Environment and Health

Environment affects human health in two ways. The first way is concerned with direct effect of pollutants discharged by industries into air and water as well as by the emission of gases by automobiles. In urban population the occurrence of diseases are closely linked to the deterioration of air and water quality. The second way is concerned with the quality of environment at the place of work. Over the years it has been recognized that workers in certain occupations, such as textile mills or stone crushers suffer from occupational diseases. The deterioration of environment such as stagnant pools in villages and cities provides fertile ground for breeding of vectors. Many such diseases carrying vectors have developed immunity to pesticides, overcrowding and unhygienic living condition in cities especially in slums have also contributed to spread of other communicable diseases. A multiple of environmental problem has been associated with modern methods of agriculture. Most of these stem from abuse of pesticides and the use of persistent plant protection chemicals which have been banned in developed nations. Uses of synthetic fertilizers have led to nitrate pollution of water resources. The release of methane from paddy fields is another form of agricultural pollution, and even the pesticides residues in food chain (vegetables, eggs, fish, meat, milk products, edible oil and breast milk) have been detected. Many diseases and conditions are linked to contaminants in our environments. The science on the health impacts of environmental pollution is growing. This environmental burden of disease could be prevented or limited by stronger policy action. A clean environment is essential for human health and well-being. However, the interactions between the environment and human health are highly complex and difficult to assess. This makes the use of the precautionary principle particularly useful. The best-known health impacts are related to ambient air pollution, poor water quality and insufficient sanitation.

Much less is known about the health impacts of hazardous chemicals. Noise is an emerging environment and health issue. Climate change, depletion of stratospheric ozone, loss of biodiversity, and land degradation can also affect human health. In Europe, the major environment-related health concerns are related to outdoor and indoor air pollution, poor water quality, poor sanitation and hazardous chemicals. The related health impacts include respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, cancer, asthma and allergies, as well as reproductive and neurodevelopmental disorders. Fine particulate matter and ground-level ozone are the main threats to human health from air pollution. The EU's Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) programme estimated a total of 348 000 premature deaths per year due to exposure to fine particles (PM2.5). At this level of exposure, average life expectancy is reduced by approximately one year. The EU Green Paper on noise exposure states that around 20 % of EUs population suffer from noise levels that health experts consider to be unacceptable, i.e. which can lead to annoyance, sleep disturbance and adverse health effects. Transport, especially in urban areas, is one of the key contributors to human exposure to air pollution and noise. Much less is known about the health impacts of chemicals. There is growing concern about the effects of exposure to mixtures of chemicals at low levels and for long periods over our lifetime, in particular during early childhood and pregnancy. Persistent chemicals with long-term effects, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and those used in long-life structures for example construction materials may present risks even after their production has been phased out.Many pollutants known to affect human health are gradually coming under regulatory control. However, there are emerging issues for which environmental pathways and effects on health are as yet poorly understood. Examples are electromagnetic fields (EMF), pharmaceuticals in the environment and some infectious diseases (the spreading of which may be affected by climate change). The development of early warning systems should be encouraged to shorten the time between detection of a potential hazard and a policy action or intervention.

Human health has always been threatened by natural hazards such as storms, floods, fires, landslides and droughts. Their consequences are being worsened by a lack of preparedness and by human actions such as deforestation, climate change and biodiversity loss. Environmental degradation exerts significant pressure on human health. Exposure to air, water and soil pollution, to chemicals in the environment, or to noise, can cause cancer, respiratory, cardiovascular and communicable diseases, as well as poisoning and neuropsychiatric disorders. Outdoor air pollution is a major environmental problem in OECD countries. It can have acute health effects resulting from short-term exposure or chronic health impacts resulting from long-term exposure. Health problems linked to air pollution range from minor eye irritation to upper respiratory symptoms, chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer. Some of these require hospital treatment, and may be fatal. How badly air pollution affects individuals will depend on the pollutants chemical composition, its concentration in the air, the length of exposure, the synergy with other air pollutants, as well as individual susceptibility . Although environmental risk factors can affect the health of the whole population, some groups are particularly vulnerable to environmental pollution, including children, pregnant women, the elderly and persons with pre-existing diseases. Although the direct health effects of exposure to chemicals are complex and sometimes open to debate, health problems due to harmful exposure to some chemicals are well documented. For instance, concern has been raised about the link between exposure to chemicals such as alkylphenols (used in detergents and pesticides) and disruption of the hormonal system that regulates many of the bodys functions. Effects on sperm motility, foetal growth rate and neurological functions of offspring have been observed from human exposure to PCBs, and epidemiological studies suggest exposure-related increases in cancers of the digestive system. PCBs were used in coolants,insulating fluids, PVC and other products until their production was banned in most countries the 1970s; even so they are still found in the environment.Poor water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WSH) is another environmental source of ill-health. Inadequate sewage treatment and poor sanitation result in diarrhoeal diseases caused by bacteria, such as cholera or E. coli, by viruses such as norovirus or

rotavirus or protozoan parasites such as cryptosporidiosis or giardiasis. The greatest health risk in this area comes from unsafe drinking water. All organisms depend on their environments for energy and the materials needed to sustain life: clean air, potable water, nutritious food, and safe places to live. For most of human history, increases in longevity were due to improved access to these necessities. Advances in agriculture, sanitation, water treatment, and hygiene have had a far greater impact on human health than medical technology. Although the environment sustains human life, it can also cause disease. Lack of basic necessities is a significant cause of human mortality. In 2004, lack of access to safe drinking water was responsible for 1.8 million deaths (mostly small children) from diarrhea. That same year, lack of adequate sanitation caused 160 million people to become infected with schistosomiasis, which can cause malnutrition and organ damage. Approximately 1.1 billion people currently lack access to safe drinking water, and 2.6 billion do not have proper sanitation. Environmental hazards increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, asthma, and many other illnesses. These hazards can be physical, such as pollution and food contaminants, or they can be social, including dangerous work conditions and poverty.

CHILDRENS HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT Children are more susceptible to environmental pollution than adults. Metabolic activity is higher in children as their bodies are still developing. Childrens bodies respond differently than adults to the same apparent levels of exposure and are less able to metabolise or remove pollutants. Moreover, adults and children are exposed to different types of risk, mainly because of their different activities. Children tend to spend more time outdoors and are more exposed to soil and outdoor air pollution. They are also less aware of the environmental risks surrounding them. So children can be exposed to higher levels of pollution than adults. Examples of impacts of environmental pollution on childrens health include: cancer (e.g. skin cancer from exposure to UV radiation or leukaemia resulting from exposure to pesticides while still in the womb) asthma (exacerbated by outdoor air pollution)

 birth defects (from drinking-water contaminants ingested by the pregnant mother) neurodevelopmental disorders (resulting from lead poisoning) Despite a large number of measures undertaken in OECD countries to protect childrens health from environmental hazards, most existing environmental legislation does not take account of childrens specific vulnerability to the various environmental risks.