Effects of Climate Change on Cancers, Fungal Diseases and Mycotoxins

Mitigation measures and take home messages

Aside from the obvious climate change mitigation measures such as elimination of the use of fossil fuels and the raising of public awareness in this regard,

we can consider a number of specific actions that can be taken to ameliorate the incidence of cancers, fungal diseases and mycotoxins.

In the case of cancers, these are essentially preventative measures and would include:

Ø Minimisation/elimination of exposure to environmental and industrial air-borne carcinogens such as smoke fine particulate matter, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, and nitrogen oxides, from wildfires, power plants and internal combustion engines.

Ø Flood control methods for the avoidance of exposure to water-borne carcinogens from compromised industrial enterprises and waste disposal facilities.

Ø Accessability to methods for the regulation of excessive exposure to sunlight UV radiation for the general public.

As regards fungal diseases and mycotoxins, there are a number of mitigation measures possible:

Ø Mycotoxin degradation in foodstuffs by both chemical (ozone) and biochemical (Flavobacterium Aurantiacum, Rhodococcus, or fungi such as

Pleurotus ostreatus) methods, can transform Aflatoxin B1 into less toxic forms.

Ø Biological control of the fungus, for example use of atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus or other atoxigenic strains to displace the toxigenic populations of the fungus.

Aspergillus flavus strains are approved by the US EPA and used for the prevention of aflatoxin in peanuts, corn, and cottonseed.

Ø Good agricultural practices effectively control A. flavus infection in the field: timely planting, adequate plant nutrition, controlling weeds, crop rotation, etc.

Ø Efficient drying of commodities and maintenance of the dry state in storage.