Untitled Quiz

Study Notes

Environmental Health

Environmental health is the field of science studying how the environment affects human health and disease.
"Environment" refers to natural things like air, water, and soil, plus all physical, chemical, biological, and psychosocial aspects of our surroundings.
A healthy environment improves quality of life and years of healthy living.
All people are affected by environmental hazards in their daily lives.
Environmental hazards include those from outside sources and even those inside homes, workplaces, and during leisure activities.
There are various ways substances can enter the body: inhalation, skin absorption, and ingestion.
Environmental hazards can be categorised into different types, including: biological, chemical, psychological, social, and physical.
Biological hazards consist of disease-causing organisms and their harmful products, impacting through food, water, and air.
Chemical hazards are non-biological substances, like pesticides and lead, common sources of exposure affecting human health.
Psychological hazards are environmental factors creating stress, depression, and anxiety.
Social hazards are those related to living in a society with limitations like noise issues, lack of privacy, and overcrowding; population growth can be a social hazard.
Physical hazards include heat, noise, pressure, vibration, and radiation, harmful to our health.
The following are components of environmental health: housing, air quality, water quality, food quality, and waste control.
Improving housing prevents many diseases and injuries.
Air quality is essential for life and comfort, influenced by factors like temperature, humidity, pressure, and light.
Water quality is crucial for all living things and socio-economic development.
Food quality involves meeting specific requirements for food characteristics.
Proper waste control and management are essential to reduce harm, separating waste (paper, glass, plastic, metal) for efficient disposal.
Environmental sanitation involves removing harmful factors in the environment to improve human health, aims to promote clean homes, neighbourhoods, and communities to prevent bad health consequences.
Healthy behavior on individual, family, and community levels can improve environmental health.
Addressing specific environmental health hazards (water, food, and air)
Promotion of food hygiene is important.
Proper housing and workplaces are crucial to health.
Controlling insects and rodents help prevent diseases.

Climate Change

Climate change involves long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, potentially natural or human-caused.
Causes of climate change include rapid industrialization, energy use, farming practices, deforestation, consumer habits, livestock, transport, resource extraction, and pollution.
Effects of climate change include rising temperatures, rising sea levels, unpredictable weather patterns, increased extreme weather events, land degradation, and loss of biodiversity.
Social impacts of climate change include displaced populations, poverty, loss of livelihoods, hunger, malnutrition, and increased risk of diseases with global food and water shortages.
Interventions and strategies to address climate change include early warning and preparedness, preventing diseases and injuries, community engagement, education and awareness raising, and adoption of integrated solutions.

Prevention of Climate Change

Preventing climate change includes conserving water, reducing waste, saving and minimizing energy use.
Also includes travelling in an environmentally friendly way and using clean energy sources.