DESIRE at Tishreen University by Dr. Amal Ibrahim Dayoub

Health, well-being and
Environmental Quality
Dr: Amal Ibrahim Dayoub
Higher Institute of Environmental Research
Tishreen University
SYRIA - LATTAKIA

Tishreen university
Introduction to health, well-being and environmental quality.1:
Environmental Health Indicators and Standards.
7:
The Relationship Between the well-being measures and the Sustainable
Development Indicators (SDIs).
Air Quality.
.
Water Quality and Sanitation.
Food Security and Safety.
Energy and Health
3:
4:
5:
6:
2:
Environment and Sustainable energy.
8:
Chapters:
Health, well-being and Environmental Quality

Chapter I
The quality of life and health of urban dwellers depends strongly
on the quality of the urban environment, functioning in a
complex system of interactions with social, economic, and
cultural factors
Introduction to health, well-being and environmental quality.

1. Our surrounding environment
Environment means the surrounding external conditions influencing
development or growth of people, animal or plants; living or working
conditions etc.
 Environment means Everything that affects us during our lifetime is
collectively known as environment
Definition of environment:

Renewable Resources
Non-Renewable Resources
Continuous Resources
Extrinsis Resources
Environmental Resources:
Environmental indicators through which we can measure the level of
development of a country.
Source: WHO, 2002a,b

2. MAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION
Physical environment directly or indirectly affects our behaviour.
For example, People become more irritable and aggressive when the
weather is hot and humid.
Reciprocal relationship deals with two-way process in which
environment influences human behaviours and human beings affect
environment.

2.1. The human-environment interaction has five major
components:
1. Physical Environment:
such as climate, terrain, temperature, rainfall, flora, fauna, etc
2. Social –Cultural Environment:
such as norms, process of socialization,etc.
3. Environmental Orientations: It refers to the beliefs that people hold about
their environment .
For example: some people hold environment equivalent to God and therefore
they perceive all its aspects with respect and reverance and try to maintain it
in a perfect form.

4. Environmental Behaviour: It refers to the use of environment by people
in the course of social interactions
For example, considering the environment as personal space, where the
individual identifies himself with it.
5. Products of Behaviour: These include the outcomes of people’s actions
such as homes, cities, dams, schools, etc. That is, these are products or
outcomes dealing with the environment.
2.2. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
Throughout natural disasters : by floods, earthquakes, and other.

The effect of human activity (e.g. polluting air) is long-term and
irreversible and will affect the lives of generations that were follow.
2.4. EFFECTS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR ON ENVIRONMENT
In fact, almost every human being adds, through his activities, some
effect that contributes cumul actively and negatively to the environment
we live in
 Whenever, some one drives a scooter, motor cycle or car, uses hair
spray, cooks food, etc. the environment is affected. We do not perceive
the role our simple activities play in degrading our
environment.

Domestic sewage : and run off from agricultural fields,
laden with pesticides
A stone crusher : adds a lot of suspended particulate
matter and noise into the atmosphere
Automobiles :oxides of nitrogen, sulphur dioxide,
carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and a complex
mixture of un burnt hydrocarbons and black soot
which pollute the atmosphere.
Effluents from tanneries: contain many harmful
chemicals and emit foul smel
Source: WHO, 2002a,b
Human activities directly or indirectly affect the environment adversely
EXAMPLES

Tishreen university Source: WHO, 2002a,b
3. Definition of environmental quality and Influence of
environmental factors on quality
The quality of life and health of urban dwellers depends strongly on the
quality of the urban environment,
A complex system of interactions with social, economic, and cultural
factors
Green urban areas play an important role in this context.it is capable
of delivering many environmental, social, and economic benefits:
jobs, habitat maintenance; improved local air quality and recreation,
to name a few.
The benefits of contacts with wildlife and access to safe green spaces
for a child’s exploratory, mental and social development .

Health is generally perceived to be better by people living in more
natural environments, with agricultural land, forests, grasslands or urban
green spaces near the place of residence
The perceived availability of green urban areas has been shown to
reduce annoyance due to noise
Percentage of green urban areas in core cities
The quality of life of urban
citizens and the performance of
cities. It aims to improve the
urban environment, to make it
more attractive and healthier to
live

The environment plays a crucial role in people’s physical, mental and social
well-being. Despite significant improvements, major differences in
environmental quality and human health remain between peoples .
The degradation of the environment, through air pollution, noise,
chemicals, poor quality water and loss of natural areas, combined with
lifestyle changes, may be contributing to substantial increases in rates
of:
4. Linkage between Environment, public health and social inequalities
:
The complex relationships between environmental factors and human
health, taking into account multiple pathways and interactions:

The health map
Better understanding
of differences in the social
distribution of
environmental quality can
be helpful for policy, since
specific population groups,
such as those on low
incomes, children, and the
elderly, may be more
vulnerable
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the environmental burden
of disease in the pan-European region at between 15 and 20% of total
deaths, and 18 to 20% of disability-adjusted life years

There are few references to environmental matters in international human
rights instruments, Although the rights to life and to health are certainly
included and some formulations of the latter right make reference to
environmental issues.
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (16
December 1966), guarantees the right to safe and healthy working
conditions
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (New York, November 20,
1989) refers to aspects of environmental protection in respect to the
child=s right to health
ILO Convention No. 169 concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in
Independent Countries (Geneva, June 27, 1989) contains numerous
references to the lands, resources,
7. International declarations, conventions and treaties.

Chapter 2;
Tishreen university
Environmental Health Indicators and Standards
Existing environmental and public health indicators and Standards,
along with other relevant demographic and economic development
indicators, which are adopted by a number of multilateral
agencies, national governmental bodies and international
nongovernmental organizations

1. Definitions of Environmental Health Indicators and
Benchmarks
2. Human Rights Perspective: Public Policy Factors
3. Screening Process and Applications
4. Preventative and Remedial Indicators
5. Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Indicators and
Benchmarks
6. Environmental Health Performance-Based Indices
7. Structural and Process Indicators of Environmental Health

1- Air Quality
1-1- Kilometers driven per transport
1-2- Consumption of fuel by type from
road transport
1-3 - Consumption of leaded gasoline
1-4- Ambient concentrations of air pollutants (urban): population-
based exposure

1-6- Infant mortality due to respiratory diseases
1-5- Exceedance of the reference concentrations for air pollution:
Reference values (RV)
1-7- Mortality due to respiratory diseases, all ages
1-8- Mortality due to diseases of the circulatory system, all ages:
1-9- Participation in International agreements and Environmental initiatives
:
1-10- Policies to reduce environmental tobacco smoke exposure

2- Housing and Settlements
:
2-1- Living floor area per person:
2-2- Population living in substandard housing
2-3- Mortality due to external causes in
children under 5 years of age:
2-4- Scope and application of building regulations for
housing:
2-5- Land use and urban planning regulations:

3- Traffic Accidents
4- Noise
3-1- Mortality from traffic accidents:
4-1- Population annoyance by certain
sources of noise:
3-2- Rate of injuries by traffic accidents:
4-2- Sleep disturbance by noise:
4-3- Application of regulations,
restrictions and noise abatement
measures:

5- Waste and Contaminated Lands
5-1- Hazardous waste generation
5-2- Contaminated land area
5-3- Blood lead level in children
5-4- Hazardous waste policies
5-6- Municipal waste collection:

6- Radiation
6-1- Cumulative radiation dose:
6-2- UV light index:
6-3- Incidence of skin cancer:
6-4- Topicality of permits on the use
of radioactive substances:
6-5- Effective environmental
monitoring of radiation activity :

7- Water and Sanitation
7-1- Exceedance of recreational water limit values for
microbiological parameters:
7-2- Exceedance of WHO drinking water guidelines for
microbiological parameters:
7-3- Access to drinking water complying with WHO
guideline values :
7-4- Access to safe drinking water:
.

7-5- Supply from public water supplies:
.
7-6- Access to adequate sanitation :
.
7-7- Outbreaks of water-borne diseases :
7-8- Diarrhoea morbidity in children:

8- Food Safety
8-1- Monitoring chemical hazards in food:
potential exposure:
8-2- Food-borne illness:

9- Chemical Emergencies
9-1- Sites containing large quantities of chemicals :
9-2- Mortality from chemical incidents:
9-3- Regulatory requirements for land-use planning:
9-4- Chemical incidents register:
9-5- Medical treatment guidelines:
.
9-6- Government preparedness:
9-7- Emergency Response Guidelines:

10 -Workplace
10-1- Occupational fatality rate:
10-2- Rates of injuries:
10-3- Loss time/injury/illness rate
10-4- Lost work days rate
10-5- Restricted work cases

10-8- Standardised mortality ratio (SMR) by
occupation:
10-6- Over three day injury rate per hundred
thousand employees .
10-7- First aid treatment cases per hundred
thousand employees .
.
10-9- Sickness absence rate:
10-10 - Statutory reports of occupational diseases:

Chapter III
• The Relationship Between the well-being measures and
the Sustainable Development Indicators (SDIs)
1. Identification of the relationship between well-being measures and sustainable
development indicators.
2. Economy SDIs (GDP, long-term unemployment, poverty and knowledge & skills).
3. Society SDIs (life-expectancy, social capital, social mobility, and housing
provision).
4. Environment SDIs (greenhouse gas emissions, natural resource use, biodiversity and
water availability).
5. Well-being indicators (individual well-being, our relationships, what we do, where
we live, personal finance, education and skills, economy, and governance).
Source: Nobel House 17 Smith Square London.2013

 Well-being is currently no longer seen solely in terms of advanced
material living standards and quantitative growth. Instead, the
qualitative aspects and social dimension of modern progress come into
play, including the structural policy and public awareness.
 well-being is a multi-dimensional phenomenon based on the
following key dimensions that should be simultaneously taken into
account:
Material living standards (income, consumption), health, education,
personal activities including work, political voice and governance,
social connections and relationships, environment (present and
future conditions) and uncertainty (economic and physical nature).
Definition of Well-being:

Sustainable development - the concept and definition
Key elements of sustainable development
Economic development is a complex concept that leads to progress (qualitative and
quantitative) of all people living in an area, not just for certain individuals, and it does
not imply improvement in a purely economic sense, but also in the noneconomic
aspects such as environmental protection, social rights, culture, civil society .
The concept of sustainable development is
a social paradigm which undoubtedly
affects the models and forms of behaviour
and thinking at all levels of the modern
society. Therefore, it requires
interdisciplinary scientific research.

Measuring objective well-being
 Objective well-being of a society assumes achieving and sustaining
economic development.
Dimensions of objective well-being
However, it is often called
economic well-being, though it does
not totally correspond with economic
development since the former
depends on both economic and
noneconomic factors as shown below

Economic dimension of objective well-being
 Economic growth measured by GDP is not the only indicator of the economi
dimension of objective well-being.
 There are other economic indicators beside GDP, such as the inflation
rate, unemployment rate and balance of payments (i.e. net exports).
These economic indicators represent four dimensions of the OECD
magic rectangle.
 For years, the primary goal of economic policy was to observe and
quantify economic output.

 The inadequacy of GDP (among other things) in measuring well-being
leads to development of alternative measures of well-being.
Non-economic dimension of objective well-being
 The measurement of the non-economic dimension of economic
development has, in the last 20 years, been characterized by a real
boom of various indicators that aim to complement purely economic
indicators
 The main purpose of that research was to find indicators which
aim to rank or evaluate the performance of a state by analysing
its competitiveness, government, social aspects, human rights,
environment, security and globalization etc.

Economic, social and environmental components of the GPI

Long and short term assessments of economy measures
Economy measures showing improvement include over the long term
include GDP, median income and poverty.
Economic indicators showing improvement in the short term include
human capital and physical infrastructure.
More of the economy measures show deterioration in the short term
than over the long term.
The Sustainable Development Indicators

Long and short term assessments of society measures
Examples of society measures showing improvement are healthy
life expectancy, social mobility, avoidable mortality and infant
health.
Over the short term, the measures for fuel poverty and housing
provision showed deterioration.

1. Economic Prosperity:
Comparisons of GDP, GDP per head and median income
2. Long Term Unemployment
Proportion of economically active adults unemployed for over 12
months by age group
3.Poverty
Proportion of children in low income households
4.Knowledge and Skills Value of human capital (£)

5.Healthy Life Expectancy: Healthy life expectancy at birth
6.Social Capital
Civic participation, social participation, social networks and trust
7. Social Mobility in Adulthood
Proportion of adults in managerial or professional positions by social
background
8. Housing Provision
Annual net additional dwellings

9. Greenhouse Gas Emissions

10. Natural Resource Use
Consumption of raw construction and non-construction
materials
The indicator has two components: construction materials (e.g. sand and gravel) and non-
construction materials (i.e. biomass and minerals). This indicator does not include fossil fuels or
other energy carriers. A reduction in non-renewable resource use, either by switching to
renewable materials from sustainable sources, or from increased resource productivity, would
be a positive outcome.

11. Wildlife
Populations of farmland birds, woodland birds, water and
wetland birds and seabirds

12. Water Use
Abstractions from non-tidal surface waters and ground waters
Water is a vital resource that needs to be managed carefully to ensure both that people have
access to affordable and safe drinking water and sanitation and that industry needs are met,
without depleting water resources or damaging ecosystems.

13. Population Demographics
Population and population growth are key drivers behind many challenges for sustainable
development as population growth increases the pressure on resources and services. Household
projections are an indication of the likely increase in households given the continuation of recent
demographic trends. Household formation may increase the pressure for housing or resources and
services.
14. Debt
Public sector net debt (PNSD) and public sector net borrowing (PSNB)
Public Sector Net Borrowing (PSNB) is a flow measure of the difference between total public
sector receipts and expenditure, while Public Sector Net Debt (PSND) is a stock measure of the
cumulative impact of historic deficits plus financial transactions.

15. Pension Provision
Percentage of eligible workers in a workplace pension
Financial security is an important contribution to personal wellbeing, and pension provision is an
important aspect of a sustainable economy. A lack of adequate pension provision (particularly for
an ageing population) would have long term consequences for the sustainability of public
finances, the economy and society
16. Physical Infrastructure
Asset net worth by structure type
A sustainable economy has to maintain the physical capital needed to support production. This
measure looks at the extent to which the country is improving its stock of fixed capital, as
measured by the value of its tangible asset base. Tangible fixed assets comprise buildings and
other structures (including historic monuments), vehicles, other machinery and equipment
and cultivated assets in the form of livestock and orchards

17. Research and Development
Research and development in cash and real terms
Business innovation and research and development are vital ingredients in raising the
productivity, competitiveness and growth potential of modern economies.
18. Environmental Goods and Services Sector
Sales of low carbon and environmental goods and services
Moving towards a green economy includes developing opportunities and markets for
environmentally oriented goods and services and jobs. The low carbon and environmental
goods and services sector could be a key component of future social and economic prosperity.

19. Avoidable Mortality
Mortality from causes considered avoidable
This indicator presents mortality figures for causes of death that are considered avoidable in the
presence of timely and effective healthcare or public health interventions (avoidable mortality).
Also presented are trends in mortality by causes considered preventable (if the death could be
avoided by public health interventions) or amenable (treatable) to healthcare, which are subsets
of total avoidable mortality.
20. Obesity
Prevalence of overweight or obesity in children and adults
Obesity is one of the most serious risks to health, being linked to diabetes, hypertension, heart
disease and cancer. Overweight children are of particular concern, because when unhealthy
nutritional habits and a sedentary lifestyle are maintained over years the result is obesity.

21. Lifestyles
A healthy and active population is vital to making the country a more sustainable society. Good
diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle can lead to long-term benefits for both health and general
wellbeing. This section presents some example measures relating to lifestyle.
22. Infant Health
Incidence of low birth weight in full term live births
Birth weight can be an important indicator of community health and health inequalities,
which are key issues for the long term health of our society.

23. Air Quality
Days when air quality is moderate or higher
Poor air quality can have effects on health and wellbeing due to both short term and long term
exposure. Individuals with existing heart or respiratory conditions are at greater risk of
experiencing effects when levels of air pollutants rise. The number of days when air quality is
“moderate or higher” is an indicator of how often air pollution is raised to levels when there is an
increased risk of health effects from short term exposure.

24. Noise
Proportion of people making noise complaints
There are a number of direct and indirect links between exposure to noise and health outcomes
such as stress, heart attacks, and other health and wellbeing issues. Complaints about noise are
the largest single cause of complaint to most local authorities and there is evidence that
exposure to noise is a key determinant of health and wellbeing.
25. Fuel Poverty
Number of households living in fuel poverty under the 10 per cent full
income definition
Fuel poverty is a serious problem from three main perspectives: poverty, because high energy
costs can exacerbate difficulties faced by those on low incomes; health and wellbeing, because
it is responsible for a range of issues such as social exclusion, cardiovascular problems and
excess winter deaths; and carbon, because the energy inefficiency of the homes of those living
in fuel poverty is a concern in terms of reducing carbon emissions

26. UK CO2 Emissions by Sector
Carbon dioxide emissions by sector
To limit our impact on the world‟s climate it is important that all sectors emit less carbon
dioxide
27. Energy from Renewable Sources
Proportion of energy consumed in the UK from renewable sources
Exploiting renewable resources will make a strong contribution to our energy needs and
allow us to be less reliant both on other countries and on other non-renewable and less
environmentally sound sources of energy.

28. Housing Energy Efficiency
Average housing energy efficiency rating
More energy efficient dwellings are essential
29. Waste Disposal and Recycling
Household and construction waste
The types of waste we produce, all forms of waste management, and the transport
of waste have impacts on the environment. Waste is a potential resource and increased rates of
reuse, recycling and energy recovery will result in a lower proportion of waste being disposed
of in a way that causes environmental damage.

30. Land Use
Land use by type (context only)
Sustainable use of land is important in delivering development as well as protecting the natural
and historic envirnonment.
31. Origins of Food Consumed
Maintaining a range of supply sources means that any risk to our total food supply is spread,
lowering the impacts of any unforeseen disruptions involving any particular trading partner or
from within our domestic agriculture sector. However, it is important that we do not become too
reliant on food from overseas as we can ensure higher standards while having a lower carbon
footprint by producing food domestically.

32. Water Quality
Biological and chemical quality of rivers
The indicator shows the biological quality of rivers using data from the Water Framework
Directive assessment of water body status. Rivers are assessed as being in „high‟, „good‟,
„moderate‟, „poor‟ or „bad‟ status through a moving three-yearly monitoring programme
33. Sustainable Fisheries
Percentage of fish stocks harvested sustainably and at full reproductive
capacity
Fish are an integral component of marine biodiversity. They are an important element of the
food chain for seabirds, seals and cetaceans and are a very important source of food for
people. Sustainable fisheries will help to ensure our marine ecosystems remain diverse and
resilient and provide a long-term and viable fishing industry.

34. Priority Species and Habitats
Status of priority species
The indicator shows changes in the status of priority species, This is an interim indicator and will
be modified in line with the measure in the Biodiversity 2020

Chapter 4; Air Quality
(Outdoor and indoor pollutants pose significant threat
to health for large segments of human population.
These are discussed, indicators and benchmarks are
recommended).

1.Overview
2.Impact of Air Pollutants on Human Health
3.Outdoor Air Pollutants
4.Indoor air pollution
5. Human Exposure to Air Pollutants
6.Recommended Environmental Indicators and
Benchmarks of Air Quality Atmospheric
Pollutants and Air Quality Standards

AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution is:
A result of industrial and
certain domestic activity. An
ever increasing use of fossil
fuels in power plants,
industries, transportation,
mining, construction of
buildings, stone quarries had
led to air pollution
Air pollution defined as the :
presence of any solid, liquid or gaseous substance including noise and radioactive radiation in the
atmosphere in such concentration that may be directly and indirectly injurious to humans
or other living organisms, plants, property or interferes with the normal environmental
processes.

Air pollutants are
of two types
Suspended particulate
matter,
Gaseous
pollutants like carbon
dioxide (CO2), NOx etc

Railway yard,
Construction
activities
Vehicles
Market place,
industries, etc
Oil refinery
Power plants
Major
source of
SPM

Particulate pollutants
• Fly ash
• Lead and other metals particles
Thermal power plants as by products of coal
burning operations
Fly ash pollutes air and water and may cause
heavy metal pollution in water bodies
Affects vegetation as a result of its direct
deposition on leaf surfaces or indirectly
through its deposition on soil
The lead particles coming out from the
exhaust pipes of vehicles is mixed with air.
If inhaled it produces
Injurious effects on kidney and liver and
interferes with development of red blood cells
Lead mixed with water and food can create
cumulative poisoning. It has long term effects
on children as it lowers intelligence

Oxides of iron, aluminum, manganese, magnesium, zinc and other
metals have adverse effect due to deposition of dust on plants
They create physiological, biochemical and developmental disorders
in plants and also contribute towards reproductive failure in plants.
2.2 Gaseous pollutants
–
Carbon dioxide
Oxides of nitrogen
Sulphur dioxide
Power plants
industries Different types of vehicles use
petrol
Diesel as fuel and release gaseous pollutants such as
Along with particulate matter in the form of smoke

Harmful effectSourcePollutant
 Respiratory problems
Green house effect
Automobile exhaust
burning of wood and coal
Carbon compound
(CO and CO2)
 Respiratory problems in humans
Loss of chlorophyll in plants
(chlorosis)
Acid rain
Power plants and refineries
volcanic eruptions
Sulphur compounds
(SO2 and H2S)
 Irritation in eyes and lungs
 Low productivity in plants
 Acid rain damages material (metals
and stone)
Motor vehicle exhaust
atmospheric reaction
Nitrogen Compound
(NO and N2O)
 Respiratory problem
Cancer causing properties
Automobiles and
petroleum industries
Hydrocarbons
(benzene, ethylene)
 Poor visibility, breathing problems
Lead interfers with the
development of red blood diseases
and cancer
Smoge (skoke & fog) formation
leads to poor visibility and aggravate
asthma in patients
Automobiles and
petroleum industries
Thermal power plants,
Construction activities,
metalurgical processes
and automobiles
SPM (Suspended
Particulate Matter)
(Any soild and liquid)
particles suspended
in the air, (flush, dust
lead)
Lung disordersTextiles and carpet weaving
industries
Fibres (Cotton, wool)

Poor ventilation due to faulty design of buildings leads to pollution
Paints, carpets, furniture, etc. in rooms may give out volatile organic
compounds (VOCs)
Use of disinfectants, fumigants, etc. may release hazardous gases.
In hospitals, pathogens present in waste remain in the air in the
form of spores.
This can result in hospital acquired infections and is an occupational
health hazard.
Prevention and control of air pollution
(i) Indoor air pollution

Running nose, Cough, Sore throat
Lung infection,
Asthama
Difficulty in breathing Noisy respiration and wheezing.
Children and ladies exposed to smoke may suffer from acute respiratory
problems which include:
Indoor air pollutants
Clean air is a basic requirement of life. The quality of air inside homes, offices,
schools, day care centers, public buildings, health care facilities or other private
and public buildings where people spend a large part of their life is an essential
determinant of healthy life and people’s well-being

Use of wood and dung cakes should be replaced by cleaner fuels such as
biogas, kerosene
Improved stoves for looking like smokeless chullahs have high thermal
efficiency and reduced emission of pollutants including smoke.
The house designs should incorporate a well ventilated kitchen.
Use of biogas and CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) need to be encouraged.
(ii) Prevention and control of indoor air pollution
Indoor pollution due to decay of exposed kitchen waste can be
reduced by covering the waste properly.
Segregation of waste, pretreatment at source, sterilization of rooms will
help in checking indoor air pollution.

Industrial pollution can be greatly reduced by:
(A) Use of cleaner fuels such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) in power
plants, fertilizer plants etc. which is cheaper in addition to being
environmentally friendly.
(B) Employing environment friendly industrial processes so that emission
of pollutants and hazardous waste is minimized.
(C) Installing devices which reduce release of pollutants. Devices like filters,
electrostatic precipitators, inertial collectors, scrubbers, gravel bed filters or
dry scrubbers are described below:
(iii) Prevention and control of industrial pollution

• Increasing the height of chimneys.
• Closing industries which pollute the
environment.
• Shifting of polluting industries away from
cities and heavily populated areas.
• Development and maintenance of green
belt of adequate width.
Apart from the use of above mentioned devices, other control
measures are:

Control of vehicular pollution
• The emission standards for automobiles have been set which if
followed will reduce the pollution.
• motor vehicles need to obtain Pollution Under Control (PUC)
certificate at regular intervals. This ensures that levels of pollutants
emitted from vehicle exhaust are not beyond the prescribed legal
limits.
• The price of diesel is much cheaper than petrol which promotes use
of diesel. To reduce emission of sulphur dioxide, sulphur content in
diesel has been reduced to 0.05%.
• Earlier lead in the form of tetraethyl lead was added in the petrol to
raise octane level for smooth running of engines. Addition of lead in
petrol has been banned to prevent emission of lead particles with the
vehicular emission.

The stratosphere has an ozone layer which protects the earth’s surface
from excessive ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun.
Chlorine from chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used for
refrigeration, air conditioning, fire extinguishers, cleaning solvents, aerosols
(spray cans of perfumes, medicine, insecticide) cause damage to ozone layer
Reaching the ozone (O3) layer split the ozone
molecules to form oxygen (O2
There has been a reduction of ozone umbrella or shield over the Arctic
and Antarctic regions.
OZONE HOLE-CAUSES AND HARM DUE TO OZONE DEPLETION

This permits passage of UV radiation on earth’s atmosphere which causes
sunburn, cataract in eyes leading to blindness, skin cancer, reduced
productivity of forests, etc
Environmental and health effects:
Under the “Montreal Protocol” amended in 1990 it was
decided to completely phase out CFCs to prevent damage of
ozone layer.

GLOBAL WARMING AND GREENHOUSE EFFECT
Atmospheric gases like carbon dioxide,
methane, nitrous oxide, water vapour,
and chlorofluorocarbons are capable of
trapping the out-going infrared radiation
from the earth.
Infra-red radiations trapped by the earth’s surface cannot pass through
these gases and to increase thermal energy or heat in the atmosphere.
Thus, the temperature of the global atmosphere is increased.

 Noise by definition is “sound without value” or “any noise that is
unwanted by the recipient”.
 Noise in industries such as stone cutting and crushing, steel forgings ,
loudspeakers, shouting by hawkers selling their wares, movement of
heavy transport vehicles, railways and airports
 leads to irritation and an increased blood pressure, loss of temper,
decrease in work efficiency, loss of hearing which may be first temporary
but can become permanent in the noise stress continues
 Noise level is measured in terms of decibels (dB)
 W.H.O. (World Health Organization) has prescribed optimum noise level as
45 dB by day and 35 dB by night. Anything above 80 dB is hazardous
NOISE POLLUTION

Prevention and control of noise pollution
Following steps can be taken to control or minimize noise pollution-
• Road traffic noise can be reduced by better designing and proper maintenance of
vehicles.
• Noise abatement measures include creating noise mounds, noise attenuation walls and
well maintained roads and smooth surfacing of roads.
• Retrofitting of locomotives, continuously welded rail track, use of electric locomotives
or deployment of quieter rolling stock will reduce noises emanating from trains.
• Air traffic noise can be reduced by appropriate insulation and introduction of noise
regulations for take off and landing of aircrafts at the airport.
• Industrial noises can be reduced by sound proofing equipment like generators and
areas producing lot of noise.
• Power tools, very loud music and land movers, public functions using loudspeakers,
etc should not be permitted at night. Use of horns, alarms, refrigeration units, etc. is to
be restricted. Use of fire crackers which are noisy and cause air pollution should be
restricted.
• A green belt of trees is an efficient noise absorber.

 Radiation pollution is the increase in over the natural background
radiation.
 There are many sources of radiation pollution such as nuclear wastes
from nuclear power plants, mining and processing of nuclear material
etc
 Radiation is a form of energy travelling through space. The radiation
emanating from the decay of radioactive nuclides are a major
sources of radiation pollution.
 Radiations can be categorized into two groups namely the non-
ionizing radiations and the ionizing radiations.
RADIATION POLLUTION: SOURCES AND HAZARDS

Electromagnetic radiations such as short wavelength ultra violet
radiations (UV), X-rays and gamma rays and energetic particles
produced in nuclear processes, electrically charged particles like
alpha and beta particles produced in radioactive decay and neutrons
produced in nuclear fission, are highly damaging to living organisms.
Electrically charged particles produced in the nuclear processes can have
sufficient energy to knock electrons out of the atoms or molecules of the
medium, thereby producing ions. The ions produced
in water molecules
can induce reactions that can break bonds in proteins and other
important molecules
harmful effects
For example

The biological damage caused by the radiation is determined by the:
intensity of radiation and duration of the exposure.
It depends on the amount of energy deposited by the radiation in the
biological system.
In studying the effects of radiation exposure in humans, it is
important to realize that the biological damage caused by a particle
depends not only on the total energy deposited but also on the rate of
energy loss per unit distance traversed by the particle (or “linear energy
transfer”). For example, alpha particles do much more damage
per unit energy deposited than do electrons.
Radiation dose

A traditional unit of human-equivalent dose is the rem, which stands
for radiation equivalent in man.
At low doses, such as what we receive every day from background
radiation (< 1 m rem), the cells repair the damage rapidly. At higher
doses (up to 100 rem), the cells might
Not be able to repair the damage, and the cells may either be changed
permanently or die. Cells changed permanently may go on to produce
abnormal cells when they divide and may become cancerous.
At even higher doses, the cells cannot be replaced fast enough and
tissues fail to function. An example of this would be “radiation
sickness.” This is a condition that results after high
doses is given to the whole body (>100 rem).
Radiation effects and radiation doses

Chapter 5; Water Quality and Sanitation
The lack of clean water resources and sanitation facilities, looms
as one of the most serious environmental health problems,
especially those living in developing regions. These issues,
indicators and Standards are discussed)

World Health Organization 2014
Improving maternal health
Increasing school attendance, to ensuring environmental
sustainability.
1- Introduction
Safe and sufficient drinking-water, along with adequate sanitation
and hygiene have implications across all Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) from:
Eradicating poverty and hunger
Reducing child mortality
Combating infectious diseases

Investing in water and sanitation yields benefits at many levels across
sectors
Note:
The latest WHO WASH burden of disease report confirms the
importance of enabling universal access to basic WASH. Raising service
levels to safe and continuous water supply and connection to a sewerage
system, protecting entire communities from faecal exposure, could
significantly reduce diarrhoeal diseases up to 70%
Include millions of children saved from premature death and
illness related to malnutrition and preventable
Water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea
Better maternal health and care for newborns;
Adults in general living longer and healthier lives
;
Health
benefits

Quality of
life benefits
Improved school attendance and completion,
especially for girls
Include time saved searching for and carrying water and using
distant or unsafe facilities
Fewer days lost in the home, at school or work due to
preventable sickness
Greater comfort, privacy and safety, especially for women,
children, the elderly
And people living with disabilities; a greater sense of dignity and
well-being for all.

Economic
benefits
include an overall estimated gain of 1.5% of global GDP
And a US$ 4.3 return2 for every dollar invested
in water and sanitation services due to reduced health
care costs for individuals and society
Greater productivity and involvement in the
workplace through better access to facilities, especially
for women in the workforce;
Opportunity for growth of new industries, such as
infrastructure, disposal and use of human waste and
materials supply.

Environmental
benefits
e.g. faecal sludge for fertilizer or biogas generation; opportunities
to expand tourism due to a cleaner environment and lower
health risks.
Include reduction in pollution of water
resources and land
Positive impact on inland and coastal fisheries,
water ecosystems more broadly, and land
values; potential for nutrient reuse,

Water pollution is one of the most serious environmental problems.
Agricultural run off laden with excess fertilizers and pesticides.
Industrial effluents with toxic substances and sewage water with
human and animal wastes pollute our water thoroughly.
Natural sources of pollution of water are soil erosion, leaching of minerals
from rocks and decaying of organic matter
WATER POLLUTION PROPLEM
Water pollution is caused by a variety of human activities such as

• Pesticides like DDT and others used in agriculture may contaminate water
bodies. Aquatic organisms take up pesticides from water get into the food
chain .
• Metals like lead, zinc, arsenic, copper, mercury and cadmium in industrial
waste waters adversely affect humans and other animals.
• Pollution of water bodies by mercury causes Minamata disease in humans
and dropsy in fishes. Lead causes displexia, cadmium poisoning causes Itai –
Itai disease etc.
• Oil pollution of sea occurs from leakage from ships, oil tankers, rigs and
pipelines. Accidents of oil tankers spill large quantity of oil in seas which kills
marine birds and adversely affects other marine life and beaches.
Sources of water pollution
A- Pollution due to pesticides and inorganic chemicals

Generally groundwater is a clean source of water. However, human activities
such as improper sewage disposal, dumping of farm yard manures and
agricultural chemicals, industrial effluents are causing pollution of ground
water.
• ‘Eu’ maens well or healthy and ‘trophy’ means nutrition. The enrichment
of water bodies with nutrients causes entrophication of the water body.
Discharge of domestic waste, agricultural surface runoff, land drainage and
industrial effluents in a water body leads to rapid nutrients enrichment in a
water body
Ground water pollution
Eutrophication

The excessive nutrient enrichment in a water body encourages the growth
of algae duckweed, water hyacinth, phytoplankton and other aquatic
plants
The biological demand for oxygen (BOD) increases with the increase
in aquatic organisms
As more plants grow and die, the dead and decaying plants and organic
matter acted upon by heterotrophic prtozoans and bacteria.
Environmental effects of eutrophication:

Releasing offensive smell and makes the water unfit for human use.
The sudden and explosive growth of phytoplankton and algae impart
green colour to the water is known as water bloom, or “algal blooms
These phytoplankton release toxic substances in water that causes
sudden death of large population of fishes

The sewage water can be treated to make it safe for disposal into water
bodies like rivers, lakes etc. The treatment involves three stages:
primary, secondary and tertiary.
This treatment of waste water or sewage is carried out in effluent
treatment plants especially built for this purpose. The residue obtained
from primary treatment one known as sludge.
Methods for control of water pollution and water - recycling

Human health can be affected through a lack of access to safe drinking
water, inadequate sanitation
The consumption of contaminated freshwater and seafood, as
well as exposure to contaminated bathing water.
The bio-accumulation of mercury and some persistent organic
pollutants
The Drinking Water Directive (DWD) sets quality standards for
water ‘at the tap’ ( 36en ).
The majority of the European population receives treated drinking
water from municipal supply systems. Thus, health threats are infrequent
and occur primarily when contamination of the water source coincides
with a failure in the treatment process.
Improved water quality

Chapter 6; Food Security and Safety
(Having secure access to safe, affordable, and nutritious
food is one of the most fundamental requirements of
survival of a community, and thus constitutes a basic human
right. Food security and food safety are presented,
recommendations and guidelines are provided).

SOURCE:Unnevehr,2003
Food safety is receiving heightened attention worldwide as the
important links between food and health are increasingly
recognized.
Improving food safety is an essential element of improving food
security, which exists when populations have access to sufficient
and healthy food.
Governments in many countries have established new institutions,
standards, and methods for regulating food safety and have increased
investments in hazard control.
INTR0DUCTION:

Unsafe food contains hazardous agents, or contaminants, that can make
people sick.
Such contaminants can enter food at many different points in the food
production process, and can occur naturally or as the result of poor or
inadequate production practices.
Hazardous agents that are receiving attention from policymakers include
microbial pathogens, zoonotic diseases, parasites, mycotoxins, antibiotic
drug residues, and pesticide residues.
Genetically modified foods and their potential to contain allergens or
toxins not found in conventional foods have begun to receive attention
as well.
WHAT IS FOOD SAFETY?

Some food safety risks are greater in developing countries, where poor
sanitation and inadequate drinking water pose greater risks to
human health than in developed countries
The World Health Organization estimates that about 70 percent of
the approximately 1.5 billion episodes of diarrhea occurring globally
each year have been caused by biologically contaminated food.
 Other risks, such as mycotoxins and food-borne parasites, are also
more common in developing countries than in developed ones.
Certain food safety hazards are closely linked with sanitation, water
supply, food preparation, and marketing of food

Food safety is receiving increased attention due to several worldwide
Worldwide trends affecting food systems.
The growing movement of people, live animals, and food products
across borders;
Rapid urbanization in developing countries; increasing numbers of
immune-compromised people.
Changes in food handling and consumption.
Changes in food handling and consumption.
The emergence of new or antibiotic-resistant pathogens all contribute
to increasing food safety risks.
WHY IS FOOD SAFETY RECEIVING GREATER ATTENTION?

Food Safety and Food Security
Different perspectives exist on how food safety issues relate to
global concerns about food security.
Food safety is receiving too much attention relative to its importance for
food security. In this view, global attention to the issue emanates from the
concerns of high-income consumers and producers in the developed world.
And does not truly reflect the most compelling food safety issues in
developing countries.
WHAT ARE THE POLICY ISSUES FOR THE GLOBAL FOOD SYSTEM?

Food Safety and Food Trade
How food safety relates to food security is also at issue both for
developing countries seeking to export food and for World Trade
Organization (WTO) members negotiating to expand
food trade.
On the one hand, developing countries want to increase agricultural
exports for rural income generation and poverty alleviation.
Meeting food safety standards is part of successfully developing
export markets.
The increasingly stringent regulations in developed countries have
raised the bar for food safety and quality—a bar that some
developing countries have not been able to reach, leading to their
exclusion from major export markets.

Mycotoxins are produced by fungi, commonly known as mold
These toxins can develop during production, harvesting, or storage of
grains, nuts, and other crops.
Mycotoxins are among the most potent mutagenic and carcinogenic
substances known.
These chronic health risks are particularly prevalent in developing
countries. In addition, mycotoxins can be present in livestock feed,
reducing productivity in meat and dairy production.
FOOD SAFETY IN FOOD SECURITY AND FOOD TRADE
A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM

HEALTH IMPLICATIONS
Aflatoxins, DON, fumonisins, and ergot alkaloids have been implicated in
acute mycotoxicosis (the result of consumption of high levels of
mycotoxins over a short period of time) in both humans and farm
animals.
Epidemiological studies carried out in several parts of Africa and Asia
indicate a correlation between exposure to aflatoxins and primary liver
cancer.
Risks associated with exposure to aflatoxins are enhanced by
simultaneous exposure to the hepatitis B and possibly hepatitis C
viruses

PREVENTION OF THIS PROPLEM
Intervention strategies to reduce exposure to mycotoxins can be undertaken
at the individual or community level.
Individuals can attempt to change their diets to avoid risky foods such
as maize.
Physical sorting of contaminated grains or nuts could also be useful.
The use of the chemicals oltipraz and chlorophyllin could reduce exposure
to aflatoxins.
At the Individuals level:

Source: Bozkurt , 2010
Chapter VII
Environment and Sustainable energy
1. Social and Economic Dimensions
2. Conservation and Management of Resources for
Development
3. Strengthening the Role of Major Groups
4. Means of Implementation

One of our most important needs of which
consumption increases continuously and will
definitely continue to increase in future is
undoubtedly the energy.
Introduction
Rapid development in technology and industry in
recent years causes increase in environmental
problems
The main problems resulting from solid wastes that
are not removed regularly are: epidemic diseases,
spreading of unpleasant odors, reproduction of pests
like flies, rats etc
For this reason, European policy objectives to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by 20% and ensure 20% of
renewable energy sources in the European Union (EU)
energy mix; to reduce EU primary energy use by 20%
at the end of 2020

Energy Resources
The energy need of world rapidly grows by consuming all the stock of
energy resources in nature.
When the effects of the petroleum crises in 1970’s and the gulf war in
1991on petroleum reserves are considered,
The effects of fuels on environment after they are processed, to get
benefit from the energy resources in the best and most effective ways in
a manner to produce the least waste becomes very important.
It is clear that there is not any other option for all the world to use the
reserves in hand in the best way and direct towards to new
energy resources.

Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels are also known as mineral fuels. They are the natural
energy resources like coal, petroleum and natural gas that contain
hydrocarbon
The economical growth of industrialized modern societies depends
on energy benefiting base they obtained from fossil fuels.
At present, 80% of the world’s energy need is met from fossil fuels
like coal, petroleum or natural gas. These resources that are
intensive in some definite areas of world exist in various forms.
The human being has learned to take out such resources in
different methods and obtained the energy they desire.

In electric production, the energy that comes out through combustion
of fossil fuel is transmitted to a turbine as power.
Fossil fuels are widely used in the industrial area
The fossil fuels are widely used in houses, commercial and industrial
sectors, heat production and production of electric energy
Uses of fossil fuels
In transportation sector, mostly petroleum products (gasoline, diesel
oil, jet fuel etc) are preferred.
The heat production, space heating, is used for cooking, hot water,
vapor production, direct heating or drying of many industrial products.

Why the fossil fuels like coal, petroleum and natural gas cause
climate change
Is that sera gases such as CO2 and
methane resulting from the
combustion process keep heat in their
structure.
Sera gases resulting from the fossil
fuels cause keeping of some part of
the heat in atmosphere. In this
manner, the world begins to heat and
change the climate.
Global Warming
Effects [%]
Greenhouse Gas
50Carbondioxide
(CO2)
22Chlorofluorocarbo
ns (CHF)
13Methane (CH4)
5Nitrogen Oxides
(NOX)
7Ozone (O3)
3Water Vapor (H2O)
Table 1 Greenhouse gases and global warming
effects

 The hydroelectric power plants have climatic, hydroelectric,
ecological, socio-economical and cultural effects
Surface area of a reservoir is wider than a river and as the vaporizing
increases
Climatic effects occur. In this manner, humid rate in air increases, air
movements change and temperature, raining and
wind events differ.
The flora and animal living both on land and in water of the region
enter into sudden changing
Source: Bozkurt, 2010
Energy Resources and their effects of environment
Effects of Hydroelectric Power Plants on Environment
The water power is considered as an energy resource related to the
geographical location. As we all know, electric is produced in barrages by
using the water force.

Effects of Thermal Power Plants on Environment:
The thermoelectric power production is made generally by using
coal, petroleum and natural gas fuels.
Only 30-40% of the energy produced in thermal power plants can
be converted to electric energy.
The remaining part is called as “fault energy” and comes from its
boiler with radiation or discarded from funnel together with funnel
gas.
One of the most important environmental effects of thermal power
plants is related to cooling water and the cooling water need of
thermal power plants is great.

The gases that come out from funnel of thermal power plants and
greatly affect the flora are dioxide and azoth oxides.
The environmental effects resulting from the energy resources used in
thermal plant plants are as follows;
1. Air pollution
2. Water pollution
3. Soil pollution
4. Effects of thermal power
plants on living
beings.
5. Their effects on land use.

Effects of Nuclear Power Plants on Environment:
The effects of nuclear plants on environment appear during taking out
of uranium and thorium, preparation of fuel, production, enriching,
retreatment of fuel, storing and detaching of reactors.
The biggest effect of nuclear plants on environment is emission of a
radioactive matter in environment as a result of an accident.
Gases and liquid radioactive wastes from nuclear plants cause
significant environmental effects.
Radiation contaminated to water, soil and air taking medium effects
the environment and human health.

Effects of renewable energy sources on environment
The top priority resources in the world’s energy production are the
renewable energy resources like petroleum, natural gas and coal.
The energy resource most
commonly used in the world is
petroleum. The mine coal of
which usage increasingly decrease
takes place in the second row and
natural gas of which production
and consumption rapidly increase
in the third row.

The EU prepares the document entitled “The White Paper” which states
out the future directives for the member countries (differentiated by
each country’s non-polluting energy potential) consequently that until
2022, about 15% of the energetic requirements to be contended by
nonpolluting renewable resources
Geothermal Energy
It is defined as hot water, vapor and gases arising from the heat
accumulated in various depths of the earth crust and of which
temperatures are above the atmospheric temperature
The geothermal energy is the heat potential accumulated extraordinarily
in accessible depths of the earth crust that can be benefited
economically. This energy is a clean renewable energy.

When geothermal energy is used in electric production, it comes before fossil
fuels with its almost zero waste even though it is only evaluated with sulfide
emissions.
The waste fluid of which energy is benefited is re-injected to underground
because of its negative environmental effects
Among the advantages of geothermal energy
there are; it is environment friendly, it does
not need fossil energy to heat and vaporize
water and it uses natural resources.
One of the disadvantages of geothermal energy is
that it requires re-injection because of emission of
gases like hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide.
Effects on environment
Direct using of geothermal in the world
(non-electrical)

The wind energy is one of the clean energy resources and has positive
effects on environment. A 500kW wind turbine realizes the CO2 cleaning
process equal to 57000 trees.
The wind energy is a clean energy resource that may contribute to the
usual energy production as an energy resource under suitable conditions
Energy to be obtained from wind completely depends on the speed of
wind and blowing period.
Harmful effects on environment
The wind plants may require a wide
area for turbines.
They are noisy and cause bird deaths and make
parasites on radio and TV receivers.
The Wind Energy

Solar energy
The solar energy is clean, costless and limitless. Firstly, the solar energy
was used as heat energy but in recent years, it is also being used as an
electric energy together with the developed technology.
The electric energy is being obtained by means of solar panels and
photovoltaic (PV) cells with decreasing costs day by day.
The conventional PV generation systems have two big problems that
the efficiency of PV system is very low, especially under low irradiation
states and the output available power of PV system is always changing
with weather conditions

Source: Bozkurt, 2010
The solar energy is inconsumable energy resource that does not
cause environment pollution.
Among the advantages of solar energy, it uses solar energy, prevents
unnecessary and excessive commercial energy consumptions of buildings
by using the natural heating and cooling systems
Uses natural and harmless materials, meets the energy need in areas
lack of electric network, is continuous, economical and not foreign
dependent.
The disadvantages of solar energy are
Advantages solar energy
Its first investment cost is very high and PV cells operating in low output.
Effect of planar collector systems on environment is in negligible level. However, in
some conditions, there may be dangerous situations in respect to health because of high
temperatures and poisonous heat transformation fluids

Tishreen university
preparing food warming homes Powering travel producing goods
The history of human culture,”wrote the progressive development of new energy sources and
their associated conversion technologies
Indeed, the control of wood fires for cooking arguably is the fundamental transformation
that made humans distinct from other primates
Energy use is central to human activity
Later: water and wind were
tapped as energy sources.
Burning animal products, such as
whale oil, was important for a
time.
Source: Smith et al., 2013
CHAPTER 8: Energy and Health

the idea that increasing development and wealth are marked by the use of progressively cleaner
fuels processed farther from the point of use
Geography, and other factors
Energy availability is not the only driver of development; but it also
play central roles of:
Education and Labor markets, Women’s rights, Financial institutions,
Physical infrastructure,
Total energy use is related to population growth and
economic output
The amount of energy used, as well as the quality of
energy, drives economic productivity
Tishreen university

Population metrics such as infant mortality and life expectancy improve until levels of
¡«2,000¨C3,000 kg of oil equivalent per person per year
Energy availability is also associated with health at the household level, reflected in
the terms “energy security” and “energy poverty”.
A family’s probability of
having enough energy to cook
food, heat the home during
cold weather, and cool the
home during warm weather
financial hardship in
affording energy for these
basic uses
Energy security, at the household level, refers to:
Energy poverty (or fuel poverty), conversely,
refers to
As with economic development, more energy use is associated with better
health?
Source: Smith et al., 2013Tishreen university

Health impacts of energy are not limited to injuring people through direct mechanical and
physical means.
Throughout the energy life cycle, from initial fuel collection to energy production to disposal of
waste products, adverse consequences may arise
In general, the pattern of energy risks follows that of the “environmental risk transition”:
Energy is a health issue.
Household risks predominate in poor societies.
Community-level risks predominate in middle income
societies.
And higher income societies contribute most to global
Tishreen university

Figure: Shows pathways linking energy and health, distinguishing primary energy sources and the fuel
cycles through which they are gathered and used to generate energy, from intermediate secondary
energy forms such as electricity, and from end-use energy services such as transportation. Each stage
has associated adverse health impacts

Figure : Depicts world energy consumption since the mid-nineteenth century. The largest energy
sources used by humanity are the fossil fuels—petroleum, coal, and natural gas—so named because
they were formed over millions of years from organic matter such as plants (and therefore represent
stored solar energy). Biomass (wood, agricultural residues, peat, and animal dung) accounts for a smaller
percent of all energy but serves the energy needs of much of the world’s population.
Electricity does not appear in Figure 2 because it is a secondary energy source, formed mostly from
combustion of fossil fuels, from nuclear reactions, and from falling water (in hydroelectric plants).

HOUSEHOLD ENERGY
Patterns of Household Fuel Use
Exposure to Household Fuel Combustion Products Poor households often burn fuel
in inefficient, insufficiently vented combustion devices
Resulting in considerable waste of fuel energy and emission of toxic products from
incomplete combustion
The amounts and
relative proportions of
the various pollutants
generated by solid fuel
combustion depend
on a number of factors
including :
Fuel type
and moisture content,
stove technology,
andoperator behavior
Tishreen university Source: Smith et al., 2013

Known toxicologic characteristicsPollutant
Bronchial irritation, inflammation, increased reactivity,
reduced mucociliary clearance, reduced macrophage
response, increased cardiovascular mortality
Particulates (PM10,
PM2.5)
Reduced oxygen delivery to tissues owing to formation of
carboxyhemoglobin; can be acutely fatal
Carbon monoxide
Bronchial reactivity, increased susceptibility to bacterial
and viral lung infections
Nitrogen dioxide
Bronchial reactivity (other toxic end points common to
particulate fractions
Sulfur dioxide
Carcino genicity
Co-carcinogenicity
Mucus coagulation, cilia toxicity
Increased allergic sensitization
Increased airway reactivity
Organic air pllutants:
Formaldehyde
1,3 butadiene
Benzene
Acetaldehyde
Phenols
Pyrene, Benzopyrene
Benzo(a)pyrene
Dibenzopyrenes
Dibenzocarbazoles
Cresols
Table 1 Pollutants from combustion of biomass and fossil fuels.
High levels of emissions in small, poorly ventilated rooms result in elevated
household pollution concentrations and lead to Significant exposures.

Although particles and carbon
monoxide are the most commonly
measured pollutants.
A range of other products of
incomplete combustion is found in
solid fuel smoke, including oxides of
nitrogen, phenols, quinones/
semiquinones, chlorinated acids
such as methylene chloride, and
dioxins.
Additionally,
combustion of coal may
release sulfur
oxides, heavy metals,
arsenic, and fluorine
A typical solid fuel stove converts 6–20% of fuel into toxic substances. Animal studies
indicate that at least 28 pollutants present in solid fuel smoke are toxic, including some
14 carcinogens and 4 cancer promoters.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified emissions from
household coal combustion as “carcinogenic to humans

Health Effects of Household Fuel Combustion
Cardiovascular disease, Cataracts, and lung cancer in adults.
Although cardiovascular disease has not been tracked directly in
these settings, other combustion
Particle studies (outdoor air pollution, Environmental tobacco
smoke, And active smoking) strongly suggest a major impact from
combustion of household fuels as well
pneumonia in children younger than five, and chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease(COPD),
The 2010 Global Burden of Disease assessment includes a calculation
of the health burden of HAP from solid fuel use for selected diseases
with sufficient evidence:

 Household access to modern, low-emissions heating/cooling
technologies;
 Energy access at community health facilities – particularly for
reliable electricity;
 Health burden from air pollution-related diseases and injuries;
 Health equity impacts of energy policies – access of poor and
vulnerable populations;
 Clean electricity generation across the energy supply chain – in
terms of reduced pollution; greater efficiencies and reliance on
renewable energy sources.
Some key health-relevant indicators of progress on sustainable energy can include
measures for

Centered largely on reducing fuel use through more energy-efficient stoves
The ideal biomass stove would be energy-efficient and attain nearly complete
combustion,
It is not clear whether it is possible to achieve these goals with locally made
stoves, because the need for heat-resistant materials such as alloys or ceramics,
blowers, and good quality control seems to require centralized manufacture
Technical advances center on cleaner-burning stoves, such as “gasifier” stoves,
which achieve very high combustion efficiency through two-stage combustion
designs, the cleanest including small electric blowers to stabilize the combustion
Three-fifths of the human population uses gas or electricity to cook all the
world’s cuisines; these fuels create little or no pollution in the kitchen
Interventions to Protect Health

EMERGING/RENEWABLE
They do not irreversibly deplete finite resources
Most have a lower climate footprint than do fossil fuels.
If managed well, they can pose minimal health risks and can yield social and economic
cobenefits
Whether the benefits are realized depends strongly on how renewable energy is
produced.
Issues of land use, Maintenance, materials inputs, and energy storage raise
concerns about environmental, Occupational, and community health impacts
Renewable sources of energy offer several potential advantages:
No energy source is free of health and environmental impacts:

* Linkages between sustainable energy policies and better public health
Improving access to low-emission
renewable, and modern energy technologies both in the home and the community can
benefit health and contribute to long term goals of sustainability.
Notably, the inefficient combustion of fossil fuels and biomass for energy purposes is
the major cause of climate change.
Air pollution, often due to inefficient modes of energy production, distribution, and
consumption, is a large and growing cause of environmental health risks
SOURCE: WHO,2012

Health offers a universal indicator of progress in attaining sustainable energy for all. By measuring
indicators of access to energy, the idea that people need to have sufficient access to energy to
ensure basic conditions of health and livelihoods is highlighted.
Core health indicators that can monitor progress and identify success
1- Energy access
Percentage of households with access to affordable, reliable, and
cleanly generated electricity ;
Percentage of households using modern fuels and technologies for all
cooking, heating, and lighting activities that meet emissions and safety
standards
1
2
SOURCE: WHO,2012

2- Power (electricity) generation
Proportion of electricity generated with technologies that produce low levels of
pollutants that harm health and climate across the energy lifecycle (extraction,
generation, and distribution);
3- Energy for health facilities
Proportion of health facilities with reliable 24-hour supply of electricity and water;
SOURCE: WHO,2012

4- Attributable health burden
Rates of adult and child disease burden and injuries (deaths and DALYs)11 attributable
to household air pollution from the incomplete combustion of biomass fuels and coal for
cooking and heating;
Rates of adult and child disease burden (deaths and DALYs) attributable to outdoor air
pollution in both urban and rural settings;
4- Health and health equity impacts in energy
policy
Whether or not health and health equity impacts (by gender, age, and socio-economic
status) are routinely assessed and accounted for in the design and implementation of major
energy policies such as through the use of health impact assessments
SOURCE: WHO,2012

DESIRE at Tishreen University by Dr. Amal Ibrahim Dayoub

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