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Environmental Health and the US Virgin Islands Paul Chakroff Executive Director 5th Annual Health Disparities Institute St. Thomas, USVI October 18, 2012. Florence Nightingale's Environmental Theory.
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Environmental Health and the US Virgin Islands Paul Chakroff Executive Director 5th Annual Health Disparities Institute St. Thomas, USVI October 18, 2012
Florence Nightingale's Environmental Theory
Environmental health addresses all the physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person, and all the related factors impacting behaviours. It encompasses the assessment and control of those environmental factors that can potentially affect health. It is targeted towards preventing disease and creating health-supportive environments. This definition excludes behaviour not related to environment, as well as behaviour related to the social and cultural environment, and genetics. Ref. World Health Organization
Common diseases and conditions linked to environmental exposures • Asthma & lung disease • Autism • Cancer • Lupus • Parkinson's Disease • Reproductive Health Ref. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Top ten chemicals found in consumer products suspected to contribute to autism and learning disabilities 1. Lead 2. Methylmercury 3. PCBs 4. Organophosphate pesticides 5. Organochlorine pesticides 6. Endocrine disruptors 7. Automotive exhaust 8. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 9. Brominated flame retardants • Perfluorinated compounds Ref. Children’s Environmental Health Center (CEHC) Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY
Urban air pollutants may damage IQs before baby's first breath Yolanda and Patience Baldwin
Environmental Health and the US Virgin Islands Paul Chakroff Executive Director 5th Annual Health Disparities Institute St. Thomas, USVI October 18, 2012