What is

Environmental Health?
Inside

Outside Outside

A Student Introduction
Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 1
 Principles of environmental
health
• In a world that is subject to constant and
turbulent change it is important to retain
some sense of core values or principles
as touch stones of environmental work.
• These principles apply to all levels of
government and all sectors that
contribute to environmental health
• Environmental health is important in
three time phases
Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 2
It must work to repair past damage, to control
present risk and prevent future problems.

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• Principle one: the improvement and
maintenance of the human condition is at
the centre of all environmental health
action.-envt action targets at well being of
human race and those factors in the
environment that affect humans.
• Principle 2: the disadvantaged group within
the society is often those that must live in
the worst housing with poor environmental
conditions, work in the most dangerous
occupations, and that have limited access
to wholesome and varied food supply.
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• Principle 3:a range of governance issues
that can be described as the conditions for
civic engagement must be in place.
Adoption of democractic principle of
government is the cornerstone to the
effective management of environmental
health.
• Experts and elected leaders must make
democratic envt decisions on behalf of the
public

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• Principle 4:cooperation and partnership-
intersectoral approach is needed to solve
problems in environmental health.
• Principle 5: sustainable development or
sustainability- there should be a particular
way of managing environmental health
issues.
• In environmental health policy making
process, the process should have:
• Policy intergration,partnership, appropriate
scale
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• Principle 6:environmental health issues are
truly international in their character
• Envt health professionals have long
recognized the fragility and proportions of
the planet, and that the contaminants in our
environment do not respect national
boundaries. The world is a global village
Read more on handout

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 7

What is the environment?
The trees, air, &
soil around us

ALL the places we

live, work & play

Our fields,
farms & the
food we grow

Our oceans, lakes,

and rivers

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• Environment is the total of the natural
conditions under which animals live,
including climatic, geographic,
physiographic and faunal conditions; all that
which is external to the individual human
host.

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 What is health?
Nutritious foods help us
stay healthy.

Regular exercise helps

keep us strong and
healthy.

Doctors, hospitals &

medicines help us get
healthy if we’re sick.

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 Environmental Health?
Air Sunlight

Food Noise

Water Soil

The study of how the environment

affects your health.
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 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.
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 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.
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Environmental Health Careers
People working in the Work for
field of environmental corporations
making sure
health . . . workplaces
are safe for
workers

Work as
scientists in
research Work for the
labs government
writing
regulations
and studying
pollution

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 The 7 Core Concepts

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Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 16
 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 © 2005 17

 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 © 2005 18

How would you rate these products?
Toxicity Rating

Highly Toxic

Moderately Toxic

Slightly Toxic

Not Toxic

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 And the answers are…
Toxicity Rating

Highly Toxic

Moderately Toxic

Slightly Toxic

Not Toxic

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Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 21
 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 © 2005 22
 The 3 parts of exposure
The The The
Source Environmental Contact
of the hazard Pathway (inhaled fumes)
(bus exhaust) (air)

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Which route will the hazards take?

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 24

 Route #1: Inhalation
Inhalation:

Breathing. When
chemicals enter the
body through this
route of exposure,
they can get stuck in
the lungs and/or be
taken up into the
bloodstream.

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 25

 Route #2: Ingestion
Ingestion:

Swallowing (usually
by eating or drinking).
When chemicals enter
the body through this
route of exposure,
they can easily be
taken up into the
bloodstream.

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 26

Route #3: Dermal Absorption

Dermal Absorption:
Absorbing a chemical through any part of the skin, including
the eyes. When chemicals come in contact with the skin,
they can sometimes enter the bloodstream through this route
of exposure.

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Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 28
What is dose? Exposure
X

X
X

X
X
X X 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 © 2005 29
 Dose can depend on…
Duration of Frequency of Body Size:
Exposure: Exposure: How big or
How long? How often? small are you?

L
M
S S

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 30

 Duration of Exposure

30 minutes of
sun exposure
might not have
any harmful
effects.

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 Duration of Exposure

But 4 hours of
sun exposure
might be very
harmful indeed!

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 32

 Dose & Body Size
Dose can depend on how big or
small you are. To understand how,
let’s take three different size flasks
and fill them with water. Imagine
each one represents a different
human body - one small, one
medium, and one large. L
M
s s

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 33

 A Dose Experiment
Now we will take a
dropper of an imaginary
hazardous substance and
put 3 drops in each flask.
What will happen? How
will each flask look after
the 3 dark purple drops
have been added?

L
s M
Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 34
A Dose Experiment - Step 1

L
s M
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A Dose Experiment - Step 2

L
s M
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A Dose Experiment - Step 3

L
s M
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Dose/Response Relationship
1 can of pop in 3 cans of pop
15 minutes in 15 minutes

The larger the dose, the more extreme

the response will be.
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Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 39
 Individual Susceptibility

Why are these people

more likely to be
harmed by exposure to
a hazard than the man
below?

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 40

 Individual Susceptibility
Pregnant women Elderly people
and their whose defense
developing mechanisms are
babies less efficient

Sick people who Infants and

have weakened children who
immune are still
systems developing

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 41

 Genes & Susceptibility
Your genes can also
make you more or less
susceptible to harm
from an environmental
hazard. For example,
some people are more
likely to get sick when
they are exposed to
certain kinds of
pesticides.

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Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 43
What are the risks & benefits?

1 3
2

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 Risks & Benefits
What are the risks and benefits when grape
growers use pesticides on their crops?

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 45

 Risks & Benefits
BENEFITS RISKS
•No bugs! •People ingest
pesticides with the
•Better looking fruit fruit and get sick
that is more visually
appealing •Pesticides get into
dirt and water
•Bigger crops so
farmers can make •Animals ingest
more profit pesticides and get sick

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 46

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 47
What is environmental justice?
Environmental
Justice (EJ) means
that everyone has a
right to live in an
environment that
doesn’t make them
sick, regardless of
their race, culture, or
income.

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 48

 The EJ Process
Who is Empower
producing Establish a dialog
between the community
the hazard? members to bring
decision makers,
scientists, and the about change.
affected
Who is being
community.
exposed?
Share information
and decisions with
Who are the community
decision members.
makers?

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 49

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 50
Where can you go for information?

Your Town

Schools
Libraries
City hall Universities
State agencies
Federal agencies

Doctors
Nurses
Hospitals
Caution! Health Department

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 51

 How can you take action?

Write a letter to Inform your

a newspaper neighbors

Make a
Call or write an
documentary about
elected official
the problem

Organize a Create a petition

community and get
meeting signatures

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 52

 Any Questions?

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