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This article explores the alarming increase in mutations and their detrimental effects on ecology, diseases, physical disorders, super viruses, and poor reproduction rates. The causes of mutations, such as UV radiation, radioactivity, pollution, chemical substances, genetic engineering, and genetically modified food, are discussed. Measures that should have been taken in the past 50 years to prevent this crisis are also highlighted.
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What is a MUTATION? Itis a CHANGE in a cell's genetic material
1. Ecological disbalance One vivid example: Over the last 5 years USA has been unable to produce sufficient crops to feed the country due to its failure to defeat some mutated weeds resistant to any known chemical
2. Diseases 50 years ago nearly 40000 people in USA were diagnosed with leukaemia every year – 22000 of them died Today nearly 150000 people in USA are diagnosed with leukaemia – 80000 of them die
2. Diseases 50 years agonearly 20 Americans died each day from skin cancer Today nearly 45 Americans die each day from skin cancer
2. Diseases 50 years ago albinism was found only in 5 per 100,000 of Americans and Europeans, in 20 out of 100,000 Africans Today these figures have risen to 40 and 150 per 100,000 corrispondingly
3. Physical disorders 50 years ago physical abnormalities were mostly exceptions and accounted for less than 0,1% of the globe’s population Today every 50th individual on the Earth has some physical abnormalities
3. Physical disorders 50 years ago people were struck by the story of a 2-year-old Indian girl Lakshiri Tatma born with8 limbs Today this is not a rare case
4. Super viruses 50 years ago most dangerous viruses were AIDS, hepatitis,bird flu Today we have all in all 11 super viruses. One of them is papillomavirus, or HPV
5. Poor reproduction 50 years ago infertility in USA accounted for 2,2% of the population Today this figure amounts 10,5%
1. UV-radiation (thin ozone layer) 2008 2050
2. Radioactivity Average radioactivity in the world today is roughly 3 times as intense as 50 years ago It has increased from 2,4 mSv/year in 2008 to 6,9 mSv/year (the norm is 5,0mSv/year)
2. Radioactivity Natural Human-made NPS and atomic explosions Technology Nuclear wastes
4. Some chemical substances Medicine Cosmetic ingredients Tobacco Pesticides Fertilizers
6. Genetically modified food 99% of all the food produced in US is GM
Measures we should have taken in the last 50 years Should have used our resources in a different way