Chapter 19 Environmental HealthCopyright © 2020 Wolters

Chapter 19: Environmental Health
Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer · All Rights Reserved
Chapter Highlights #1
Human health and the environment
Assessing contaminants in the environment
Exposure pathways
Assessing the environment of a community
Planning interventions to make communities healthier
Chapter Highlights #2
Evaluating interventions
Environmental epidemiology
Working toward healthy communities
Environmental justice
Global environmental health issues
Question #1
Is the following statement true or false?
Environmental health is the branch of public health science that
focuses on how the environment influences chronic disease.

Answer to Question #1
False
Rationale: Environmental health is the branch of public health
science that focuses on how the environment influences human
health, not chronic disease.
Human Health and the Environment #1
History of environment health
How do certain contaminants affect human health?
How do we assess exposures to contaminants?
How does the environment influence health?
How do we live as a population while maintaining a healthy
environment?
Human Health and the Environment #2
Community environment
Genetic and behavioral factors
Nursing and environmental health

Assessment
Assessing contaminants in the environment
Exposure pathway
Source of contamination
Environmental media and transport mechanisms
Point of exposure
Route of exposure
Receptor population
Exposure History
Present work
Past work
Home/residence
Activities/hobbies
Concerns
Question #2
What is bioavailability?
Study of the adverse effects of chemical, physical,
or biologic agents on people, animals, and the environment
An estimate that determines a person’s level
of exposure to a contaminant

Amount of a contaminant that actually ends up in the systemic
circulation
Process of using medical tests such as blood or urine collection
to determine if a person has been exposed
to a contaminant and how much exposure he or she has received
C. Amount of a contaminant that actually ends up in the
systemic circulation
Rationale: Bioavailability is the amount of a contaminant that
actually ends up in the systemic circulation. Toxicology is the
study of the adverse effects of chemical, physical, or biologic
agents on people, animals, and the environment. An exposure
estimate determines a person’s level of exposure to a
contaminant. Biomonitoring is the process of using medical
tests such as blood or urine collection to determine if a person
has been exposed to a contaminant and how much exposure he
or she has received.
Determining the Health Impact of a Completed Exposure
Pathway
Toxicology is the study of the adverse effects of chemical,
physical, or biologic agents on people, animals, and the
environment.
An exposure estimate determines a person’s level of exposure to
a contaminant.
Bioavailability is the amount of a contaminant that actually

ends up in the systemic circulation.
Biomonitoring is the process of using medical tests such as
blood or urine collection to determine if a person has been
exposed to a contaminant and how much exposure he or she has
received.
Proximity
Proximity to a contaminant or hazard
is not the only factor in determining whether there is a risk to
human health.
For a contaminant to pose a risk, there must be a completed
exposure pathway.
Assessing the Environment of a Community
When assessing a community’s environment, it is helpful to
think about the whole environment to determine what
components are influencing human health.
Environmental justice is important to consider when looking at
the impact of the environment on a community.
Assessment of Individuals: Taking an Exposure History
Identify current or past exposures.
Eliminate exposures.
Try to mitigate or reduce a client’s adverse health effects from

exposures.
Interventions
Most often something designed to interrupt or break the
exposure pathway
Evaluation
Has the exposure pathway been interrupted?
What does the community think about the intervention—are
people satisfied?
How has health improved?
How many people did the intervention affect?
Can the intervention demonstrate any cost savings?
Is the intervention sustainable?
Environmental Epidemiology
Epidemiology is a field of public health science that focuses on
the incidence and prevalence of disease or illness in a
population
Environmental epidemiology
Field of public health science that focuses on the incidence and
prevalence of disease or illness in a population from exposures
in their environments

Major Challenges to Environmental Epidemiology
Limited availability of data on many contaminants and their
effect on health
Limited understanding about how exposures to multiple
contaminants may sicken people
Latency between exposure and illness can be very long.
Time‐ consuming to perform
Resource intensive in terms of personnel and money
Inconclusive in determining if X contaminant caused
Y illness
Working Toward Healthy Environments
Healthy communities
Healthy homes
Children’s Health and the Environment
Vulnerability
Body systems are still rapidly developing
Eat, drink, and breathe more in proportion to their body size
than do adults
Breathing zone is closer to the ground compared with adults
Bodies may be less able to break down and excrete
contaminants

Behaviors can expose them to more contaminants
Spending time outside home where environmental hazards may
be present
Question #3
Is the following statement true or false?
Environmental justice is the belief that no group of people
should bear a disproportionate share of negative environmental
health consequences regardless of race alone.
False
Rationale: Environmental justice is the belief that no group of
people should bear a disproportionate share of negative
environmental health consequences regardless of race, culture,
or income.
Environmental Justice
Environmental justice is the belief that no group of people
should bear a disproportionate share of negative environmental
health consequences regardless of the following:
Race
Culture
Income

Global Environmental Health Challenges
Clean water and sanitation
Air quality
Chemical and contaminant exposure
Climate change

Chapter 19 Environmental HealthCopyright © 2020 Wolters

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