Environmental Health Ua Mau ke Ea o ka 'Āina i ka Pono" The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.

Air Quality Water and Land Pollution Biological Hazards Toxic Chemicals

Smog Deaths Led To Clean Air Laws 1966 NY City air pollution killed 4, smog-related deaths per day 1948 Donora, Pa (noon) London air pollution killed 50 (10% of pop) Beijing Olympics, 2008

The atmosphere’s four layers

The EPA sets standards States monitor air quality and develop, implement, and enforce regulations. –If a state’s plans are not adequate, the EPA can take over enforcement. 3 Criteria pollutants judged to pose great threats to human health NO 2

Air pollution has decreased since 1970

Reasons for the decline in U.S. pollution Cleaner burning fuels Scrubbers Phase out lead gas

How would you rate these products? Toxicity Rating Highly Toxic Moderately Toxic Slightly Toxic Not Toxic

10 Toxicity Rating Highly Toxic Moderately Toxic Slightly Toxic Not Toxic

Common Hazardous Waste Products Bug spray Floor care products Furniture polish Metal polish with solvent Swimming pool acid Glue (solvent based) Paint, oil based Paint, auto Paint, model Paint thinner Fertilizer Fungicide Herbicide (weed killer) Insecticide Rat poison Artists’ paints, mediums Ammunition Dry cleaning solvents Lighter fluid Mercury batteries Moth-balls Old fire alarms Photographic chemicals (unmixed) Antifreeze Automatic transmission fluid Battery acid (or batteries) Brake fluid Car wax with solvent Diesel fuel Gasoline Kerosene Motor oil

Kapaa Quarry

Must supply 70% clean energy by % from renewable 30% from efficiency Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative Landfill gas (Kapaa) Waste to energy

Harmful Natural Chemicals HAB ciguatera

Harmful Natural Chemicals VOG metals (Al, Mg, Na, K, Cu, Zn, Cd, HG, Pb) gases: H 2 O, H 2 S, HCl, HBr, SO 4, NO 2, CO 2

Cultural environmental hazards Cultural (lifestyle) hazards: result from the place we live, our socioeconomic status, our occupation, our behavioral choices –Smoking, drug use, diet and nutrition, crime, mode of transportation

There are over 4,000 chemicals found in tobacco smoke and over 400 toxins. There are over 60 carcinogens proven to cause cancer in humans. Causes 1 in 5 deaths in U.S. Leading cause of cancer deaths Tobacco

Smoking Obesity (2010) % HI (5 th lowest) Diabetes million U.S. (8.7%) - 100,000 in HI (8.3%) Hawaii Stats HI %US % White BlackNSD19.1 HispanicNSD14.1 Asian/Pacific Islander American Indian/Native Alaskan NSD32.8 Other % of Adults who smoke by race/ethnicity 2010

Infectious diseases kill millions Infectious diseases kill 15 million people per year. –Half of all deaths in developing countries –Developed countries have better hygiene, access to medicine, and money. Vector: an organism that transfers pathogens to a host

Biological hazards Result from ecological interactions –Viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens –Infectious (communicable, or transmissible) disease E. coli HIV TB Malaria

Dengue fever Apr confirmed cases Leptospirosis

Environmental health hazards exist indoors Radon: a highly toxic, colorless, undetectable radioactive gas –Builds up in basements –Can cause lung cancer Lead poisoning: from lead pipes, paint –Damages organs, learning problems, behavior abnormalities, death Asbestos: insulates against heat, cold, sounds, and fire –Asbestosis: scarred lungs don’t function –Also causes a type of lung cancer Asbestos removal can also be dangerous Not a problem in Hawaii problem in Hawaii (<1978) Renovation issues

Endocrine Disruptors Lake Apopka alligators In 1985, alligators had bizarre reproductive problems –Non-viable eggs, depressed or elevated hormone levels The lake had high levels of agricultural chemicals and fertilizers that were disrupting the endocrine systems of alligators during development in the egg.

Evidence for hormone disruption Frogs also have gonadal abnormalities. –Male frogs exposed to very low levels of atrazine became feminized. –Levels were below EPA standards for human health. Tyrone Hayes U.C. Berkley

Point and non-point source water pollution Ala wai Turtle Bay Maui 6/13/06 Alawai 48 million gallons raw sewage

PCBs DDT Bioaccumulation biomagnification Pesticides, Herbicides & other organochlorines

Common pesticides

Biomagnification Toxicants can accumulate and biomagnify

Heavy metals resist biodegredation Natural occurrence- volcanoes Mercury (Hg) Copper (Cu) Lead (Pb) Cadmium (Cd) Toxic Metals

Minamata Disease ( )– Japan Industrial pollution from plastic plant; dumped mercuric chloride into bay Ingestion of Hg tainted shellfish  43 dead and 700 permanently disabled Heavy Metals

Cu: Tributyl tin (antifouling paint for boats) Banned in U.S. 1980s Acts as an immunosuppressor Accumulations unusually high in small whales May be associated with strandings Toxic chemicals

Pb: Leaded gasoline invented 1920’s Enters water from automobile exhaust, runoff and atmospheric fallout of industrial waste and landfills, mines, dumps Leaded gas banned in US in 1980’s has reduced pollution in ocean Bioaccumulation  biomagnification Toxic chemicals

Inquiry 1.What is an endocrine disruptor? 2.What effect does lead have on the body? 3.What is bioaccumulation and biomagnification? 4.What is an HAB and what is it caused by? 5.Distinguish between point source and nonpoint source pollution? 6.How is leptospirosis transmitted? 7.What heavy metal was involved with the Minamata disease?