Title: Environmental Health as an Essential Component of Public Health
1Environmental Health as an Essential Component
of Public Health Michael A. Trush,
PhD Professor Department of Environmental Health
Sciences
2Public health saving lives, millions at a
time
Public health is what society does collectively
rather than individually to assure that
populations remain healthy.
Environmental health sciences is an essential
component of public health
3From Healthy People 2010
4environmental health sciences
- Natural environment is that part of physical
environment not created by humans. - Built environment is that part of our physical
environment created by our activities. - Social environment includes factors other than
physical processes, such as community
socioeconomic status, social integration,
neighborhood safety, level of political
empowerment.
5 Human Environmental Health Issues in our Region
6Health Disparities
- It is widely documented that there are
disparities in the occurrence of chronic diseases
between members of racial and ethnic minorities
and more advantaged populations. - Health disparities are associated with
environmental injustice. - Some chronic diseases for which there are health
disparities have an environmental component (
asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease ,
neurodegenerative diseases ). We still need a
better understanding of at what levels and how
environmental chemicals either CONTRIBUTE to /or
CAUSE disease.
7Stress Exposure Disease Framework for
Environmental Health Disparities
Gee and Payne-Sturges, 2004
8Environment and Urban Health Status in Baltimore
COPD
Total Cancer
Heart Disease
Poverty
- cancer mortality is highest among all US cities
- incidence of childhood asthma up 200 since 1980
- cancer exceeds heart disease as leading cause of
death in African-Americans
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10The next slide illustrates the area of Wagners
point
- In the slide you will see the various industries,
the Patapsco wastewater treatment facility and
the residences that were there at the time
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12The next slide illustrates a MTA bus depot in a
Baltimore neighborhood . This facility is in
operation 24X7 . Note the proximity to the
neighboring residences
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14An All To Common Scene in Baltimore
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17BALTIMORE MEMORY STUDYDirected by Dr. Brian S.
Schwartz
- Noted disparities in cognitive function by
race/ethnicity (Env. Health Perspectives
Vol.112, March 2004) - Lower median household income and assets
- 30 greater bone lead level
- Higher PCB levels in serum
- Greater population report a history of stroke
- Greater of population obese as a function of
multi-dimensional neighborhood hazards index
(MNHI). MNHI takes into consideration 12
neighborhood variables.
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19The Built Environment
- In a traditional EH approach, we think about
how/what humans have created that has resulted
in hazardous exposures - In newer approaches, we think about how /what
humans have created that influences
health-related behaviors
20The Built Environment Health
- Physical inactivity
- Associated health effects
- Driving ? air pollution ? lung disease (asthma)
- Heat stress
- Climate change
- Motor vehicle and pedestrian injuries
- Water quality
- Mental health
- Social capital
- Disparate impacts justice, equity
21Conceptual Model of the Built Environment
Built Environment
Density
Diversity
Design
Accessibility
Centering
Balance
Nearest Neighbor
Street networks
Major centers
Dissimilarity
Cumulative Opportunity
Streetscapes
Minor centers
Image-ability
Gravity Models
Suburban strips
Visual Enclosure
Human Scale
Transparency
Of Land Use
Of Land Use
Of Land Use
Of Land Use
Complexity
Of Physical Activity Environment
Of Physical Activity Environment
Of Physical Activity Environment
Of Physical Activity Environment
Tidiness
Of Food Environment
Of Food Environment
Of Food Environment
Of Food Environment
22Envisioning Change Re-design
23SOME ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH LEGACIES OF HUMANKIND
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28The best example of human toxicity due to organic
mercury is the tragedy and triumph which occurred
in Minimata, Japan
- Great reference The American Biology Teacher
,Vol.61, no.6, pg 413, June1999.
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30Brain specimens from individuals chronically
exposed to organic mercury in the fish they were
eating top, normal middle and bottom from
mercury exposed individuals from Minimata,
Japan.
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32Some types of fish are a major source of organic
mercury exposure to humans. Thus, we need to
consider the health benefits of eating these
fish versus the risk of mercury exposure in
them.This is illustrated below.
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34Dioxin Another Byproduct of Incineration
35The next slide illustrates a North Vietnamese
soldier that was exposed to dioxin-containing
Agent Orange. As a result this individual has
developed skin tumors. The subsequent slide
illustrates the development of chloracne in an
individual that was exposed to dioxin.
36ONeill (2000) Damaged Lives. Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette
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38Air Pollutants
39The next three slides illustrate data showing the
relationship between SES status and exposure to
air pollution
40EJ and Childrens Proximity to Traffic - CA
Percent of CA children less than 15 years of age
living in block groups with high traffic density
(gt500,000 VMT/mi2) by ethnicity and SES
Gunier et al., 2003
41Increases in PM10 and Ozone Pollution and NYC
Hospital Respiratory Admissions SES vs. Race
Particulate Matter (PM10)
Ozone
Gwynn and Thurston, 2001
42EJ and Traffic Proximity to Schools - CA
Green et al., 2004
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44new world
new challenges
How do environmental factors affect human health?
How can you assess the risks posed by biological,
chemical, and physical agents?
What can you do to reduce the risks of workplace
hazards and injuries?
How can we best achieve effective disaster
preparedness and response?
Some of the most vital issues facing our society
involve environmental health sciences .This
requires scientists approaching these issues from
various facets.
45Slides 46- 52 illustrate faculty from the
Department of Environmental Health Sciences at
the School of Public Health
- 46- Drs. Halden and Schwab
- 47 Dr. Biswal
- 48- Drs.Silbergeld, Kensler and Kanarek
- 49-Dr.Navas-Acien
- 50 Dr. Goodman
- 51-Dr. Agnew
- 52-Drs. Geyh and Links
46Exposure assessment
47Molecular toxicology
48Cancer control and prevention
primary
secondary
tertiary
49Environmental epidemiologystudying disease
patterns
50Environmental risk assessment of susceptible
populations
51Occupational health
52Disaster preparedness and response
53SUMMARY
- Preventing the occurrence of health disparity is
more economical than treating disease. - Clearly, the relationships between environmental
factors and health disparity are complex. - Solutions to addressing this relationship need to
include environmental public health tracking
better data linkage at the individual and
community levels involving community groups in
planning and database gathering from the
beginning. This will require a broad view of
environmental health and multidisciplinary
approaches .
54TO PREVENT HEALTH DISPARITY ASSOCIATED with
ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE WE NEED to INSURE THAT
ALL HAVE
- CLEAN AIR and WATER
- AFFORDABLE, ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE HOUSING
- ACCESS to an AFFORDABLE and HEALTHLY FOOD SUPPLY
- NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
55Welcome to Tox Town An interactive guide to
toxic chemicals and environmental health risks
you might encounter in everyday life, in everyday
places.
http//toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/