Environmental Health

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What is

Environmental Health?
Inside

Outside Outside

A Student Introduction
Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 1
What is the environment?
The trees, air, &
soil around us

ALL the places we


live, work & play

Our fields,
farms & the
food we grow

Our oceans, lakes,


and rivers

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 2


What is health?
Nutritious foods help us
stay healthy.

Regular exercise helps


keep us strong and
healthy.

Doctors, hospitals &


medicines help us get
healthy if we’re sick.

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 3


Environmental Health?
Air Sunlight

Food Noise

Water Soil

The study of how the environment


affects your health.
Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 4
Good Things Around Us
Oxygen
in the air Beautiful
scenery
to look at
Nutrients
in food

Family &
Medicine friends
& vitamins

There are many things around us that


help us stay healthy.
Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 5
Hazards
Bacteria
& viruses
Harmful
chemicals
Tobacco
smoke

Stress

Loud noises

A hazard is anything in the environment


that can hurt you or make you sick.
Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 6
Environmental Health Careers
People working in the Work for
field of environmental corporations
making sure
health . . . workplaces
are safe for
workers

Work as
scientists in
research Work for the
labs government
writing
regulations
and studying
pollution

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 7


The 7 Core Concepts

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Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 9
A Toxic Word Game
Toxic means _____________________.
poisonous or dangerous

Toxic_____
ology is the study of poisons.

Toxic___
ity is a measure of how
dangerous a chemical is.

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 10


A Toxicity Scale
Signal Words Symbol on
Toxicity Rating
on Package Package
Highly Toxic DANGER or
POISON

Moderately Toxic WARNING

Slightly Toxic CAUTION

Not Toxic none

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 11


How would you rate these products?
Toxicity Rating

Highly Toxic

Moderately Toxic

Slightly Toxic

Not Toxic

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 12


And the answers are…
Toxicity Rating

Highly Toxic

Moderately Toxic

Slightly Toxic

Not Toxic

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Exposure is

The total amount of a hazard that comes


in direct contact with your body.
Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 15
The 3 parts of exposure
The The The
Source Environmental Contact
of the hazard Pathway (inhaled fumes)
(bus exhaust) (air)

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 16


Which route will the hazards take?

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 17


Route #1: Inhalation
Inhalation:

Breathing. When
chemicals enter the
body through this
route of exposure,
they can get stuck in
the lungs and/or be
taken up into the
bloodstream.

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 18


Route #2: Ingestion
Ingestion:

Swallowing (usually
by eating or drinking).
When chemicals enter
the body through this
route of exposure,
they can easily be
taken up into the
bloodstream.

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 19


Route #3: Dermal Absorption

Dermal Absorption:
Absorbing a chemical through any part of the skin, including
the eyes. When chemicals come in contact with the skin, they
can sometimes enter the bloodstream through this route of
exposure.

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 20


Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 21
What is dose? Exposure
X

X
X

X
X
X X Dose X
X X
X

X X

X = hazard

Dose is the amount of a hazard that


actually enters your body.
Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 22
Dose can depend on…
Duration of Frequency of Body Size:
Exposure: Exposure: How big or
How long? How often? small are you?

M L

S S

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 23


Duration of Exposure

30 minutes of
sun exposure
might not have
any harmful
effects.

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 24


Duration of Exposure

But 4 hours of
sun exposure
might be very
harmful indeed!

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 25


Dose & Body Size
Dose can depend on how big or
small you are. To understand how,
let’s take three different size flasks
and fill them with water. Imagine
each one represents a different
human body - one small, one
L
medium, and one large.
M
s s

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 26


A Dose Experiment
Now we will take a
dropper of an imaginary
hazardous substance and
put 3 drops in each flask.
What will happen? How
will each flask look after
the 3 dark purple drops
have been added?

L
s M
Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 27
A Dose Experiment - Step 1

L
s M
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A Dose Experiment - Step 2

L
s M
Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 29
A Dose Experiment - Step 3

L
s M
Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 30
Dose/Response Relationship
1 can of pop in 3 cans of pop
15 minutes in 15 minutes

The larger the dose, the more extreme


the response will be.
Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 31
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Individual Susceptibility

Why are these people


more likely to be
harmed by exposure to
a hazard than the man
below?

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 33


Individual Susceptibility
Pregnant women Elderly people
and their whose defense
developing mechanisms are
babies less efficient

Sick people who Infants and


have weakened children who
immune are still
systems developing

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 34


Genes & Susceptibility
Your genes can also
make you more or less
susceptible to harm
from an environmental
hazard. For example,
some people are more
likely to get sick when
they are exposed to
certain kinds of
pesticides.

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 35


Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 36
What are the risks & benefits?

1 3
2

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 37


Risks & Benefits
What are the risks and benefits when grape
growers use pesticides on their crops?

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 38


Risks & Benefits
BENEFITS RISKS
•No bugs! •People ingest
pesticides with the
•Better looking fruit fruit and get sick
that is more visually
appealing •Pesticides get into
dirt and water
•Bigger crops so
farmers can make •Animals ingest
more profit pesticides and get sick

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 39


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What is environmental justice?
Environmental
Justice (EJ) means
that everyone has a
right to live in an
environment that
doesn’t make them
sick, regardless of
their race, culture, or
income.

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 41


The EJ Process
Who is Empower
producing Establish a dialog
between the community
the hazard? members to bring
decision makers,
scientists, and the about change.
affected
Who is being
community.
exposed?
Share information
and decisions with
Who are the community
decision members.
makers?

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 42


Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 43
Where can you go for information?

Schools
Libraries
City hall Universities
State agencies
Federal agencies

Doctors
Nurses
Hospitals
Caution! Health Department

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 44


How can you take action?

Write a letter to Inform your


a newspaper neighbors

Make a
Call or write an
documentary about
elected official
the problem

Organize a Create a petition


community and get
meeting signatures

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 45


Any Questions?

Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project • University of Washington © 2005 46

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