Exam 3 Study guide

Main factors for burden of disease from environmental hazards

• pollution

• ultraviolet radiation

• noise pollution

• occupational risks

• built environments

• agricultural methods

• behavior related to environmental factors (washing hands)

• man-made climate and ecosystem change

how much of burden is related to the environment?

23% of all deaths

difference between environmental health and environmental protection

Environmental health protects humans and enhances the environment for humans. Environmental protection protects the environment from human activity and enhances and restores the environment to natural state.

environmental protection agency

federal agency responsible for prevention and cleanup of water pollution and air pollution, control of toxic substances, and other issues of environmental contamination.

precautionary principle

“Look before you leap”; you consider this when an unreasonable amount of uncertainty exists, so you assess the risk before creating them

primary tenets of precautionary principle

• shift burden of proof to those who propose a new activity

• consider alternatives to possibly harmful actions

• increasing public involvement in decisions that affect environmental health

anthropogenic

manmade

examples of anthropogenic hazards

1. land pollution from improper waste disposal

2. built environment

3. hygiene behavior based on environmental factors

4. agriculture methods

examples of natural environmental hazards

• poisonous plants

• vectors for disease agents

• venomous animals

• hot and cold temperatures

biological examples of environmental hazards

• rodents

• insects

chemical environmental hazards

carbon monoxide in the air

physical environmental health hazards

• direct exposure to radiation

• heat stress from high temperatures

• exposure to high noise pollution

natural and man made environmental hazards

• food quality

• air quality

• natural disasters

• noise

• climate and ecosystem change

safe drinking water act

federal law intended to ensure safe drinking water to the public

what did the safe drinking water act do?

required the EPA to establish rules for local water systems and mandates that states follow the standards

standards for safe drinking water act

uniform guidelines were set for drinking water treatment, monitoring and testing are required and reported to the state government; 83 contaminants identified including cryptosporidium and giardia

consumer confidence reports

reports that provide sources of water, water contaminants, and health effects of the contaminants

environmental components

• air

• plant

• surface soil

• ground water

• sediment

exposure media

• food

• accessible air

• dust or soil

• animals

• work surfaces

exposure pathways

• inhalation

• ingestion

• dermal contact

What is dose?

the amount of a chemical that enters the body

acute exposure

dosage exposure occurs over a very short amount of time (24 hrs)

chronic exposure

a dose that occurs over a long period of time (weeks, months, years)

dose response effect

the relationship between exposure and health effect; relies on concept that the dose will cause an effect on exposed organism.

larger dose → greater effect

sensitive sub-population

groups of people who are more at risk from illness due to exposure to hazardous substances

example of sensitive pops.

• young children

• preganant people

• elderly

• low income

• minorities

main elements of the toxilogical paradigm

• exposure

• internal dose

• biologically effective dose

• early biologic effects

• altered structure and function

• clinical disease