Earth 281 Mod. 11

Environmental Medicine

branch of medicine studying how environmental factors including air, water, soil contaminants and physical hazards affect human health & contribute to disease

Environmental Epidemiology

Study of how environmental exposures influence the occurrence, distribution and causes of diseases within human populations

Environmental Toxicology

science examining harmful effects of environmental contaminants, pollutants and chemicals on living organisms and ecosystems

Environmental Pathology

Study of biological changes in tissues and organs resulting from exposure to environmental hazards and contaminants

Public Health

science and practice of protecting and improving the health of communities through disease prevention, health promotion, education and policy development

Determinants of health

social, economic, environmental, biological and behavioural factors that influence the health and well-being of people

Climate change

long-term changes in global or regional climate patterns, including temperature and precipitation, largely driven by increased greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere

Vector-borne diseases

illnesses caused by pathogens that spread from host to host by living organisms; including illnesses spread by insects such as lyme disease

greenhouse gas emissions

release of gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere, where they contribute to global warming and climate change

climate tipping point

critical threshold where global heating causes parts of the earth’s climate system to undergo abrupt, often irreversible changes

critical minerals

minerals and metals essential for modern technologies, economic development & national security, but face potential supply risks or shortages

Environmental medicine

field studying how exposures to environmental hazards impact health, with a focus on prevention and treatment through clinical and public health measures

Exposure pathways

include many of the Earth materials discussed in the course, including air, water, rock, soil and food through physical, chemical & biological means

Subdisciplines of environmental medicine

environmental epidemiology, toxicology & pathology

Scale of environmental epidemiology

studies are conducted by collecting data on the population scale

Scale of environmental toxicology

requires the study of many individuals to better understand the damaging effects of chemical compounds

Factors that impact overall health outcomes

pathway, duration & dose of exposure

Social Determinants of health

economic stability, education access & quality, health care access & quality, neighbourhood & built environment, social & community context

Basis of recommended exposure limits

based on the relationship between hazard exposure, dose and disease risk

WHO Definition of health

not merely the absence of disease, but social, physical and mental wellbeing

Impacts of climate change

More frequent severe weather events, droughts, heatwaves, increased plant pollen production, more fleas, ticks & mosquitoes, more bacteria growth on crops

Lyme disease

bacterial infection causing bull’s eye shaped rash, fever, fatigue, joint pain… can lead to serious neurological complications and death if left untreated

Anaplasmosis

Bacterial infection causing fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, bleeding, seizure, pneumonia, organ failure and other serious complications; death mainly caused by organ failure

Babesiosis

Caused by malaria-like parasite that destroys red blood cells, causing fever, chills, fatigue, nausea, bleeding, jaundice, blood clots, organ (kidney, liver, lung) malfunction & death

Greenhouse gas emissions breakdown

carbon dioxide ~75%, methane ~18%, nitrous oxide ~5%

Effects of climate change in Canada

more frequent wildfires, floods, heatwaves, loss of food sources, rapidly changing weather & sea ice patterns in the north

Strategies to minimize climate change

transition from fossil fuels to zero-carbon energy; circular business models; sustainable food systems; halting loss of nature & regenerating ecosystems