Environmental Health

By
Mr. Imran Yousafzai
BSN (pak), MSPH (pak), PGHRHM (UK), MHPE*
(pak)
 Environmental Health
• Environmental Health is the field of science
that studies how the environment influences
human health and disease. “Environment,” in
this context, means things in the
natural environment like air, water and soil,
and also all the physical, chemical, biological
and social features of our surroundings.
 What is Environmental Health ?
• Environmental Health is the interrelationship
between human health and the environment,
either natural or manmade.
 What are the environmental factors that
affect health?
These can include:
• Air pollution – for example, smog, wood smoke
and mould.
• Water quality – for example, grey water, tank
water, fluoridation and drought.
• Food quality – for example, contamination and
nutrition.
• Chemicals – for example, pesticides, farm
chemicals, arsenic and CCA treated timber.
 Environmental hazard
• An environmental hazard is a substance, state
or event which has the potential to threaten
the surrounding natural environment and / or
adversely affect people's health. This term
incorporates topics like pollution and natural
disasters such as storms and earthquakes.
• An estimated 12.6 million people died as a result of
living or working in an unhealthy environment in
2012 – nearly 1 in 4 of total global deaths,
according to the latest estimates from WHO.
Environmental risk factors, such as air, water and
soil pollution, chemical exposures, climate change,
and ultraviolet radiation, contribute to more than
100 diseases and injuries. 

(WHO, 2016)
• By focusing on reducing environmental and social risk
factors, nearly a quarter of the global burden of disease
can be prevented.
• Examples include promoting safe household water
storage, better hygiene measures, safer management of
toxic substances in the home and workplace.
• At the same time, actions by sectors such as energy,
transport and agriculture are required urgently, in
cooperation with the health sector, to address root
environmental and social causes of ill-health that lie
beyond the direct control of the health sector.
 Environmental Health?

Air Sunlight

Food Noise

Water Soil

The study of how the environment

affects your health.
Integrated Environmental Health Middle
School Project • University of Washington 9
© 2005
 Good Things Around Us
Oxygen in
the air Beautiful
scenery to
look at
Nutrients
in food

Family &
Medicine & friends
vitamins

There are many things around us that help us

stay healthy.
Integrated Environmental Health Middle
School Project • University of Washington 10
© 2005
 Hazards
Bacteria &
viruses
Harmful
chemicals
Tobacco
smoke

Stress

Loud noises

A hazard is anything in the environment that

can hurt you or make you sick.
Integrated Environmental Health Middle
School Project • University of Washington 11
© 2005
 A Toxic Word Game

Toxic means _____________________.

poisonous or dangerous

Toxic_____
ology is the study of poisons.

Toxic___
ity is a measure of how dangerous a
chemical is.

Integrated Environmental Health Middle

School Project • University of Washington 12
© 2005
 A Toxicity Scale
Signal Words Symbol on
Toxicity Rating
on Package Package
Highly Toxic DANGER or
POISON

Moderately Toxic WARNING

Slightly Toxic CAUTION

Not Toxic none

Integrated Environmental Health Middle

School Project • University of Washington 13
© 2005
 Exposure is

The total amount of a hazard that comes in

direct contact with your body.
Integrated Environmental Health Middle
School Project • University of Washington 14
© 2005
 The 3 parts of exposure
The The
The
Source Contact
Environmental
of the hazard (inhaled fumes)
Pathway
(bus exhaust)
(air)

Integrated Environmental Health Middle

School Project • University of Washington 15
© 2005
What is dose? Exposure
Exposure
X
X
X

X
X
X X Dose
Dose X
X X
X

X X

X = hazard

Dose is the amount of a hazard that actually

enters your body.
Integrated Environmental Health Middle
School Project • University of Washington 16
© 2005
 Dose can depend on…
Frequency of Body Size:
Duration of
Exposure: How big or small are
Exposure:
How often? you?
How long?

L
M

S S

Integrated Environmental Health Middle

School Project • University of Washington 17
© 2005
 Integrated Environmental Health Middle
School Project • University of Washington 18
© 2005
• We get the oxygen by breathing air. But
besides oxygen and other elements like
nitrogen, air also contains pollutants, which
can be harmful. Air pollution is a problem that
affects life all over the world.
• Air pollution
• Indoor Vs Outdoor
 Where does indoor air pollution come
from?
• Indoor pollution can come from many sources, including:
• Paint
• Tobacco smoke
• Furniture and carpeting
• Building materials
• Scented candles (burning candles releases pollutants)
• Cleaning products
• Pet dander (skin flakes from an animal’s hair or fur)
How can indoor air pollution affect my health?
• Air pollutants can cause a range of health problems — from triggering
allergic reactions or asthma symptoms to more serious problems, such
as cancer.
 Did you know ?
• Tiny bugs called dust mites can cause air
pollution in our homes. These mites live in our
beds, where they feed on dry flakes of skin.
And even though they’re so small we can’t see
them, their waste affects indoor air quality.
Have you ever noticed smog over a big city?

• Then you’ve actually seen outdoor air

pollution. Some outdoor air pollution is
invisible to us, of course, but it can still affect
our lives.
 Where does outdoor air pollution come
from?
• Many factors play a role in outdoor air quality.
Natural things like volcanic eruptions,
wildfires, wind currents, and trees can affect
it. Some human activities add pollutants into
the air. Think of factories and power plants
pumping out smoke and chemicals, and
tractors on farms blowing up dust clouds.
• We’ve all seen dirty bathrooms with black mold growing on its
surfaces, or cars covered in a yellow blanket of pollen in the
spring. These are visible sources of particulate matter, or PM for
short.
• PM is made up of tiny particles and liquid droplets that include:
• Chemicals
• Metals
• Dust
• Mold spores (spores are similar to tiny seeds you can’t see)
• PM can be found floating in the air we breathe — both indoors
and outdoors.
• Where does PM come from?
• PM gets into the air by human activities such as
cooking food on a charcoal or gas grill, or burning fossil
fuels in a power plant.
• How can PM affect my health?
• Breathing in these particles can cause health problems.
The smaller ones can affect people directly by getting
into the lungs and bloodstream. Many particles can
trigger asthma and allergic reactions. Larger particles
may cause irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat.
• A single atom can make a big difference in the
way a molecule works — so can its location.
The everyday air we breathe has two atoms of
oxygen (O2) in it. Ozone is a gas made up of
three atoms of oxygen (O3). And while we
need oxygen to survive, ozone can either help
us or hurt us — depending on where it is.
 What’s the difference between helpful and
harmful ozone?
• Ozone can be helpful or harmful to your health and
the environment, depending on its location in the
atmosphere. Helpful ozone exists naturally high
above the Earth’s surface and protects us from the
sun’s ultraviolet rays (radiation). Human-made air
pollutants damage the helpful ozone.
• Harmful ozone is close to the ground. It comes from
human activities that release chemicals into the air,
which react with sunlight to create ground-level
ozone.
• How can ozone affect my health?
• When human-made air pollutants destroy helpful ozone, people may receive too
much ultraviolet radiation. This may cause:
• Cataracts (clouding of eye lens, which leads to poor vision)
• Problem with immune system (the system that fights diseases)
• Skin cancer
• Too much ultraviolet radiation may also damage crops (plants we grow for food)
and other plants.
• Contact with harmful ozone can cause:
• Coughing
• Irritated throat
• Worsening in respiratory (breathing) disorders, such as asthma and bronchitis
• Regular contact with ozone can also cause permanent damage to the lungs,
especially in children, because their lungs are still developing.  
 Chemicals
• There are millions of chemicals on Earth — some found in nature, and
others made by people. We use them every day in lots of different
ways. But it’s important to know that chemicals can be harmful to
both people and the planet if they aren’t handled correctly.
• A chemical is a substance that has specific properties or
characteristics we can use to identify it. They may interact with other
substances and change form. Chemicals can get into our bodies
through our skin, things we eat and drink, and the air we breathe —
this is called exposure. How harmful chemicals are depends on how
we’re exposed, the amount of the chemical we’re exposed to, and
the length of time that we’re exposed. In addition, some people, such
as children or those with health problems, can be more vulnerable to
harmful chemicals.
 Mercury
• Mercury — sometimes called quicksilver — is a natural
metal. It’s a shiny, silver liquid that can evaporate into an
invisible gas. Since you can’t see it, it’s easy to breathe it
in without knowing it. When mercury combines with
other chemical elements, it creates compounds, or
chemical mixtures. When people come in contact with
mercury in the environment, it is often with compounds.
It’s very important to dispose of (get rid of) mercury and
mercury compounds properly, or they can wind up
contaminating (polluting) soil, water, and air.
 Lead
• Lead is a soft, bluish-white metal that exists naturally in the
environment. When lead combines with other chemical
elements, it creates compounds, or chemical mixtures.
When people come in contact with lead in the
environment, it is often with compounds.
• Lead harms many systems in the body — especially the
central nervous system (the system that includes the brain
and spinal chord). It’s most dangerous for children because
their nervous systems are still developing. Repeated
exposure to low levels of lead can affect children’s growth,
and cause learning or behavior problems.
 Arsenic
• Arsenic is an element that exists naturally in the Earth’s
crust. Small amounts of arsenic are found in some rock,
soil, water, and air. When arsenic combines with other
chemical elements, it creates compounds, or chemical
mixtures. 
•  Breathing in high levels of arsenic can cause a sore throat
and irritation of the lungs. Repeated exposure to arsenic
over time can damage many organs, including the
kidneys, stomach, and liver. It can also cause different
kinds of cancer. Swallowing or breathing in a lot of arsenic
may even cause death.
 Volatile organic compounds
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemicals that evaporate from a
solid or liquid form at room temperature. Some VOCs exist naturally in the
environment. Others are manufactured (made by people) and put into
things that we use every day.
• Many things that we use at home, school, and work contain VOCs. These
include:
• Paint
• Glue
• Markers
• Hair spray
• Air fresheners
• Cleaning supplies
• Fuels
 Plastics
• Plastics play a major role in the modern era.
We microwave our food in plastic containers.
We carry plastic water bottles on hikes and
biking trips. We use them to make all kinds of
things — from furniture to toys. They offer
convenience, flexibility, and strength. The bad
news is that they can release harmful toxins
into our food, water, and the environment.
• Early studies about the health effects of chemicals
from plastics show that they may affect the:
• Brain
• Endocrine system (the system that controls hormones,
or the chemicals that regulate metabolism)
• Reproductive systems (the male and female systems
that allow us to have babies)
• Immune system (the system that helps keep you from
getting sick)
 Pesticides
• Pesticides are substances we use to control or
kill pests. Pests can be weeds, insects, rodents,
or bacteria — anything we don’t want to have
around.
• Sometimes pesticides work too well. They may
not only harm the intended pest but also other
plants, animals, and people. Sometimes they
end up in places we don’t want them to be —
for example, in our air, water, and food.
 Earth’s climate Change
• The Earth’s climate is always changing.
Changes from natural causes are usually more
gradual. Some human activities, however, are
speeding things up. Burning fossil fuels like oil,
for example, upsets the balance of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. As a
result, the global climate is becoming warmer.
• Scientists believe that with global warming, we can
expect more severe weather patterns including heat
waves, hurricanes, floods, and drought. Weather events
like these can increase health risks, damage economies,
destroy habitats, and affect our quality of life.
• Since 1750, atmospheric concentrations of CO2, CH4
and N2O have increased by over 36 percent, 148 percent
and 18 percent, respectively. Scientists have concluded
that this is due primarily to human activity. – US
Environmental Protection Agency
 Global warming
• Global warming may be the first thing that
comes to mind when you hear someone say
“climate change.” It’s more than just rising
temperatures, though. It includes any changes
in ice and snow cover, sea level, temperature,
rainfall, snow, and wind patterns that last for a
long time.
 Greenhouse Gases
• Some gases have the ability to trap the sun’s energy and warm the Earth.
This helps balance the Earth’s temperature, keeping it stable over time.
However, too few or too many of these gases in the atmosphere can mess
up the balancing act. Human activities increase the amount of these gases,
causing a “greenhouse effect” that makes the Earth’s temperature rise.
• What are the greenhouse gases?
• Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas. Other greenhouse gases
include:
• Methane
• Nitrous oxide
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• Ozone
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
 Water
• Water is essential for survival on Earth. It
makes up almost two-thirds of our body
weight and covers a little over two-thirds of
the Earth’s surface. Since almost all of the
water is in salty oceans, we can’t use it for
drinking. In fact, only about 3% of the Earth’s
water is fresh, and most of that fresh water is
frozen. That means only about 1% of the
water on Earth is available for people to use.
 Waterborn diseases
• Would you want to go swimming in a pool of
bugs, worms, and chemicals? In some natural
water sources, you actually would be! You just
wouldn’t be able to see them. Tiny organisms
like bacteria, viruses, and parasites may live in
our water supplies. Chemicals and heavy
metals can get into our water, too. If you drink
that water, wash your food with it, or swim or
bathe in it, it might make you sick.
• We call these illnesses waterborne diseases
because people get them from contaminated
(unsafe) water. The water can also be harmful
to animals. It may cause minor or serious
illness, or even death. Contaminated water
can lead to disease outbreaks in a local area,
country