The Environment and Your Health

Chapter Twenty

The EnvironmentRange of conditions that can influence your health:

– Availability of resources

– Physical conditions• Temperature• Humidity• Toxins• Allergens• Pathogens• Noise• Radiation

– Other organisms

Environmental Problems and Solutions

Personal Environment• Home

• Neighborhood

• Workplace

• Health concerns of personal environment:– Indoor air quality– Drinking water– Endocrine disrupters– Noise

Indoor Air Quality: Health Risks• Carbon monoxide

– Odorless, colorless byproduct of combustion– Effects range from mild discomfort to death– Keep appliances in working order– Install a carbon monoxide detector

• Volatile organic compounds (paint, paint stripper, solvents)– Effects range from eye irritation in the short term

to organ and nerve damage in the long term– Minimize use of products

– Use and dispose of properly

Indoor Air Quality: Health Risks (cont.)• Tobacco smoke

– Increases risk for respiratory problems and cancer

– Reduce exposure

• Asbestos (building material)– Minerals with a fibrous crystal structure– Causes lung damage and cancer if

inhaled– Leave undamaged asbestos-containing

materials alone– Hire qualified professional to remove

damaged asbestos

Indoor Air Quality: Health Risks (cont.)• Lead

– Toxic metal used in house paint, as gasoline additive, in plumbing solder

– Causes organ damage, delayed physical and mental development, and death

– Replace lead-based paints and test tap water in older houses

• Biological pollutants (bacteria, molds, mildew, viruses, dust mites, plant pollen and other allergens)– Minimize exposure through cleaning, vacuuming,

pest control, and other strategies

Indoor Air Quality: Health Risks (cont.)• Radon

– Naturally occurring radioactive gas emitted during uranium decay in soil, rock, water

– Causes lung cancer– Test homes and install a radon reduction

system if needed

• Nonionizing (electromagnetic) radiation– Cannot break chemical bonds but may

excite electrons or heat biological materials (e.g., microwave)

– Effects still under study

Drinking Water• Source of water supply

– Safety of drinking water is affected by environmental factors in home and community

– Water supply is typically from ground water (rural) or river/lakes (urban)

• Drinking water contaminants– Agricultural fertilizers– Pathogenic bacteria, protozoa, viruses– Lead, copper, PVC from pipes

• Taking action– Flush water through plumbing– Have water tested and take any needed action

Endocrine Disrupters• Dangerous pollutants

– Dioxin, PCBs, DT

• Pesticides

• Herbicides

• Antiseptics

• Chemicals used in manufacturing plastics– Phthalates, bisphenol A

• Teflon

Noise• Defined as any undesirable sound

• Health effects are dependent upon intensity, frequency, and nature of the noise– Anxiety, frustration– Inability to concentrate, reduced

productivity– Anger, stress– Long-term hearing loss can occur at noise

levels at 120 decibels for over 2 hours

The Community and Regional Environment• Air pollution

• Water pollution

• Land pollution

• Loss of green space

• Ionizing radiation

Air Pollution• Sources

– Internal combustion engines– Oil refineries, chemical production

• Health effects– Carbon monoxide

• Impaired respiration

– Nitrogen and sulfur oxides• Lung tissue damage• Respiratory effects

– Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)• Cancer• Fetal effects

Air Pollution (cont.)– Tropospheric ozone (“smog”)

• Lung damage• Reduced lung capacity• Respiratory distress

– Air toxics• Cancer• Reduced fertility, birth defects

• Taking Action– Check information on local air quality

• Avoid outdoor activities during alerts

– Limit personal contribution

Exposure to Unhealthy Air

Water Pollution• Sources

– Point sources (e.g., sewer overflow)

– Urban and agricultural runoff

• Types– Biological water pollutants

• Disease-causing organisms from human or animal sewage

– Toxic pollutants• Naturally occurring elements• Industrial and agricultural activities

Water Pollution (cont.)• Health effects

– Biological pollutants cause diarrhea, hepatitis, cholera, and other diseases

– Toxic chemicals cause cancer, organ damage, infertility, and birth defects

• Taking action– Read annual water quality reports for your

area– Avoid eating contaminated fish– Pay attention to “don’t swim” warnings

Land Pollution• Sources

– Municipal solid waste– Sewage sludge

• Disposal– Sanitary landfill– Incineration

• Taking action—Three Rs:– Reduce– Reuse– Recycle

Loss of Green Space• Urban development

– Increases commute time– Decreases physical activity, increases

rates of overweight/obesity– Reduces quality of life

Ionizing Radiation• Sources

– Medical X-rays– Naturally occurring radioactive minerals– Nuclear reactors and waste products– Nuclear bomb explosions

• Health Effects– Organ damage– Birth defects– Cancer– Death

• Challenge of nuclear waste disposal

The Global Environment• Atmosphere, oceans, continental

land masses, and all living organisms that exist on Earth

• Concerns– Human population explosion– Global climate change– Stratospheric ozone depletion– Loss of natural habitats and species

extinction

Human Population Growth• Effects

– Resource depletion and starvation– Habitat destruction– Political tensions, terrorism, and war

(competition for limited resources)

• Reducing population growth– Increase infant survival– Provide education opportunities for girls– Provide universal access to birth control

Human Population Growth

Global Climate Change• Greenhouse gases

– Trap heat radiated from the earth; increase global temperature

– Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, tropospheric ozone, water vapor

• Effects of climate change– Coastal flooding– Increased frequency and severity of

destructive weather events– Expanded range of disease-carrying insects– Decreased air and water quality– Decreased food availability

Global Climate Change (cont.)• Taking action

– Conserve electricity– Drive fuel-efficient vehicles– Use mass transit– Reduce, reuse, recycle– Purchase energy-efficient appliances– Vote, volunteer

Stratospheric Ozone Depletion• Ozone layer of upper atmosphere

protects surface of Earth from harmful UV radiation

• Causes of depletion– Human-made air pollutants, especially

CFCs

• Effects– Skin cancer, cataracts, weakened

immunity, reduced crop yields

• Taking action– Have refrigerators and air-conditioning

systems serviced by licensed technicians who can properly dispose of old CFCs

Loss of Habitat and Species Extinction• Causes

– Population growth– New technologies

• Health effects– Loss of genetic diversity and possible drug

treatments– Degradation of overall environment and its ability

to support life– Lessened emotional, psychological, and spiritual

well-being

• Taking action– Conserve energy– Reduce, reuse, recycle– “Buy green”

The Environment and Your Health

Chapter Twenty