Environmental Health Lecture 5 PDF

1 Outline: Definition of environment Definition of Environmental Health Importance of environmental health Components of environmental health Environmental sanitation Environmental hazards Definition climate change Impact of climate change on Environment and Human health Prevention of cli...

1 Outline: Definition of environment Definition of Environmental Health Importance of environmental health Components of environmental health Environmental sanitation Environmental hazards Definition climate change Impact of climate change on Environment and Human health Prevention of climate change Governmental Initiatives and Community Participation Environment The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat, the places we work, and the homes we live in – all aspects of our natural and man-made environment – have an impact on our health. 3 Types of environment: PHYSICAL: air, water, soil, housing, climate, geography, heat, light, noise, radiation. SOCIAL : Industrial and occupational structure, health services, government relations; cultural practices, arts, religious institutions and social organization. PSYCHOLOGICAL: the interaction of the various sources of stressors in our lives and how we respond to them, both individually and as communities. 4 Definition of Environmental Health Environmental Health is the field of science that studies how the environment influences human health and disease. “Environment,” in this context, means things in the natural environment like air, water and soil, and also all the physical, chemical, biological and psychosocial features of our surroundings. 5 Importance of environmental health Maintaining a healthy environment is central to increasing quality of life and years of healthy life All human being are affected in some way by exposure to environmental hazards associated with lifestyle, at work ,at home, during traveling or recreation. Some recent estimates report that 25% to 33% of global burden of diseases is linked to environmental sources 6 Components of environmental health:  Housing  Air quality  Water quality  Food quality  Waste control 7 * healthy housing should be developed to prevent a wide range of diseases and unintentional injuries that can be effectively addressed through better housing. 8 *Air quality, is a basic requirement for life. The atmosphere in which we live has physical characteristics, mainly related to temperature, humidity, pressure and light. The physical quality is important for our comfort and well- being. 9 *Water quality, water constitutes over two third of the surface of the globe. It is a vital environmental factor to all forms of life and has a pivotal role in socio-economic development of population. 10 *Food quality, is the extent to which all the established requirements relating to the characteristics of a food are met. 11 *Waste control: Waste is the product of daily life activities from domestic, industrial, agricultural or health care environment. *Waste management is the collection, transportation, and disposal of solid waste. 12 Environmental sanitation: it means eliminating or modifying the harmful factors for promoting human health. Objectives of Environmental sanitation: Improve the quality of life and promote health. Prevents diseases related to poor environmental sanitation through achieving: clean home, clean neighborhood, and clean community. 13 These objectives can be achieved through: *Promoting healthy behavior on the individual, family and community level. *Addressing specific environmental health hazards related to water, food and air. *Promotion of food hygiene. *Promotion of proper housing and place of work. *Control of insects and rodents. 14 Environmental hazards: Any external factor that negatively affects health can be considered an environmental health hazard. 15 Which route will the hazards take? 16 There are three routes by which a substance can enter the body: Inhalation, Skin (or eye) absorption, Ingestion. 17  Inhalation: Breathing. When chemicals enter the body through this route of exposure, they can get stuck in the lungs and/or be taken up into the bloodstream. 18  Ingestion: Swallowing (usually by eating or drinking). When chemicals enter the body through this route of exposure, they can easily be taken up into the bloodstream. 19  human populations. Skin Absorption: Absorbing a chemical through any part of the skin, including the eyes. When chemicals come in contact with the skin, they can sometimes enter the bloodstream through this route of exposure. 20 Types of Environmental hazards 1. Biological hazard 2. Chemical hazard 3. Psychological hazard 4. Social hazard 5. Physical hazard 21 Biological hazards such as pathogenic organisms and their toxic products that directly affect man through food, water, air, and soil. 22  Chemical hazards Caused by non-biological substances. The common sources of chemical exposure that commonly affect health 1-Pesticides 2- Lead 23 Psychological hazard * Are environmental factors that produce psychological changes expressed as stress, depression, and anxiety. 24  Sociological hazards *Are those that result from living in a society where one experiences noise, lack of privacy and overcrowding. * Population growth may be a sociological hazard. 25 Physical hazards *Physical hazards include heat, noise, pressure, vibration and radiation. 26 long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural. 29 30 31 Conserve water Reduce waste Save and minimize energy Travel green Clean energy 32 Governmental Initiatives and Community Participation 33 34 35 36