ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HAZARDS

1. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HAZARDS Dr Leela Anthony Medical Research Officer Institute for Medical research

2. Definition • World Health Organization (WHO, 1993): defines "Environmental health comprises those aspects of human health, including quality of life, that are determined by physical, chemical, biologic, social, and psychosocial factors in the environment." • And any external factor that negatively affects your health can be considered an environmental health hazard.

3. Introduction • In developing countries with large rural populations , people continue to suffer from traditional risks • Like unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and hygiene, and indoor smoke from domestic cooking and heating. • In developing countries with large urban populations and more industry, people are exposed to additional environmental risks including exposure to urban, industrial and agrochemical pollution, as well as industrial accidents. • More recently, concerns about the health impact of changes in climate and ecosystems have been raised.

4. Environmental health hazards • Land and climate related hazards • Atmospheric hazards – • Water related hazards- • Food Borne hazards • Vector Borne Hazards • Domestic Hazards • Occupational Hazards • Infrastructural hazards • Others

5. Land and climate related hazards • Floods : Common in both lowland coastal and inland areas, especially in Tropics and monsoon areas • Storms • Hurricanes • Volcanic activity • Earthquakes • Soil erosion • Drought

6. Atmospheric hazards • Out Door Pollution /Air • Increasing problem in many urban areas due to road traffic; • Also associated with old, heavy and manufacturing industries and mining wind-blown dust also a significant problem in some areas

7. Outdoor pollution- sources • Industry • Vehicles: Cars and trucks • Other sources such as gasoline stations, farm equipments, fires, and outdoor pesticide use.

8. Primary outdoor air pollutants • Pollutants of concern are • Ozone (O3) • Particulate Matter (PM) • Carbon Monoxide (CO) • Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) • Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) • Lead (Pb) • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

9. Water related hazards • Surface water • In urban areas, primarily from industrial and domestic wastes • In rural related pollution areas with co-use of waters for humans and livestock • Drinking water Especially in areas without access to treated/piped water contamination

10. Water pollution Common pollutants of area rivers, streams, bayous, lakes, ponds, estuaries and bays include: • fertilizers from home lawns and gardens, as well as agriculture; • mercury from power plants and industrial waste; • herbicides and insecticides; • oil and other chemicals from roadway runoff; • prescription medications, paint and other toxic substances disposed down household sinks and toilets; • trash and sediment from construction sites; • pet waste; • faulty septic systems; • run-off from industrial sources or sewage treatment plants; and • hormone and prescription medications in human waste.

11. Health risks associated with water pollution • Drinking or washing with contaminated water; • Eating seafood from polluted rivers or bays; • Eating crops watered with polluted water; and/or • Swimming in polluted waterways.

12. Food Borne hazards • Biological Contamination • Associated with poor domestic sanitation and hygiene arrangements • Chemical Contamination E.g. food additives, pesticides

13. Vector Borne Hazards • Water related vectors • E.g. malaria, guinea worm, schistosomiasis • Animal related vectors • E.g. sleeping sickness, bubonic plague

14. Domestic Hazards • Indoor Air Pollution • Domestic problems -Often associated with over-crowding and poor living conditions • Sanitation: Severe problem in areas lacking organized sewerage system (e.g. in informal settlements) • Waste handling: Associated especially with open waste dumps – e.g. communities living on, or regularly sorting trough, waste sites

15. Common Indoor Air Pollutants • second-hand tobacco smoke; • airborne mold and mildew; • pet dander; • lead-impregnated dust from old paint and some vinyl mini blinds; • cockroach shedding; • dust mite particles; • combustion gases released by stoves, heaters, candles and fireplaces; and • chemicals released by • dry cleaned clothes; • cleaning products; • room deodorizers; • office supplies; • carpets; • paints and sealers; • new furniture and pressed wood; • personal care products; and pesticides

17. Things You Can Do To Reduce Indoor Air Pollution • To reduce the levels of indoor air pollution you can: • never allow smoking indoors; • use less toxic cleaning products; • make certain that the indoor space is properly ventilated; • reduce levels of cockroach and dust mite particles; • reduce pet dander; • avoid or minimize use of pesticides indoors; • use low toxicity paints, sealers • reduce the use of solvent-based dry cleaning and/or air out dry-cleaned clothes thoroughly before bringing into one's home; • avoid idling an internal combustion engine, such as a car, lawn mower or fork lift, in an enclosed space or near the entrance to one's home or workplace; and • change air filters frequently.

18. Occupational Hazards • Industrial Pollutants:Especially in hazardous and unregulated industries (e.g. informal sector) • Occupational Accidents: Especially in hazardous/unregulated industries (e.g. informal sector)

19. Workplace Hazards Many jobs expose workers to environmental toxins Exposure to • Lead, • solvents, • Asbestos, • Pesticides, • Inks, • Dry cleaning chemicals • Molds and other substances in the workplace.

20. Infrastructural hazards • Traffic : Accidents and noise pollution, Growing problem in major cities • Industrial Accidents: Associated mainly with poorly regulated chemical industries • Contaminated land: Old industrial sites and waste-dumps

21. Noise Pollution • Traffic, trains, buses, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, helicopters, construction noise, low-flying recreational planes, jet skis, air-conditioning units, • Exposure to noise levels higher than 85 decibels for long periods of time can cause permanent hearing damage • Lower levels have been shown to cause stress, increase blood pressure, cause sleep disturbances which affect sleep quality as well as mood and performance

22. Hazards from Waste • Municipal solid waste includes residential and industrial waste. Solid waste is usually disposed of in landfills or recycled • Hazardous waste, defined as that which is toxic, corrosive, flammable, or ignitable needs to be disposed of properly. • Nuclear waste raise concerns about potential radiation exposure. • Sources are commercial power plants, hospitals, and non-military sources nuclear power plants

23. Socioeconomic Factors • Socioeconomic factors • Include income • Ethnicity, sense of community and other such factors. • Studies have shown that certain segments of society are disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards, and may be more vulnerable to such hazards than other populations

24. Residents in low income • In general, residents in low income, minority neighborhoods are more likely to live near: • chemical waste dumping sites; • electric power plants; • municipal incinerators; • solid waste landfills; • industrial plants; and • heavily traveled roadways.

25. Other Environmental Health Hazards • Heat and Humidity • High humidity impedes the body's ability to cool itself. • This is a particular problem for the elderly. • StressExcessive stress is associated with decreased immune function and an increased risk of environmentally related illness.   

26. Climate Change and Environmental health Hazards

27. Climate change • Over the ages, human societies have altered local ecosystems and modified regional climates • Climate and weather has a powerful impact on human health and well-being. • The recent rapid increase in population size, energy consumption, intensity of land use, international trade and travel, and other human activities has an impact on the health of the population • Abnormally high temperatures in Europe in the summer of 2003 were associated with at least 27,000 deaths • Climate change was estimated to be responsible in 2000 for approximately 2.4% of worldwide diarrhoea, and 6% of malaria in some middle-income countries • Global climate change is, therefore, a newer challenge to ongoing efforts to protect human health

28. Health Impacts due to Climate Change • Certain infectious diseases – including vector-borne infections such as malaria and dengue fever, and food-borne infections (e.g. salmonellosis) which peak in the warmer months. • Extremes of both heat and cold can cause potentially fatal illnesses, e.g. heat stress or hypothermia, as well as increasing death rates from heart and respiratory diseases. • Others are food-producing ecosystems, rising sea-levels and population displacement for reasons of physical hazard, land loss, economic disruption and civil strife,

29. Summary • The big 3 are physical, chemical, and biological. • Physical- noise, lighting, vibration, temperature, electricity • Chemical-solvents, acids, metals, dust, pesticides • Biological- bacteria, virus, fungus/molds • The fourth is probably the occupational side of environmental health • Ergonomic-repetitive movement, poorly designed equipment,