lecture 1 Flashcards
what is involved in environmental health
actions we take
how we adapt to the environment
how we manage our relationship with the enviornment
Environmental public health
adresses many aspects of health determined by interactions with the environment, and does so on many scales including
genetic, cellular, community
why care about EPH
human action, mainly the large growing human population causes large energy use and toxic waste accumulation leading to environmental changes. these changes are accompanies by economic and political instabilities caused by resource shortages
three population dynamics
fertility
death rates
migration
five components of the environment we live in
the air we breathe
the water we drink
the food we eat
the places where we live/work/play
“the environment is…” - scientific definition
“the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors (as climate, soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival”
what is environmental public health
focus of protecting groups of people from threats to their health and safety posed by their environments
environmental risk transition is characterized by
changes in environmental risks that happen as a consequence of economic development in the less developed regions of the world
major risks to human populations in developing countries
diarrhea bc of poor water/sanitation
acute respiratory diseases from air pollution or poor quality household fuels
malaria - mosquito infestation
malnutrition
environmental health (WHO definition)
addresses all the physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person, and all the related factors impacting behaviours. it includes the assessment and control of these factors that can potentially affect health, targeted towards preventing disease and creating health-supportive environments
what is epidemiologic transition
shift in the pattern of morbidity and mortality
can be from infections or communicable diseases or chronic and degenerative diseases
effects of rapid growth of worlds population
urbanization
overtaxing carrying capacity
food insecurity
loss of biodiversity
biggest factor that leads to urbanization
employment opportunities and industrialization
what is the environmental health problems of large cities within underdeveloped countries
poverty
respiratory and enteric infections due to poor-quality housing and unregulated industrialization
what is a megacity
a megacity is an urbanized area that has 10 million or more inhabitants
ex) New York, Shanghai
carrying capacity
a threshold level of anthropopressure, which the environment is able to balance and withstand without irreversible changes and serious degradation
** the population that an area will support without undergoing environmental deterioration
food insecurity
supplies of wholesome foods are uncertain or have limited availability. food insecurity and famine may occur when carrying capacity is exceeded
impact of population growth on biodiversity
one of the consequences of population growth is hypothesized to be accelerated loss of biodiversity
hazards to health within the urban environment
biological pathogens or pollutants
chemical pollutants
availability, cost, and quality of natural resources
physical hazards
aspects of the built environment
natural resource degradation
national and global environmental degradation
four areas that carrying capacity will affect
human populations
animal populations
loss of biodiversity
food insecurity/famine
green infrastructure
landscape conservation strategy - produces the structure of the natural environment necessary for ecosystem functioning
