Environmental Health Definition of the Environment The circumstances

Environmental Health

Definition of the Environment � The circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded � Public Health Definition of “The Environment” � All that which is external to the individual host. [It] can be divided into physical, biological, social, and cultural factors, any or all of which can influence health status in populations.

Definition of Health �A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity

Activity: � How can environment affect our health?

What Is Environmental Health Sciences? “The study of those factors in the environment that affect human health. Theses factors can be: � Physical (Noise, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, heat) � Chemical (Air pollutants, toxic wastes, pesticides, ) � Biological (Disease organisms present in food and water, Insect and animal allergens) �

primary factors that affect human health Genetic factors Environmental factors personal behavior

� Poor environmental quality is estimated to be directly responsible for approximately 25 % of all preventable ill health in the world, with diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections heading the list

� An environmental scientist might study how water pollution is hurting fish. � An environmental health scientist would study what happens to the health of people when they catch and eat those fish.

Accomplishments can be done by environmental health specialist � They work to identify environmental hazards, and prevent people from being harmed by them. � Some are scientists working in laboratories. � Some work for the government writing regulations and studying pollution

Enviromental health hazards Hazards can be categorized in five types: � Chemical � Physical � Mechanical � Biological � Psychosocial

� efforts to ensure clean air and safe supplies of food and water, to manage sewage and municipal wastes, and to control or eliminate vector-borne illnesses have contributed a great deal to improvements in public health

Examples of ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT IMPACT ON THE HEALTH STATUS OF A COMMUNITY � Air pollution and quality Water pollution and quality � Noise pollution � Waste management � Land pollution

� Presence of hazardous waste � Presence of pesticides � Occupational safety � Occurrence of accidents � Safe food � Unsafe and inadequate housing