Environmental Issues
- Self-Study; Health Impact Assessment and Community Engagement
According to NIEHS (2020), there are several benefits and challenges of Health Impacts and Assessment Engagement concerning emergent issues in public health. In a bid to put the discussion into perspective, the discussion includes two case studies presented and explained by Dr. Aaron Wernham and Dr. Arthur Wendel. According to Dr. Wernham, physicians now realize that the economic, social, and physical environment influences health conditions. That is especially true for communities in rural areas such as Alaska.
There is a need to bring together various entities, such as the transportation department and legislators, to create a safe and healthy community. Health Impact assessment focuses on specific proposed legislation, faction, or a growth plan. Using a broad number of techniques, Health Impact Assessment analyses the impacts of the proposal. As a result, HIS pursues a collaboration of agencies and different stakeholders and offer the most beneficial health recommendations. For instance, in a case scenario, the HIS made a step in improving residential buildings’ general safety and well-being for low-income seniors. There was also the case of building a transit loop in Georgia.
The HIS and other agencies helped to step in and assess the impact on several aspects of the environment and human health. The HIS input on ways to create better air quality, enhance road safety, and reduce noise from the outdoor sources. According to Dr. Wendel, the heath community design also works closely with the HIS to identify and communicate more beneficial community designs. The inclusion of HIS leads to many benefits, like in Alaska, where the locals coexist proactively with incoming industries. Its adoption by private companies and government agencies is helping to address the issue of gentrification.
- Air Pollution: Types, Sources, and Routes of Exposure
Air Pollution is a growing problem, especially in urban areas. Globally most air pollution comes from urban areas and cities, as is described in Al Jazeera (2015) &NIEHS (2013). A thick smog covers the city of Beijing as a result of air pollution. China’s government has a big decision to make since it has to strike a balance between impressive economic growth and tacking air quality problem. The problem of air pollution has become so dire that schools and industries are forced to close down. People living in towns are increasingly suffering from lung-related health problems. But the government still has options for curbing pollution while still promoting economic development. More than 90 percent of China’s cities fail to meet the Air quality standards recommended by WHO, which leads to the death of more than 1.6 million people. The US is also facing the same air pollution problems, mainly in urban areas (BBC NEWS, 2020; NIEHS, 2013).
The piece by BBC NEWS (2020) compiled several studies that studied the correlation between the Covid 19 death rates and air pollution. Studies show that the corona related mortality rates were 50 percent higher in the most polluted regions in the United States. That is in agreement with Al Jezeera (2015), which found a very high rate of lung-related diseases in Beijing. Air pollution’s primary sources include vehicles, domestic activities, and industries such as coal and steel manufacturers. Domestic sources of air pollution come from smoking and ineffective cooking methods (NIEHS, 2013).
From the media story and interview, it is clear that there are short-term solutions and long-term solutions. Temporary measures such as clearing Beijing’s air for events such as the Olympics are costly but ineffective. The public needs to be educated about the ways and benefits of air pollution right from kindergarten. Another long-term solution is the use of efficient energy sources instead of sources such as coal. The coal factories cannot be closed overnight, but gradual efforts and policies are the best solutions. As much as governments are trying to fight the pandemic’s coronavirus, efforts should also be increased to reduce air pollution, especially in urban areas.
- Water Quality: Types, Sources, and Routes of Exposure
This section tackles the issue of water pollution and management. CityChannel25 (2018) explains in a one hour video; waterborne disease was more than two and a half decades ago. The Presentations account for the case of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when more than 400000 contracted cryptosporidium protozoan. The Video by NWQMC (2020) described that water quality is a topic of discussion for recent years in Iowa and the national debates. The talks in Iowa have sparked the three lawsuits against the release of nitrate content to county agricultural farms’ water sources. It was found out that the water pollution from agricultural chemicals was leading to a Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
The two video contents (NWQMC, 2017 & CityChannel25, 2018) indicate that water pollution is a significant threat to animals and humans’ health. There is a dire need for water sources and treatment centers to be well managed. All water treatment plants should be treated before it is released to the general public.
- Self-Study – Food Production and Food Safety
This section looks at agricultural production activities and related impacts on the environment and human health. According to Extension Ed Media (2019), pesticides are chemicals used by humans to control pests such as slugs, nematodes, fungus weed, and plant insects. Pesticides users need to understand the type of pests applying, for instance, broad-spectrum or narrow spectrum. Different pesticides also function differently. Some pests can eliminate a specific type of gender; others can slow pests’ growth, and some eliminate all pests. When using inappropriately or without proper knowledge, pesticides can be harmful and hazardous. The harmful effects of pesticides have been discussed by OEHHA (2016).
OEHHA’s (2016) review of the CHAMACOS study indicated that women in poor agricultural neighborhood bore children got neurodevelopment issues. The study found a positive correlation between children living in adversity and exposure to different pesticides to lower IQ. In a related survey Tex Talks (2013) highlighted that what we eat does not only affect us; it also affects others. Factory farms are a source of air pollution, which affects the people living near the farms. The animal production firms release viruses, bacteria, gases, and allergens, which cause people to get sick. Democracy Now (2017) adds that the pollution from farms such as those in North Carolina causes so much decay that people living near them have problems staying outdoors.
The most extensive air pollution from animal firms comprises hydrogen sulfide and other gases from decomposing manure. People living near animal firms suffer from anxiety, stress, lung-related illnesses, and blood pressure. Pollution from pesticide (Extension Ed Media, 2019; OEHHA (2016) and animal farms (Tex Talks, 2013; Democracy Now, 2017) shows that certain agricultural production activities are causing more harm than good.
- Waste Management
In this section, the video content (NJ.com, 2009; PDS NewsHour, 2017 and; SafePlanet, 2020) presents how the World’s different parts are attempting to manage waste. Most of the waste is from the urban areas, which leads to massive landfills a few kilometers from the towns. According to PBS NewsHour ( 2017), the Landfill from waste coming from India capital city is as high as ten-story buildings. The authorities have paid companies to manage pollution through a method such as recycling and making energy. While the World’s 2nd largest populated nation, the US is also having the same problem. As compared to the old Landfill, modern landfills in the country are more complex.
Good management of landfills waste helps create products such as methane gas used as a source of energy (NJ.com, 2009). That is particularly important in managing E-waste that is growing at an exponential rate. According to (SafePlanet, 2020), the WHO organization cites that reducing and managing environmental waste can reduce children’s diseases by more than 26 percent. More efforts should be put towards waste management, starting at community waste separation dustbin to the landfills.
References
NJ.com (2009, Aug 12th). How Land Fills are Built and Operated. [Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP9Tcf0CaV0&feature=youtu.be.
NIEHS (2012, Jul 20th) Health Impact Assessments and Community Engagement Webinar. [Video] YouTube. https://youtu.be/vpVKcJsl5Ts
TEDx Talks (2013, Mar 11th)Community health impacts of factory farms: Steve Wing at TEDxManhattan 2013. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZW8-LQftnY&feature=youtu.be
NHEHS (2013, Apr 24th) Household Air Pollution and Child Health. [Video]. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbfuNpIYAw0&feature=youtu.be
Al Jazeera English (2015, Dec 23rd). China’s pollution dilemma – Inside Story. [Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYzedoKTx3Q&feature=youtu.be
OEHHA (2016, Sept 14th) Brenda Eskenazi, Ph.D. – presentation at the 2016 Children’s Environmental Health Symposium. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDX8cK8b-GU&feature=youtu.be
NWQMC (2017, Feb 8th) Public Health Impacts of Nitrate and Drinking Water Contaminants. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDyBB1BZTH8&feature=youtu.be
PBS NewsHour (2017, Apr 3rd) Tackling India’s towering landfills takes cultural innovation. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbjR3zNT-dE&feature=youtu.be
Democracy Now (2017, May 3rd) North Carolina Hog Farms Spray Manure Around Black Communities; Residents Fight Back. [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyAFNV4Afgw&feature=youtu.be
CityChannel25 (2018, Apr 26th) When Cryptosporidium Struck Milwaukee.[Video]. YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1EHyclFpjY&feature=youtu.be
Extension Ed Media (2019, May 17th). Types of Pesticides. [ Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tIMaWFyJNs&feature=youtu.be
SafePlanet (2020, Mar 13th) E-waste MOOC: Health effects of e-waste exposure on children and vulnerable populations, WHO. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKxeqJ3WQPk&feature=youtu.be
BBC NEWS (2020, Apr 15th) Coronavirus: Is there a link between the Severity of Covid-19 and Air pollution – BBC News. [ Video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSZoDTvgEr8&feature=youtu.be