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Role of policy in environmental challenges
protection from environmental health hazards as regarded from fundamental rights to health
Precautionary Principle
preventative efforts should be taken when there is potential for harm, even if a cause-and-effect relationship is not fully established
Environmental justice
equal treatment of all people in society
Environmental sustainability
strong wealthy society can be consistent with clean, healthy environment and beautiful planet
Polluter-Pays Principle
polluter should pay for pollution prevention measures to ensure environment is in acceptable state
What agency is responsible for environmental regulation at the international level?
WHO
Health Impact Assessment
describes and estimates effects of proposed project may have on health of population, carried out by WHO
Environmental Impact Assessment
reviews potential impact of anthropogenic activities with respect to general environmental consequences, carried out by EIA
What is the mission of the EPA?
protect human health and the environment
When were the majority of the environmental preservation and EPA authority providing legislation passed?
the 1970s
Clean Air Act of 1970
federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources
Clean Water Act
established structure for regulating pollutants discharged into US waters, amended from Federal Water Pollution Control Act
Safe Drinking Water Act
protects drinking water quality, authorized EPA to establish minimum tap standards and requires water authorities to comply with these standards
National Environmental Policy Act
establishes framework for protecting environment (1969, one of the first), ensures that all branches of government give proper environmental consideration before taking action that may affect environment
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
federal regulation for distribution/use of pesticides, must prove that using will not generally cause adverse effects on environment
Toxic Substances Control Act
requires EPA to keep records of testing and restrictions related to chemicals, authority has to maintain inventory of chemicals
CERCLA
provides federal superfunds for cleaning up waste at sites that had uncontrolled or spilled hazardous waste, gives power to EPA to hold parties responsible for release and ensures clean-up
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
EPA controls hazardous waste, EPA addresses underground storage tanks, aims to minimize waste and getting rid of land disposal of hazardous waste
infectious agent for plague is
bacterium
define zoonotic disease
disease transmissible under normal conditions from vertebrate animals to humans
Methods for zoonotic disease transmission
contact with skin, bite/scratch, inhalation/ingestion, bite of arthropod vector
Vector
living thing that carries disease from reservoir to susceptible host (ex. mosquitoes, fleas, ticks)
Vehicle
inanimate object that can carry agent from reservoir to susceptible host (ex. food, water, blood)
Reservoir
habitat that an infectious agent lives, growns, and multiples
How is lyme disease transmitted?
black ticks bite skin
How is plague transmitted?
bite of a flea harborded by rodents
How are viral hemmorrhagic fevers transmitted?
humans come into contact with infected animal
What is the causal agent of rocky mountain spotted fever?
bacteria
How is rocky mountain fever transmitted?
bite of infected tick
How is West Nile Virus transmitted?
mosquitoes carry after feeding on infected birds (arboviral fever)
How are arthropod-borne viral diseases transmitted?
bite of blood-feeding arthropod vector
What factors are associated with emerging zoonotic diseases?
ecological changes from agricultural practices and changes in human population behavior (ex. migration, wars, urbanization)
How is Leishmaniasis transmitted?
reservoir usually through animals (humans, dogs, rodents) and transmitted from reservoir to human host by sand fly
What environmental factors are observed with increased Leishmaniasis?
human population movement to endemic areas, increasing urbanization, extension of agriculture projects into endemic areas, climate change
How is arboviral encephalitides transmitted?
bite of arthropod vector (mosquitoes usually)
How is human pulmonary virus transmitted?
inhalation of aerosol urine from infected rodents
How is dengue fever transmitted?
bite of mosquito infected with flavivirus
What is the most common bacterial zoonotic disease observed in most regions of the world?
campylobacter
What is the primary reservoir for campylobacter?
intestines of birds (usually poultry) and other domestic/wild animals
In the western US, what is the natural reservoir for the plague?
ground squirrels
What type of infection is Taenia? How is it transmitted?
tapeworm infection within GI tract after ingestion of undercooked beef or pork
What causes malaria?
parasites that infect vector mosquitoes that bite humans
What is the cycle of Malaria?
mosquito bites person to infect them, travels through blood to liver, red blood cells are infected and will grow until bursting (causes fever), mosquito bites infected person and becomes infected - can now infect another person
What can be done to control Malaria?
DDT was used to kill mosquitos (not considered safe anymore), bed nets, draining standing water, introduce mosquito eating fish, wear protective clothing, repair window screens, use sentinel chickens to track
Vector for denque fever
ades aegypti mosquito
In the western US, the natural reservoir for plague is
ground squirrels
Erin Brockovich was a successful advocate against groundwater pollution from
chromium
What is the National Priorities List?
most serious uncontrolled or abandoned substances identified for possible long-term remedial action under Superfund
How can low-level exposures of heavy metals affect animals?
bioaccumulation
What are long term side-effects from low-levels of heavy metals?
reduced cognitive function and learning impairment
Why are there sex differences in heavy metal exposure affects?
hormonal and metabolic processes
Why are children of more concern for heavy metal exposure?
smaller body weight, consume more food for their body weight (receive higher doses when present in food)
Where is copper present in human areas?
electrical wiring, pipes (can get into water from copper piping)
Where is zinc present in human areas?
air, soil, water, foods
Why is iron of high concern for human health?
necessary for oxygen transport through the body, too much can prevent oxygen binding
Where is aluminum present in human areas?
food/beverage prep (pots/pans, storage), medications, cosmetics
What level of exposure to lead is acceptable without human effects?
none, always harmful
Where is lead stored in the body?
teeth and bones
common lead exposure sites
lead paint, some pottery, lead dust brought home from worksites, tap water from soldered pipes
Where is chromium found in human spaces?
stainless steel, textile dyes, wood preservatives, leather tanning, electroplating
What does an odds ratio >1 indicate?
positive association
What does an odds ratio <1 indicate?
negative association
What does an odds ratio of 1 indicate?
there is no association
T/F: beryllium is naturally occurring
true
What form of arsenic is carcinogenic?
inorganic
Why is arsenic considered a hazard?
naturally found in Earth, heavily contaminates drinking water
What industry is arsenic a byproduct of?
gold/metal mining
The current EPA standard for arsenic in drinking water is
10 Mu-g /L
Why does cadmium pose threat in consumer goods?
children chew on jewelry, toys, etc. and ingest
What can ingestion of fluorine cause and what does it effect?
fluorosis, affects teeth and bones
Where is mercury usually found in human environment?
industrial process and seafood
methylation
microorganisms convert elemental mercury into methyl mercury
What types of seafood pose the largest risk for mercury poisoning?
large fish that eat smaller fish due to bioaccumulation (swordfish, tuna, marlin)
Minamata disease
neurological impairment due to high exposure to mercury
What type of study was the article about animal feces and human health?
systematic review
Which metals did the drinking water/child IQ study examine?
arsenic and fluoride
What type of study is the drinking water/child IQ?
cross-sectional
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