Environmental Health and Air Pollutants

Environmental Health

• Health is affected by environmental quality including air, water, food, and community type.
• Environmental health studies and manages environmental conditions impacting human health.
• Environmental hazards are factors increasing the risk of injury, disease, or death.

Outdoor Air Pollutants

• Air pollution is air contamination that interferes with the comfort, safety, and health of organisms or that alters the climate.
• Pollutants can be primary, emanating directly from sources like transportation, power plants, and refineries.
• Secondary pollutants form when primary pollutants react with sunlight and other atmospheric components.
• Photochemical smog is haze formed when pollutants interact with sunlight.
• Industrial smog is haze primarily from sulfur dioxide and particles from burning coal, known as gray smog.
• Acute health effects include burning eyes and shortness of breath.
• Chronic effects include bronchitis, emphysema, increased asthma incidence, and lung cancer risk.
• Ozone is considered a pollutant harmful to human tissue in the atmosphere.
• Ozone is beneficial in stratosphere by screening out UV radiation.
• Breathing ozone can cause chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, congestion, bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, and reduced lung function.
• Repeated exposure to ground-level ozone may permanently scar lung tissue.
• Thermal inversion occurs when warm air traps cooler air at the Earth's surface, leading to excessive ground-level ozone.

RA 8749: Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999

• Comprehensive air pollution control policy
• DENR, DOTC, SOST, DTI, DOE, PAGASA, PNRI, DEPED, CHED are involved
• Covers all potential air pollution sources
• Mobile sources include cars, trucks, buses, jeepneys, tricycles, motorcycles, and vans
• Point sources include industrial firms, powerplants, and hotels
• Area sources include smoking, burning garbage, and dust from construction sites

Indoor Air Pollutants

• Building materials, biogenic pollutants, combustion by-products, home furnishings, cleaning agents, radon, and tobacco smoke contribute

Asbestos

• Asbestos is a Class A carcinogen by the EPA, is a naturally occurring mineral fiber.
• Asbestos is harmless if intact but dangerous when disturbed, as inhaled fibers can cause serious health problems

Biogenic Pollutants

• Airborne materials of biological origin can trigger allergies or cause infectious illnesses
• Recommended humidity level is 30% to 50% to reduce biogenic pollutants

Types of Water Pollutants

• Water pollution is any physical or chemical change that harms organisms or makes water unfit for use
• Biological pollutants are living organisms or their products making water unsafe for consumption
• Non-biological pollutants include heat, inorganic and organic chemicals, and radioactive contaminants

Water Disease Outbreaks

• A waterborne disease outbreak (WBDO) is when two people experience a similar illness after ingesting drinking water or exposure to recreational water, with epidemiological evidence linking water as the source

RA 9275 - The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004

• Aims to protect water bodies from land-based sources of pollution, providing prevention and minimization strategies via a multi-sectoral approach
• DENR coordinates with the National Water Resources Board (NWRB)

Foodborne Disease Outbreaks

• The CDC defines foodborne disease outbreak (FBDO) as two or more cases of a similar illness resulting from the ingestion of a common food

Pesticides

• A pesticide is a synthetic chemical developed and manufactured for killing pests
• Target pesticide refers to the organism/pest for which the pesticide is applied
• Non-target organisms refers to other susceptible organisms not intended to affected

RA 10611: Food Safety Act of 2013

• The act aims to strengthen the food safety regulatory system in the country

Solid and Hazardous Waste

• Solid waste includes garbage, refuse, and sludge; 95-98% is from agriculture, mining, and industry
• There are nine major categories including paper, yard waste, food scraps, rubber, textiles, wood, metals, and glass

Controlling Vectorborne Disease

• Vector is a living organism like an insect that transmits communicable disease agents
• Vector borne disease outbreak (VBDO) is an unexpectedly large number of cases caused by an vector

Natural Hazards

• Natural hazard refers to a naturally occurring phenomenon that releases energy exceeding human endurance
• Natural disaster refers to a natural hazard resulting in substantial loss of life or property

Radiation

• Radiation is when energy is emitted as particles or waves
• Ionizing radiation includes high-energy radiation that can damage living cells and tissues
• Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation refers to radiant energy with wavelengths of 0 to 400 nanometers

Psychological and Sociological Hazards

• Population growth is attributed to birth rate versus death rate.
• Increase in population along with consumption result in ever increasing environmental impact.
• Carrying capacity refers to the maximum impact that can be supported by available resources

Occupational Health

• Unintentional injuries in the workplace can be minor or major

Workplace Violence: Intentional Injuries in the Workplace

• Criminal intent violence is when the perpetrator has no legitimate relationship to the business or its employees and is usually committing a crime
• Customer/Client Intent is when the perpetrator has a legitimate relationship with the business and becomes violent while being served
• Worker on worker violence is when the perpetrator is an employee/past employee who attacks or threatens another employee/past employee
• Personal Relationship Violence is when the perpetrator usually does not have a relationship with the business but has personal relationship with the intended victim

Types of Occupational Illnesses and Disorder

• Muscoskeletal disorders refers to the most frequently repeated acute/chronic injury (muscles, tendons, ligaments nerves, joints, bones, and supporting vasculature)
• Skin diseases and disorders includes allergic and irritant dermatitis, eczema, rash, oil acne, chrome ulcers, and chemical burns.
• Noise induced disorders refers to another form of repeated trauma
• Respiratory disorders result from the inhalation of substances present in the workplace.
• Prevention and control requires employer and employee vigilance with governmental assistance.