> The total sum of our toxic exposure is quite high, once you start adding up the
> sources....
> 
> Best regards, 
> 
> P. Dines
>