HCA Final Terms

Environmental health

the study and management of environmental conditions that affect the health and well-being of humans

Environmental hazards

factors or conditions in the environment that increase the risk of human injury, disease, or death

Air Pollution

contamination of the air that interferes with the comfort, safety, and health of living organisms

Primary Pollutants

air pollutants emanating directly from transportation, power and industrial plants, and refineries

examples: carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides, etc

Secondary Pollutants

air pollutants formed when primary air pollutants react with sunlight and other atmospheric components to form new harmful compounds

Photochemical smog

haze or fog formed when air pollutants interact with sunlight, also known as brown smog

Industrial smog

haze of fog formed primarily by sulfur dioxide and suspended particles from burning of coal, also known as gray smog

Ozone (O3)

an inorganic molecule considered to be a pollutant in the atmosphere because it harms human tissue, but considered beneficial in the stratosphere because it screens out UV radiation, most dangerous air pollutant

Thermal inversion

a condition that occurs when warm air traps cooler air at the surface of the Earth, causes excessive levels of pollutants

Clean Air Act (CAA)

federal law that provides the government with authority to address interstate air pollution, 1963

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQSs)

standards created by the EPA for allowable concentration levels of outdoor air pollutants

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

federal agency primarily responsible for setting, maintaining, and enforcing environmental standards or authorizing and overseeing state agencies that enforce established standards

Criteria pollutants

the most pervasive air pollutants and those of greatest concern in the US

Air Quality Index (AQI)

an index that indicates the level of pollution in the air and the associated health risk

0-50 -- good

51-100 -- moderate

101-150 -- Unhealthy for sensitive groups

151-200 -- Unhealthy

201-300 -- Very Unhealthy

>300 -- Hazardous

Greenhouse gases

atmospheric gases, principally carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, ozone, methane, water vapor, and nitrous oxide, that are transparent to visible light but absorb infrared radiation

Asbestos

indoor air pollutant, naturally occurring mineral fiber that was commonly used as insulation and fireproofing material, Class A carcinogen

Biogenic pollutants

airborne biological organisms or their particles or gases or other toxic materials that can produce illness

examples: living and nonliving fungi and their toxins, bacteria, viruses, molds, pollens, insect parts, and animal dander

Combustion by-products

gases and particulates generated by burning

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

compounds that exist as vapor over the normal range of air pressures and temperatures, lots of different types

Formaldehyde (CH2)

a water-soluble gas used in aqueous solutions in hundreds of consumer products, popular VOC and carcinogen

Carcinogen

agent, usually chemical, that causes cancer

Radon

a naturally occurring colorless, tasteless, odorless, radioactive gas formed during radioactive decay of uranium-238, causes lung cancer

Mold

fungi that spread and reproduce by making spores; they grow best in warm, damp, and humid conditions, can cause respiratory difficulties like asthma for sensitive people

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS; secondhand smoke)

tobacco smoke in the environment that is a mixture of mainstream and sidestream smoke that can be inhaled by nearby or transient nonsmokers

Mainstream smoke

tobacco smoke inhaled and exhaled by the smoker

Sidestream tobacco smoke

tobacco smoke that comes off the end of burning tobacco products

Passive smoking

the inhalation of ETS by nonsmokers, involuntary

What percent of time is spent indoors?

People spend up to 90% of time indoors

Sick building syndrome

a situation in which the air quality in a building produces generalized signs and symptoms of ill health in the building’s occupants

How many million deaths are waterborne diseases responsible for each year?

Waterborne diseases are responsible for 1.5 million deaths worldwide each year

What percent of the world population has no access to clean drinking water?

11% don’t, US has 100% access to clean water

Sanitation

the practice of establishing and maintaining healthy or hygienic conditions in the environment

Surface water

water in streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. precipitation that does not infiltrate the ground or return to the atmosphere by evaporation; the water in streams, rivers, and lakes

Groundwater

located under surface of the ground. subsurface

Aquifers

porous, water-saturated layers of underground bedrock, sand, and gravel that can yield economically significant amounts of water

Water pollution

any physical or chemical change in water that can harm living organisms or make the water unfit for other uses

Point source pollution

pollution that can be traced to a single identifiable source, like a pipe

What percent of Earth’s water is available for human use?

0\.003%, and much of it is hard to reach and too costly to be of practical value

Nonpoint source pollution

All pollution that occurs through runoff, seepage, or falling of pollutants into the water where the source is difficult or impossible to identify. Stormwater runoff from cities, farms, highways, seepage from unlined landfills, bigger concern than point source pollution

Runoff

water that flows over land surfaces (including paved surfaces), typically from precipitation

Biological Pollutants of Water

living organisms or their products that make water unsafe for human consumption. Cause a variety of diseases. Enter water thru human and animal waste by runoff

examples: viruses, bacteria, parasites

Nonbiological Pollutants of Water

include heat; inorganic chemicals such as lead, copper, and arsenic; organic chemicals; and radioactive contaminants

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs)

chemicals that interfere in some way with the body’s endocrine (hormone system) blocks body’s normal hormonal activity (is being detected in US waterways)

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs)

synthetic chemicals found in everyday consumer healthcare products and cosmetics (is being detected in US waterways)

Does the government have regulation on the disposal of meds?

No

Waterborne disease outbreak (WBDO)

a disease in which at least 2 persons experience a similar illness after the ingestion of drinking water or after exposure to water used for recreational purposes, and epidemiological evidence implicates water as the probable source of the illness.

\

Drinking water outbreaks have declined in recent years, but recreational use has increased

true

Four causes of water safety supply deterioration

population growth, chemical manufacturing, reckless land use practices, and mismanagement and irresponsible disposal of hazardous wastes

Each US resident uses 80-100 gallons of water a day

true including drinking, cooking, flushing toilet, etc

What percent of water usage is for domestic use?

13%

Most municipalities use groundwater, others use surface water

false

2/3 of municipalities use surface water, 1/3 use groundwater

wastewater

the aqueous mixture that remains after water has been used or contaminated by humans

wastewater treatment

the process of improving the quality of wastewater (sewage) to the point that it can be released into a body of water without seriously disrupting the aquatic environment, causing health problems in humans, or causing nuisance conditions

fluoridation

helps prevent dental decay, major factor responsible for the decline in dental caries (tooth decay)

Primary wastewater treatment

sedimentation tank/clarifier, sits for 2-4 hours, sludge settles on bottom, scum on top, both removed for next step

Sludge

a semiliquid mixture of solid waste that includes bacteria, viruses, organic matter, toxic metals, synthetic organic chemicals, and solid chemicals. settles to bottom in primary wastewater treatment

Scum

layer of oils and fats on top of the liquid in primary wastewater treatment

Secondary wastewater treatment

aerobic bacteria added to break down the organic waste, mixture flows to aeration tanks, O2 added to support aerobic decomposition, water sent to sedimentation tanks where solid and liquid are separated, takes 6-10 hours

Tertiary wastewater treatment

regulated by the EPA.

involves filtration through sand and carbon filters, many dissolved pollutants are removed, chlorination and dichlorination

Chlorination

process that is the least expensive way to disinfect wastewater, water must be dechlorinated after to prevent poisoning of aquatic life in streams or rivers downstream of the discharge point

What percent of Americans live in an unsewered area and use a septic tank?

20%

Septic tank

a watertight concrete or fiberglass tank that holds sewage; one of two main parts of a septic tank

Absorption field

the element of a septic system in which the liquid portion of waste is distributed, system of trenches

A septic system must be…

located in appropriate soil, properly constructed and inspected prior to being buried, and maintained regularly

Clean Water Act (CWA)

the federal law aimed at ensuring that all rivers are swimmable and fishable and that limits the discharge of pollutants in US waters to zero, goal is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the waters in the US so they can support the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and recreation in and on the water

Watershed

the area of land from which all of the water that is under it or drains from it goes into the same place and drains in one point; for example, the Missouri River watershed drains and collects all the water from the land extending from east of the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachian Mountains and from the upper Midwest all the way south to the Gulf of Mexico

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

the federal law that regulates the safety of public drinking water

Foodborne disease outbreak (FBDO)

the occurrence of two or more cases of a similar illness resulting from the ingestion of a common food

pest

any organism (plant, animal, or microbe) that has an adverse effect on human interests

examples: weeds, termites, mold

Pesticides

synthetic chemicals developed and manufactured for the purpose of killing pests, over 18k

target organism (target pest)

the organism (or pest) for which a pesticide is applied

nontarget organisms

all other susceptible organisms in the environment, for which a pesticide was not intended.

what are the two most popular pesticides

herbicides and insecticides

Registered environmental health specialists (REHSs; sanitarians)

environmental worker responsible for the inspection of restaurants, retail food outlets, public housing, and other sites to ensure compliance with public health codes

Solid waste

solid refuse from households, agriculture, and businesses

Municipal solid waste (MSW)

waste generated by individual households, businesses, and institutions located within municipalities, less than 5% of total waste, create 4.51 pounds MSW per person/day

Hazardous waste

a solid waste or combo of solid wastes that is dangerous to human health or the environment

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA)

the federal law that sets forth guidelines for the proper handling and disposal of hazardous wastes, strict

Solid waste management (integrated waste management)

the collection, transportation, and disposal of solid waste

Source reduction

a waste management approach involving the reduction or elimination of the use of materials that produce an accumulation of solid waste

Recycling

the collecting, sorting, and processing of materials that would otherwise be considered waste into raw materials for manufacturing new products, and the subsequent use of those new products

Composting

the natural, aerobic biodegradation of organic plant and animal matter to compost

Sanitary landfills

waste disposal sites on land suited for this purpose and on which waste is spread in thin layers, compacted, and covered with a fresh layer of clay or plastic foam each day

Leachates

liquids created when water mixes with wastes and removes soluble constituents from them by percolation

Combustion (incineration)

the burning of solid wastes

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)

the federal law (known as Superfund) created to clean up abandoned hazardous waste sites

Brownfields

property where reuse is complicated by the presence of hazardous substances from prior use, 450,000+ in US

Lead

a naturally occurring mineral element found throughout the environment and used in large quantities for industrial products, including batteries, pipes, solder, paints, and pigments, often contaminates well water

* children at greatest risk of poisoning
* major health problems

Vector

a living organism, usually an insect or other arthropod, that can transmit communicable disease agent to susceptible host

examples: mosquito or tick

Vectorborne disease outbreak (VBDO)

an occurrence of an unexpectedly large number of cases of disease caused by an agent transmitted by insects and other arthropods

What is the number one vectorborne disease?

Lyme disease, no vaccine either, no community tick control

Natural hazard

a naturally occurring phenomenon or event that produces or releases energy in amounts that exceed human endurance, causing injury, disease, or death

examples: radiation, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods

Natural disaster

a natural hazard that results in substantial loss of life or property

Radiation

process in which energy is emitted as particles or waves

Long-wavelength, low-energy radiation

heat, sound, and visible light

High energy (ionizing) radiation

UV light, X-rays, gamma rays

* can knock an electron out of orbit, creating an ion, and can thereby damage living cells and tissues

Ultraviolent (UV) radiation

radiant energy with wavelengths of 10 to 400 nanometers, from sun

ABCDE rule in skin cancer

asymmetry, border irregularity, color, diameter greater than 6 mm, evolving

Natural environmental events

geological activity (volcanic eruptions, earthquakes), weather driven events (tornadoes, hurricanes, floods),

* can result in serious physical and psychological health consequences for humans
* create new variety of needs

Complex disasters

natural disaster that further escalates an ongoing crisis or causes a technological disaster, resulting in communities being affecting by the consequences of a combo of natural and human-made hazards