Introduction to

environmental health
By prof sahagun
GOALS FOR THE DAY
1.Environmental health involves studying how environmental factors affect human
health.
2.Prevention is a key goal of environmental health, through policies, regulations, and
individual actions.
3.An introduction to environmental health should help develop critical thinking skills
for evaluating and communicating environmental health risks.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
“The control of all those factors in man’s
physical environment which exercise, or
may exercise, a deleterious effect on his
physical development, health or
survival” (WHO)
It is that aspect of public health that is
concerned with those forms of life,
substances, forces and conditions in the
surroundings of man that may exert an
influence on human health and well-
being.
PRIORITY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
PROBLEMS
Environmental Issues
health hazard
Solid waste Implementation of the ecological solid waste management program
inadequately sustained
Water Incidence of water borne and other water – related diseases
Air Deteriorating quality of air especially in the urban environment
Toxic and Incidence of diseases and injuries from exposure to toxic and hazardous
hazardous substances
substances
Occupational health Incidence of environmental and occupational health- related diseases and
injuries
Food Inadequate national capacity to monitor and safeguard food safety
Sanitation Programs od sustainable sanitation and wastewater management inadequately
sustained
 What is a Hazard
A hazard is a dangerous
phenomenon, substance,
human activity or
condition. It may cause
loss of life, injury or other
health impacts, property
damage, loss of livelihoods
and services, social and
economic disruption, or
environmental damage.
Environmenta
l Health Triad
 MAN-ENVIRONMENTAL
RELATIONSHIPS
The status of human health
represents the result of complex
interactions between the internal
biological system and the total
external environmental system.
What Major Health Hazards Do We Face?

People face health

hazards from
biological, chemical,
physical, and cultural
factors, and from the
lifestyle choices they
make.
 Biological Hazards

Chemical Hazards
CLASSIFICATI
ON OF Physical Hazards
ENVIRONMEN
TAL HAZARDS Sociological and Psychological
Hazards

Site and Location Hazards

BIOLOGICAL
HAZARDS
What Types of
Biological Hazards
Do We Face?
Take the form of viruses,
bacteria, parasites and fungi
The most serious
infectious diseases are
flu, AIDS, tuberculosis,
diarrheal diseases, and
malaria.
Nontransmissible diseases
Transmissible (infectious) disease
Pathogens
Epidemic
Pandemic
Science Focus: Growing Resistance to Antibiotics

High bacterial
reproductive rate
Genetic resistance
Global travel
Use of pesticides
Overuse of antibiotics
What Types of
Chemical Hazards There is growing concern about chemicals that can
cause cancer and birth defects and disrupt the human
Do We Face? immune, nervous, and endocrine systems.
Release of chemicals into the environment depends
mostly on the type of waste generated by the industries
and the presence of pollution control devices
The severity of risk arising from chemical exposure
depends on these factors:
– Type of chemical
– Amount of chemical
– Duration of exposure
– Environmental conditions
– Nature of job operation
CHEMICAL – Availability of ventilation or exhaust systems

HAZARDS
Chemical Hazards
Carcinogens – chemicals types of
radiation of viruses that can cause or
promote cancer
Mutagens – chemicals or forms of
radiation that cause mutations in DNA
or that increase the frequency of such
changes
Teratogens – chemicals that cause
harm or birth defects to fetus or
embryo
How Are We Affected?
Immune system disruptors – weaken against bacteria ,
virus and protozoa
Neurotoxins – that damage the nervous system such
chemicals like mercury , arsenic ,mercury, and some
pesticides
Hormones - affected by chemicals shaped similarly to
hormones that fit in their relative receptors, which messes
with hormonal balance.
How Can We Evaluate Chemical Hazards?

Scientists use live laboratory animals, case reports of

poisonings, and epidemiological studies to estimate the
toxicity of chemicals, but these methods have limitations.

We can reduce the major risks we face by becoming informed,

thinking critically about risks, and making careful choices.
Determining Chemical Safety

Water- and
Toxicology Toxicity Dose fat-soluble
toxins

Biological
Persistence
magnification
How can we evaluate chemical hazards
Toxicology: the study of harmful effects of chemicals on
humans and other organism
Toxicity: A measure of the harmfulness of a substance(ability
to cause illness)
If you ingest a large amount of
anything , it becomes toxic
Dose: the amount of harmful chemical that a person has
ingested
Factors leading
to hazardous
chemical effects
 genetic make up
 Age
 Multiple chemical sensitivity
 How well the body
detoxification organs function
 Chemical solubility
 Persistence
 Biiological magnification
( toxins increase as they pass
through trophic levels
Case Study: Protecting
Children from Toxic Chemicals
Toxic chemicals in newborns’ blood
Infants and children more susceptible
Increased intake of air, water, food for their
body weights
Put contaminated objects in their mouths
Less-developed immune systems
Estimating Toxicity
Fig. 14-12, p. 360
PHYSICAL
HAZARDS
SOCIOLOGICA Overcrowding

L AND
PSYCHOLOGI work stress – multi-tasking, overload, excessive
overtime
CAL HAZARDS
• Boredom

• Monotony of work

• Isolation
How does climate change affect our mental
health
Stress, Trauma
Global Increase of
pollution and other
warming natural disaster
mental illness
SITE AND LOCATION
▪ “Natural hazards” in terms
of geographical location are
usually associated with natural
phenomena or events leading
to disaster
 Isolation

Substitution
FIVE BASIC
PRINCIPLES OF
Shielding
ENVIRONMENTAL
CONTROL
Treatment

Prevention
 Isolation
It is separating the hazard
from man in terms of either
distance or time to prevent or
minimize contact.
PREVENTION
It is eliminating effects of or exposure to a hazard
SUBSTITUTION
It is the use of other
materials, products,
activities,
processes/operations,
methods, machines
and other equipment
instead of hazardous
one's modification
SHIELDING
It is the setting up of
physical barriers between
the source of the problem
or hazard and man.
Equipment guarding will
prevent workers from
contact with moving
parts.
TREATMEN
T
This involves
measures to
terminate the
existence of a
hazard through
destruction.
How Do We Perceive Risks and How Can We Avoid the
Worst of Them?

We can reduce the major

risks we face by becoming
informed, thinking
critically about risks, and
making careful choices.
Evaluating Risks
- identifying hazards and
evaluating their associated risk
- statistical probabilities based on
past experience animal testing and
other test are used to calculate
Evaluating
Risks

Risks from lifestyles

Don’t smoke
Lose excess weight
Eat healthy foods
Exercise regularly
Little or no alcohol
Avoid excess sunlight
Practice safe sex
Fig. 14-15, p. 364
Let us have a
review
LET US Review !!!
Identify if it is biological, chemical , physical , psychological and
locational hazard
1. E. Coli
2. CFC
3. Radiation
4. Boredom
5. Salmonella
6. Sound waves
7. Carbon dioxide
Give example of the following:
FIVE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
Isolation
Substitution
Shielding
Treatment
Prevention
Activity time
DRAW AND EXPLAIN AN EXAMPLE OF EACH
FIVE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL
CONTROL DURING CORNAVIRUS OUTBREAK