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EPA Hazardous Materials Team removing hazards left in the wake of
Hurricane Katrina, 2005 ) on environmental health Environmental health concerns include: •
Biosafety. •
Disaster preparedness and response. •
Food safety, including in
agriculture,
transportation,
food processing,
wholesale and
retail distribution and sale. •
Housing, including
substandard housing abatement and the inspection of
jails and
prisons. • Childhood
lead poisoning prevention. •
Land use planning, including
smart growth. • Liquid waste disposal, including city
waste water treatment plants and on-site waste water disposal systems, such as
septic tank systems and
chemical toilets. •
Medical waste management and disposal. •
Occupational health and
industrial hygiene. • Radiological health, including exposure to
ionizing radiation from
X-rays or
radioactive isotopes. • Recreational water illness prevention, including from
swimming pools, spas and
ocean and
freshwater bathing places. •
Solid waste management, including
landfills,
recycling facilities,
composting and solid waste transfer stations. •
Toxic chemical exposure whether in
consumer products, housing, workplaces, air, water or soil. • Toxins from molds and algal blooms. •
Vector control, including the control of
mosquitoes,
rodents,
flies,
cockroaches and other animals that may transmit
pathogens. According to recent estimates in Europe, about 5 to 10% of
disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost are due to environmental causes. By far the most important factor is fine
particulate matter pollution in urban air. Similarly, environmental exposures have been estimated to contribute to 4.9 million (8.7%) deaths and 86 million (5.7%)
DALYs globally. In the United States,
Superfund sites created by various companies have been found to be hazardous to human and environmental health in nearby communities. It was this perceived threat, raising the specter of miscarriages, mutations, birth defects, and cancers that most frightened the public.
Air quality Air quality includes ambient outdoor air quality and
indoor air quality. Large concerns about air quality include
environmental tobacco smoke,
air pollution by forms of chemical
waste, and other concerns.
Outdoor air quality Air pollution is globally responsible for over 6.5 million deaths each year, as of 2022. Air pollution is often a risk-factor for diseases like
lung cancer, respiratory infections,
asthma,
heart disease, and other forms of respiratory-related illnesses. Reducing air pollution, and thus developing air quality, has been found to decrease adult mortality. Common products responsible for emissions include
road traffic, energy production, household combustion, aviation and
motor vehicles, and other forms of pollutants. These pollutants are responsible for the burning of fuel, which can release harmful particles into the air that humans and other living organisms can inhale or ingest. Air pollution is associated with adverse health effects like respiratory and
cardiovascular diseases,
cancer, related illnesses, and even death. The risk of air pollution is determined by the pollutant's hazard and the amount of exposure that affects a person. For example, a child who plays outdoor sports will have a higher likelihood of outdoor air pollution exposure than an adult who tends to spend more time indoors, whether at work or elsewhere.
Indoor air quality Household air pollution contributes to diseases that kill almost 4.3 million people every year, as of 2014. Indoor air pollution contributes to risk factors for diseases like heart disease,
pulmonary disease,
stroke,
pneumonia, and other associated illnesses. Burning fuels like
coal or
kerosene inside homes can cause dangerous chemicals to be released into the air.
Environmental tobacco smoke is considered to be a leading contributor to indoor air pollution since exposure to second and third-hand smoke is a common risk factor. Tobacco smoke contains over 60
carcinogens, where 18% are
known human carcinogens. Exposure to these chemicals can lead to exacerbation of asthma, the development of cardiovascular diseases and cardiopulmonary diseases, and an increase in the likelihood of cancer development.
Climate change and its effects on health Climate change, in addition to its other effects, makes
extreme weather events more likely, including ozone smog events, dust storms, and elevated
aerosol levels, all due to extreme heat,
drought, winds, and rainfall. These
extreme weather events can increase the likelihood of
undernutrition, mortality,
food insecurity, and climate-sensitive infectious diseases in vulnerable populations. The effects of climate change are felt by the whole world, but disproportionately affect disadvantaged populations who are subject to
climate change vulnerability. Climate impacts can affect exposure to
water-borne pathogens through increased rates of runoff, frequent heavy rains, and the effects of severe storms. Extreme weather events and
storm surges can also exceed the capacity of water
infrastructure, which can increase the likelihood that populations will be exposed to these contaminants. Exposure to these contaminants are more likely in low-income communities, where they have inadequate infrastructure to respond to climate disasters and are less likely to recover from infrastructure damage as quickly. Problems like the loss of homes, loved ones, and previous ways of life, are often what people face after a climate disaster occurs. These events can lead to vulnerability in the form of housing affordability stress, lower household income, lack of community attachment, grief, and anxiety around another disaster occurring. In a 2021 study, it was found that racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States are exposed to disproportionately high levels of particulate air pollution.
Racial housing policies that exist in the United States continue to exacerbate racial minority exposure to air pollution at a disproportionate rate, even as overall pollution levels have declined. For populations who are not subject to wealth redistribution measures, this means more money will flow into their communities while climate effects are mitigated. For American
minorities that live in neighborhoods of low
socioeconomic status, they often experience higher levels of noise pollution compared to their higher socioeconomic counterparts. Noise pollution can cause or
exacerbate cardiovascular diseases, which can further attribute to a larger range of diseases, increase
stress levels, and cause
sleep disturbances. This is consistent with research that suggests that children who are exposed to regular
aircraft noise "have inadequate performance on standardised achievement tests." Exposure to persistent noise pollution can cause one to develop hearing impairments, like tinnitus or impaired speech discrimination. One of the largest factors in worsened mental health due to noise pollution is
annoyance. Annoyance due to environmental factors has been found to increase stress reactions and overall feelings of
stress among adults. According to their reports, over 2 billion people worldwide live without access to safe drinking water. In 2017, almost 22 million Americans drank from water systems that were in violation of public health standards. Globally, over 2 billion people drink
feces-contaminated water, which poses the greatest threat to drinking water safety. Contaminated drinking water could transmit diseases like
cholera,
dysentery,
typhoid,
diarrhea and
polio. Inadequate
disinfecting of wastewater in industrial and agricultural centers can also infect hundreds of millions of people with contaminated water. In communities in America with large Hispanic and black populations, there is a correlated rise in
SDWA health violations.
Hazardous materials management Hazardous materials management, including
hazardous waste management, contaminated site remediation, the prevention of leaks from
underground storage tanks and the prevention of hazardous materials releases to the environment and responses to emergency situations resulting from such releases. When hazardous materials are not managed properly, waste can pollute nearby water sources and reduce air quality. According to a study done in
Austria, people who live near industrial sites are "more often unemployed, have lower educations levels, and are twice as likely to be immigrants. With the interest of environmental health in mind, the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act was passed in the United States in 1976 that covered how to properly manage hazardous waste. There are a variety of occupations that work with hazardous materials and help manage them so that everything is disposed of correctly. These professionals work in various sectors, including government agencies, private industry, consulting firms, and non-profit organizations, all with the common goal of ensuring the safe handling of hazardous materials and waste. These positions include but are not limited to
Environmental Health and Safety Specialists,
Waste collectors, Medical Professionals, and Emergency Responders. Handling waste, especially hazardous materials is considered one of the most dangerous occupations in the world. Often, these workers may not have all of information about the specific hazardous materials they encounter, making their jobs even more dangerous. The sudden exposure to materials they are not properly prepared to handle can lead to severe consequences. This emphasizes the importance of training, safety protocols, and the use of
personal protective equipment for those working with hazardous waste.
Microplastic pollution Soil pollution == Information and mapping ==