FACULTY OF MEDICINE

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY

MEDICINE DEPARTMENT

ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH &

DEMOGRAPHY

Supervised by: Prof. Madi Al-Jaghbir

Prepared by: Huda Al-Mamoori
Lubna-Aljaafreh
:OUTLINES
 Introduction to environment
 Definition of environment
 Component of the environment
 Environmental balance
 Ecosystem
 Ecological balance
 What is a healthy ecosystem?
 Why is ecological balance is important
 Factors that effecting ecological balance
 Major environmental problems
 Environmental Effects
:INTRODUCTION
 Now a days the word
environment is often being used
by almost all people around
us,.. During the last hundred
years, the mutual relationship
among environment, social
organization and culture has
been discussed in sociology,
anthropology and geography. All
this shows the increasing
importance of environment.
Besides, it is a fact that life is
tied with the environment.
:INTRODUCTION
 Every organism in this earth is surrounded by a lot
of things; say other organisms, plants, water, air,
light, land etc. These surroundings of the
organism , all the living and non-living things
constitute its environment.

 In the environment there are interactions between

plants, animals, soil, water, temperature, light,
and other living and non-living things.

 The word Environment is derived from the French

word “Environ” which means “surrounding”.
:INTRODUCTION
 There is exists a close relationship between
man and environment. On the one hand man
is born in environment and establishes
harmony with environment. On the other
hand man tries to control his environment
and change it according to his requirements.
Hence it requires an understanding of the
environment of which man is a part.
DEFINITIONS OF ENVIRONMENT

 There are a lot of definitions for the word

environment in the literal and scientific
contexts,
DEFINITIONS OF ENVIRONMENT
 The environment is all the physical,
chemical and biological factors external to a
person, and all the related behaviors.

 Environment is the sum of total of all living

and non living factors that compose the
surroundings of man.

 So its Everything that surrounds us that is

affected by us and is affecting us.
WHAT IS THE BASIC COMPONENT
; OF THE ENVIRONMENT
 Environment consists of all living (biotic)
and non-living (Abiotic) things which
surround us. Therefore, the basic components
of the environment are:

 1. Atmosphere or the air

 2. Hydrosphere or the water
 3. Lithosphere or the rocks and soil
 4. The living component of the environment
or the biosphere
ENVIRONMENTAL BALANCE
 ENVIRONMENTAL BALANCE

Think of your home and all of the things in it.

You likely have furniture, books, food in your
refrigerator, family, and maybe even pets.
Your home consists of a variety of living and
non-living things.
Like your home,

An ecosystem: is any community of living and

non-living things that work together. The living
things are biotic features, and the non-living
things are abiotic features. While ecosystems
do have boundaries, they are not always clear,
and it may be difficult to see where one
ecosystem ends and another begins.
WHAT IS A HEALTHY
?ECOSYSTEM

 Scientists will call a healthy ecosystem a

sustainable ecosystem.

 This mean there is a balance between each

of the components in an ecosystem.
ECOLOGICAL BALANCE
 Is a term describing how ecosystems are
organized in a state of stability where
species coexist with other species and with
their environment.

 Biodiversity is the balance of ecosystem.

EXAMPLE OF ECOLOGICAL BALANCE
ENVIRONMENTAL BALANCE IS
;MAINTAINED BY

A harmony between the living and nonliving components of

the ecosystem.

This harmony is maintained through two opposing factors:

1) Growth Factors.
Factors tend to increase population size(enhance living).
2) Reduction Factors.
Factors tends to decrease population size(don’t enhance living).

* Growth/Reduction factors can be biotic or abiotic factors.

 Examples of growth factors :

Biotic Abiotic
Ability to find food Favorable light

High production rate Favorable weather

Examples of reduction factors :

disease Lack of water

Lack of food Unfavorable weather
WHY IS ECOLOGICAL BALANCE
?IMPORTANT
 Nowadays, people are concerned about the
environment and the scientists realized the
importance of the environmental balance
and its effect on the life of all creatures
(plants, animals, human) especially after the
huge excreted amount of Pollutants in the
twenty century.
WHY IS ECOLOGICAL BALANCE IMPORTANT?

So;
 Ecological balance is important for

1. the continued survival and existence of

organisms as well as
2. the stability of the environment.
FACTORS THAT EFFECTING
ENVIRONMENTAL BALANCE
 The natural balance in the ecosystem, which
must be maintained, may be disturbed as a
result of:
1. Natural hazards; Earthquakes.
2. The unexpected death of a particular
species.
3. Man-made causes; pollution.
4. The introduction of new species to the
ecosystem.
 ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

As our environment changes, so we need to

become increasingly aware of the problems that
.surround us
Major current environmental issues may include

 pollution
 Global warming
 overpopulation
 climate change
 Waste disposal
 Natural Resource Depletion
 Deforestation
 Ocean Acidification
 Ozone Layer Depletion
 Acid Rain
 Genetic Engineering;genetic modification of food
 MAJOR CURRENT 
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
1. Pollution : is the introduction of contaminants into
the natural environment that cause adverse change.

 water pollution is caused by oil spill, acid rain.

 air pollution is caused by various gases and toxins

released by industries and factories and combustion

.of fossil fuels
 soil pollution is majorly caused by industrial waste
that deprives soil from essential nutrients.
 AIR POLLUTION
Definition: the emission of any impurity into
,the air, such as smoke (including tobacco smoke)
dust , solid particles, gases, mists, fumes, oudours and radioactive
.substances

Air pollution probably occurred as soon as

 humans started to use wood fires for heat and cooking.
 Increasing domestic and industrial combustion of coal caused air
pollution.
 During the twentieth century the most significant

change was the rapid increase in the number of

automobiles.
 AIR POLLUTION TYPE OF

GASEOUS POLLUTANTS -1

These substances are gases at normal

temperature and pressure .
Like examples;
 carbon monoxide (CO),
 hydrocarbons,
 CO2.
2- PARTICULATE POLLUTANTS
 Fine solids or liquid droplets can be suspended in air.
Some of the different types of particulates are defined as follows :

 Dust : Relatively large particles about 100 μm in diameter that come

directly from substances being used (e.g., coal dust, ash, sawdust,
cement dust, grain dust).
 Fumes :Suspended solids less than 1 μm in diameter usually released from

metallurgical or chemical processes, (e.g., zinc and lead oxides).

 Mist. Liquid droplets suspended in air with a diameter less than 2.0 μm,

(e.g., sulfuric acid mist).

 Smoke. Solid particles (0.05–1.0 μm) resulting from incomplete combustion

of fossil fuels.
 Aerosol. Liquid or solid particles (<1.0 μm) suspended in air or in another

gas.
 SOURCES OF WATER AND SOIL
POLLUTANTS
Surface water can be contaminated by point or
.nonpoint sources
An effluent pipe from an industrial plant or a sewage-
.treatment plant is an example of a point source
a field from which pesticides and fertilizers are carried
.by rainwater into a river is an example of a nonpoint source

Industrial wastes probably constitute the greatest single

pollution problem in soil and water. These contaminants
include organic wastes such as solvents, inorganic
.wastes, such as chromium and many unknown chemicals
Global Warming: Climate changes like global .2
warming is the result of human practices like
emission of Greenhouse gases. Global warming leads
to rising temperatures of the oceans and the earth’
surface causing melting of polar ice caps, rise in sea
levels and also unnatural patterns of precipitation
such as flash floods, excessive snow or
desertification
2.Global warming :is the term used to describe a
gradual increase in the average temperature of the
Earth's atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is
believed to be permanently changing the Earth's
climate
Overpopulation: .3
Overpopulation is one of the crucial current
.environmental problem
The population of the planet is reaching
unsustainable levels as it faces shortage of
.resources like water, fuel and food
Climate Change: Climate change is yet another -4
environmental problem that has surfaced in last
couple of decades. It occurs due to rise in global
warming which occurs due to increase in
temperature of atmosphere by burning of fossil
.fuels and release of harmful gases by industries
Climate change has various harmful effects ,
change in seasons, occurrence of new diseases,
frequent occurrence of floods and change in
.overall weather scenario
Waste Disposal: The over consumption of .5
resources and creation of plastics are creating a
global crisis of waste disposal. Developed
countries are notorious for producing an excessive
amount of waste or garbage and dumping their
waste in the oceans and, less developed
countries. Nuclear waste disposal has tremendous
health hazards associated with it. Plastic, fast
food, packaging and cheap electronic wastes
.threaten the well being of humans
Natural Resource Depletion: Natural resource -6 
depletion is another crucial current
environmental problems. Fossil fuel consumption
results in emission of Greenhouse gases, which is
responsible for global warming and climate
.change
:Deforestation .7
Deforestation simply means clearing of green cover
and make that land available for residential,
.industrial or commercial purpose
Our forests are natural sinks of carbon dioxide and
produce fresh oxygen as well as helps in regulating
.temperature and rainfall
At present forests cover 30% of the land but every
year tree cover is lost amounting, due to growing
population demand for more food, shelter and
  cloth
Ocean Acidification: It is a direct impact of .8
.excessive production of CO2
of CO2 produced by humans. The ocean 25%
. acidity has increased by the last years
The main impact is on shellfish and plankton
in the same way as human osteoporosis
Ozone Layer Depletion: The ozone layer is an .9
invisible layer of protection around the planet that
.protects us from the sun’s harmful rays

Ozone layer is valuable because it prevents - 

harmful UV radiation from reaching the earth

Depletion of the crucial Ozone layer of the -

atmosphere is attributed to pollution caused by
Chlorine and Bromide found in Chloro-floro carbons
(CFC’s). Once these toxic gases reach the upper
.atmosphere, they cause a hole in the ozone layer
 Ultraviolet rays
from Sun

Chlorofluorocarbons
The Ozone layer in
are entering in to
stratosphere atmosphere releasing
blocks these chlorine. The chlorine
harmful UV rays than break down the
ozone

Oxygen
ozone

Whole in
Ozone layer

chlorine

The chlorine released from CFCs break

.down the ozone molecule More ultraviolet radiations are reaching in to earths
.surface as there is a whole in ozone layer
Acid Rain: Acid rain occurs due to the presence .10
.of certain pollutants in the atmosphere

Acid rain can be caused due to combustion of fossil

fuels or erupting volcanoes or rotting vegetation
which release sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
.into the atmosphere

Acid rain is a known  environmental problem that

can have serious effect on human health, wildlife
and aquatic species
 Solar
Radiation
H2SO4 (Sulphuric Acid)
Acid Rain
+ water HNO3 (Nitric Acid)

SO2 &
NOX

Factories,
Lake
Transportation Sea
SEA
Water Pollution:  Industrial development .11
is filling our rivers seas and oceans with toxic
pollutants which are a major threat to
.human health
One of the options suggested is using the process .
of desalinization
Public Health Issues: The current environmental -12
problems pose a lot of risk to health of humans, and
.animals

Dirty water is the biggest health risk of the world and

poses threat to the quality of life and public health.
,Run-off to rivers carries along toxins

chemicals and disease carrying organisms. Pollutants

cause respiratory disease like Asthma and cardiac-
vascular problems. High temperatures encourage the
spread of infectious diseases
Genetic Engineering: Genetic modification of .13
food using biotechnology is called genetic
.engineering
Genetic modification of food results in increased -
toxins and diseases as genes from an allergic plant
.can transfer to target plant
Genetically modified crops can cause serious -
environmental problems as an engineered gene may
.prove toxic to wildlife
increased use of toxins to make insect resistant -
plant can cause resultant organisms to become
.resistant to antibiotics
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
1-Vegetation : Pollutants may visibly injure vegetation
by
 bleaching,
 other color changes, and
 necrosis,

or by more subtle changes such as

 alterations in growth or reproduction.

Air pollution can also result in measurable effects on forest

ecosystems, such as reduction in forest growth, change in
forest species, and increased susceptibility to forest pests .
Materials and Structures. Building materials have -2
become soiled and blackened by smoke, and damage
by chemical attack from acid gases in the air

Atmospheric Effects. The presence of fine-3

particles (0.1–1.0 mm in diameter) or NO2 in the
atmosphere can result in atmospheric haze or
reduced visibility due to light scattering by the
.particles
There is also concern over the increase in CO2 in the
atmosphere because CO2 absorbs heat energy
.strongly and retards the cooling of the earth
This is often referred to as the greenhouse effect
REFERENCES
 https://
www.scribd.com/doc/14180071/1-1-Components-of-Environment
 http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/environment/meaning-definition-and
-components-of-environment/6157
/
 4. Chiras, Daniel D. (2001), Environmental Science : creating a
sustainable future , 6th edition : Jones and Bartlett Publishers
 http://
kaheel7.com/eng/index.php/earth-science/293-the-balance-in-environm
ent-

 https://www.reference.com/science/ecological-balance-important-15ef3
b32c6d0a83a
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