Promoting Environmental Health

Impact of Overpopulation Impact on other species Impact on our food supply Land degradation and contamination of drinking water Excessive energy consumption © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

Overpopulation Factors that Affect Population Growth Fertility rate refers to the number of births a woman has by the end of her reproductive period. U.S fertility rate is just over two births per woman. Differing Growth Rates India is expected to have the largest growth by adding another 600 million people by 2050. Zero Population Growth (ZPG) This is the idea that each couple should produce only two offspring. Over 20 countries have a ZPG. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

Air Pollution Pollutants are either naturally occurring or anthropogenic (caused by humans). The greatest source of air pollution is environmental tobacco smoke. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

Air Quality Index (AQI) The AQI is a measure of how clean or polluted the air is on any given day. The AQI focuses on health effects that can happen within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. Index runs from 0 to 500, with higher values having a greater level of air pollution and health risk. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

Air Quality Index (AQI) © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

Indoor air can be 10-40 times more hazardous than outdoor air. Indoor Air Pollution Indoor air can be 10-40 times more hazardous than outdoor air. Indoor air pollution comes primarily from woodstoves, furnaces, passive cigarette smoke exposure, asbestos, formaldehyde, radon, and lead. Mold is an emerging form of air pollutant. Prevention focuses on source control, ventilation improvements, and air cleaners. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

Ozone Layer Depletion The ozone layer protects the planet and its inhabitants from ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

The Enhanced Greenhouse Effect © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

Reducing Air Pollution Air pollution and climate change problems are rooted in our energy, transportation, and industrial practices. Reducing consumption of fossil fuels, shifting to alternative energy sources, improving gas mileage, and using mass transportation are crucial to reducing air pollution. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

Water Pollutants & Contamination Among the pollutants causing the greatest potential harm are Gasoline and petroleum products Chemical contaminants Polychlorinated biphenyls Dioxins Pesticides Lead © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

Land Pollution Per day, each person generates more than 4.5 pounds of municipal solid waste (MSW), totaling about 243 million tons each year. About 90% of waste is recyclable, but only 33.8% of MSW is recycled or composted. Strategies to reduce MSW include source reduction, recycling, composting, and combustion with energy recovery. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

What's in Our Trash? © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

How Much Do We Recycle? © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

Hazardous Waste Hazardous waste is toxic waste that poses a hazard to humans or to the environment. Many types of waste are now banned from land disposal or are being treated to reduce toxicity before disposal. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

Disposal of nuclear waste is extremely problematic. Nuclear Power Plants Proponents believe it is a safe and efficient way to generate electricity. Disposal of nuclear waste is extremely problematic. A nuclear meltdown can occur when the temperature in the core of a nuclear reactor increases enough to melt both the nuclear fuel and its containment vessel. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

To protect your hearing Noise Pollution To protect your hearing Play home and car stereos at reasonable volume. Keep the volume down on your iPod or other MP3 device. Wear earplugs when using power equipment. Close windows to establish a barrier between yourself and outside noise. Wear earplugs when attending loud concerts, and clubs. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.