Environmental Health, as stated by Friis (2012), “comprises those aspects of human health, including quality of life, that are determined by physical, chemical, biological, social, and psychological factors in the environment”. Additionally he points out that “it also refers to the theory and practice of assessing, correcting, controlling, and preventing those factors in the environment that potentially can affect adversely the health of present and future generations” (Friis, 2012). Large proportions of current diseases are associated with environmental sources. It is estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the report Preventing Disease Through Healthy Environments - towards an estimate of the environmental burden of disease that …show more content…
It is stated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that “asthma is a serious, sometimes life-threatening chronic respiratory disease that affects the quality of life for more than 23 million Americans, including an estimated 6 million children”. Mayo Clinic defines asthma as “a condition in which airways narrow and swell and produce extra mucus” that “makes breathing difficult and triggers coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath”. Irena Buka (2006) reports that “the Committee on Environmental Health of the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement in 2004 emphasizing the link between ambient air pollution” (defined by WHO as pollution emitted from industries, households, cars, and trucks) “and children’s health”. “Children are known to be more vulnerable to the adverse health effects of air pollution due to their higher minute ventilation, immature immune system, involvement in vigorous activities, the longer periods of time they spend outdoors and the continuing development of their lungs during the early postneonatal period” (Buka, 2006). According to Coordinated Federal Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma Disparities announced by EPA, “approximately 7 million children age 0 to 17 in the U. S. have asthma, with poor and minority children suffering a …show more content…
The children were followed for up to 8 years and the results of the study provided robust evidence that “lung development… from the ages of 10 to 18 years, is reduced in children exposed to higher levels of ambient air pollution” (Gaudermna, 2004). The GALA II and SAGE II studies of early-life air pollution and asthma risks in minority children led by UCSF (University of California, San Francisco) observed of 5,000 participant from Chicago, Bronx, Houston, San Francisco and Puerto Rico from 2006 to 2011. The results of these studies showed that African American and Latino infants living in communities with poor air quality due to traffic-related pollutant are more likely to develop childhood asthma (Thakur,
... environmental quality leading health indicators are air quality index exceeding 100 and children of ages 3 to 11 exposed to secondhand smoke. Poor water quality can lead to gastrointestinal illness, neurological problems and cancer. Poor air quality can cause cardiovascular disease, cancers, and asthma. Certain chemicals found in homes and workplaces can contribute to severe poisonings and other toxic serious effects.
Imagine a young child competing with his or her fellow classmates during recess and immediately losing the ability to breathe normally. He or she stops in the middle of the competition and falls to the ground while holding his or her chest trying to find air. When you are young, being able to keep up with your peers during recess and sporting events is very important, however, having asthma restricts this. Asthma has a significant impact on childhood development and the diagnosis of asthma for children 18 years and younger has dramatically increased over the years. Asthma is known as a “chronic inflammation of the small and large airways” with “evident bronchial hyper-responsiveness, airflow obstruction, and in some patients, sub-basement fibrosis and over-secretion of mucus” (Toole, 2013). The constant recreation of the lung walls can even occur in young children and “lead to permanent lung damages and reduced lung function” (Toole, 2013). While one of the factors is genetics, many of the following can be prevented or managed. Obesity, exposure to secondhand smoke, and hospitalization with pneumonia in the early years of life have all been suggested to increase children’s risk of developing asthma.
Although ambient air pollution has decreased over the past several decades due to stringent air pollution control policies, there has been little evidence directly supporting the extent these control measures have improved public health (Tonne, et al, 2010). Investigative research has observed evidence to support the association of air pollution and particulate matter with increased cardiovascular events.
Among all Americans, the prevalence of asthma increased more than 60 percent between 1982 and 1994, especially among children. Deaths from asthma increased more than 55 percent from 1979 to 1992. Scientists suspect that increased exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke, growing populations in polluted city centers, and new housing that is poorly ventilated contribute to the increase in asthma cases.
There are 80 countries that have been suffering from a lack of clean water, and two billion people lack access to freshwater, especially South Africa (Alois). This area of countries is the driest in the world - Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt and so on. Like in the book A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, Nya, who lives in Sudan, has been lacking clean water. She has to find water every day for her family. Luckily, Nya got help from Salva who used to live in Sudan and came back from America to build the water system for her village. However, there are still many people around the world that have been suffering to find clean water for basic use. There are many factors that cause a lack of clean water around the world: geography of countries, deforestation,
Health shapes our life, if you practice bad health practices, chances are you’re often sick, overweight, disease, or other medical issue. There are three main points of a person’s health, not just their physical health. The three parts are; social, mental/emotional, and of course physical. Setting health goals depends on age, body, and health of a person. I am 14 years old, and I am 5 feet tall, around 100 pounds. I’m generally the correct size for someone of my age. Though, it’s hard to achieve perfect health.
Asthmatic children are especially at risk. Exposure to secondhand smoke increases the number of episodes and severity of symptoms in hundreds of thousands of asthmatic children. Between 200,000 and 1,000,000 asthmatic children have their condition worsened by secondhand smoke.
Sabogal, R (2010) Global Environmental Health : Sustainability. Journal of Environmental Health, 73 (3) p26-28.
The objectives of this essay is to identify and address the global health issues as whole including causes of these issues and impact of these issues. Also it is aim to address the preventive measures to reduce the global issues and report the methods for global health issues identified and understand the global health priorities with regards to major health issues throughout the world.
In conclusion, air pollution affects the immune system, making it weak and vulnerable to certain bacteria, illnesses, viruses and foreign invaders. Common diseases that are affected the most include asthma and allergies. Air pollution in general has been seen to modify the immune system's handling of particular allergens. The exposure to toxins like dioxin can cause serious health problems for people. Having long-term exposure to this toxin is connected to weakening of the immune system, as well as the nervous system, endocrine system and certain reproductive functions. Hence, everyone has a particular level and exposure of dioxins in the body. Improving air quality is the key answer to avoiding any type of development of disease, but it is a long term goal that will require the help and commitment at the national and global level.
The environment and health are very closely linked. The environment in which we inhabit and go about our daily lives, directly impacts on our physical, mental and social well-being. There are biological, chemical and physical factors that can affect human health in a physical and mental way. The World Health Organisation states that "health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" (WHO 1948), meaning that although many factors relating to health are associated with environmental pollution, they can also be caused by the environment in which we work and live in. The relationship between the environment and health, can however be quite complex. Human health is not only as a result of air, water and ground pollution, but also things such as food, genetics, life style and quality, which directly affect human susceptibility to illness, disease and possibly death. Disruptions to the environment, such as substance dispersal, climate change, acidification, ground pollution, photochemical air pollution and over fertilisation can also impact on human health. Therefore, there are direct and indirect links to the environment and health issues.
The natural conservancy is an organization that is out to conserve the lands and waters on which life depends on. In this paper, I will argue that the natural conservancy organization mission statement captures the true essence of environmentalism. The mission statement of the Nature Conservancy represents the true essence of environmentalism since it recognizes the intrinsic value of all living beings while prioritizing the importance of protecting nature for future generations.
Our planet is suffering from severe pollution, which ranges from contaminated air, water and soil as well. Humans are doing nothing to reduce the amount of pollution that is harming our earth. To understand how pollution works first you must understand that there are different types of pollution. The most common types of pollution and the ones that I will be focusing on which are the ones doing the most harm to our planet are air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination and littering. In order to help out and reduce pollution in our planet people need to be more aware of what these problems are and about the severe damages that they are causing our planet. Before industrialization really jumped into place and had an effect on large cities, nature had its own way of cleaning up its own air and itself. Wind scattered gases, rain washed many substances and the rest dissolved into the ground; while plants absorbed carbon dioxide and made it into oxygen. With big cities growing more every time and with more towns that were becoming more industrialized a lot of more waste began to be released into the environment and the atmosphere and soon this was more than enough for nature to handle. In order to stop and reduce pollution people need to understand the damage that it is causing our environment and our planet as well. People need to be more aware of how they can help out and do their part in reducing these problems that are causing our planet to die slowly with people not even noticing it.
Environmental health explains the quality of your home, work, school, and social environment. Even the health of our planet plays a factor, air quality and availability of clean filtered water and healthy food. Also the weather and pollution, exposures to chemicals are factors playing against environment. I read an article by Lecia Bushak and she had made up many ways to help improve our environment. “Earth Day isn’t the only day you can take steps to make the environment better. In fact, it’s really easy to go green on a daily basis, and in doing so, you’ll be improving your own life” (Bushak, 2015). Following her step I will do my best to not use my car as much. I will be recycling more that’s for sure. I also will start being better about monitoring my electronics and water use in my home! These few changes will make the difference in my environmental health and I am willing to make these changes!
Today talking about environmental issues lately to be like a common topic discussion until people take it for granted. However, the world facing a complex environmental problems related to each trouble that connected to one another and come out with greater impacts to the environment and humans. This is because the effects of environmental only can be seen in long term period rather than immediately result show up. Environmental issues must become one of the controversial matters in the society in order to make people know the truth what the world currently facing. There were a lot of environmental disaster happened such as climate change, global warming, various of pollutions, earthquake and etc. the rise of environmental issues begin with this urban development occur through several countries following with the technologies equip along. For sure, development will cause a huge negative impact to the environment if it deals without a care. Besides, the environment is the place in the ecosystem to hold and use in finding resources to continuously survive in this world. Thus, the finding and digging for the resources which happening extensively without preservation will not restore the surrounding similar with before. But then, the change cannot be refuse and people need to take an action to save the threaten the world and the ecosystem from being extinct. If each country has own output in causing an environmental problem, then consider the world to hold all the damage occurred. Exposing the effects of environmental issues throughout the world, make people realize the important to take care the environment.