Environmental and Occupational Health Issues in Public Health

With the extremely poor air quality last week, being prepared for the next natural hazard seems obvious. The city of Mill Valley where I live is engaging in creating a resilient community. Mill Valley fire department is helping neighborhoods become FireWise by educating individual home owners and the collective neighborhood on ways to reduce the risk of fire. FireWise is a fire risk reduction program from the National Fire Protection Association. The fire department chief has visited each neighborhood to hold meetings on this topic. Once a neighborhood has implemented the recommendations that include removing certain brush and debris, cutting back on trees, and eliminating all flammable chemicals, it is certified as FireWise by the fire department. With each additional neighborhood contributing to the FireWise program, the overall Mill Valley community becomes safer and more resilient. As a registered nurse, I am a volunteer for the Disaster Healthcare Volunteers. In the case of a ...

Everything concerns me about climate change. As greenhouse gases collect from the over use of fossil fuels and the production of CO2 gas, our planet heats up. This heat gets trapped from the layer of greenhouse gasses and the temperature of our planet increases with each passing year. This warmer temperature melts more glaciers and raises the levels of the oceans causing an increase in massively destructive storms.  I fear what kind of planet we are leaving for our children's future. I am upset that politicians are being bought by industries and not protecting us and our planet. We elect them to represent our best interests and not the interests of industry. Their selfishness is so short sided. If they do nothing, there will be no more need for industries. I fear that with natural disasters, food crop failures, and lack of water will lead to immeasurable human suffering and world war. Our children will have to fight for resources and fight for survival while witnessing massive hu...

Zero Waste in Marin County  All of the cities and towns in Marin joined effort after California passed the  Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989. "The Act established a new approach to managing California’s waste stream and mandated goals of 25 percent diversion of each city and county’s waste from disposal by 1995 and 50 percent diversion by 2000" (Zero Waste Marin, 2018). Since the cities of Marin decided to join effort to decrease waste production in Marin, the public and  private  waste agencies have worked together to develop Marin’s Integrated Waste Management Plan. They also created the programs necessary to meet the mandates of the Integrated Waste Management Plan. In 1996, the partnership forged with the MOU led Marin’s cities and the County to form the Marin Hazardous and Solid Waste Joint Powers Authority (JPA). Marin is currently aiming to reach a zero waste goal by 2025. Each town in Marin offers free composting services and free recycling. In Mi...

It is evident that we all need a chemical policy that priorities safety over production and that we should collaborate with all other countries worldwide. Chemicals are everywhere in our environment- in our water, our soil, and in our air and we are connected by our environment, by the ocean water and air and should work together to improve our health and the health of our environment. The reality remains that if the environment we live in is toxic, then we are too. We should learn from our past mistakes, like the production of PCP is Sweden that lead to health problems of marine animals. Despite a decrease in production, PCP still exists in our oceans and currently greatly threatens the orca whale populations. A chemical policy that keeps us safe is critical. It would be one that would require the following.. safety testing before it is released for use rather than waiting for market testing requires the use of only green chemical  requires current chemicals used in industry...

Pneumoconiosis or Black Lung is a disease caused by exposure to mineral dust, coal dust, asbestos, and silicia. Exposure occurs to miners and workers that are breathing contaminated air in confined spaces without adequate usage of personal protective equipment (PPE). The mineral dust deposits in the lung tissue and overtime, creates spots of dead lung tissue. Symptoms of pneumoconiosis usually begin with a non-productive cough and progresses to shortness of breath. As exposure continues, the lung tissue scars resulting in hypoxia that  eventually leads to death. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has set guidelines and recommendations for a Recommended Exposure Limit for coal miner exposure to coal dust. The NIOSH recommends that coal miners limit their respiratory exposure to coal dust to no more than 1mg/m3 per 10 hr day but no more than 40 hr/week. Coal miners have an increased risk of developing Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis (CWP), Chronic Obstruc...

The World Health Organization (WHO) is engaging in the  Workers' Health: Global Plan of Action to improve the  occupational health services worldwide. According to the WHO, only 15% of the workforce worldwide has access to specialized occupational health services, safe worker training, first aid at the work site, and adequate work related health surveillance.  The WHO encourages countries "to work towards full coverage of all workers, including those in the informal economy, small- and medium-sized enterprises, agriculture, and migrant and contractual workers, with essential interventions and basic occupational health services for primary prevention of occupational and work-related diseases and injuries.”  In addition the WHO believes that primary care services should be enabled to deliver preventive, curative and rehabilitation to workers as needed. A people-centred care approach is recommended to address the specific health needs of workers, especially to t...

T amoxifen Citrate is a chemotherapeutic agent given to women undergoing metastatic breast cancer treatment. The chemical name for Tamoxifen is 2- [4(1Z)-1,2-diphenyl-1-buten-yl)phenoxy]  -N,N-dimethyl-ethanamine. This medication is available in oral tablets or an oral solution and is highly toxic. The MSDS describes Tamoxifen as Category 1A carcinogen and reproductive toxin. It can also cause harm to breastfeeding babies. Safety precautions that should be used when administering this medication include wearing gloves and washing hand after handling it, not breathing it or breaking the tablets, and avoid contact during pregnancy or nursing. If accidentally swallowed, it is advised to call poison control. In addition to ingestion instructions, there are specific instructions on first aid measures in case of inhalation, skin contact, and eye contact.   All nurses are trained to administer medications during their schooling and orientation. In addition, che...