Chapter 6: Exam 2 Flashcards
What is the center of the impact of climate change on human health?
Rising temperatures
More extreme weather
Rising sea levels
Increasing CO2 levels
Asthma, Cardiovascular disease =
air pollution
Malaria, dengue, encephalitis, hantavirus, Rift Valley fever, Lyme disease, chikungunya, West Nile virus =
Changes in vector ecology
respiratory allergies, asthma =
increasing allergens
cholera, cyprtosporidiosis, campylobacter, leptospirosis, harmfully algal blooms =
Water quality impacts
malnutrition, diarrheal disease =
water and food supply impact
forced migration, civil conflict, mental health impacts =
environmental degradation
heat-related illness and death, cardiovascular failure =
extreme heat
injuries, fatalities, mental health impacts =
severe weather
addresses all the physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person and all the related factors impacting behaviors. It encompasses that assessment and control of those environmental factors that can potentially affect health. It is targeted towards preventing disease and creating health-supportive environments. This definition excludes behavior not related to environment, as well as behavior related to the social and cultural environment and genetics.
environmental health
What are types of environmental exposures?
Toxins: lead, pesticides, mercury, air pollution, solvents, asbestos, radon
Air Pollution: CO2, particulate matter, ozone, lead, aerosols, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, tobacco smoke
Water Pollution: waste, erosion after mining or timbering, run-off from chemical added to the soil
Up Close: Lead, at risk population is children. The source of the contamination can come from paint on walls, soil, household dust, etc. Lead screenings for lead in communities who are exposed or possibly exposed.
How does climate change affect health? Review the slide with infographic on effects of climate change on health
An estimate 24% of global burden of disease and 23% of all deaths can be attributed to environmental factors (WHO).
13 million deaths averted if environment is healthy
94% reduction in diarrheal deaths if all water is safe
Safe buildings
Safe use of toxins at work and home
Increase road safety
Batter water source management
I-PREPARE:
Investigate potential exposures
Present works: exposed to dust, loudness, etc.
Residence: new heating, older home, etc.
Environmental concerns: live near hazard waste site, etc.
Past work
Activities
Referrals and resources: places to send people
Educate
What is an individual environment exposure assess begins with time and place. The assessment includes:
Environmental health history
- An exposure survey
- A work history
- An environmental history
Community Environmental Health Assessment:
Protocol for assessing community excellence in environmental health (PACE EH)
Collaborative, community-based approach
Expands capacity of health agencies
Engages the community
Generates an action plan based on priorities
Outlines task: identify local environmental health issues, set priorities for action, target populations most at risk, and address identified issues.
is an American Nurses Association (ANA) environmental health principle that recommends access to all information necessary to make informed decisions to protect out health.
Several environmental statures give the public the right to know about the hazardous chemical in the environment. Health professionals and community member can easily access key info by zip code regarding major sources of pollution that are being emitted into the air or water in their community.
The Right to Know
Material safety data sheet. Your employer has to keep chemicals/toxins that are in the building/area up to date and available to the workers of the facility.
Hazard Communication Standards
contains info on the potential hazards (health, fire, reactivity, and environmental) and how to work safely with the chemical products.
The material safety data sheet (MSDS)
What is environmental risk assessment?
Risks can be categorized as follows:
Medium: air, water, soil, or foods (air pollution should be assessed with point and non-point sources; safe and adequate water; what was the land used for before; and what is used in food we eat?)
Type: chemical, biological, or radiological
Functional location: home, school, workplace, or community
fixed things, long-term (ex: smokestacks)
Point Source
not fixed, short-term (ex: cars and trucks driving)
Non-point source
Ambient air and quality: air surrounding a place, pollutant levels not harmful to humans, and travel with the winds
Mobile or non-point source: cars and trucks on the road
Criteria air pollutants (set of major air pollutants)
Ground-level ozone and particulate matter: most hazardous to human health
Environmental Health: Air
Potable water: water quality is a health determinate of populations
Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs): provides important info about the quality of your drinking water.
Source of pollution: waste from industry, pharmaceuticals. Storm runoff, erosion, especially due to loss of 805 of the world’s forest leading to massive erosion
Water globally: can cause diarrheal disease. 1.1 billion do not have safe drinking water (typically 3rd world countries)
Environmental Health: Water
Land and said: contaminated land designations.
Superfund site: highly contaminated and threat designated by the environmental protection agency (EPA)
Brownfield site: previously used and now slated for redevelopment.
Food:
Pathogenic causes: E. coli., Salmonella; genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
Environmental causes: pesticides, antibiotics in animals.
Environmental Health: Environmental Exposure
Human effects on the environment can be devastating to survive
-Water disposal
-Energy resources diminished due to war and violence
-Land use
-Food production
Environmental Sustainability
Why should we be concerned about the environment and vulnerable populations?
Think about the future and how to decrease pollutes for the future and for society. Ex: recycling and during Covid-19 pollutes decrease because less people were not driving cars as often.
How can we reduce environmental health risks?
Apply basic principles of disease prevention. Prevention is a core goal for a PHN.
Every nurses role in risk reduction:
Shift to e-records to avoid paper
Recycle
Promote minimal packaging and green wrappers
Turn the lights off in the house to conserve electricity
Go fragrance free
Turn off equipment that is not being used
Report dysfunctional plumbing
Promote local sustainable foods (organic)
Start a green team
Education and create community
EPA 1979; write and enforce regulations; protect human health. Regulatory body, performs environmental assessments, preforms research, educates, and sets and endorses national environmental standards.
Governmental Environmental Protection
Governmental Environmental Protection Factors:
Permitting
Environmental
Compliance
Monitoring
legal binding document
permitting
max containment level
Environmental standards
process for ensuring regulatory compliance is met
Compliance
not putting out more pollution than allowed by the government
Monitoring
acknowledges the racial and economic disparities among communities baring disproportionate environmental cost, like more lead, particulate air pollution, ozone smog and other health hazards in the place people live, work, and play.
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice Example:
Inadequate access to healthy food, inadequate transportation, air and water pollution, and unsafe homes.
PHN in environmental health:
Mitigation
Response
Community involvement/public participation
Individual and population risk assessment
Risk communication
Epidemiologic investigations
Policy development.
Nurses need to know how to assess for environmental health risks and develop educational and other preventive interventions to help individuals, families, and communities understand and, where possible, decrease the risk.
working at individual, community, institutional, and governmental level to endure energy-conserving policies and practices.
Mitigation (MAIN ROLE)
PHN must be prepared for increased fire and storm-related disasters.
Response
Environmental health and the Epidemiologic Triangle
Interaction between agent and environment: environment assessment determines: “Why was the age present in the environment in such a way that the host could be exposed?”
Interaction between host and environment: Epidemiology determines: “Who was exposed?” “When?” “Where?” “How?”
Interaction between the host and the agent: Epidemiology determines: “What disease?” Lab identifies and/or confirms agent.
