AIIMS2006ZoologyHuman Reproduction
Which one of the following is an environmentrelated disorder with the correct main cause ?
Options
- ABlack lung disease (pneumoconiosis) found mainly in workers in stone quarries and crushers.
- BBlue baby disease (methaemoglobinaemia) due to heavy use of nitrogenous fertilizers in the area.
- CNon-hodgkin's lymphoma found mainly in workers involved in manufacture of neem based pesticides.
- DSkin cancer mainly in people exposed to benzene and methane.
Correct answer
B. Blue baby disease (methaemoglobinaemia) due to heavy use of nitrogenous fertilizers in the area.
Step-by-step solution
Blue baby syndrome is a pathological condition, called methemoglobinemia, in which blood's capacity for oxygen transport is reduced, resulting in bluish skin discoloration in infants. Blue baby syndrome begins when large amounts of nitrates in water are ingested by an infant and converted to nitrite by the digestive system. The nitrite then reacts with oxyhaemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying blood protein) to form metheglobin, which cannot carry oxygen. Pneumoconiosis is a man-made, occupational lung diseases that are