MAITRI COLLAGE OF NURSING

DURG C.G.
SUBJECT-COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING
MAICRO TEACHING ON air and water

SUBMITTED TO SUBMITTED
BY
MR.MANOJ SAHU SIR MR. SANJEEV
SHRIVAS
DEMONSTRATOR MSC NURSING Ist
YEAR
MAITRI COLLAGE OF NURSING MAITRIOF NURSING
DURG C.G. DURG C.G.
S.N. TIME SPECIFIC CONTENT TEACHING LEARNING AV EVALUATION
OBJECTIVE METHOD METHOD AIDS
INTRODUCTION-
Air

Air pollution can seriously

compromise people’s health and
makes those who are most
susceptible – which is usually
related to age, physical
condition, or socio-economic
factors – more vulnerable.

Air pollution is not just a problem

in big cities. Some of the worst
air pollution in the province is in
smaller centres. Examples of
sources of air pollution that
impact health outcomes include:

 emissions from vehicles

 contaminants from
industrial activity
 dust from construction
activities
 wood smoke from
fireplaces, wood stoves
and wild fires
  indoor air pollutants

In some cases, air pollution can

be stopped or mitigated at its
source with filters and
technology improvements for
industry and vehicles, and in
other cases the impact on
human health can be mitigated
by designing our streets and
buildings so that exposure is
reduced.

Water

The Province of B.C. commits to

providing safe, accessible, and
reliable drinking water
sourcesv through regulations and
collaboration with various
partners, including regional and
local governments and various
agencies.

There are 3,300 water systems

of various types and scales in
B.C. About 90% of B.C.'s
population is served by large
municipal systems, with the rest
served by a mix of public and
private systems (e.g.
improvement districts or private
wells).

Health Canada estimates that

unsafe drinking water is the
cause of 90,000 illnesses and
90 deaths every year, the
equivalent of 13 Walkerton E.
coli contamination
tragedies.vi These occur mostly
in smaller rural and First Nations
communities.vii

Within a local and regional

scope, responsibilities to
manage water resources and
safeguard and improve water
quality include:

 protecting drinking water

sources to meet future
community needs (e.g.
with water quality
guidelines and
groundwater protection)
 protecting natural
resources and
watersheds
 upgrading and updating
infrastructure for
treatment and delivery of
 water in community water
systems
 developing plans for
water conservation and
demand-side
management

Why is air and water

important for health and
well-being?

Air

The Canadian Medical

Association estimates that as
many as 21,000 Canadians die
each year as a result of air
pollution. This is nearly 10 times
more than road user fatalities in
Canada (2,200 in 2009). As
well, health issues directly
related to air pollution result in
620,000 doctor visits, 92,000
emergency department visits,
11,000 hospital admissions, and
an annual economic impact of
over $8 billion.viii

Even when Canadian air quality

standards are met, people are
still being exposed to air
pollutants at levels that
negatively affect health. The
most vulnerable are those with
existing chronic conditions (e.g.
asthma, heart, and
cardiovascular issues), elderly
and young people, and people
who spend a lot of time in or
close to traffic (e.g, taxi drivers,
police officers, people with long
commutes).

Transportation is one major

cause of air pollution. Motor
vehicles burn pollutants that
significantly affect human
health. People are exposed to
traffic pollutants both in close
proximity to the road, and
depending on where they are in
the airshed, air pollution
exposure partly depends on
airflow and geographical
factors.ix

Contaminants in outdoor air

come from many additional
sources, including other
transportation sources (e.g.,
planes, marine traffic), industrial
emissions, wood smoke from
fireplaces and outdoors,x and
dust from construction and
pollution. Exposure to air
pollution is linked with
respiratory problems, impaired
lung function, cardiovascular
problems, some cancers,
adverse pregnancy outcomes,
and onset and exacerbation of
asthma.

Indoor air pollutants range from

minor irritants such as dust and
animal dander to major irritants
such as moulds and chemical
vapours emitted from building
materials and furnishings—
which and are associated with a
range of health problems from
asthma to sick building
syndrome.xi An indoor air risk to
be particularly aware of is radon,
which is the second leading
cause of lung cancer.xii It is a
colourless and odourless gas
that tends to exist in northern
areas, often undetected in
homes. It is recommended for
residents in radon risk areas to
test their homes.
Water

Safe drinking water is vital for

human health, but is often taken
for granted. Water quality testing
is crucial to preventing the
spread of water-borne disease
and protecting people from
chemical or other contamination.
Water contamination can lead to
major health issues, such as:

 gastrointestinal illness
 reproductive problems
 neurological disorders
 death

Infants, young children,

pregnant women, the elderly,
and people whose immune
systems are compromised
because of AIDS,
chemotherapy, or transplant
medications may be especially
susceptible to illness from some
contaminants.

Safe recreational water (e.g., for

swimming) is also a key element
for a health, as it enables people
to be outdoors and active in the
water, directly connecting with
their environment. Recreational
water quality can be threatened
by sewage, industrial effluents,
agricultural runoff, urban
stormwater runoff, animal feces,
and oil and gas from
powerboats and marinas.xiii

Well-functioning watersheds and

a supply of water for
communities that meets
population growth are critical to
long-term well-being and the
sustainable existence of
communities.