only one page and half
Project 5
Salwa Alzariky
English 1130:024
5/1/18
The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness
A developing assortment of proof demonstrates that light contamination intensifies, and may specifically cause, cancer, heftiness, and sadness, the troublesome triumvirate of industrialized society. One of the principal individuals to see this relationship, in any event as it applies to cancer, is Richard Stevens, a teacher at the University of Connecticut, regarded cancer disease transmission expert, and gentle restless person. In the mid-1980s, Stevens and different scientists were starting to acknowledge there was almost no association amongst eating routine and rising rates of bosom cancer, as opposed to what had been suspected. As Stevens puts it, it resembled a light knob going on when he understood that, indeed, a light globule going on may be a guilty party.
While reading “The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness” by Rebecca Doyle I have learned a considerable amount about the dangers of artificial light presentation. One statement that immediately constrained me regarding artificial light was her statement that "Using a phone after lights - out about once a week increased the risk of being 'very tired' by five times." This really constrained me simply because I am on my cellphone without an uncertainty almost every single night, that may explain why I always feel so tired!
In her article "The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness," Rebecca Boyle talks about the sometimes-upsetting results of facing a daily reality such that light and lighting matters to such an extent. Boyle explains how apparently advanced nations like the United States rely upon lights restricted to how some creating nations rely upon darkness. The article raises a range of issues concerning the implications of light in our public and the world.
Nail salon
workers' compensation a gigantic cost as their health. Presentation to nail care items with hurtful chemicals can bring about various health impacts, extending from skin disturbances, eye wounds, unfavorably susceptible responses, subjective and neurological side effects, queasiness, respiratory issues, tumor and wild muscle constrictions to disabled regenerative and improvement forms. Items utilized as a part of nail salons may contain chemicals that can influence laborer wellbeing. Utilizing these items can uncover nail salon laborers to chemicals. Laborers may take in the hurtful vapors, tidies, or fogs; get the item on their skin or in their eyes; or swallow the item on the off chance that it is inadvertently exchanged onto nourishment or cigarettes.
Skin issue are likewise inescapable among nail salon specialists. A significant number of the chemicals in nail salon items are arranged by government offices as skin sensitizers, equipped for inciting difficult reactions. In logical circles, the three chemicals in nail items that are related with the most genuine medical problems are dibutyl phthalate, toluene and formaldehyde. As of late, notwithstanding developing wellbeing concerns, some clean organizations have said that they have expelled certain disputable chemicals from their items. In any case, arbitrary testing of some of these items by government offices demonstrated the chemicals were as yet present. Studies have additionally demonstrated that working in salons is connected to conceptive medical issues, including unconstrained birth, preterm conveyance and undersized infants and in addition pregnancy difficulties. The exposures and wellbeing impacts are sufficient to lead some legislative organizations, including the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to put resources into research and effort to the salons. As a disease transmission specialist, I have led numerous exploration concentrates to inspect working environment exposures and wellbeing impacts for nail salon laborers. In my discussions with several salon specialists and proprietors, numerous have shared their own stories of medical issues, extending from interminable cerebral pains to unfortunate instances of growth and pregnancy confusions. While investigate doesn't generally give authoritative answers on the connections between their working environment exposures and medical issues, it's difficult to disregard the examples in these stories. Shockingly, the government law managing beautifying agent’s security is presently over 75 years of age and does not expect organizations to impart wellbeing data to the Food and Drug Administration. While the law bans fixings destructive to clients, however it contains no arrangements for the office to assess the impacts of the chemicals previously they are put on racks. It appears to be offensive that the working conditions for proficient in the magnificence business puts their own wellbeing and prosperity in danger as they give routine administration to others.
Blast Force
My reaction to the Blast Force article was that it was amazing to know the way that so many soldiers and veterans were influenced by the gentle horrible cerebrum damage by the blasts of blast occasions however I didn't discover the article extremely energizing. I liked the Wellbeing Impacts of a World without Dimness article more since it was intriguing to find out about the negative impacts of light, for example, light contamination and how light influences a ton of the world, including people and creatures.
Two positions from the Blast Force article are the aftereffects of what should be possible to cure the mellow horrendous mind damage and what should be possible to protect soldiers and veterans. In the Blast Force article, it endeavors to persuade the readers concerning why the gentle horrendous mind damage and exposures result in negative outcomes. In the Wellbeing Impacts of a World without Dimness, it endeavors to persuade the readers about the negative impacts of light and the amount it influences the world, including people and creatures.
I believe that both of these articles are enticing on the grounds that they give you data about their subjects in a way that interfaces with their supposition about their contentions and need to demonstrate their readers that their assessments are pleasing. They both give a considerable measure of actualities from different sources or other individuals to help bolster their contentions and gives cases of why the greater part of their data identifies with what they are attempting to demonstrate about their principle points.
The Big Kill
This article gives me mixed feelings. I feel intensely for the animals in danger and the ones being purposely wiped out. The quote, “Let us get rid of the lot all of the predators.” This worries me because everyone knows that predators are also much important. This quote just seems ignorant to me.
The major ironic thing to me was the way that people in New Zealand decided to kill the rodents. For instance, on the last page of "The Big Kill," Van Dam states, "In the case of the possums, it had turned out that a blow to the head was not enough to bring about quick death. Due to this reason the A12 is designed to fill the animal's skull with carbon dioxide and emulsify the brain" (page 178).
It is simply insane that New Zealanders took exceptionally outrageous measures in ensuring that these rodents passed on and were extremely resolved to dispose of them. Be that as it may, soon after perusing about their local creatures and perceiving how they portrayed them made me extremely intrigued to take in more about them. Hence, I comprehend why the New Zealanders need to see the rodents vanish so seriously.
Just in perusing about the extermination of a species to save another, I was brought to human social happening genocide. I trust it is very shameful to implement such an act, determining the fate of a populous to simply benefit another. When they spoke of dousing the possums in cyanide to save plants, I found it very cruel and unjust. Nature must be allowed to improvement well naturally.
I did not understand the conception of killing one animal to save another. The ecosystem would not thrive if you do not have a predator that control population. Similarly, every animal has a predator, so to follow the kill one animal to save logic; you would mainly have to kill everything. This article did not make much sense to me.
Will Viruses Save Us from Superbugs
I am surprised when I know about some diseases which cannot remove with the help of antibiotic medicine. It’s very dangerous intimations for me and the whole community. But I am very happy after knowing about the great step of European Government. I am Exciting how eastern European medicine has taken an alternate way on this. Such an extraordinary and motivating article. One can challenge to dream that our US government will open their eyes and psyches to a credible cure for such many serious ailments and store the exploration on this. Phage therapy began in the early 20th century with an unpaid volunteer at the Institute Pasteur in Paris collecting feces. I have seen that still Two important issues are not specified in this article-one is the way that the human insusceptible framework identifies and assaults phages, to the resistant framework they are just another virus, the other more positive note is that the two pages AND microscopic organisms develop. At the point when microbes get invulnerability the phages adjust and dodge that safeguard.
The article is for the most part discussing about the examination phage treatment. Looking at about customary antibiotic medicines and phage treatment. The biggest phage treatment trial to date, upheld by €3.8 million from the European Commission, kept running into a few of these issues. The trial, called Phage Consume, initially included selecting 220 consume casualties with tainted injuries from 11 diverse French, Belgian, and Swiss doctor's facilities.
In the article Will Viruses Save Us from Superbugs? At the point when antibiotics fizzled an extremely sick patient there is a lake virus that can save on the other hand. Scholars and scientific experts ought to perform much research on it to save world from Executioner germs using this system. The article gives a considerable measure of actualities from different sources or other individuals to help bolster their contentions and gives cases of why phage treatment is much imperative for future life.
Why America is Getting the Science of Sun Protection All Wrong
Most horrifying to me are the specialists' hesitance to distinguish any exceptional prerequisites of Vitamin D/sun introduction because of contrasts in skin tone. What a damage to all who help subsidize their examination and what an affront to the science to discount not seeking after this line of study since they would prefer not to "open the can of worms". Vitamin D supplements are a Band-Aid. If they can be maintained a strategic distance from by what the Australians are recommending. Credit to them, and I'm anticipating perceiving how their arrangements develop.
"The southern hemisphere tilts toward the sun in summer, so the sun beats down more directly below the equator than above.”
This sentence looks bad on any level. There is no worldwide "summer," and the tilt of the Earth is at 23.4 degrees - the entire Earth, constantly. For half of the year, this puts the Northern Hemisphere tilted towards the Sun at 23.4 degrees, and for the other portion of the year, the Southern Hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun at the same 23.4 degrees. On the off chance that you can't get this exceptionally essential truth about nature revise, I experience considerable difficulties considering whatever is left of this important. There is a considerable measure of quack specialists out there, and there will absolutely be quack dermatologists among them. Australia still has the most noteworthy rates of skin malignancy - because it's nearer to the EQUATOR, it's hot, and they invest a huge amount of energy outside.
As opposed to feedback I trust we should move towards instructing. In each time we make new revelation, this is the thing that science is; enhancing speculations or altering existing hypotheses so as opposed to censuring prior speculations let us teach each other on these new disclosures. I at last comprehend the science behind my vitamin D insufficiency. I trust this imperative issue gets the consideration it merits. It appears like it may be an ideal opportunity to overhaul the one-measure fits-all sun presentation rules in the U.S.
Project 1: Genre Analysis of Cancer Genres
Cancer is a serious health problem that involves abnormal cell growth that have the potential to spread to other body parts (Verma et al. 177) Medical schooling plays an important role in teaching professionals how to deal with cancer patients. However, there are various risks and complexities that physicians and patients face when making decisions on cancer treatment plans. Making decisions on surgery plans is an issue that has been a problem for many patients and precisely in chemotherapy for cancer patients. This comparative analysis of scientific and medical genres seeks to research six different medical research articles on cancer treatment plans and evaluate them based on their genres. The evaluation will be based on various genre aspects such as genre considerations, genre features, audience expectations of each genre, rhetorical issues, and style.
The first piece of the genre for analysis is a personal experience article from Slate known as “No Risky Chances.” The article is mainly an overview of a patient-doctor conversation that focuses on the practice of medicine and precisely the article focuses on the complexities that the patients and also the health professionals face when they are making decisions on medical treatments that may cause complications in life. The target audience of this specific genre is mainly the general public. This is mainly because the discussed issue of health is an issue that affects anyone in either way. This is a piece of the genre that healthcare professionals can read so as to get an insight of patients’ reactions to treatment plans and also patients can read in the healthcare facilities when waiting for an appointment or even at the time. The introduction part is catchy because the choice of words makes a reader get anxious to want to know what the article really entails. The purpose of this article is to give a better insight of what happens before and after physicians undertake surgical procedures and this has been presented from a personal experience. Generally, readers of this piece of the genre expect to expect to experience which is engaging but informative. However, this article is not mainly a leisurely read because it focuses on an issue that is supposed to enlighten people on a certain issue. A reader expects to gain more knowledge regarding a certain topic.
Features of the genre include a short and attention-grabbing headline which is normally not more than 5 words, a byline indicating the author or may show where the article is retrieved from, quotations of exact words spoken, the introduction sets the scene and the body, and the body provides more details about an event. The title “No Risky Chances” is an eye-catching title and therefore a reader is likely to get the urge of knowing what the whole article is about. However, the name does not reveal exactly what the article is about and the information within the article. The title is brief, but it is catchy. However, there are other techniques used in writing the headline in this genre. For example, the author may choose to write a headline that directly indicates what the article is about. The reader will still get the urge to read the article because he or she has already started getting more information about the information presented in the article. The audience can easily understand what is being presented because the event flows like a story thus making it easy to follow. The use of quoted speeches or dialogues makes it easy for the reader to understand the content of the article. The author can express anything he or she feels is fit for the article so as to ensure the message gets to the reader.
This piece of genre helps to evoke an emotional response from the audience because the reader is able to feel as part of the author’s experience since the genre creates a realistic image of an event or issue. The genre tends to create a feeling that responds to the author’s event and the emotions may include sadness, joy, etc. This is mainly because the author describes an event in a way that is easy to relate to what has been presented. The author of “No Risky Chances” gives an account of the things he learned in medical school and this has been supported by an incidence that entails a real conversation with a patient and her daughter. This technique is appropriate because it makes the article more factual. The genre helps in establishing the information’s credibility by allowing the author to use references and this is an effective way of enhancing credibility. The language used in the genre is informal and entails the use of vocabularies in the field of science and medicine. Some of these vocabularies include an oncologist, lymphatic system, metastatic among others. The word flow is smooth making it easy for a reader to read.
The second piece of the genre is an article known as “Do Some Harm” by James Palmer. The target audience of the genre mainly includes adults. The genre is read by anyone with the urge of learning more about the practice of medicine. The readers of this genre expect to get feel entertained and still learn more about the topic. Features of a magazine include a headline that is attention-grabbing, use of photographs and illustrations, colorful fonts which are attention-grabbing, and byline includes a brief synopsis of the article. The genre meets the needs of the audience by the use of photographs that are described which makes it easy for the audience to relate. The freedom to use photographs and colorful fonts play a critical role in conveying the message. The purpose of the genre is to educate and also entertain and it fulfills the purpose of ensuring the information presented is entertaining and informative.
This genre helps to evoke an emotional response from the audience because of the use of techniques such as photographs to educate the audience and provide factual evidence. The genre seeks to enlighten people and precisely this article is educating the audience on traditional Chinese methods. The main types of evidence used to support the claims of the information in this genre include the use of photographs and this is appropriate because it gives a real or factual representation of the information on the discussion. The credibility of the information is mainly established by using photographs illustrating the topic of discussion. For example, “Do Some Harm” by James Palmer shows a photograph of a facial acupuncture being administered to a patient. The technique is effective since the photograph gives a real image of the issue. The language is formal and applicable to the practice of medicine. The article entails the use of specialized vocabularies such as hyperventilating, pseudoscience, medicinal herbs etc. The word flow is smooth, and the statements are properly structured with appropriate word choices.
The third piece of the genre is a scholarly journal article known as “Psychological responses and support needs of patients following head and neck cancer” by Gerry M.Humphris and Gozde Ozakinci. The audience of the article is health practitioners and students in the same field. The article may be read by researchers who aim to gain more knowledge. The purpose of the document is to provide research-based evidence on treatment plans. The readers of this genre expect to gain more knowledge supported by facts and evidence from research. The features of this genre include references or bibliographies (Humphris, and Gozde 42), research-based supportive evidence, illustrations support such as maps tables or data, and the articles are peer-reviewed by qualified peers. The article meets the needs of the audience by providing supportive data to support the research. The article entails the use of subtopics to differentiate bring flow and focus on the information presented. The article fulfills its purpose by enlightened the readers and giving them an insight of the topic.
The genre helps to evoke an emotional response from the audience by giving an insight of an existing or new issue by the support of evidence. Emotions may include the feeling of surprise, fear etc. the types of evidence used to support the genre include research findings, literature from other sources, references, tables etc. This is appropriate because it is factual or real evidence-based information. The genre helps to establish the information’s credibility by allowing other experts in the similar field to review what has been presented which is an effective and important measure. The type of language used in the article is a formal language. The examples of vocabularies used in the article include head and neck cancer, psychology, quality of life etc.
The fourth price of the genre is a webpage. The article presented is titled as “Anxiety, Fear, and Depression” from the American Cancer Society website. The audience is the general public. The information is read by anyone who can access the website. The purpose of the document is to enlighten people about the existing issues in health. Readers of this genre expect to get educated on matters of health. The features of this genre include clear and user-friendly navigation, web compatibility, simple and professional designing and quality content (Posteguillo et al, 84). The genre communicates and meets the needs of the audience by providing relevant information regarding the website. The flexibility in designing helps in shaping the information and also conveying the message. The purpose of the genre is to provide easy access to information and this is achieved by presenting articles on the pages and therefore this makes it for the audience to read and also get support.
The genre helps to evoke an emotional response from the audience by enabling the audience to access information and necessary support. The evidence used to support the claims on the information in this genre includes references from existing research or real-life cases. This is appropriate because it makes the information presented credible.
The language used is formal and entails the correct use of words. The information is presented in a bullet from which makes it easy for a reader to follow and read. The specialized vocabulary use includes symptoms of clinical depression, cancer, anxiety, fear, panic attacks etc. Other language techniques used in the genre include the use of irony and emotive language.
The fifth piece of the genre is newspaper feature article titled “the emotional aftermath of cancer” from the U.S News. The target audience is adults and mainly educated audience. The purpose of the document is to share a personal experience with the audience on health and treatment. Readers of this genre expect to get an insight of the latest issue regarding a certain issue. The features of this genre include attention-grabbing headlines, byline indicating the writer of the article, photographs, and subtopics. The use of subtopics and photographs makes it easy for the audience to relate to what has been presented. The genre’s purpose is fulfilled educating people on a certain topic.
The genre evokes an emotional response from the audience based on the type of issue in the discussion. The types of evidence used to support the claims in the information may include personal witnessing or experiences and research findings. This is appropriate because it makes the information presented factual and easy for the audience to believe. The credibility of the information is established by being reviewing by fellow publishing and reviewing the research findings.
The language used in this genre is formal. Examples of vocabularies used include diagnosis, chemotherapy, and surviving cancer, among others. Some of the techniques used in the genre include pulling the reader into the action and invoking multiple senses. These techniques have made the genre livelier and engaging.
The sixth piece of the genre is a variety and talk show YouTube video. The target audience of this video is individuals who enjoy watching talks show videos. The purpose of the video is to educate people more about cancer and the speaker in the video precisely gives facts on how much is spent in cancer treatment and basic information on cancer treatment plans. The viewers of this video expect to get entertained and get an understanding of matters related to health. The features of this genre include clarity, engaging speech, and appropriate length of the video for the target audience. The speaker can use language in a flexible manner which makes it easy to stay focused and interactive. The video fulfills its purpose as the speaker as able to cover all main aspects related to cancer treatment by engaging the audience using real-life examples that people can easily relate with.
The genre helps to evoke an emotional response from the audience since a speaker can easily interact with the audience by asking questions. Asking questions or giving comments makes the audience feel more involved in the talk. The claims are supported by giving personal experiences or research findings. This is an appropriate technique since it makes the information presented realistically. The genre entails appropriate referencing to research or personal experience which establishes the information’s credibility.
The language used is informal. Some of the vocabularies in the genre include “I feel to talk about”, “treatment of common cancers”, diet, and prevention. Other language features include the use of emotive language, personification, and appropriation.
The genre analysis of six different genres on cancer has shown that different genres have specific features that make it easier to reach the target audience appropriately. Today, cancer is a serious health issue and therefore, researchers have put a lot of time and effort to study more about this health problem. Therefore, to create awareness on cancer and the available treatment plans and educate the society at large, researchers use different genres so as to reach and educate the target audience.
Sources
American cancer society website. Anxiety, Fear, and Depression. Retrieved from: https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/emotional-side-effects/anxiety-fear-depression.html
Gawande, Atul. No risky chances. The conversation that matters most. 2014. Retrieved from: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2014/10/end_of_life_medical_decisions_atul_gawande_book_excerpt_on_no_risky_chances.html
Humphris, Gerry M., and Gozde Ozakinci. "Psychological responses and support needs of patients following head and neck cancer." International Journal of Surgery 4.1 (2006): 37-44. Retrieved from: https://www.journal-surgery.net/article/S1743-9191(06)00006-9/abstract
Palmer, J. Do Some Harm. Aeon. Retrieved from: https://aeon.co/essays/traditional-chinese-medicine-needs-its-own-revolution
Posteguillo, Santiago, María José Esteve, and M. Lluïsa Gea-Valor, eds. The texture of Internet: Netlinguistics in progress. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009.
US News. The Emotional Aftermath Of Cancer. Retrieved from: https://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2015/06/26/the-emotional-aftermath-of-cancer
Verma, Amit, et al., eds. Nutraceuticals and Innovative Food Products for Healthy Living and Preventive Care. IGI Global, 2017.
YouTube Video. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7POkIJfbMyU
Project 2
Annotated Bibliography
Alexeeff, S. E., Yau, V., Qian, Y., Davignon, M., Lynch, F., Crawford, P., ... & Croen, L. A. (2017). Medical Conditions in the First Years of Life Associated with Future Diagnosis of ASD in Children. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 47(7), 2067-2079.
The authors conducted a study examining the medical conditions which were diagnosed before the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. The authors used case samples to do their research on children and report their findings in the article. The article also explains why the medical conditions exist in children and indicate the new evidence discovered in the research.
Folger, T. (2017). The best American science and nature writing. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 44-54.
The author Rebecca Boyle, a freelance journalist, writes science magazines and journals for adults and children. This particular essay titled ‘The Health Effects of a World Without Darkness’ is included in ‘The Best American Science and Nature Writing.’ In the essay, the author talks about several studies conducted about the effects of almost constant light in the modern human society on animal’s migratory patterns, human sleep patterns and cites cases of depression, cancer and weight gain in humans. As pointed out in the essay, the author shows ways in which humans can decrease the amount of light leaking into the atmosphere.
Garcia, M. C. (2017). Reducing potentially excess deaths from the five leading causes of death in the rural United States. MMWR. Surveillance Summaries, 66.
The author presents surveillance statistics of data on why mortality rates in the rural areas in the United States are still high compared to the urban areas. The article shows that out of the potential deaths from the five leading causes of death in the country (stroke, heart diseases, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases), the deaths were more in the rural areas than in the urban population. The author discusses the five leading causes of death giving statistics about the killers and efforts put to reduce the mortality deaths out of these killer medical conditions.
Maslin Nir, S. (2015). Perfect Nails, Poisoned Workers. Mobile.nytimes.com. Retrieved 22 March 2018, from https://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/05/11/nyregion/nail-salon-workers-in-nyc-face-hazardous-chemicals.html?referer= http://m.nautil.us/issue/43/heroes/will-viruses-save-us-from-superbugs
The article describes the medical risk conditions suffered by nail workers in the United States from the chemicals they use in their daily work routines at beauty shops in which they are employed. The article presents case studies of different nail workers and their negative experiences regarding their ill health associated with nail products. The author also tries to paint the scenario of how other countries such as Australia have tackled the health problem by enacting laws and coming up with programs that sensitize nail workers about the health effects of dealing with beauty products.
Mayr FB, Talisa VB, Balakumar V, Chang CH, Fine M, Yende S. Proportion and Cost of Unplanned 30-Day Readmissions After Sepsis Compared with Other Medical Conditions. JAMA. 2017;317(5):530–531. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.20468
The authors of the article give their research findings on a study of the unplanned costs that health care providers may undergo from unplanned re-admissions to the medical facility. The authors compared patients’ readmission data across national databases in the US and found out that sepsis, which is a medical condition, was the leading cause of unplanned 30-day readmissions in hospitals compared to other medical conditions such as heart failures, chronic diseases, and myocardial infarctions.
Walter, K. (2016). Will Viruses Save Us From Superbugs? Nautilus. Retrieved 22 March 2018, from http://nautil.us/issue/43/heroes/will-viruses-save-us-from-superbugs
The author, a graduate from Yale University, has specialized in epidemiology and tried to describe how antibiotics have can be used in healthcare to try and kill bacteria but has failed. The article uses case examples in the treatment of patients to highlight how viruses such as phages can be used in medicine as the ultimate bacterial killers. Unfortunately, no hospital in the US embraces the practice.
Project 3: Perfect Nails
Abstract
Occupational health and safety in the nail salon industry have emerged as a controversial argument in the recent years. This follows an increase in several that majorly focus on nail salon however not so much information is shown that exposure to toxic chemicals used to manufacture nail products have adverse health implications on women working in the industry (Maddox, 2010). There has also been a numerous research done that sought to protect the interests of nail salon product manufacturers (Maddox, 2010). Consequently, this paper adopts the argument that nail polish products have deadly poisonous and uses existing research evidence to support the argument. The conclusion of the argument is that all the stakeholders should converge to discuss the issue in order to find a long-lasting solution to the problem. This will protect the interests of consumers, manufacturers and regulatory agencies and thus solve the existing controversy.
Introduction
Many women have come to acknowledge the benefits of convenience associated with cost-effective, long-lasting and simple to apply nail polish without awareness of the potential general health and reproductive health risks resulting from the toxic fumes that emanate from these products (Bullard, Saha and Wright, 2007, p. 130) Salon workers are exposed to chemicals inherent in nail polish which have been known to cause various health issues. According to a study Asian Health Services, an advocacy organization that seek to protect the health rights of Asian workers showed that Asian women working in Salons suffered from predominant illnesses such as breathing problems, asthma symptoms and reproductive health conditions such as miscarriage. Further a study revealed that manicurists, makeup artists and hairdressers are a higher risk of delivering low birth-weight babies and also dying from Hodgkin’s disease.
Even though there is a growing body of knowledge on the health risks associated with exposure to nail polish chemicals, manufacturers of nail polish products have strongly sponsored counter-evidence to refute this growing claim by advocacy groups in the United States and other parts of the world. For example, a study conducted cast aspersions on the existing evidence by arguing that studies linking nail chemicals to various illnesses were few and limited and therefore cannot be conclusive. This research therefore come a number of factual statements that aided disputes on the growing evidence that links nail chemicals to various health issues affecting women working in salons. This research establishes a strong argument in support of the growing evidence that links nail chemicals to various health issues affecting women working in salons and relies on existing research evidence in the form of scholarly articles to support the line of argument adopted to compel nail product manufacturers to take concrete actions to reverse the trend. However, the Californian state government established regulations that required nail salon workers to put on protective masks to reduce exposure to these toxic chemicals.
Research Evidence
There is a growing body of evidence in literature supporting the argument that nail polish chemicals have adverse health consequences to women that are exposed to chemical fumes. Initial studies such as that conducted by Zota, Aschengrau, et. al., (2010) showed that nearly 50 percent of nail chemicals such as gel nail polish contained toxic chemicals in the form of polymer plastics such as acrylates and methacrylates. The study further revealed that unlike regular polish which drying over time, gel nail polishes undergoes a curing process through exposure to ultraviolet light. While the curing process is intended to form a tough bond between the nail and polish, it has been known to have adverse health consequences (Zota, Aschengrau, et. al., 2010). A test of the acrylates and methacrylates conducted on 115,000 patients, including cosmetologists and nail artists showed that 67.1% of the respondents reacted to exposure to the chemicals. The study linked gel chemicals in nail polish to allergic dermatitis that were found to be common among consumers nail artists and cosmetologists. These conditions included swelling, itching, red rash and burning. The fact that gel polish is provides a natural and professional look, is less expensive and simpler to apply has led to its popularity among consumers and nail artists, thus placing two groups at a higher risk of exposure to acrylates and methacrylate’s chemicals.
Another study that revealed critical health risks associated with prolong nail can pose a dangerous health hazards such as irritation nose eye and can cause cancer. The organization has for several years advocated for Federal regulation on the chemicals used in nail polish products citing several research findings that linked reproductive health complications of salon workers to the long hour exposure to toxic fumes in their workplaces. Study findings by the Asian Health Services revealed that skin ailments, respiratory problems, miscarriages, abnormal fetal development and other reproductive health complications were prevalent among Asian women working in salon establishment compared to women working in areas where they were least exposed to these chemicals. However, despite the growing pressure by the advocacy group to enlist support from the state and federal government to institute safety regulation measure, the fact that the existing legal framework does not require cosmetic manufacturing firms to disclose safety details of products to Food and Drug Administration has remained a significant setback to the efforts in protecting women working in salons from the risks associated with long exposure to toxic fumes from nail polish gel products (Edwards & Cooper, 2006). The fact that state and federal legal frameworks do not enforce law to evaluate the effects of chemicals used in cosmetic products to the users of the product provides a major loophole through which cosmetic manufacturers use to reverse bans. For example, efforts to restrict chemicals used in nail products in California a decade ago were countered with a ban from the cosmetic industry, which was a major setback in protecting Asian women working in nail salon establishments that were growing in Oakland, Calif and California at the time.
Figure 1.0: Papers mentioning nail polish chemicals by year (Roelofs, 2015).
An environmental advocacy organization, Harlem conducted a study in 2016 to investigate the health implications associated with nail salon products. The findings of this research supported the growing concern on the toxic exposure of women working in nail salons by establishing that nail salons are often small workspaces that are poorly ventilated which places women at a higher risk of exposure to the toxic fumes that emanate from nail polish gel.
A critical point to note in the argument is that despite nail salon product manufacturers absolving themselves from the potential health risks associated with nail products, a recent report by Zota, Aschengrau, et. al., (2010) showed that more and more manufacturers are confirming that they have removed the toxic elements in the nail products. However, a random sampling of gel nail products conducted by Maddox (2010), on government departments in the United States revealed that majority of the product still contained the controversial toxic chemical products. This supports the growing research on the existence of toxic chemical. However, there is still little research evidence on the level of health implications these products have caused on the United States pollution since studies have focused on small racial, economic or professional groups thus narrowing the real health impact. Further a research by Maddox (2010), revealed that both the gel nail polish products and their removers contained toxic elements that posed general health and reproductive health risks to women exposed to the fumes daily. The lights that often used to dry the gel polish have also been known to cause types of skin cancer.
The formation of collaborative and advocacy groups to propagate the health agenda of women working in nail salon environments has however served as a strong tool to bring together consumers and a poisonous industry, thus initiating new discussions on the roles of each stakeholder in the cosmetic supply chain. One such group is the California Health Nail Salon which brings together interest groups that aim to protect women from exposure to toxic chemicals contained in nail products. The group not only pushes for regulation but also considers the role of safety equipment for women working in the nail salon environment (Roelofs, 2015).
Figure 2.0 Loss of fingerprints due to chemicals in nail polish gel (Roelofs, 2015).
In the counter-argument, cosmetic manufacturing companies have instated that studies linking general health and reproductive health complications among nail salon workers to toxic chemicals used in the manufacturing of the products are few and narrowly focused on minority groups (Steingraber, 2007). Further, the firms have always used the existing legal support which does not require state and federal governments to require nail polish manufacturers to disclose the ingredients of nail polish products (Bird, 2010). Further, literature refuting the claims shows that manufacturing companies link the exposure to chemicals because of inaccurately labeled products, lack of proper protective gear and lack of proper regulation on nail salon work environments.
The best preventative measure for nails on salon is to allow your hands to dry at least for two hours after every use of chemicals however majority does adhere to this precaution even the use of cloves should be highly recommended to further protect the user’s nails. It is therefore recommended that users once done should dip the fingers on cold water regularly to minimize the negative effects.
Conclusion
In conclusion, research findings show that nail polish products have been linked to various general health and reproductive health conditions reported in different regions in the United States. Consequently, nail product manufacturers should acknowledge the health impact of the products they manufacturer and collaborate with consumer safety organizations, government agencies, and advocacy groups to protect women exposed to fumes from nail polish products. This will provide a platform for discussion that is likely to arrive at a solution that is beneficial to all the stakeholders.
References
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Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment at University of California, San Francisco. (2008). Shaping our Legacy: Reproductive Health and the Environment. Report on Summit on Environmental Challenges to Reproductive Health and Fertility. 2008 Sep; 1-80.
Roelofs, C. (2015). Perfect nails poisoned workers and where is the law? The Pump Handle. Retrieved 24 April 2018, from http://www.thepumphandle.org/2015/05/11/perfect-nails-poisoned-workers-and-where-is-the-law/#.Wt8Q8pe-nIV
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https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6h49q0s4
Papers mentioining "radiation hormesis" in PubMed, by year
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