week 1- intro

• Environmental health


  The study of environmental factors that affect health
• Factors that affect health

  • Physical
  • Chemical
  • Organic
  • Social
• 40% of deaths worldwide are believed to be due to environmental factors
• Examples of environmental factors

  • Air pollution
  • Ionizing radiation
  • Pesticides
• Development of infectious diseases and chronic diseases can be due to environmental factors
• For chronic diseases, it appears to be an interaction between environmental exposure, genetic factors and factors intrinsic to a person
• The prevalence and mortality due to asthma in the United States have increased since 1980 by 58% and 78%, respectively
• Exposure to toxic chemicals could cause 3% of developmental and neurological problems in children in the United States
• Environmental epidemiology


  Associations between exposure to environmental agents and subsequent disease development
• Environmental toxicology


  Causal mechanisms between exposure and subsequent development of the disease
• Preventive medicine


  Study of the factors that reduce the development of the disease
• Vectors


  • Water
  • Air
  • Soil
  • Food
• Routes of entry (entry way)

  • Inhalation
  • Ingestion
  • Absorption
• Vulnerable populations


  • Elderly people
  • People with chronic diseases
  • Pregnant women
  • Children
• Biological hazards


  • Viruses
  • Bacteria
  • Protozoa
  • Prions
• Chemical hazards


  Exposure to this group of substances has increased since the industrial revolution. The use of chemicals is responsible for these dangers. Inorganic and organic substances.
• Chemical hazardsexamples include:


  • Atmospheric pollution
  • Water pollution
• Physical dangers


  Arise from exposure to various forms of energetic sources. Natural or anthropogenic origin.
• Physical dangers


  • Noise
  • Electromagnetic radiation
  • Temperature extremes
• Social dangers


  Arises from social relationships between individuals
• Social dangers


  • Social support at work
  • Feeling of belonging to a community
• Toxic


  Means dangerous
• Toxicity


  A measure of the level of which a product/chemical is dangerous
• Toxicity scale


  • Very toxic (DANGER or POISON)
  • Moderately toxic (WARNING)
  • Slightly toxic (CAUTION)
  • Nontoxic (no symbol)
• Exposure


  The total amount of a factor that comes in direct contact with your body
• Parts of the exposure process

  • Source of danger
  • Vector
  • Contact (or entry ways)
• Inhalation


  Breathing. When chemicals enter the body through this route of exposure, they can get stuck in the lungs and/or be absorbed into the bloodstream.
• Ingestion


  Usually while eating or drinking. When chemicals enter the body through this route of exposure, they can easily be absorbed into the bloodstream.
• Skin absorption


  A chemical absorbent that passes through part of the skin, including the eyes. When chemicals come into contact with the skin, they can sometimes enter the bloodstream through this route of exposure.
• What is the dose?

  The amount of a hazard that enters the body
• Dosedepends on....


  Depends on duration of exposure, frequency of exposure, and size (children vs adults)
• 30 minutes of sun exposure might not have harmful effects, but 4 hours of sun exposure could be very dangerous
• Dose/response relationship

  The more the dose increases, the more the response increases
• Factors affecting individual susceptibility

  • Pregnant women and their developing babies
  • Older people whose defense mechanisms are less effective
  • Infants and children who are still developing
  • Patients with weakened immune systems
• Your genes can also make you more or less vulnerable to the harmful effects of an environmental hazard
• Risks and benefits of fruit growers using pesticides

  • Risks: People ingest pesticides with fruit, Pesticides get into the soil and water, Animals ingest pesticides
  • Advantages: No insects!, More beautiful fruit that is more visually appealing, Larger crops so that farmers can make more profit
• Environmental justice


  Everyone has the right to live in an environment which, regardless of their ethnicity, culture or income does not make them sick
• The process of environmental justice

  1. Who produces the danger?

  2. Who is exposed?

  3. Who are the decision makers?

  4. Establish a dialogue between decision-makers, scientists and the affected community.

  5. Empower community members to make changes.

  6. Share information and decisions with members of the community.
• Where to find information

  • Town hall
  • Government agencies
  • Federal agencies
  • Doctors
  • Nurses
  • Hospitals
  • Department of Health
  • Schools
  • Libraries
  • The universities
  • Your city
• Examples of environmental health impacts

  • The impact of smog on health has spawned policies in 1966 NYC and London, and the Beijing Olympics in 2008
  • Radon: a very toxic, colorless, undetectable radioactive gas that accumulates in basements can cause lung cancer
  • Lead poisoning: lead pipes, old paints
  • Asbestos: can be found in old buildings, causes lung cancer