Environmental and Occupational Health Issues in Public Health

Particulate matter contributes to 800,000 premature deaths globally. Mortality has been shown to have been linked to cardiovascular disease shortly after particulate matter exposure (Anderson, Thundiyil, & Stolbach, 2012). In addition to cardiovascular disease, particulate matter exposure exacerbates respiratory illness and increases morbidity and mortality due to pulmonary inflammation that leads to anatomical and physiologic pulmonary changes and decrease lung function. Indoor air quality can often be more toxic and damaging than outdoor air because buildings are more energy efficient and air tight. Toxins in an indoor air environment get trapped can become more highly concentrated than if they were outside. Children are at an increased risk for toxic exposure (Suwanwaiphatthana, Ruangdej, Turner-Hanson, 2010). They breathe more, eat more, and drink more than adults per body weight and they have a faster respiratory rate which can bring in more toxin. Additionally, their growin

Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin processes all of the wastewater of Mill Valley homes and businesses. It is located directly across from Mill Valley Middle School and next to Bayfront Park and bike path. The wastewater flows down the drain into the sewage pipes and into the SASM treatment facility.        Th ere "the wastewater undergoes physical, biological and chemical treatment until it is 95% rid  of solid and organic waste and 100% free of pathogenic bacteria. The final leg of the effluent's journey is conveyed via six miles of pipeline straight to Elephant Rock at Point Tiburon, one of the southernmost points of Tiburon. At that point, a right turn in the pipe sends the water 900  feet out to Raccoon Strait, between Tiburon and Angel Island, where it is discharged into the  San Francisco                                                                    Bay."    - SASM  A small percentage of the processed water is reclaimed and undergoes further treatment. It is

Bottle water is not only costly, but it produces an unnecessary excessive amount of waste...plastic waste which is some of the worst kind. Tap water is cheap, cleaner, and tastes better than bottled water. I would create a campaign to help the public realize the obvious benefits of tap water over bottled water. Tap water is better for us and for the environment. Tap out of this... And tap into tap water. Tap Into It.  Tap water tastes better, it's cheaper, and it's better for you and the environment.

The Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) provides drinking water to southern and central and 75% of the water supply comes from Mt. Tamalpais protected watershed. The protected watershed consists of forested land or underdeveloped rural property. Rainfall flows from these lands into the seven reservoirs. Then the water is treated in one of two water treatment plants and piped in over 900 miles of underground pipes to storage tanks and into our homes and businesses in Marin County. The remaining twenty five percent of Marin's water supply comes from Sonoma County Water Agency collected in Lake Sonoma, Lake Mendicino, and the Russian River. This water is treated in Marin's third water treatment facility. Contaminants detected in the water are at in average ranges including coliform bacteria, copper, lead, haloacetic acids, trihalomethanes, and chloramines.  Trihalomethanes are a group of chemicals that are bi-products from chlorine used to treat water and organic com

The Clean Water Act of 1972 was passed in October of 1972 when Congress overruled a veto of the bill by President Nixon. Remember when Congress held the president's powers in check? Anyway, back to the Clean Water Act of 1972.  It was an addition to an existing bill called the Federal Water Pollution Control Act that was created in 1948. Clean water is essential to healthy living both for our natural environment and for our lives. Before the Clean Water Act, only 1/3 of surface water was clean. Unclean water can lead to gastrointestinal disease, reproductive problems and neurological disorders. The Clean Water Act of 1972 regulated the amount of pollution entering the waterways from industry and agriculture (somewhat) with the initiation of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). Through NPDES, every company with point pollution had to request for a permit before polluting our water ways. Point pollution occurs through pipes or other means or points of entry

Radon is a noble gas that is odorless and could easily go undetected. Unfortunately radioactive radon isotopes increase the risk of cancer those living with long-term exposure. Radioactive radon is a product of decaying uranium and enters the home through soil, bedrock, and into              basements and homes. Radon is the number two cause of lung cancer in the United States. Every household should be aware of their exposure to radon and how to prevent or decrease their exposure.  I would use some of the common social marketing techniques to educate public and encourage healthy behavior change in a public health campaign. A public health campaign requires collaborating with the local health department, creating ad campaigns, collaborating with outpatient offices/clinics in high risk areas and crafting a catchy message. Brochures can be distributed in public health facilities that include information on how to test for and prevent radon exposure. The infographic below is a g

Urea formaldehyde is a chemical that quickly breaks down into two components; urea and formaldehyde. While urea naturally exits and is produced in the human body, formaldehyde is not and is quite toxic. It is a colorless, flammable gas with a strong odor. A common way that formaldehyde enters the home environment is from foam insulation and building materials. It can enter the indoor air environment putting humans at risk. Americans are shown to spend 90% of their lives indoors, so indoor air quality is an important aspect of environmental health. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen and has shown to grown cancerous tumor in the respiratory systems of rats. Symptoms of formaldehyde toxic exposure include irritation of the eyes,                skin, nose, throat, eye damage, lightheadedness, and dizziness. Bleach is comprised of a variety of different chemicals of varying toxicity depending on the type of bleach used. To list a few, bleach can be sodium peroxide, calcium hyp

Many of us may not realize that transportation impacts our health. More specifically, Metro regions with more access to public transportation have lower levels of air pollution including decreased carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and volatile organic compound emissions. Additionally, when people use public transportation, they are more likely to be more physically active because they walk or ride a bike to and from public transportation. People who use public transportation are less likely to be obese than individuals who drive private cars. Also, public transportation has less fatalities and injuries compared to private cars. Accessible public transportation also lowers social inequalities. Public transportation increases job opportunities and the spread of goods and services. Moreover, low income communities are often located close to highways and are exposed to more pollution than higher income communities that do not live close to transportation lines. The more public transpor