Environmental Sciences In Punlic Health

Question 1

Define environment

Answer 1

The circumstances, objects or conditions by which one is surrounded

Unaltered(natural environment)

Altered environment(chemicals, biological products)

Built environment

Question 2

What is environmental health sciences?

Answer 2

The study of those factors in the environment that affect human health

• Factors(pollutants, toxicants) in the air, water, soil or food
• Transferred to humans by inhalation, ingestion, or absorption
• Production of adverse health effects

Question 3

What are the contributors to the environment health?

Answer 3

• Chemical (air pollutants, toxic wastes, pesticides)
• Biological (disease organisms present in food and water- insect and animal allergens)
• physical (noise, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation)
• socioeconomic( access to safe and sufficient health care)

Question 4

What were the 5 wake up calls/ environmental catastrophes?

Answer 4

• Methyl mercury poisoning
• seveso, Italy (1976)- leak of toxic gas TCDD
• Bhopal(1984)- 16.5 tons pesticide released
• Chernobyl- nuclear reactor accident
• Milwaukee incident(1993)-cryptosporidium in water

Question 5

Why do we pollute the environment?

Answer 5

Human behavior-needs/wants

Driving forces- population, tech, economic, political, social values

Question 6

How are we protecting the environment from ourselves?

Answer 6

Mitigating forces- environmental laws- market adjustment- informal social regulation

Question 7

What are the problems about air pollutants?

Answer 7

• A person inhales approximately 30 m3 (or 35 pounds) or air a day- exposure is continuous
• Lung disease is the third leading cause of death in the US (335,000 deaths per year)
• Asthma is the most common chronic illness in children

Question 8

List the types of air pollutants

Answer 8

Natural

Particulate matter

Man-made

Gaseous

Question 9

Explain what is particulate matter

Answer 9

• Solid or aqueous particles (0.01 to 100 micrometers)
• Smallest particles(aerosols) can remain suspended
• Below 2.5 micrometers are capable of penetrating all sites of the respiratory tract

Question 10

Give reasons for special concern about indoor pollution

Answer 10

• 75% to 90% of time spent indoors( time depends on season, age, gender, health status)
• Many air pollutants known to be hazardous to health are emitted indoors
• Indoor environment trap pollutants- levels may be 2 to 5 times higher than outside

Question 11

What air pollutants are emitted by pets?

Answer 11

Hair, feces, proteins, dust

Question 12

What pollutants are emitted from plants?

Answer 12

Pollen, hydrocarbons

Question 13

What are the pollutants emitted by electronic equipment and wiring?

Answer 13

Organic fumes and electromagnetic radiation

Question 14

Give examples of particulate matter

Answer 14

Volcanic ash, radioactivity, pollen dust, smoke from fires

Question 15

Give examples of acute health effects of air pollution

Answer 15

• Loss of lung function
• disability (absenteeism, hospitalization, increased need for medication)
• Symptoms of irritation(cough)
• increased mortality rate(respiratory and cardiovascular deaths)

Question 16

Give examples of chronic health effects associated with air pollution

Answer 16

Impaired lung growth

Accelerated lung again

Damage to other lung organ systems

Question 17

Can air pollutants lead or increase risk of cancer?

Answer 17

Yes

Question 18

List the current water issues

Answer 18

• Vulnerability of surface water to drought and diversion of rivers
• Declining groundwater levels
• surface water pollution from non point sources
• Groundwater pollution
• increasing competition for water supplies

Question 19

What leads to decreasing groundwater levels?

Answer 19

• Failure to replenish
• compaction of aquifers
• salt water intrusion

Question 20

Give examples of agents

Answer 20

Agents- chemical, biological and physical

Question 21

Give examples of vectors

Answer 21

Water, air, soil and food

Question 22

Give examples of routes of entry

Answer 22

Inhalation, ingestion, absorption

Question 23

Give examples of vulnerable groups

Answer 23

Low socioeconomic status

Woken

Children

Elderly

Ethnic minorities

Disabled

Indigenous peoples

(Due to genetics and are not empowered to change their environment)

Question 24

What is safe?

Answer 24

• Means without risk

- no such thing as zero risk

Question 25

What is risk?

Answer 25

The potential for realization of unwanted, negative consequences of an event

The probability of an adverse outcome

Question 26

What is a hazard?

Answer 26

A source/factor of danger that has the potential to adversely affect health

Question 27

Give an example of risk vs hazard

Answer 27

Campylobacter in raw chicken is a hazard

Eating undercooked chicken is a risk

Question 28

What is risk management?

Answer 28

The process of weighing policy alternatives and selecting the most approximate regulatory actions based on the results of risk assessment and social, economic, and political concerns