ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
What is the relationship between environmental health & our own health?
Name: ______________________________Date: ______________ Period: _______
Environmental Health is the study of how environmental _________ affect human health & our
quality of life. Any factor that threaten of are harmful to human health are called _________.
Environmental hazards can be ___________, social, _____________ or physical.
1.
Biological Hazards: Viruses, _____________, & other organisms in the environment that
cause harm to _____________ are classified as biological hazards. _____________
infect humans & make us ____________.
2. Social Hazards: Hazards that result from where we _________, our jobs or our
___________ choices. Ex: smoking-increases you risk of lung cancer or living beside a
factory where illegal chemicals are being released
3. Chemcial Hazards: Chemicals in the ______________that harm human health. They can
by synthetic or produced by organisms. Ex: disinfectants to clean your ____________
4. Physical Hazards: Physical process that pose threat to our ____________ including
natural _______________. Ex: UV radiation from sun
Epidemiology & Toxicology are two scientific fields that _________ us understand how, where
& to what extent environmental ___________ affect our health.
_____________________ is the study of ____________ in human population.
Epidemiologists are scientist that study how & _____________disease occurs & how to control
them.
Toxicology is the study of how ______________ substances affect an organism’s
____________. A substance’s ______________ determines how harmful a substance is to an
organism.
Toxicity is determined by two _____________:
1) What the ______________ is
2) How much of the substance is needed to cause ____________
Toxicity is determined by ______________the response a substance produces at
____________doses. A ________is the amount of substance an organism is exposed
to. This includes the amount & time exposed. The ___________ is the ___________ an
1
organism show as a result of exposure. The relationship between the different
____________ & the ________________ they generate is called the dose-response
relationship. Determining this relationship is difficult in humans.
Every person is different. Two people can drink contaminated water & have two different
reactions. Below are some reasons why people react differently.
1) Sensitivity: People with _______________ issues may be more sensitive to hazards.
Sensitivity can also vary w/age, sex & ____________. Babies & _________ _________
are more sensitive that adults.
2) Genetics: Many diseases have both ____________ & environmental factors. Environmental
factors can _____________ the risk of developing the disease.
Risk Assessment is the process of __________ the chance that an environmental
__________ will cause harm.
1) Risk is the likelihood that that a given ____________ will cause harm.
2) The process of measuring risk is called _________ ________________.
Hazard
Heart Disease
Annual Risk of Death per
100,000 people
271.0
Motor Vehicle Accident
15.0
Falls
6.0
Illegal drugs
5.6
Rail trespassing accidents
0.15
Being hit by a meteorite
0.04
Lightning
0.016
You encounter biological hazards _______________DAY! Biological hazards are the second
leading cause of death worldwide.
Infectious Diseases are caused by pathogens, such as ___________ & bacteria. Infectious
diseases account for nearly ________ of all deaths each year.
Infectious disease ______________through the human population in different ways.
___________________ can be spread by human, water or _________, or by other organisms.
2
1) Humans – Some disease can be spread _________ from one human to another. For
example: ____________, biting, or contact w/bodily fluids. _________ and ______
are two diseases that can be transmitted from person to person.
2) Water or food – Some pathogens spread when people eat contaminated ________ or
__________. Cholera is disease caused by a _____________ in water. It makes people
sick when they ____________the contaminated water. The person may experience
intense ___________ and ___________. You can ________ from the cholera.
3) Other Organisms – Organism carries the ____________ and passes it to a person. The
organisms do not suffer from the _________ but passes on the _____________ to
humans. ____________ is a disease that is transmitted by this way. A female
__________picks up the pathogen & when it _________ an infected person & then
___________ it when it bites a non-infected person.
Emerging Disease is a disease that has appeared in the ___________ population for the first
time or has existed but is __________ rapidly or spreading around the world. Ex: Swine flu
1) Increasing mobility – people are more _________ so the disease is being spread more
easily
2) Antibiotic resistance - bacteria becoming resistant to the ___________ b/c of
_____________ ____________. Some bacteria survive after being exposed to the
drug. They reproduce & create more bacterial resistant to the antibiotic.
3) Changing environment – When we cut down trees, we may come into contact w/ animals
that spread disease. ____________ ________can also encourage the spread of
disease.
Social Hazards - some can be avoided while other cannot. You might live near an old toxic
waste dump…a hazard difficult to change. You may choose to eat unhealthy foods….a change
__________ can make!
Chemical Hazards – All chemical hazards can be
_
is anything that may
in large enough quantities. A
human health.
3
Chemical Hazard vs. Pollution
Pollution is matter or energy that is
the environment, causing
effects
that impact
, wildlife & other parts of the environment.
Example: oil in poison ivy. This is a chemical
b/c it can cause
rash on humans
but not a pollutant because it doesn’t
the environment.
Types of Chemical Hazards
systems.
hazards can cause cancer, birth defects & improper function of
1) Carcinogens: Chemicals that cause cancer are known
where cells grow uncontrollably. Cancer does have a
influenced by environmental
.
Cancer is a _______
component but can be
2) Chemical Mutagens – are substances that cause genetic changes or
DNA or an organism. Ex: benzene…second hand smoke, gasoline & air pollution
3) Teratogens – are
alcohol
body
in the
that harm embryos & fetuses. Example: thalidomide,
4) Neurotoxins – Chemicals that affect the nervous system.
heavy metals such as lead,
& cadmium.
5) Allergens – Substances that over activate the immune system causing a
one is not necessary. Examples:
, bacteria, animal proteins
are various
when
6) Endocrine Disruptors – is a
that interferes with the endocrine system or
hormones.
regulate our body functions like growth & development.
Small children are at the greatest risk b/c they are developing. Example: PCBs
Indoor Chemical Hazards
Our homes & buildings may contain chemical
including asbestos, radon, volatile
organic compounds, carbon monoxide & lead. Indoor pollution is not always easy to detect.
1) Asbestos is a
that forms long think fibers. It is used as insulation
to muffle sounds and keep heat in. When disturbed, these fibers can be inhaled & may go
into
tissue. This may cause cancer & asbestosis.
2) Radon is a
, odorless, highly toxic radioactive gas. This
is made
naturally when uranium in rock, soil & water decay.
is detected w/a special
kit & can be vented out of the building.
4
3) Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) is a diverse group of
pollutants.
These chemicals contain
and are released into the air by plastics, perfumes
& pesticides. We are unsure how they affect our health b/c we are
to
them in such low levels. Formaldehyde is an exception.
4) Carbon Monoxide is a
& odorless gas. Low exposure can cause
,
nausea, dizziness & fatigue. Higher exposure can impair vision, chest pains, lower brain
function & death. Carbon monoxide can lead from
, car exhaust & tobacco
smoke. You can protect yourself with a carbon monoxide detector.
5) Lead is another indoor hazard.
can be in the air, drinking water,
contaminated soil, dust & lead-based paint. Lead poisoning can lead to learning problem.
When
, lead poisoning can damage the brain, liver, kidneys & stomach.
IDENTIFYING HAZARDOUS PRODUCTS
Hazardous Waste is waste with characteristics that make it _________________to
human health and the ______________________________.
Key Words to Identify Hazardous Products
1. _____________________ - Chemical action can burn or destroy ________________
______________ & other material brought into contact.
2. Ignitable, flammable or __________________________ - easily set on
_______________________
3. Explosive - Explode when exposed to ______________________, sudden shock,
______________________ or certain chemical substances
4. Toxic - Hazardous substance that causes ____________ effects to living things or ______
5
SIGNAL WORDS
Less toxic
More
toxic
Caution
Warning
Danger
Posion
Mild hazard
Moderate hazard
Extremely toxic, corrosive,
flammable
Outdoor Chemical Hazards
There are chemical hazards in the air, on land, and in the
These contaminants
include antibiotics,
, drugs, disinfectants, solvents, perfumes and other
substances.
1) Hazards in the
– Chemicals in the air can travel by
& impact an area
far away from the beginning point. Volcanic eruptions & human activity can release
chemical hazards in the air….such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, etc.
2) Hazards on Land –
hazards can enter the soil in many ways. Using
pesticides put chemicals directly in the land. Also improper disposal of
devices
can add heavy metals like lead in the
.
3) Hazards in Water – Many
are soluble in water and enter the organisms’
_
through drinking or absorption. Chemicals can enter the water in
many different ways. Runoff…water runs off the
& picks up everything
in its path. Hazards can also be released directly into the water.
Toxic chemicals accumulate in organisms as they feed on one another…this is called
_
! When the toxic substance builds up large concentrations in the
bodies of organisms it is called
.
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are the
web & cause adverse health effects for
by water & wind.
Ex. DDT, PCBs
that magnify through the food
. POPs can be carried long distances
The use of POPs has led to an international
. As of 2009,
countries
have signed the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants agreeing to reduce the
use of the top 12 POPs.
6
Natural Disasters
Natural Disasters can affect the
Earthquakes: earth
Landslide: rock and
Tsunami: a large
surface,
due to tectonic
caused by an earthquake at the bottom of the ocean
ash and gases are ________
in which a funnel of air drops down from a storm cloud
Hurricanes: a powerful storm that forms over the
Avalanche: mass of
scraping against one another
slide down a slope usually after an earthquake
Volcano: opening in the Earth’s crust through which
Tornadoes: type of
touches the Earth
lives and property.
in the tropics
sliding down a slope
7
Hazard
Damages
Safety & Preparation
Earthquakes
Volcanoes
Tornadoes
Hurricanes
Thunderstorms
Avalanches
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/earthquakes/
8
How clean is EPHS Air?
Dust Particle Monitoring (15 points)
Data Analysis:
1. Location of label: ___________________________________________
2. Using the magnifying lens, describe what you see on your label?
3. Draw your label & describe whether the coverage of particulates is light, moderate or
heavy.
Circle one: Light
Moderate
Heavy
4. Where are most of the large particles and why?
5. Do you find any evidence of material from plants or animals, or of material that appears
man-made?
6. List three possible pollution sources in the area where your label was?
7. Compare your label with another, how is it different?
8. Estimate the percentage of the label that is covered with pollutants= _________%
9
The Love Canal
Read the following article about a hazardous waste site in the US. Please highlight or underline the important
facts.
Love Canal is a residential district comprised of 36 city blocks in the southeast area of the city of
Niagara Falls, New York. Beghotz Creek borders the neighborhood on the north side, and the Niagara
River borders it on the south. A portion of Love Canal was a dump site for toxic chemicals and waste for
a good part of the 20th century. The chemicals’ damaging effects on nearby residents brought toxic
waste and its potentially devastating dangers to humans to the forefront of global consciousness.
Love Canal was named for William T. Love, who proposed building a canal to connect the two different
levels of the Niagara in order to help the local economy. Only one mile (1.61 kilometers) was completed,
and the plan was scrapped due to economic problems. The city of Niagara Falls purchased the land in
1920, and it was repurposed as a site to dispose of chemical waste. It is rumored that the United States
Army also dumped waste from chemical experiments at Love Canal.
From 1942 to 1953, Hooker Chemical and Plastics Corporation, which purchased the land from the city,
buried nearly 22,000 tons (20,000 metric tons) of toxic waste products at Love Canal. In 1953, the site
was considered to have reached maximum capacity and was closed.
Niagara Falls’ school board needed land to expand and pressured Hooker Chemical to sell an area of the
landfill. They were interested in building a new school on part of the property that had not been used as
a dump site, but bordered it. Hooker Chemical sold the entire property for the low price of one US
Dollar (USD), but included a short disclaimer releasing them from potential liability. The 99th Street
School was built for elementary school students partially on the landfill site.
By the late 1950s, housing was being built in Love Canal, bordering the landfill, and unfortunately, buyers
were not given disclosure of the site's potential hazards. Over the subsequent years, residents of Love
Canal reported strange smells and substances that were appearing on their properties. Local officials
responded by covering the substances with clay and further “securing” the landfill.
It wasn’t until nearly 20 years later that the Love Canal Homeowner’s Association, led by president Lois
Gibbs, a mother of a 99th Street Elementary School student, began to bring the woes of the
neighborhood to the nation’s attention. It would be a three year battle to have the situation rectified by
the government and Hooker Chemical. Residents of Love Canal were suffering from high cancer rates,
birth defects and unexplained illnesses. In previous years, they had had a hard time proving that the
dump site was to blame.
The New York State Department of Health began a study in 1978, which evaluated the air, the soil and a
sampling of residents’ health. The New York State Commissioner of Health issued a public health hazard
10
warning on 25 April 1978, declaring the area hazardous. Residents still faced health problems and could
not sell their houses to move away from the site.
President Jimmy Carter intervened on 7 August 1978, when he issued a declaration of a federal
emergency. Residents were immediately relocated. After much testing and investigation, the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that chemicals had in fact found their way into the
basements and homes of residents and had caused irreversible chromosomal damage and reproductive
issues. This damage contributed to a higher risk of developing cancer, as well as other serious health
issues.
On 21 May 1980, a state of emergency was declared and more than 800 Love Canal families were
permanently moved and paid for their properties. Superfund was created in response to the catastrophe,
and as a result, the parent of Hooker Chemical, Occidental Petroleum, was forced to pay 129 million USD
to rectify the problem.
Source: www.wisegeek.com
Clean-up took over 20 years. The government had studied this area and spent over $3 million testing the
area. In 1998, the nearby areas were deemed safe. People moved back into the area into a new
community called Black Creek Village. The waterway and many homes have been buried under a plastic
liner, clay and soil. The actual waterway is gated and posted as a hazardous site and is permanently off
limits.
Discussion Questions
1. What types of disease and sickness did the people of Love Canal experience?
2. Do you think that the company that did the dumping was held accountable enough? If no, what else would
you require of them?
3. How do you think that dumping could go on for 20 years before it come to the attention of the residents?
4. Would you move into the new Black Creek Village? Give reasons to support your position.
11
Examine the pictures below. Circle possible areas where you might encounter an environmental health concern.
List the specific threat in each circled situation.
Choose one possible environmental health concern from the scenes above. Now write several sentences explaining
the possible effects of that concern on people’s health?
Now spend some time investigating Tox Town. Visit the different sites in Tox Town and answer the
following question. The address for Tox Town is www.toxtown.nlm.nih.gov.
1. Find the school and click on the chemical hotspots. List two of these concerns that you think may have
occurred at EPASD. _____________________________ & _______________________________
2.
How can my dog affect my health?
12
3. You’re planning to buy a new car. What two factors do you need to consider when looking for a car that is
less polluting than some others might be? ___________________________ and _____________________
4. Go to the Port and then click on the beach. Look up healthy swimming and list three things that should
happen at the pool to keep it safe.
a.
__________________________________________
b. _________________________________________
c. _________________________________________
5. Cell phones – list one way in which cell phones can affect your health? __________________________
6. Where is mercury found in hospitals? _______________________________________________
7. List 2 types of products use toluene. ___________________________ and __________________________
8. My skin is dark. Why do I need to be concerned about tanning and burning? Will the sun have any health
effects on me?
9. How do fish get mercury? ______________________________________________________________
10. Does cleaning & cooking fish remove mercury from their system? ________________________________
11. My house was flooded last year, and I still have mold in my house that looks like it covers about 40 square
feet. Should I clean it up myself?
12. My science teacher wants me to do an Earth Day project on local Brownfield. What’s wrong with a
Brownfield and what we can do to clean them up?
Application: Predict at least three risks that might exist in Enola and where.
1. ________________________________________________________________
13
2. ________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________
What’s Under the Sink?
Choose a household product & complete the graphic organizer below.
Go to the following website
Active ingredient:
Harmful Effect to
HUMAN health:
Product Name:
_________________________________
Handling &
Proper disposal
Uses:
First Aid:
Key words to
identify toxicity:
14
ALTERNATIVE NON-TOXIC CLEANERS
Define the following KEY words to identify hazardous products.
1. Flammable or combustible - ____________________________________
2. Explosive or reactive - ________________________________________
3. Corrosive - ________________________________________________
4. Toxic - ___________________________________________________
For household products the following key words are used on the labels. Place the words in order
from less toxic (1) to most toxic (3).
______ danger
_______warning or caution
______poison
Research and find alternative non-toxic replacements for the following hazardous wastes. Must
find a different environmentally friendly or homemade cleaner for each category! Write the
recipe to make the alternative cleaner!!!!
Hazardous product
Non-toxic Alternative
Windex or window cleaner
Toilet cleaner
Furniture polish
Laundry detergent
Pesticides
15
Oven cleaners
Environmental Health Review
Matching: Please choose the best vocabulary word to match the definition.
_____1. How harmful a substance is
A. pathogens
_____2. The amount of a substances an organism is exposed to
B. tornado
_____3. Any chemical that can cause cancer
C. biomagnification
_____4. Group of chemicals that can affect the nervous system
D. lead
_____5. Used for insulation; can cause cancer
E. asbestos
_____6. Can be in the air, water, soil, paint or dust & damages
organs of the body
F. neurotoxins
_____7. Chemical concentrations increases as it moves up
up the food chain
G. dose
_____8. Takes the form of a funnel of rotating air
H. toxicity
_____9. Can include lightning, heavy rain & sometimes hail
I. carcinogens
____10. Disease-causing agent
J. thunderstorm
Fill in the blank. Choose the best word to complete the sentence.
1. Infectious diseases are caused by pathogens, which are ___________________ hazards.
2. ____________________ are chemicals that do not harm adults but do affect the
development of embryos.
3. A disease that appears for the first time is an _____________________ disease.
4. ______________________is the study of disease in human population.
5. The relationship between different doses of chemicals and the responses they generate is
called ____________ ________________________.
6. A mass of snow sliding down a slope is a _______________________.
16
7. A colorless, toxic, radioactive gas is ________________________.
8. A powerful storm that forms over the ocean in the tropics is called a ____________________.
9. A large ocean wave often created by an ocean floor earthquake is a __________________.
10. ___________________ is matter or energy that is released into the environment causing
negative effects.
Short Answer: Please answer the following questions with details!
1. List the four types of hazards & give an example of each.
2. Why do people respond differently to environmental hazards?
3. What are some factors to consider when determining risk assessment?
4. How can infectious disease spread?
5. What helps emerging disease spread?
6. List the six types of chemicals & how they impact humans.
7. Give an example of an indoor & outdoor chemical hazard.
8. What’s the difference between a landslide & an avalanche?
9. What is the relationship between environmental health & our own health?
17
10. During flu season, there are constant reminders to wash your hands. Why is this
important? Suggest something else people could do prevent infection.
SLM
Environmental Health (8 days)
Ecology -Mrs. Sim
PA Standard(s):
4.5.10.E: Describe the impact of occupational exposure to pollutants.
Unit Essential Question(s):
Optional
Instructional Tools:
What is the relationship
between environmental
health & our own health?
Concept
Environmental
Health
Concept
Biology & Social
hazards
Lesson Essential Questions: Lesson Essential Questions:
What is
environmental
health?
Vocabulary:
Environmental health
Hazard
Pathogen
Epidemiology
Toxicology
Toxicity
Dose
Response
Dose-response
relationship
Risk
Risk assessment
How do biological
& social factors in
the environment
affect human
health?
Vocabulary:
Infectious disease
Emerging disease
HS dust monitoring
Smog City 2 Simulation
Pollution Flyer
Disease simulation
Tox Town
What’s Under the Sink
Concept
Concept
Toxic Substances
Natural Disasters
Lesson Essential Questions:
Lesson Essential Questions:
How do chemicals
in our environment
affect our health?
How can physical
events in the
environment affect
our health?
Vocabulary:
Pollution
Carcinogen
Teratogen
Neurotoxin
Asbestos
Radon
Bioaccumulation
Biomagnification
Vocabulary:
Earthquake
Landslide
Tsunami
Volcano
Tornado
Hurricane
Thunderstorm
Avalanche
18
Environmental Health
1) Environmental Health: the study of how environmental factors affect human health & quality of life
2) Hazard: something that threatens or is harmful to human health
3) Pathogen: a disease-causing organism
4) Epidemiology: the study of disease in human population
5) Toxicology: the study of how poisons affect an organism’s health
6) Toxicity: the degree to which a substance is harmful to an organism
7) Dose: the level of exposure to a pollutant or other hazardous substance
8) Response: the effect on an organisms of exposure to a pollutant or other hazardous substance
9) Dose-response: the effect on an organism at different levels of exposure to a pollutant or other hazardous
substance
10) Risk: the probability that a hazard will cause a harmful response
11) Risk assessment: the process of measuring risk
12) Infectious disease: a disease caused by a pathogen
13) Emerging disease: a disease that is appearing in the human population for the first time or that has existed
for a while, but is spreading rapidly.
14) Pollution: matter of energy that is harmful to the environment
15) Carcinogen: a chemical that causes cancer
16) Teratogen: a substance or disease that prevents a fetus or embryo from developing normally
17) Neurotoxin: a chemical that can damage the nervous system
18) Asbestos: a mineral that forms long, thin, microscopic fibers; used as an insulator against heat & sound
19) Radon: a colorless, highly toxic radioactive gas
20) Bioaccumulation: the buildup of large concentrations of poisons in the body.
21) Biomagnification: the increased concentration of pollutants at each step up a food chain.
22) Earthquake: the movement of earth caused by shifting tectonic plates
23) Landslide: the rapid movement of rock & soil sliding down a slope
24) Tsunami: a large ocean wave produced by an earthquake or other disturbance on the ocean floor
25) Volcano: an opening in Earth’s crust through which molten lava, ash & gases are ejected
19
26) Tornado: a type of windstorm in which a funnel of rotating air drops down from a storm cloud & touches
the Earth’s surface
27) Hurricane: a powerful storm that forms over the ocean in the tropics
28) Thunderstorm: a localized storm that produces both lightning & thunder
29) Avalanche: the rapid movement of snow sliding down a slope
20