Week 8 [Environmental and Occupational Health] Flashcards
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Affected by the quality of the environment
HEALTH
Quality of the environment includes:
- Air to breath
- Water to drink
- Food to eat
- Type of community to live
Study and management of environmental conditions that affect the health and well-being of humans
Environmental Health
Factors or conditions in the environment that increase the risk of human injury, disease, or death.
Environmental hazards
- is contamination of the air that interferes with the comfort, safety, and health of living organisms.
- is the contamination of the air by substances—gases, liquids, or solids—in amounts great enough to harm humans, the environment, or that alter climate
AIR POLLUTION
Outdoor Air Pollutants
Air pollutant emanating directly from transportation, power and industrial plants, and refineries
EXAMPLES:
* Carbon monoxide
* carbon dioxide
* sulfur dioxide
* nitrogen oxides
* hydrocarbons
* suspended particulates
Primary pollutant
Air pollutant formed when primary air pollutants react with sunlight and other atmospheric components to form new harmful compounds
EXAMPLES:
* nitrogen dioxide
* nitric acid
* nitrate salts
* sulfur trioxide
* sulfate salts
* sulfuric acid
* peroxyacyl nitrates
* ozone
Secondary pollutant
haze or fog formed when air pollutants interact with sunlight
Photochemical smog ‘brown smog’
haze or fog formed primarily by sulfur dioxide and suspended particles from the burning of coal, also known as gray smog
Industrial smog ‘gray smog’
EXAMPLES ARE:
* burning eyes
* shortness of breath
* increased incidences of colds, coughs, nose irritation
* other respiratory illness
Acute health effects
EXAMPLES ARE:
* chronic bronchitis
* emphysema
* increased incidence of bronchial asthma attacks
* increased risk of lung cancer
Chronic health effects
- an inorganic molecule considered to be a pollutant in the atmosphere because it harms human tissue, but considered beneficial in the stratosphere because it screens out UV radiation.
- represents the single most dangerous air pollutant
- Breathing ozone can result in variety of health problems including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, congestion, bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, and reduced lung function
- Repeated exposure to ground-level ozone may permanently scar lung tissue
OZONE [O3]
a condition that occurs when warm air traps cooler air at the surface of the Earth
THERMAL INVERSION
- An act providing for a comprehensive air pollution control policy and for other purposes.
- Overall leading agency is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), together with other government agencies such as DOTC, DOST, DTI, DOE, PAGASA, PNRI, DEPED, and CHED
RA 8749 : Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999
Sources of indoor air pollutants:
Five sources
- Building and insulation materials
- biogenic pollutants, combustion by-products
- home furnishings and cleaning agents
- radon gas
- tobacco smoke
- a naturally occurring mineral fiber identified as a Class A carcinogen by the EPA
- It is harmless if intact and left alone, but, when disturbed, inhaled airborne fibers can cause serious health problems
Asbestos
- are airborne materials of biological origin such as living and nonliving fungi and their toxins, bacteria, viruses, molds, pollens, insect parts, and animal dander
- These contaminants can trigger allergic reactions, including asthma; cause infectious illnesses, such as influenza and measles; or release disease-producing toxins.
Biogenic pollutants
WAYS TO REDUCE BIOGENIC POLLUTANTS:
Three ways
- Relative humidity level of 30% to 50% (recommended).
- Remove standing water and any wet or water-damaged material at home.
- Inspection of house regularly by someone knowledgeable about indoor air pollutions.
- include gases (e.g., CO, NO2, and SO2) and particulates (e.g., ash and soot)
- major sources of these items are fireplaces, wood stoves, kerosene heaters, candles, incense, secondhand tobacco smoke, and improperly maintained gas stoves and furnaces.
Combustion by-products
are compounds that exist as vapors over the normal range of air pressures and temperatures
EXAMPLE: Formaldehyde
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
any physical or chemical change in water that can harm living organisms or make the water unfit for other uses such as drinking, domestic use, recreation, fishing, industry, agriculture, or transportation
WATER POLLUTION
Refers to a single identifiable source that discharges pollutants into the water, such as a pipe, ditch, or culvert. Point sources of pollution are relatively easy to identify, control, and treat
Release of pollutants from a factory or sewage treatment plant.
Point source pollution
all pollution that occurs through the runoff, seepage, or falling of pollutants into the water where the source is difficult or impossible to identify
Nonpoint source pollution
Ex. Heat, inorganic chemicals such as lead, copper, and arsenic; organic chemicals; and radioactive contaminants.
Nonbiological pollutants
a disease in which at least two persons experience a similar illness after the ingestion of drinking water or after exposure to water used for recreational purposes and epidemiological evidence implicates water as the probable source of the illness
Waterborne disease outbreak (WBDO)
- aims to protect the country’s water bodies from pollution from land-based source (industries and commercial establishments, agriculture and community/household activities). It provides for a comprehensive and integrated strategy to prevent and minimize pollution through a multi-sectoral and participatory approach involving all the
stakeholders. - DENR in coordination with National Water Resources Board (NWRB)
RA 9275 – The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004
CDC defines FBDO as the occurrence of two or more cases of a similar illness resulting from the Foodborne disease outbreaks ingestion of a common food
Foodborne disease outbreaks (FBDO)
Leading factors that contributed to FBDOs:
- inadequate cooking temperatures or improper holding temperatures for foods (especially for bacterial outbreaks)
- unsanitary conditions or practices at the point of service, such as failure to wash hands (norovirus outbreaks); or drinking raw (nonpasteurized) milk (bacterial outbreaks).
any organism—a multi-celled animal or plant, or a microbe—that has an adverse effect on human interests
Pest
synthetic chemical developed and manufactured for the purpose of killing pests
Pesticide
the organism (or pest) for which a pesticide is applied
Target organism (target pest)
all other susceptible organisms in the environment, for which a pesticide was not intended.
Nontarget organisms
TWO MOST WIDELY USED PESTICIDES:
- herbicides (pesticides that kill plants)
- insecticides (pesticides that kill insects)
AN ACT TO STRENGTHEN THE FOOD SAFETY REGULATORY SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY TO PROTECT CONSUMER HEALTH AND FACILITATE MARKET ACCESS OF LOCAL FOODS AND FOOD PRODUCTS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
RA 10611 : Food Safety Act of 2013
garbage, refuse, sludge, and other discarded solid materials
SOLID WASTE
How many percent of solid waste can be traced to agriculture, mining and oil production, and industry?
95% to 98%
a solid waste or combination of solid wastes that is dangerous to human health or the environment that requires special management and disposal
HAZARDOUS WASTE
a living organism, usually an insect or other arthropod that can transmit a communicable disease agent to a susceptible host (e.g., a mosquito or tick)
VECTOR
an occurrence of an unexpectedly large number of cases of disease caused by an agent transmitted by insects or other arthropods.
Vectorborne disease outbreak (VBDO)
a naturally occurring phenomenon or event that produces or releases energy in amounts that exceed human endurance, causing injury, disease, or death (such as radiation, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, tornados, and floods)
NATURAL HAZARD
a natural hazard that results in substantial loss of life or property
Natural disaster
a process in which energy is emitted as particles or waves
Radiation
high-energy radiation that can knock an electron out of orbit, creating an ion, and can thereby damage living cells and tissues (UV radiation, gamma rays, X-rays, alpha and beta particles)
Ionizing radiation
radiant energy with wavelengths of 0 to 400 nanometers.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation
- Can be attributed to three factors—birth rate, death rate, and migration
- When the birth rate and death rate are equal, population growth is zero
- When the birth rate exceeds the death rate, the population size increases
- Increases in population size and per capita consumption result in an ever-increasing environmental impact.
Population Growth
The maximum impact that can be supported by available resources (air, water, shelter, etc.)
Carrying capacity
- High birth rate
- Rapid fall in each upward age group due to high death rates
- Short life expectancy
EXPANSIVE PYRAMID
- High birth rate
- Fall in death rate as more living in middle age
- Slightly longer life expectancy
EXPANSIVE PYRAMID
- Declining birth rate
- Low death rate
- More people living to old age
STATIONARY PYRAMID
- Low birth rate
- Low death rate
- HIgher dependency ratio
- Longer life expectancy
CONSTRICTING PYRAMID
- Birth rate below death rate
- Population declining
- Increasing old age dependency
- Pyramid is Top-heavy
CONSTRICTING PYRAMID
- bruises
- cuts
- abrasions
- minor burns
MINOR INJURIES
- amputations
- fractures
- severe lacerations
- eye losses
- acute poisonings
- sever burns
MAJOR INJURIES
Four fundamental tasks for Prevention and Control of Unintentional Injuries in the Workplace
- Anticipation
- Recognition
- Evaluation
- Control
- involves the foresight to envision future adverse events and take action to prevent them.
- A hazard inventory should be conducted to detect and record physical, ergonomic, chemical, biological, and psychological hazards in the workplace
ANTICIPATION
- involves surveillance and monitoring of the workforce for injuries and illnesses, including near misses.
- It includes inspections of the workplace for hazards, monitoring it for toxins, recording injuries, and conducting employee health screenings
RECOGNITION
- is the assessment of the data that were collected during the recognition and monitoring activities.
- This includes toxicological, exposure, and clinical assessment as well as risk assessment.
- Epidemiology is part of the evaluation process. Risk assessment enables the translation of scientific information about hazards into decisions and policies that can improve workplace safety and health
EVALUATION
may involve changes in the production process to make it safer, changes in the work environment to make it safer, or improvements in the use of personal protective equipment or apparel to protect individual workers
CONTROL
Categories of Workplace Violence
- The perpetrator has no legitimate relationship to the business or its employees and is usually committing a crime.
- This category makes up 85% of the work-related homicides.
Ex. robbery, shoplifting, and trespassing.
Criminal intent (Type I)
Categories of Workplace Violence
- The perpetrator has a legitimate relationship with the business and becomes violent while being served.
- This category includes customers, clients, patients, students, and inmates.
- This category represents 3% of the work-related homicides
Customer/client (Type II)
Categories of Workplace Violence
- The perpetrator is an employee or past employee of the business who attacks or threatens another employee or past employee of the workplace.
- Worker-on-worker violence accounts for 7% of workplace homicides.
Worker-on-worker (Type III)
Categories of Workplace Violence
- The perpetrator usually does not have a relationship with the business but has a personal relationship with the intended victim.
- This category, which includes victims of domestic violence assaulted or threatened at work, makes up just 2% of workplace homicides.
Personal relationship (Type IV)
THREE PREVENTION STRATEGIES::
- Environmental designs
- Administrative controls
- Behavior strategies
to limit the risk of workplace violence might include implementing safer cash handling procedures, physically separating workers from customers, improving lighting, and installing better security systems at entrances and exits
ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGNS
include staffing policies (having more staff is generally safer than having fewer staff ), procedures for opening and closing the workplace, and reviewing employee duties (such as handling money) that may be especially risky
ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS
include training employees in nonviolent response and conflict resolution and educating employees about risks associated with specific duties and about the importance of reporting incidents and adhering to administrative controls
BEHAVIOR STRATEGIES
- Most frequently reported occupational disorders
- They include both acute and chronic injury to muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, joints, bones, and supporting vasculature
carpal tunnel syndrome and noise-induced hearing loss
Musculoskeletal Disorders
includes allergic and irritant dermatitis, eczema, rash, oil acne, chrome ulcers, and chemical burns
Skin Diseases and Disorders
is another form of repeated trauma. Most of the cases were reported within manufacturing; within the manufacturing sector, 51% of the cases were associated with manufacturing.
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
the result of the inhalation of toxic substances present in the workplace
Occupational respiratory disorders
Most common occupational respiratory disorder
Work-related asthma (WRA)
- a fibrotic lung disease caused by the inhalation of dusts, especially mineral dusts.
Types: coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (black lung pneumoconiosis)
Pneumoconiosis
an acute or chronic lung disease caused by the deposition of asbestos fibers on lungs
Asbestosis
an acute or chronic lung disease caused by the inhalation of free crystalline silica
Silicosis
an acute or chronic lung disease caused by the inhalation of cotton, flax, or hemp dusts (brown lung disease)
Byssinosis
