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“” Environmental Health “”
Introduction
Environment: Aggregation of all external conditions &
influences that affect the life and development of any living
subject as well as affect human behavior & society.
What is Environmental Health?
Environmental health: Important public health subject.
It concern with those forms of life, substances, forces and
conditions in the surrounding of human that may exert an
influence on human health and well-being It also concern
with the assessment & control the impact of people on their
environment.
Disease result from complex interaction between man,
an agent and the environment “maladjustment of the
human organism to the environment”.
Environmental impact
So our aim is complete physical & mental wellbeing
plus safe environment ((clear air, pure water, safe food,
& safe occupation)).
Human Ecology '' epidemiology '' study the relationship between human health and & its
environment.
Components of environment:
Physical
: air, water, soil, housing, climate, geography, heat, light, noise, debris, radiation,
etc.
Biological
: man, viruses, microbial agents, insects, rodents, animals and plants, etc.
Psychosocial
: cultural values, customs, beliefs, habits, attitudes, morals, religion,
education, lifestyles, community life, health services, social and political organization
Stressors that can produce harm to the environment (and to human) are:
1) Chemical: Toxic chemical waste, pesticide, preservative in food…etc.
2) Physical: Noise, extreme heat and cold, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation…etc.
3) Biological: Various causative agents (Viruses, bacteria, fungi, helminthes that may
present in food, water, air or animals.
4) Socio-cultural or psychological (difficult to assess).
Environmental health needs evaluation
Environmental health needs multi-displinary approach for evaluation & control. This
team work includes epidemiologist, physician, engineer, lawyer, & economist….etc.
4 Steps for evaluation and accurately assess environmental problems:
1) Determine the source & the nature of the environmental contamination.
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2) Asses how & in what form it come into contact with people.
3) Measure the effect of this problem on people.
4) Apply of effective control measures.
Environmental health is better understood by problem faced approach. The main
environmental problems are:
1) Purification of drinking water and the impact of unsafe water supply.
2) Importance of safe food and proper food preservation.
3) The proper collection, disposal and treatment of waste (excreta and solid waste).
4) Air pollution. 5) Proper housing.
6) Global environment (green-house effect…etc.).
7) Environmental monitoring.
Important points should be included in any environmental protecting program:
1) Protection of environmental resources (air, water, land, plant and animal) from being
harmed by different noxious agents (chemical, radiation).
2) Continuous environment monitoring (environment lab.)
3) Environment health education and research.
4) Ensure full community participation.
Note
Environment problems may differ in nature and magnitude in different regions (problems
of developed countries differ from that of developing countries).
Environment problems need public participation, instructions and regulations to ensure
effective control.