How Does Our Environment Impact On Our Health?

Question 1

What does environmental health focus on?

Answer 1

aspects of human health determined by physical, chemical, biological & social/psychosocial factors in the environment

Question 2

What are the 3 main categories of pollutants?

Answer 2

• liquid organics (effluent)
• liquid inorganic waste (agricultural run-off & effluent)
• waterborne/water based pathogens e.g giardia, cryptosporidium & shistosomes

Question 3

What are the water contaminants found in developed countries?

Answer 3

• biological pollution e.g. Algal blooms - gardia & cryptosporidium
• chemical pollution e.g. Pesticides

Question 4

What are the water contaminants found in developing countries?

Answer 4

• waterborne bacteria - cholera
• parasites - e.g. Shistosomes
• vectors of disease - e.g. Malaria, dengue

Question 5

What are the major ambient (outdoor) pollutants?

Answer 5

• nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
• carbon monoxide (CO)
• ozone (O3)
• particulates (PM10, PM2.5, PM0.1)
• sulphur dioxide (SO2)

Question 6

What are the main sources of ambient pollutants?

Answer 6

• vehicle emissions
• combustion processes
• agriculture

Question 7

What are the health effects of ambient pollution?

Answer 7

• mild irritation -> respiratory illness -> death

Question 8

What are the main indoor air pollutants (IAP)?

Answer 8

• furnishings & lack of ventilation

- chemicals e.g. Formaldehyde, VOCs

Question 9

What are the health affects of indoor pollution? (6)

Answer 9

• sick building syndrome
• building related sickness
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• acute respiratory infections in childhood
• lung cancer
• birth defects

Question 10

What is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 10

• changes in the earths climate as a result of increasing levels of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere due to human activity

Question 11

What are the predicted results of the greenhouse effect?

Answer 11

• global temperature increase from between 1.5- 4.5 degrees
• wind and rain
• rising sea levels
• death of wildlife
• damage to agriculture
• social damage

Question 12

Explain Australia’s contribution to the EGHE (enhanced greenhouse emissions) on both country level & WA level

Answer 12

Australia:
- responsible for about 2% of GH emissions (amongst 5 largest in world)
WA:
- responsible for about 10% total - high per capita rate
- agriculture, animals, land clearing & pasture
- fossil fuels Transport, electricity, industrial processing - 15% each
- there’s a WA endorsed federal gov plan to reduce emissions

Question 13

What are the soil/land contaminants?

Answer 13

• arsenic
• asbestos
• lead - especially in esperance
• mercury
• PCBs
• dust particles
• acid sulphate soils

Question 14

What is salinisation?

Answer 14

• salt deep below root zone of native vegetation

- pastures have less water, which brings salt to surface (kills vegetation, loss of productivity

Question 15

What is degradation - desertification?

Answer 15

• inappropriate land use (deforestation, overgrazing, bad irrigation)
• dry land ecosystems extremely vulnerable

Question 16

What are zoonoses?

Answer 16

• Diseases shared between animals & humans

- naturally occurring in animals e.g. Bird flu, SARS, HIV

Question 17

What does biodiversity mean?

Answer 17

Variation of life at all levels of biological organisation - genes, species & ecosystems

Question 18

What are the potential impacts of landfill?

Answer 18

• ground & surface water contamination
• landfill gas, air pollution
• fire = air emissions, injuries & liability
• dust
• noise
• litter
• pests

Question 19

What are the alternatives to landfill?

Answer 19

• recycling

- alternative technologies

Question 20

What is liquid waste?

Answer 20

Waste water from different sources resulting in broad spectrum of contaminants

Question 21

What is electronic (E)-waste?

Answer 21

• electronic wastes used & no longer wanted
• valuable parts have been removed
• 50 million tones worldwide

Question 22

What are the population & urbanisation problems?

Answer 22

• tropical diseases
• inadequate water supply & sanitation
• solid waste & waste water
• air quality
• transport & traffic
• crowdedness
• crime

Question 23

What causes food contamination?

Answer 23

Bacteria: high protein & warm moist conditions (meat, fish, rice)
Parasites: Protozoa, tapeworms, roundworms (undercooked meat)
Toxic chemicals: fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, food containers, contaminated land
Chemical additives - allergies

Question 24

What are the 3 major environmental problems In remote cities?

Answer 24

• poor water supply & quality
• inadequate housing
• limited access to affordable, healthy food

Question 25

What are the 3 most important health issues in remote indigenous communities?

Answer 25

• infectious diseases
• chronic diseases
• problems resulting from social disruption

Question 26

What do aboriginal environmental health workers do?

Answer 26

• live & work in remote communities
• provide fundamental environmental health services
• maintain health of animals
• stop spread of disease & parasites to residents
• desexing & euthanasia
• swimming pools in local communities (improved school attendance)

Question 27

What are the environmental health challenges in 21st century?

Answer 27

• access to unadulterated air, water & land
• burden of overpopulation & poverty
• impact communicable diseases - HIV, SARS, malaria
• urbanisation, overpopulation & world trade
• unnecessary epidemics - war