“Spitting as traditional medicine” – why alpha-emitting nanoparticulates make spitting an unfortunate but significant contribution to health

Abstract

Spitting is a human reflex as old as civilization, related, mainly, as is shown, to the evacuation of internal contamination with alpha-emitting nanoparticulates, a contamination with many causes, from car fumes and industrial smokes, coal ashes and cement, radon, phosphated fertilizers, to depleted uranium weapons and natural dust and tap water in areas of high natural radioactivity, as well as cigarettes, for the main sources. Strong levels of coal ash pollution together with high natural radioactivity explain for instance the spitting “custom” in Chinese streets, together with long distances between workplace and home, widespread cigarette use, and lack of public toilets. Alphaemitting nanoparticulates become a part of the digestion cycle in meat-eaters, but not without collateral damage.