A constant interaction often exists between humans and the environment. Such interactions have various effects on the health and quality of life lived. The definition of environment as provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that it has a relationship with health in terms of biological, chemical and physical factors that are external to humans. Environmental health is largely concerned with the control or prevention of injuries, diseases or disabilities in relation to the interactions that often take place between humans and the environment ( Al-Zoughool, 2015).
Synopsis
Environmental and climatic changes have a way of impacting the well-being and health of humans and animals living in a given environment. Public health organizations around the world have previously cited environmental and climatic changes as some of the critical considerations in addressing public health challenges. Negative influences on the environment are largely responsible for worsening the health conditions of humans as well as introducing new diseases whose treatment and management are often difficult and challenging. Moreover, the issues of global warming, droughts, and flooding have continued to become more frequent owing to increased human activities that are not friendly to the environment. In addition, such human activities have considerably contributed towards rising trends in occurrences of severe waves and hurricanes as well as intense and frequent heat. The overall outcomes of such environmental changes include increased risks of contracting different illnesses and other negative environmental health impacts among humans and animals ( Gothwal and Shashidhar, 2014).
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Various environmental factors influence the health and wellbeing of the population around the globe adversely. Food handling, processing, and packaging could potentially bring about food contamination in cases where they are carried out in polluted environments. Microbe pollution of groundwater owing to mismanagement sewage as well as contamination of coastal and marine waters is also associated with negative health impacts on the environment. Protection of water sources and water bodies is crucial in ensuring that an appropriate level of environmental health is maintained. Poor planning in an area where residential dwellings are adjacent to industries and industrial operations could significantly contribute towards noise pollution in such residential dwellings. Lead poisoning within found within the environment puts children at a higher risk of absorbing large portions of lead and end up with severe health effects The above-mentioned negative environmental changes and health impacts could be mitigated through the adoption of appropriate environmental management measures by both the government and the citizens (Al-Zoughool, 2015).
Environmental Factors that Impact Health
Air pollution
According to Gothwal and Shashidhar (2014), air pollution is among some of the environmental factors whose impact on health has continuously been felt in many regions across the globe. In countries such as the United States, the aspect of pollution has remained a major environmental challenge linked to health conditions such as long-term damage to cardiovascular and respiratory systems as well as cancer among others. Nonetheless, significant progress has been realized towards addressing the issue of air pollution as one of the environmental factors impacting the health of humans and other living organisms. To that extent, countries like the United States have been able to show their commitment towards the establishment of national standards of air quality with the aim of reducing air pollution and creating a healthy and favorable environment.
Water pollution
The environmental sustainability of life and good health largely depends on water as a necessity. In that regard, any pollution or contamination or the water meant for domestic is highly likely to be hazardous to the environment and environmental health. In most highly industrialized countries such as the United States and China, there has been a worrying trend on the increase in relation to pollution of natural water through waste and chemicals. Besides industrial wastes and chemicals, water pollution also comes from pathogens and atmospheric pollutants. Gothwal and Shashidhar (2014) point out that water pollution has increasing become a worldwide concerned due to its connection with a high number of diseases and deaths among the global population.
Noise pollution
Noise pollution is another environmental factor that affects the health and well-being of the occupants of a given environment. Noise pollution, which is also termed as environmental noise, involves the propagation of noise in a manner that causes harmful effects on the wellbeing and activities of humans or animals. Some of the environmental sources of noise pollution that have the ability to cause adverse effects on the health of humans and animals include industrial operations, entertainment systems, various machine and systems used in transportation. Environmental noise could have negative effects on health in the sense that it may result in increased risk of coronary artery disease, cardiovascular effects as well as partial or total damage of hearing functions and capability (Gothwal and Shashidhar, 2014).
Food Contamination
Food contamination could result from environmental food pollution which is associated with biological contaminants as well as toxic compounds or elements. As an environmental factor that affects health, food pollution may be encouraged by contamination of food by toxic bacteria strains that exist in soil, groundwater or irrigation water. Agricultural treatment of food crops and plants with unregulated herbicides, insecticides, and pesticides has the potential to bring about food contamination which eventually leads to food pollution. In addition, crops, vegetables, and fruits that are grown in in environments with polluted air or polluted fertilizers are highly vulnerable to food contamination this causing negative impacts to health and wellbeing of the consumers (Al-Zoughool, 2015).
Lead Poisoning
Uncontrolled exposure to the lead substances is another environmental factor with serious health effects and concerns since it considerably contributes towards the contamination of water, air, food, dust and other products. According to the disease control authorities and agencies in the United States, the acceptable upper limit of the content of lead in the blood of an adult should be 10 µg/100 g which is twice as much as the upper limit in children. Lead poisoning could be prevented an managed through effort which includes getting rid of substances and items containing lead from the environment as well as developing national and global policies that regulate the use of lead in products (Mackenbach, 2007).
My Role in Improving/Eliminating Environmental Barriers to Health
Various roles are associated with the improvement or elimination of environmental barriers to health and well-being of humans and animals. One of such roles could involve reducing the presence and effectiveness of environmental barriers by taking an active part in the provision of pleasant and safe opportunities for people in a given community to embrace and integrate public health regulations and requirements. The rationale for the facilitation of this role is that community members in that situation will have a tendency of committing their time and energies to initiatives that involve their active participation. For example, my role in eliminating food contamination as an environmental barrier to health could involve ensuring that the processes involved in food handling, processing and packaging and personal and community levels involve the participation of the community members.
Another crucial role in eliminating environmental barriers to health involves coming up with environmental policy programs. Such programs are aimed at influencing changes or improvements in environmental policies developed by the government or concerned authorities in relation to the regulation of environmental operations. In this regard, I would have a critical role to play in encouraging and influencing the concept of public participation with a view of incorporating as many environmental perspectives from the public as possible. The effect of this role in the elimination of the environmental barrier to health will ensure that the environmental policies developed by the government or concerned environmental authorities are able to serve the interests and wellbeing of the community members in a given environment. For example, I could make a difference in improving the health status and quality of life for the members of my community by spearheading programs aimed at encouraging adherence to environmental regulations and health policies such as sanitation and food hygiene.
The elimination of air and water pollutions, which are some of the some of the environmental barriers to health, could require sensitizing members of the public to stop taking part in activities that are likely to encourage contamination of air and water. As such, members of the public would be in a position to embrace the acceptable measure and activities that are friendly to the environment with less or no negative impacts to human health such as the use of green and renewable sources of energy as well as proper management of wastewater. For example, I would take part in developing programs and initiatives whose main objective would be sensitizing members of the public about appropriate measures towards environmental conservation.
Summary and Conclusion
In summing up, it is important to note that there is a critical connection between environmental activities and the health effects of humans and animals dwelling in that particular environment. Despite having human activities that are detrimental to the environment, there are possibilities of coming up with remedial environmental conservation measures. Such measures may include the adoption of renewable sources of energy and panting of more trees and vegetation. Elimination of environmental barriers to health is also a vital consideration towards achieving environmental conservation.
References
Al-Zoughool, M. (2015). Air pollution: health effects and assessment of exposure levels. Reviews On Environmental Health , 30 (3). http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2015-0014
Gothwal, R., & Shashidhar, T. (2014). Antibiotic Pollution in the Environment: A Review. CLEAN - Soil, Air, Water , 43 (4), 479-489. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/clen.201300989
Mackenbach, J. P. (2007). Global environmental change and human health: a public health research agenda. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health , 61 (2), 92–94. http://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2005.045211
