Environmental determinants Flashcards
What is health?
A state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
Environmental health
Surroundings under which any living thing exists or develops
Public health definition
All organised measures to prevent disease, promote health and prolong life among the population as a whole. It’s activities aim to provide conditions in which people can be healthy and focus on entire populations, not individual patients or diseases.
What is environmental health?
Creating and maintaining environments which promote good public health
Focuses on those aspects of health health determined by physical, chemical, biological, and social factors in the environment
Elements of mgmt of the physical environment
Drinking water safety Recreational water safety Food safety Air quality Waste management OSH Noise control Radiation
Mgmt of chemical hazards
Standards for air, water,waste water, soil, and food
Contaminated sites
Pesticide safety
Management of biological hazards
Control of insects and other pests
Vector borne disease control
Microbiological control
Psychosocial hazards
A social environment of uncertainty, anxiety and lack of control
May include
Uncertainty about future health effects of radiation exposure after Chernobyl e.g.
2 Drivers of EH issues
Trends in global population and urbanisation
Trends in pattern of consumption
Issues associated with urbanisation and industrialisation
Air quality problems
Food hygiene
Hazardous materials
Occupational health and injury
Why are developing countries most vulnerable to CC
Impacts worse
Lower capacity to adapt
Likely to impact disproportionately upon the poorest countries and the poorest persons within countries
3 main categories of pollutants
Liquid organic
Liquid inorganic
Waterborne / water based pathogens such as Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Shistosomes
4 main pollutants of air
Nitrogen dioxide
Carbon monoxide
Particulates
Sulphur dioxide
Facts associated with IAP
Associates with furnishings
Lack of adequate ventilation
Chemicals (formaldehyde)
“sick building syndrome”
Building related illness
Eg of IAP
Mold and bacteria
Chemical fumes from paints and solvents
Carbon monoxide from garage
Animal hair and dander
Combustion gases from fireplaces and woodburning stoves
Chemicals released from modern building and furnishing materials
Health effects of IAP
Chronic pulmonary disease
Acute respiratory infections in childhood
Associations with
Low birth weight
Increased infant and perinatal mortality
Nasopharyngeal, laryngeal and lung cancer
Definition of land contamination
Range of chemicals and pathogens at above background levels with the potential to cause adverse impacts
E.g acid sulphate soils
Fixed or windblown
Direct or indirect
Example of land contamination
Lead in Esperance, led to bird deaths
Land degradation - desertification
Over exploitation and inappropriate land use and climactic variations, NOT expansion of existing deserts
Causes of desertification
Poverty
POLITICAL instability
Deforestation
Overgrazing
Bad irrigation practices
What’s the problem with food?
Globalisation of food supply
Travellers - rapid transit
Changes to microorganism a
Population changes
lifestyle changes
Climate change
Food contaminants
Toxic chemicals
Bacteria
Parasites
Chemical additives –> allergies
Alternative waste treatments
Biodigestion –> organisms –> compost
Incineration –> Gas waste to energy
Pyrolysis –> gas –> biochar
Environmental health justice
Right of all people to a safe, productive and sustainable environment
Environmental problems bear down disproportionately on the poor
Definition of vulnerability
Characteristics of a person or group in terms of their capacity to anticipate, cope with, resist and recover from the impact of man jaded hazards
