Environmental Health

• Environmental Health


  A branch of public health devoted to preventing illness through managing the environment and changing people's behavior to reduce exposure to biological agents of disease and injury
• Environmental Sanitation


  The control of every factor in the physical environment such as water, air, soil, excretal and food as well as insect/rodent, chemical, solid and liquid wastes which have a significant effect on the physical development, health and survival
• Importance of Environmental Sanitation

  • It promotes health
  • It prevents disease transmission
  • It eliminates breeding places of the insects and rodents that carry germs
  • It improves the quality of life
  • It protects the environment from pollution
• Goal of Environmental Sanitation

  • Water sanitation
  • Food sanitation
  • Community waste management
  • Rodent control
  • Vector control
  • Air pollution control
  • Occupation health
  • Radiologic health
  • Sanitary housing
  • Disaster management
• Level I (Point source) water supply


  Protected well (shallow and deep well / developed spring or rainwater) with an outlet but without a distribution system, normally serves around 15 – 25 households, the farthest user is not more than 250 meters from the point source
• Level II (Communal Faucet System / Stand Posts) water supply


  System composed of a source, a reservoir, a piped distribution network and a communal faucet located not more than 25 meters from the farthest house, generally suitable for rural and urban areas where houses are clustered densely populated areas, usually one faucet serves 4-6 households
• Level III (Waterworks System) water supply


  System with a source, transmission pipes, a reservoir and a piped distribution network for household taps, generally suited for densely populated areas, e.g. MWSS, Maynilad, Manila Water
• Types of Water


  • Potable water
  • Polluted water
  • Contaminated water
• Sources of Water


  • Rainwater
  • Surface water
  • Underground water
  • Piped water
• Impurities in Water


  • Physical impurities - suspension of floating substances that are carried by water that causes cloudiness or turbidity.
  • Chemical impurities - dissolved constituents of water which account mostly for the color of water
  • Biologic/Bacteriologic impurities - Include microscopic plants and animals other than bacteria present in water
  • Radiologic impurities - results of nuclear weapon testing and discharge of radioisotopes
• Examinations of Water


  • Physical Examination
  • Chemical Examination
  • Microbiological Examination
  • Radiological Examination
• Physical Examination of Water

  • Turbidity
  • Color
  • Odor
  • Taste
• Chemical Examination of Water

  • Hardness / Softness
  • pH (alkalinity / acidity)
  • Organic nitrogen
  • Toxic substances
• Microbiological Examination of Water

  • Multiple Tube Fermentation
  • Membrane Filtration Method / Standard Plate Count
• Methods of Treatment of Water

  • Filtration or straining
  • Boiling of water for at least 2 -5 mins
  • Chemical disinfection - Chlorination
  • Aeration - Particles are brought into intimate contact with air
  • Softening - removal of Ca and Mg
• Food Sanitation


  Refers to the control of every factor in the physical environment that has a significant effect on the health and survival of people, including food
• Terms Associated with Food Sanitation

  • Food Control
  • Food Management
  • Food Technology
  • Food Handlers
• Four Rights in Food Safety

  • Right Sources
  • Right Preparation
  • Right Cooking
  • Right Storage
• Methods of Food Preservation

  • Refrigeration (cooling)
  • Drying
  • Salting
  • Pickling or souring
  • Sugaring
  • Smoking
  • Canning & Sterilization
• Ways Foods May Be Altered

  • Mixing
  • Substitution
  • Subtraction of valuable constituents
  • Concealing inferiority
  • Addition of adulterants
  • Misbranding
  • Foods from sick animals or contaminated vegetables
• Types of Refuse


  • Garbage
  • Rubbish
• Waste materials consists of human excreta, garbage, refuse and industrial waste
• Mixing


  If any substance has been mixed or added so as to increase the quantity but lowers the quality
• Substitution


  Fraudulent substitution of cheaper article
• Subtraction


  Subtraction of valuable constituents
• Misbranding


  Imitation, mislabeling
• Foods from sick animals or contaminated vegetables
• Waste materials

  • Human excreta
  • Garbage
  • Refuse
  • Industrial waste
• Refuse


  Solid and semi-solid waste material other than human excreta
• Types of refuse


  • Garbage
  • Rubbish
  • Ashes
• Garbage


  Solid wastes resulting from the processing, preparation and consumption of foods (ex. Left over vegetables, animals and fish materials)
• Garbage


  • Serve as breeding place of flies and other insects
  • Harborage of rats and other vermin
  • Offensive odor
  • Garbage fed to hogs
• Rubbish


  • Combustible- discarded furniture, paper, yard trimmings. Considered as fire hazard
  • Non-combustible- tin cans, ceramic, glass waste, metals. Breeding places of mosquitoes and other insects, can cause wound injuries
• Ashes


  • Left over from burning wood and charcoal
  • Irritant to eyes and nose
• Types of waste according to use

  • Household waste
  • Hazardous waste
• Household waste


  • Biodegradable- waste that can decompose in the soil after a long period of time
  • Non-Biodegradable- waste that do not decompose in the soil
• Hazardous waste


  • Also known as industrial wastes
  • Immediate and long-term risk to man, animals, plants and environment
  • Any discarded solid or liquid that: Contains carcinogenic compounds, Catches fire easily (gasoline, tinners), Reactive or unstable enough to explode or release toxic fumes
• Basic methods of refuse disposal

  • Storage
  • Collection
  • Final disposal
• Excreta


  Feces, urine and discharges from nose and skin
• Sewage


  Water with discharge of the human body together with liquid waste from households and factory