Human Environmental Health Issues

Environmental health issues are hazards that affect the health and well-being of a community. A few examples are radon, pesticides in food and water and air pollution. These issues are linked to asthma, cancer and birth defects. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes articles about their process for identifying health risks from environmental sources.

Understanding Radon

• Radon is a radioactive gas. It has no smell, color or taste. Testing for radon is not required before the purchase of a home, but it is recommended. Radon is a leading cause of lung cancers, second only to smoking. The risk of cancer from smoking is greatly increased if radon is in the atmosphere. Radon is dangerous when it seeps into a structure (homes, office, business) usually from a basement. Indoor air quality can be tested and improved with proper ventilation in basements, or a radon sump system.

Air Pollution

• Radon is only one kind of air pollution. Major types of air pollution as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) are particulate matter and ozone. An increase in mortality and morbidity for cities with high levels of particulate matter (smoke, or indoor pollutants from heat sources) has been observed in comparison to cities with cleaner air. Ozone is produced by sunlight and vehicle emissions. This is dangerous because of the link to asthma and breathing difficulty. Lowering vehicle emissions is a priority for decreasing ozone in the air we breathe.

Water Pollution

• In developing countries, lack of clean drinking water is an environmental health crisis. Improving sanitation for communities that are lacking access to safe drinking water is an educational process. Water pollution is an emerging issue because of a link to pathogens like the avian flu.

  Water pollution affects the food we eat. Using pesticides on crops to produce a higher yield can damage the water table underneath the ground. Voluntarily choosing to limit use of these pesticides can reduce the amount of unwanted chemicals in our water sources.

EPA

• The Environmental Protection Agency has a planning strategy for natural disaster management with regard to environmental health and safety. The process steps are Hazard Identification, Dose-Response Assessment, Exposure Assessment, Risk Characterization. These steps examine stressors on the environment and their effects on human health during an emergency crisis.

  The EPA is concerned with the risk of exposure to children because they are a vulnerable population. The exposure to toxins in the air and water has a greater effect on a vulnerable population. Individuals can begin to reduce, reuse and recycle as a strategy to lessen toxic wastes.

Transportation

• Vehicle emissions account for two thirds of air pollution. Individuals can start protecting their health with informed choices for transportation. Reducing vehicle emissions means cleaner air for everyone. Simple changes like using public transportation, walking, biking or telecommuting are promoted by the EPA and the WHO.