Environmental Health Chapter 23

© 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 2 Environmental Health Planet supplies us with: food, water, air, and everything that sustains our life. Historically environmental health focused on preventing infectious diseases spread by water, waste, food, rodents, and insects. Expansion of the modern day definition. Encompassing all the interactions of humans with their environment and the health consequences of these interactions.

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 3 Classic Environmental Health Concerns Grew out of the efforts to control communicable diseases. Pathogens which can be transferred via sewage, drinking water and food. U.S. has a complex health system devoted to control such health issues.

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 4 Clean Water Water Contamination and Treatment. Fluoridation Water-treatment plants Water shortages What You Can Do to Protect the Water Supply Shower Sink faucet aerators Water saving toilets Fix leaky faucets Use organic versus chemical fertilizers Don’t pour toxins down the drain Gardening issues

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 5 Waste Disposal Humans generate large amounts of waste. Sewage Septic system Heavy metal Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) Solid waste Garbage Sanitary landfill

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 6 Waste Disposal What You Can Do to Reduce Garbage Products with least amount of packaging Products made of recycled paper or recyclable products Avoid using foam or paper cups Store food in glass jars and reusable plastic containers Recycle newspapers, glass, cans, paper, and any other recyclables Do not throw electronic items Start a compost pile Stop junk mail

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 7 Food Inspection Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Overall the food distribution in the U.S. is safe and efficient.

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 8 Insect and Rodent Control Great number of illnesses are associated with animal and insect contact. Encephalitis Lyme Disease Rocky Mountain spotted fever Bubonic plague West Nile virus

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 9 Population Growth World’s population currently estimated at 6.5 billion. 150 people every minute. Increasing by 76 million per year To exceed 9.1 billion by 2050 How Many People Can the World Hold? Food Available land and water Energy Minimum acceptable standard of living

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 10

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 11 Factors That Contribute to Population Growth High fertility rates Lack of family planning resources Lower death rates Population

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 12 Pollution Air pollution Air quality and smog Temperature inversion Air quality index (AQI) Carbon monoxide (CO) Sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) Particulate matter (PM) Ground-level ozone

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 13

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 14 The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming Global warming Possible Consequences Increased rainfall and flooding or drought. Increased mortality from heat stress. A poleward shift of about miles Thinning of the Ozone Layer Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) Acid precipitation Energy Use and Air Pollution

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 15

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 16 Indoor Air Pollution Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) Carbon monoxide and other combustion by-products Formaldehyde gas Biological pollutants

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 17 What You Can Do To Prevent Air Pollution Cut back on driving Keep your car tuned up Buy energy-efficient appliances Replace incandescent bulbs Homes well insulated Plant trees and shrubs Proper disposal of ozone-depleting appliances Keep house well ventilated Don’t smoke Clean and inspect chimneys, furnaces and other appliances

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 18 Chemical Pollution Asbestos Lead Pesticides Biomagnification Mercury What You Can Do to Prevent Chemical Pollution Read labels of products purchased Proper disposal of house hold products Buy organic produce Lock-up pesticides Use licensed exterminators

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 19 Radiation Nuclear Weapons Nuclear Energy Medical Uses of Radiation Radiation in the Home and Workplace Radon What You Can Do to Prevent Chemical Pollution Only get X rays if really needed Check local and state health department about radon Find out if there are radioactive sites in your area

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 20

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 21 Noise Pollution Decibels Sounds above Two common sources of excessive noise Workplace Large gatherings of people at a concert or sporting event The Occupational Safety and Health Administrations (OSHA) standards What You Can Do to Prevent Chemical Pollution Wear ear protectors Listen to music on a headset with a volume at or below 6 Avoid loud music Avoid exposure to painfully loud sounds 80 + decibels

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 22

Chapter 23 © 2008 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. 23 Healing The Environment Share what you have learned. Join, support, or volunteer your time. Contact your elected representatives.

Environmental Health Chapter 23