Transcript Environmental Health - Woodland Hills School District

Environmental Health
PA Environmental & Ecology Standard:
4.3.12.A,B,C
Pollutants are everywhere
 Atmosphere- car
exhaust, cigarette
smoke smokestacks
 Hydrosphere- sediment,
toxic wastes, animal
wastes
 Lithosphere- radioactive
leaks, pesticides
 Biosphere- includes
everything
Environmental awareness
Public awareness,
laws, and other
legislation have
helped reduce or
prevent pollution
over the past few
decades
Water pollution
 Two most
common:
1. Sediment
2. Nutrients
Wash in through
farmland,
construction, other
areas where the
ground is disturbed
Effluent
The wastewater
from factories and
refineries that is
released directly into
urban water supplies
Effluent often contains
harmful by-products
1. Heated wastewater- raises temperature of
the waterway killing aquatic life
2. Sewage: polluted water that contains
human waste, garbage, and other
household wastewater
Sewage
In most countries, it is treated with screens,
filters, and chlorine
In the US, about 80% of sewage goes
through treatment plants
About 10% passes through septic tanks
Remaining 10% is untreated and passes
directly into the Earth’s water systems
Product of sewage: sediment
Commonly referred to as sludge
Most is dried or composted, tested, and
used as fertilizers for forests and crops
The chemicals that can be found in the
sludge determine where it can be
spread
Water pollutants
Most can be dangerous to health
Examples:
lead- causes brain damage
iron & manganese- large amounts
hydrogen sulfide- rotten egg smell
radioactive- cancers
Microbes:
Very tiny pathogens, or organisms that
cause disease
Can be protists, bacteria, or viruses
Common water-related illnesses:
cholera, dysentery,
malaria,cryptosporidiosis, and giardiasis
Cholera
Intestinal infection caused by the bacterium
Vibrio cholerae
Symptoms
Watery diarrhea & vomiting
Dehydration & even death if not treated
Preventive measures
Washing/peeling fruits and vegetables
Thoroughly cooking foods
Prevent cross-contamination of raw foods
Cholera
Treated with rehydration fluids and antibiotics
World Health Organization (WHO) reports a
pandemic in progress, mainly in developing
countries
Pandemic: an outbreak of a disease that
affects an exceptionally high portion of a
population and occurs over a very large
geographical area
Dysentery
Caused several types of bacteria
Symptoms:
Bloody diarrhea & abdominal cramps, fever
In severe cases can cause seizures and kidney
failure
Spreads through person-to-person contact,
eating and drinking contaminated foods
Resistant to antibiotics is high but can be
treated
Malaria
Parasitic disease transmitted by
mosquitoes that breed in still water
Parasite infects the liver and red blood
cells
Symptoms: flu-like, headache, fever,
and vomiting
Malaria
Mainly occurs in tropical regions
Causes at least one million deaths a
year
Cholera, dysentery, & malaria
Common diseases in developing
countries
Very rare in developed countries like
the US
Cryptosporidiosis
Cryptosporidium cysts enter the human
body and excyst, or “hatch”
The opening of the cysts allows millions
of protozoa to complete their life cycles
within the hosts intestines
Symptoms of Cryptosporidiosis
Appear 1 week after ingestion
Persistent diarrhea, nausea, abdominal
cramps, weight loss, dehydration
Lasts 10-14 days to 2-4 months
Fatal to weakened immune systems
Transmission of
Cryptosporidiosis
Inadequately or improperly treated drinking
water
Eating contaminated food or fecal-oral
transmission
Often found in surface water, so it must be
treated with chemicals, filters, and
disinfectants
Also, a rapid boil for minute will destroy the
cysts
Giardiasis
Similar to Cryptosporidiosis in its
infection, transmission, symptoms, and
treatment
Common on PA streams
Can be killed with chlorine treatment,
and treated with medication
Waterborne disease outbreaks
in PA at an all time low
Air Pollution
Results from:
Natural events
Forest fires
Dust storms
Human activities
Burning of fossil fuels
Major source of
pollution
Pollutants caused from
Industrial processes & motor
vehicles
Ozone
Carbon monoxide
Sulfur dioxide
Nitrogen dioxide
Particulate matter
Ozone: O3
A form of oxygen high in the
atmosphere that protects the Earth’s
inhabitants from harmful solar radiation
Close to the surface, it can cause
respiratory problems, eye irritations,
nausea
Carbon monoxide: CO
Colorless, odorless gas that forms from the
incomplete burning of fuels
Source: motor vehicles, industrial furnaces,
cigarette smoke
Headache, fatigue, flulike symptoms. In high
concentrations, CO can cause death.
Sulfur dioxide: SO2
Forms when coal containing pyrite is burned
Sulfur from pyrite combines with O2 and
moisture from air and creates sulfuric acid or
acid precipitation.
Causes difficulty in breathing, decreased lung
function
Nitrogen dioxide: NO2
Forms when fuel is burned. Industrial
areas and high traffic areas
Can lead to smog (smoke and fog) and
acid precipitation.
Eye irritation, stuffy nose, sore throat
Issue warnings about smog
Particulate matter
Solid particles in the air
Dust, tiny pieces of rubber from tires,
asbestos from brake linings
Irri tations of respiratory system
Toxic substances
Nearly 200 various metals and
compounds
Lead- cancer
Mercury- brain damage, developing
fetuses
Allergies & Asthma
Respiratory diseases
caused by indoor
and outdoor
pollutants
Allergy
A reaction by the body to a foreign
substance that is harmless to most
other people
Molds, bacteria, pollen, cigarette
smoke, dust, foods, dyes
Asthma
A disorder of the lungs in which airways tend
to constrict, resulting in episodes of
breathlessness, wheezing, coughing
Dust, mites, dander, pollen, air pollutants,
bacteria
Asthma tends to be more serious than
allergies
PA Air Quality
Although vehicle number has increased,
pollution has not due to maintenance
and inspections
Soil Pollutants
Mainly agriculture-sediments,
pesticides, fertilizers, animal wastes
Landfills- can leak harmful substances
Industrial processes- heavy metals
Mining- AMD
Radioactive waste- nuclear power
plants
Radioactive wastes: 2 Types
1. High-level wastes(HLW)- highly radioactive,
can pose health risks for thousands of years
 Used nuclear fuel
 Govt. responsibility
2. Low-level wastes(LLW)-materials
contaminated with radioactive and emit
small amounts of radiation
 Individual state’s responsibility
Indoor Air pollution
Paints, cleaning products, oils,
pesticides can become household
hazard waste(HHW)
Follow instruction on label for use and
disposal
Use required amount, not more
Manufacturing of household
products
When created these products can cause
a great deal of pollution
Ex: bleach: chlorine gas causes upper
respiratory problems
Ammonia: nitrogen can pollute the air and
form nitrogen dioxide.