Introduction

B8.1 Worker in a hazardous material suit

There are thousands of substances in the world that you come in contact with on a daily basis. Some are essential to your health, some are not essential but don’t harm you, and some are hazardous substances you should avoid. Many hazardous substances are labelled with WHMIS pictograms that help you clearly identify the danger. Others substances, even though they are toxic, have no labels at all.

In this lesson, we will look at some hazardous chemicals that can have long-term health effects and we will investigate issues related to the user and to society as a whole.

  Targets

• outline some of the issues related to personal and societal use of potentially toxic or hazardous compounds
  
  

  Watch This

  Hazardous Compounds

N-phenyl-N-[1- (2-phenylethyl)piperidin-4-yl] propanamide	3-(1-methyl-2- pyrrolid inylpyridine	(6aR)-6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl- 6a,7,8,10a-tetrahydrobenzo [c]chromen-1-ol
B8.2 WHMIS exclamation mark pictogram Health Concerns It causes skin irritation. It causes serious eye irritation. It causes respiratory irritation. Precautions Avoid breathing dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray. Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection.	B8.3 WHMIS skull and cross bones pictogram B8.4 WHMIS environmental pictogram Health Concerns It causes acute toxicity and is fatal if swallowed. It is fatal if there is contact with skin. It is very toxic to aquatic life. Precautions Do not ingest. Do not breathe gas/fumes/ vapor/spray. Wear suitable protective clothing.	B8.5 WHMIS skull and cross bones pictogram B8.6 health hazard WHMIS pictogram Health Concerns It causes damage to organs. It causes serious eye irritation. It is suspected of damaging fertility or an unborn child. It is irritating to the upper respiratory tract. It may be fatal if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. It may cause skin or respiratory system irritation. Precautions Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray. Wash hands and skin thoroughly after handling. Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection.

Opiods

“Opioid crisis” is a term you may have heard in the news. On average, 1.8 people in Alberta die every day from an opioid overdose! Opioids are a class of drugs that act on the nervous system to relieve pain.

They are derived from the opium poppy and can include prescription drugs such as morphine, codeine, oxycodone, and fentanyl. Their medicinal use is to help manage chronic pain.

They are highly addictive, and fentanyl in particular is very strong. It is 100 times more potent than morphine, thus overdosing is easy. Naloxone kits are readily available in Alberta and are used to counteract a fentanyl overdose.

Fentanyl users will experience drowsiness, euphoria, itching, and lethargy. Taking an excess amount of fentanyl can lead to a serious and life-threatening overdose. Signs and symptoms of an overdose can include

• difficulty swallowing
• extreme fatigue
• dizziness
• fainting
• shallow or difficult breathing/respiratory arrest
• cardiac arrest
  
  

Call 1-866-332-2322 (toll free within Alberta) for addiction support.

Addiction Support

© Wikimedia Commons
B8. 2 Ball and stick model of fentanyl

In this model, the black spheres represent C atoms, the white spheres represent H atoms, the blue spheres represent N atoms, and the red sphere represents an oxygen atom. The chemical formula of fentanyl is C₂₂H₂₈N₂O.

Vaping

Nicotine is the main active ingredient in cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes. Although e-cigarettes containing nicotine are not currently legally manufactured, sold, or imported in Canada, they are readily available.

Nicotine is toxic and addictive and has detrimental effects on the developing adolescent brain and on developing fetuses.

Currently there is no provincial legislation in Alberta to restrict e-cigarette use in public, but there are some municipalities and many public buildings that do have bylaws.

Some people argue that e-cigarettes are safer than regular cigarettes; keep in mind, safer is not the same thing as safe. One of the biggest concerns with vaping is the unknown. Close to 8 000 e-liquid flavours have been reported. The health effects of heating and inhaling flavourants used in the e-liquids has not been well studied and is unregulated, meaning you do not know what you are inhaling or what the long-term effects will be on your health.

In addition to the health concerns of nicotine and flavourants, several studies have now linked the release of heavy metals from heating coils into the aerosol that is inhaled while vaping. Chronic inhalation of these metals—Pb, Cr, Mn, and Ni—has been linked to lung, liver, cardiovascular, and brain damage and even cancers.

The federal government plans to regulate e-cigarettes, with Bill S-5, to make vaping products less accessible to young people.

vaping health risks

© Wikimedia Commons
B8.3 Nicotine model

In this model, the black spheres represent C atoms, the white spheres represent H atoms, and the blue spheres represent N atoms. The chemical formula of nicotine is C₁₀H₁₄N₂.

Marijuana

Many people are excited about BILL C-45—the Bill that will legalize marijuana. There will be restrictions on amounts, and there are special provisions for youth (12- to 18-year-olds).

Many people are concerned with the legalization of marijuana because of its effects on young, developing brains, as they are not fully developed until the age of 25. Use of marijuana by youth can have long-term permanent effects.

Exposure to THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) may

• slow reaction times
• reduce coordination
• make it harder to learn and remember things
• cause anxiety or panic
• trigger a psychotic episode
• cause lung damage, if it is inhaled
• make you physically dependent or addicted

cannabis in Canada



cannabis health effects

Using cannabis regularly and continuously over time has also been associated with an increased risk of

• suicide
• depression
• anxiety disorders
• psychosis
• schizophrenia

© Wikimedia Commons
B8.4 THC molecules\alt tag: ball and stick model of THC

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the principal psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.

In this model, the black spheres represent C atoms, the white spheres represent H atoms, and the red spheres represent oxygen atoms. It has the chemical formula C₂₁H₃₀O₂.

  Read This

  Practice Questions

1. Select one of the substances—nicotine, fentanyl, or THC (the active ingredient in marijuana)—and discuss what impacts, positive or negative, you think it has had and will have on society. If you wish to discuss an alternate substance, please contact your teacher first for permission.
   
   Make sure you include

  Chemistry and Society

B8.5 Victim being attended to

There are many dangers associated with hazardous compounds. Not only could you end up harming yourself, but you could harm your family and friends and have a detrimental impact on society itself.

In addition to the dangers from inhaling the aerosolized particles from vaping, the fuel and heat generated by the battery can create a combustion reaction that can also have a significant impact on an individual.

  Watch This

Étienne's Drug Addiction Story: Video @ Government of Canada

Watch this video that provides insight into the recovery after a battle with drug addiction. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/video/etienne-story.html

2.4 Assignment

Unit B Assignment Lessons 5-8

1. Part 1 Written Portion: Select the preferred document type from the options below. Download and save the assignment on your desktop (or documents folder).
   
   PDF Document       
   
2. Open and print this saved document.
3. Record your responses in the appropriate textboxes.
4. When you have completed the assignment, scan it and save it on your desktop (or documents folder).
5. Once you have completed the written portion of your assignment, click on the button below to go to the submission page.
   
   Written Portion Submission Page
6. Part 2 Online Portion: It is now time to complete the Lesson 5 questions of the online portion of this assignment. Click on the button below to go to the online questions of this assignment.
   
   Online Questions