The field of Environment and Health lies at the intersection of environmental sciences and health effects. It examines issues such as air pollution, water quality, hazardous wastes, toxic chemicals, urban development and transportation from the perspective of their potential health impacts, and how negative impacts can be prevented or mitigated.
Key Concepts
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
E
Environmental Burden of Disease
The environmental burden of disease quantifies the amount of disease caused by environmental risks. Disease burden can be expressed in deaths, incidence or in Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY). The DALY combines the burden due to death and disability in a single index.
For more information: http://www.who.int/quantifying_ehimpacts/en/index.html
Environmental Epidemiology
Environmental epidemiology deals with environmental conditions and hazards that may pose a risk to human health. Environmental exposures include air pollution, hazardous waste, metals, pesticides, and radiation, and health effects include cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological effects, and reproductive effects.Environmental Health
Environmental health comprises those aspects of human health and disease that are determined by factors in the environment. It also refers to the theory and practice of assessing and controlling factors in the environment that can potentially affect health. Important sources of environmental health risks include industrial waste, air emissions and water discharges, human waste, consumer products, living conditions, transport, and ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Health effects with known or suspected environmental etiologies include cancer, cardio-pulmonary diseases, asthma and other respiratory diseases, allergies, neuro-toxicity and neurological impairment, gastro-intestinal diseases, developmental and congenital abnormalities, and acute poisonings.Epidemiology
The study of the distribution of diseases in populations and of factors that influence the occurrence of disease. Epidemiology examines epidemic (excess) and endemic (always present) diseases; it is based on the observation that most diseases do not occur randomly, but are related to environmental and personal characteristics that vary by place, time, and subgroup of the population. The epidemiologist attempts to determine who is prone to a particular disease; where risk of the disease is highest; when the disease is most likely to occur and its trends over time; what exposure its victims have in common; how much the risk is increased through exposure; and how many cases of the disease could be avoided by eliminating the exposure.G
Global Environmental Change
Global environmental change includes changes in the physical and biogeochemical environment such as climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, and stresses on ecosystems, either caused naturally or influenced by human activities such as deforestation, fossil fuel, water and land consumption, urbanization, intensive agriculture, over-exploitation of fisheries and waste production. Global environmental change causes direct and indirect hazards to human health and requires the recognition that the long-term safeguarding of human health depends on the functioning of the biosphere's life-supporting systems.For more information: http://www.who.int/globalchange/en
H
Health Impact Assessment (HIA)
A combination of procedures, methods, and tools by which a policy, program, or project may be judged as to its potential effects on the health of a population, and the distribution of those effects within the population. An HIA can provide recommendations to increase positive health outcomes and to minimize adverse outcomes. A major benefit of the HIA is that it brings public health issues to the attention of decision-makers in areas, such as transportation or land use, which do not traditionally deal with health.For more information: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/hia.htm
N
National Environmental Health Action Plans (NEHAPs)
NEHAPs are government documents that address environmental health problems in a comprehensive, holistic and intersectoral manner. Most NEHAPs address environmental health management (including information systems, environmental health services, public information and participation, education, research and economic tools), environmental health hazards (including ambient air, drinking and bathing water, noise, radiation, food safety, housing and workplace), and economic sectors (including industry, agriculture, transportation and energy).
For more information: http://www.euro.who.int/envhealthpolicy/plans/20020807_1