Environmental Health and Population Growth Overview

Environmental Health Overview

• Environmental health studies the interactions between humans and their environment, and the health consequences

• The environment is everything surrounding us, encompassing pollutants contributing to various diseases (infectious, immediate symptoms, and chronic).

• Technological advancements have amplified human impact on the environment.

• Rapid population growth increases resource competition and consumption.

Population Growth and Control

• The current global population is approximately 7.8 billion and increasing at a rate of 80 million per year.

• Resource consumption is equivalent to that of 1.6 Earths.

• Factors potentially limiting population growth: food availability, land and water resources, energy availability, and the minimum acceptable standard of living.

• Contributing factors to population growth: high birth rates and insufficient family planning resources, alongside lower death rates

• Successful population management is tied to reducing poverty to alleviate pressures for large families, complemented by improved health, education, increased opportunities for women's literacy and employment, and effective family planning.

Environmental Impacts of Energy Use and Production

• Energy consumption is a root cause of many environmental challenges.

• Examples include automobile exhaust, industrial and power plant burning of oil and coal; pollution from coal mining; oil and natural gas extraction and transport.

Energy Consumption of Selected Countries

• Global energy consumption data for selected countries (e.g., China, United States, Russia, India, Japan) is presented in a graphical format.

Environmental Threats of Extreme Energy Sources

• Global energy demand is predicted to increase, even with dwindling readily accessible oil supplies.

• "Extreme energy sources" often involve fossil fuels requiring intricate extraction methods (deepwater oil rigs, tar sands extraction, fracking for natural gas).

• Associated environmental risks from the extraction of such energy are also notable.

Renewable Energy

• Renewable energy resources naturally replenish and are essentially inexhaustible.

• Sustainable development balances present needs without compromising future generations.

• Key renewable energy resources include wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and biofuels.

Alternative Fuels

• Ethanol, an alcohol made from plant sugars, is a common alternative fuel, but critics point to its energy-intensive production and competition with food crops (such as a decrease in ethanol production due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

• Biodiesel is another alternative fuel also subject to issues depending on the source material's sustainability.

Hybrid and Electric Vehicles

• Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) utilize two or more distinct power sources, such as batteries, traditional internal combustion engines, and electric motors.

• This results in improved fuel economy and fewer polluting emissions.

• Second-generation electric vehicles (EV) are also prevalent.

Air Quality and Pollution

• Air pollution is linked to an estimated 4.2 million deaths per year globally according to WHO.

• Air Quality Index (AQI) determines the health risks of air pollution.

• AQI incorporates five major pollutants: carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and ground-level ozone.

• AQI values range from 0 to 500; values over 100 indicate unhealthy air quality.

• Smog is a mixture of pollutants from various sources.

• Sunny weather, high temperatures, and heavy vehicle traffic can trigger increases in ozone production.

The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming

• Earth's temperature is regulated by a balance between energy absorption and radiation.

• Greenhouse effect: re-radiation creates a heat buildup, increasing temperatures in the lower atmosphere.

• Global warming (climate change) is driven by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the lower atmosphere.

• Consequences include increased rainfall, flooding, elevated mortality from heat-related events, shifts in vegetation zones, ecosystem alterations, and accelerating polar ice cap melt.

Sources of Greenhouse Gases

• Various sources contribute to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere: fossil fuels, deforestation, certain industrial processes, agriculture and farming, industrial processes.

Impact of Climate Change on Human Health

• Climate change affects human health in multiple ways. Increased incidences of various diseases and other health problems are exacerbated by climate change impacts, such as heat waves, extreme weather events such as flooding, and increased environmental risks.

Thinning of Ozone Layer

• A fragile, invisible ozone layer exists between 10-30 miles above the earth's surface, acting as a shield against harmful UV radiation.

• Significant ozone depletion is attributed to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in coolants, foaming agents, propellants, and solvents.

Indoor Air Quality

• Indoor air pollutants can lead to various problems.

• Primary pollutants include environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), carbon monoxide and other combustion by-products, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and biological pollutants like indoor mould.

Preventing Air Pollution

• Strategies to prevent pollution encompass measures like reducing car use, maintaining vehicles, purchasing energy-efficient appliances, using efficient light bulbs, home insulation with ozone-safe agents, planting and caring for plants, waste management of ozone-depleting refrigerants, and other preventive measures.

Water Quality and Pollution

• Ensuring safe, clean drinking water is crucial, including purification in water treatment plants (screening, filtration, disinfection with chlorine, and fluoridation).

• Fluoridation reduces tooth decay but is subject to some health safety controversies.

• Water shortages are worsened by rapid population growth.

• Sewage treatment can release contaminants (contaminants often include heavy metals and chemicals like lead, cadmium, copper, and tin).

Protecting the Water Supply

• To protect water, consider rainwater, shower practices, installations of faucet aerators and efficient showerheads, and the replacement of faulty infrastructure.

Solid Waste Pollution

• Household waste is largely dominated by paper. Food, yard waste, and plastic are also major components.

Solid Waste Management

• Some solid waste materials are biodegradable and may break down naturally.

• Recycling utilizes waste materials in the creation of new products.

• Discarded technology (e-waste) is a notable concern, generating millions of tons annually in the US.

Chemical Pollution and Hazardous Waste

• Examples of hazardous pollutants/waste are asbestos (used in buildings for insulation pre-1960s and a culprit in asbestosis, cancer, and lung issues).

• Lead exposure (in pipes/paints before 1978) contributed to the Flint, Michigan drinking water crisis.

There are also various known chemical pollutants: pesticides (chemicals to kill pests and for herbicides, insecticides), mercury (a neurotoxin found in industrial waste, coal-fired power plants, etc).

Radiation Pollution

• Radiation, from various sources, is a form of energy with differing wavelengths and varying energy levels, including ultraviolet rays, microwaves, X-rays (from natural sources like the sun and electronics), gamma rays, uranium and nuclear weapons.

• High amounts of radiation can cause radiation sickness or death.

• Nuclear power accidents are disastrous.

Radiation in the Home and Workplace

• Electromagnetic radiation exists in common items like microwave ovens, computer monitors, and cell phones.

• Radon gas is radioactive.

• Avoiding radiation exposure can be done by limiting unnecessary X-rays, complying with radon testing recommendations, and using sun protection.

Noise Pollution

• Prolonged exposure to noises exceeding 80-85 decibels can cause permanent hearing loss.

• Ways to mitigate noise exposure include utilizing ear protection in noisy environments, adjusting music volume, avoiding loud toys, and guarding against excessively loud noises.

Study Note Summary

• This document is heavily focused on identifying various environmental health challenges from different sources impacting human populations today.

Explore the interactions between environmental health and population dynamics in this quiz. Understand how pollutants affect human health and the implications of rapid population growth on resources. Test your knowledge on factors influencing population control and technological impacts on the environment.