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DISASTER IN COLUMBUS: Environmental Health Tracking

This presentation discusses the importance of environmental public health tracking and the use of GPS in disaster preparation, disease tracking, and tracking human activity. It also explores other geographic tools and the CDC's Environmental Public Health Tracking program.

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DISASTER IN COLUMBUS: Environmental Health Tracking

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  1. DISASTER IN COLUMBUS: Environmental Health Tracking Crispin Pierce, PhD University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

  2. Outline • Environmental Public Health Tracking • What is GPS and how does it work? • Uses of GPS in environmental health • CDC Environmental health tracking • Examples: • Disaster Preparation • Disease Tracking • Tracking Human Activity • Planning and Services • Other Geographic Tools • DISASTER STRIKES!

  3. Environmental Public Health Tracking CDC: “EPHT is the ongoing collection, integration, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data on environmental hazards, exposures to those hazards, and health effects that may be related to the exposures. The goal of tracking is to provide information that can be used to plan, apply, and evaluate actions to prevent and control environmentally related diseases.”

  4. What is GPS? • “GPS (Global Positioning System) A means to determine a position on Earth, in any weather. The system includes a minimum of 24 GPS satellites that orbit at 11,000 nautical miles above the Earth … The satellites transmit signals that can be detected by anyone with a GPS receiver. With use of the receiver, a location can be determined [within] 10 to 100 meters …” (CDC National Environmental Health Tracking Program)

  5. Vehicle-Based GPS (www.funponsel.com) Hand-Held GPS (www.buzzillions.com)

  6. How Does It Work? Global Positioning System (GPS) devices receive signals from orbiting satellites to identify a location on Earth (latitude, longitude, and elevation). Signal strength is lessened in valleys, under tree canopies, and within buildings. The data collected by GPS devices are transferred to Geographic Information Systems (GIS, software on a computer) for use and analysis.

  7. (From Pacific Emprints, http://www.hawaiipublichealth.org/PDF/19June2007/JCasken1045Track3.pdf)

  8. Uses of GPS in Environmental Health “What is the distribution of asthma cases? “What hazards are present within some distance (e.g., 5 miles) of these asthma cases? “What is the distribution of birth defects within this region? “Where are the water wells that do not meet water quality standards?” (CDC EPHT Program)

  9. CDC Environmental National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program “The purpose of the CDC’s Tracking Program is to establish a nationwide tracking network to obtain integrated health and environmental data and use it to provide information in support of actions that improve the health of communities.”

  10. Disaster Preparation (From Pacific Emprints)

  11. (From Pacific Emprints) Oahu Online

  12. Disease Tracking (From Pacific Emprints)

  13. (From Pacific Emprints)

  14. Use of GPS to Track Human Activity “The Pesticide Exposure Pathways Project at the University of Washington’s Center for Child Environmental Health Risks Research uses environmental modeling, environmental sampling, child activity analysis, biological monitoring and analysis of aerial photography to characterize the exposure pathways for children living in agricultural communities.”

  15. “This photo is of a child wearing a GPS-PAL in a vest. The dashed lines indicate location of components inside the vest. Clothing does not block reception.”

  16. “The resolution of the child-worn GPS-PAL tracking system can differentiate between distinct inside and outside areas. The dashed lines indicate the path of a child over the course of a day.”

  17. “When a plan of a structure is laid over the child’s path, the GPS-PAL system can track inside structures as well.”

  18. Planning and Service Delivery in the Built Environment Portland Metro

  19. Other Geographic Tools http://www.terraserver.com/ Google Maps Google Earth

  20. DISASTER STRIKES! Choose a team to join: Dirty bomb radiation Chemical spill Particulate air pollution Sound pollution Electromagnetic fields (EMF) WISER Online hazardous spill management

  21. Join your team Read the disaster response directions Gather your equipment Take to the field Return to the classroom and report

  22. Basic Navigational Tools http://www.gpswaypoints.co.za/images/FAQ_Lat_long.gif

  23. Longitude and Latitude Latitude is the angular distance, in degrees, minutes, and seconds of a point north or south of the Equator. Lines of latitude are often referred to as parallels. Longitude is the angular distance, in degrees, minutes, and seconds, of a point east or west of the Prime (Greenwich) Meridian. Lines of longitude are often referred to as meridians. Courtesy of WorldAtlas.com

  24. Using the Garmin etrex http://www.tramsoft.ch/gps/garmin_etrex-vista-color_overview_en.jpg

  25. Thanks for Your Attention and Participation!

  26. For More Information Crispin Pierce piercech@uwec.edu 715-836-5589

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