1. Toxic substances in food and public health
- Author
-
SOSNA, Filip
- Subjects
foodstuffs ,přídatné látky ,Toxikologie ,pesticides ,zdraví ,health ,pesticidy ,potraviny ,toxic substance ,Toxicology ,toxická látka ,additives - Abstract
This diploma thesis dealt with the area of toxic substances in food and their impact on public health. The work aims to describe the types and occurrence of toxic substances, analyze the current state of toxic substances found in food and define their impact on public health. It also aimed to describe the effects of toxic substances on the human body. The work is divided into theoretical and practical part. The theoretical part first introduces the historical origins of the scientific field of toxicology. It also defines basic toxicological terms and parameters. Describes factors affecting the toxicity of substances, absorption, distribution, the effect of metabolism and excretion of toxic substances. Objective 1 was met by describing the basic types of natural and foreign toxic substances. Furthermore, their occurrence was described and their impact on public health was defined. The effects of toxic substances on the human body have been described in relation to Objective 2. The effects of toxic substances can manifest themselves in many ways. It can be mild nausea or even death. The second half of the theoretical part deals with toxic substances in the food industry. It describes a massive increase in the use of chemicals in food and agriculture, whether they are various pesticides, crop treatments, or various additives that are added to foods to improve some of their properties. Some of these substances can have an adverse effect on health, and when we consume them in food in quantities that are permitted by legislation, no one has a clear idea of what the consumption of additives and pesticide residues in food can cause us in the long term. The practical part examines the awareness of the general population about toxic substances in food and their impact on public health. The practical part was created using quantitative research, which was conducted through a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire was created on the basis of the theoretical part of the work. The research group consisted of 114 respondents from the general population. The questionnaire consisted of 21 questions that examined the addressees' awareness of toxic substances in food and public health. The results of the research survey corresponded the given knowledge to two research questions, which asked the work whether the public is oriented in the field and whether they differ according to their education. The results were graphically processed and evaluated. It was found that the public is not very familiar with toxic substances in food and public health. The work can serve as a comprehensive educational material on toxic substances in food and public health. The theoretical benefits of this work include an analysis of the current state of toxic substances in food, including a description of control authorities and relevant legislation in the field of toxic substances in food and public health. Among the practical benefits is the creation of a questionnaire that examined public awareness of this issue. Based on the achieved results, follow-up work can be proposed - for example, exploring the possibility of raising public awareness of toxic substances in food.
- Published
- 2022