Environmental Impact on Human Health: An Annotated Bibliography

The Environmental Impact on Human Health

The worldly environment constantly changes. Whether it is the construction of skyscrapers or the rising temperatures, the environment has seldom remained steady. The transformations in the environment present themselves every day. People notice quickly after they break a sweat on their walk to work or when a construction company breaks ground on the future site of yet another condominium complex. However, humans are much slower to observe the consequences of these alterations.

The environment largely impacts humans and their health. The interaction between humans and their surrounding habitat shows how closely the two coexist. While the environment constantly changes, human health often endures the impact. The global temperature climbs higher and higher with each building constructed. Construction emits gases into the atmosphere as well as provides buildings that block breezes and trap heat. Excessive heat can have a drastic influence on the population’s health. The quality of water also immensely impacts human health. Additionally, indoor environmental aspects strongly correlate with human health.

As proven in the articles shown, the influence of the environment on human health is an issue all people should be concerned with. While people can take all the medicine and vitamins they please, there is no escaping the environment. For instance, people must take a stand against pollution if they want to see improvements in respiratory health. The population must realize the influential strength of the environment and take action to correct what has been damaged while finding ways to reap the benefits of a cleaner and safer habitat.

The resources included in this annotated bibliography provide information about the environment’s impact on human health. Some of the resources analyze specific topics whereas others focus on the general topic. Several articles articulate the danger of traffic pollution and water contamination. The annotated bibliography critiques these quality resources and analyzes their relation with the topic. The articles below emphasize the importance of environment safety in order to care for human health.

References:

About Environment and Health.(2007). European Environment Agency, Retrieved March 25,

2008, from http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/human/about-environment-and-health.

The European Environment Agency website discusses the complex interactions between the environment and human health. Air pollution, insufficient sanitation, and poor water quality are among the leading causes of negative health impacts. However, scientists are slowly discovering more about other impacts, such as noise and hazardous chemicals. The main threats to human health resulting from air pollution are fine particulate matter and ground-level ozone. The article denotes respiratory and cardiovascular disease, asthma, cancer, and allergies as some of the common effects of environmental health concerns. While a number of harmful pollutants are gradually coming subject to regulatory control, scientists have yet to discover much about the many other environmental pathways to human health. A clear understanding of the environment’s impact on human health must be obtained before scientists and governmental agencies can successfully control and mend the damage that has been done thus far.

Davis, A. (2007). Home environmental health risks. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 12(2),

5-5.

Alison Davis explains the danger that can result from indoor health hazards. Many times, people do not realize such a large number of chemicals enter their home. While the indoors is not the typical image of “environment,” in actuality, most people spend the majority of their day indoors. With this notion, it is important to be aware of such hazards, as well as know how to prevent them. The most common of these hazards are carbon monoxide, pesticides, radon, lead, and volatile organic compounds. The article Home Environmental Health Risks discusses the ways to minimize risk brought about by these hazardous pollutants. Davis takes great detail to describe the characteristics of each pollutant. She lists the main sources for the chemical as well as its effects on health. This article provides great insight for the topic since it details the effects of environmental pollutants on the health of humans.

Environment linked to quality of life.(2007, May 12). Northern Territory News (Australia), pp. 15.

The newspaper article Environment Linked to Quality of Life, illustrates the importance of caring for your surrounding environment. According to the article, those who take time to care for their environment tend to lead healthier lives. The article focuses on the correlation between health of indigenous people and their involvement in land management. Increased involvement in the environment tends to lead to better mental and physical health, as well as overall well-being. The research topic focusing on the environmental impact on human health can definitely utilize such a resource. There is a strong relationship between the amount of care for the environment and the lifestyle which the person leads. It is imperative that humans care for their environment if they want to reap the health benefits of a clear habitat.

Harvard Medical School- Center for Health and the Global Environment. (2007). Healthy ocean, healthy

humans. Retrieved March 25, 2008, from http://chge.med.harvard.edu/programs/healthyoceans/index.html

This Harvard Medical School sponsored article examines a slightly different aspect of the environment’s impact on human health. This article aims at promoting a healthy ocean environment in order to sustain a healthy human population. The program encourages people to look at the ocean as not just as a vacation spot but as a system that nurtures human life. The program also produced a short educational film illustrating the connection between a healthy environment and a healthy human population. The film is titled Once Upon a Tide. The film combines moral and visual elements of a fairy tale to emphasize the importance of ocean conservation. The article also lists a number of other resources which promote this common theme as well. This article works well to support the topic since its main point is the strong correlation between the environment and human health. Although the ocean may seem a world away, its environment has an immense impact on the well-being of humans.

Howell, E. (2008). Sanitation habits increase global health stresses. CMAJ: Canadian Medical

Association Journal, 178(1), 17-17.

Elizabeth Howell discusses the different strategies to control and correct the health effects of environmental stresses. Due to the complexity of the relationship between the environment and its health impacts, scientists must take multidisciplinary approaches in order to attempt to come up with solutions. It is also apparent that scientists must arrive at a better understanding of the correlation between the environment and human health in order to address the matter. Water is the most crucial of the scientists’ concerns. Almost 2 billion people world-wide live under water stress. Recently, even North America has experienced trouble sustaining its reservoirs. In developing countries, water sanitation proves to be another major concern. According to the article, nearly 3 million people worldwide die each year as a result of water-borne diseases. Howell dually notes Canada’s slightly different problem. Organic pollutants, found in pesticides, accumulate in animal fats and the environment. When people consume these animals, they also consume these pollutants.

Howie, M. (2007, December 10). Toiletries in water pose new environment threat. The

Scotsman, pp. 14.

The Scotsman newspaper article, Toiletries in water pose new environment threat, demonstrates the rising issue of the detrimental environment and its correlation with human health. A vast number of chemicals used in personal care products prove harmful if the waste-water treatment does not stop them from escaping into the environment. Author Michael Howie describes how exposured chemicals can build up in aquatic systems. The chemicals from the shampoo and shower products react harmfully with aquatic life. Contamination has led to build up of these chemicals in the bodies of fish. Wildlife has also endured reproductive problems as the result of another chemical, phthalates, found in these products, as well. Humans are not isolated from such repercussions. One study found Triclosan, a chemical found in toiletries, in one woman’s breast milk. This article provides great insight on the affects of chemicals on the human body. Often times, people use products without thinking of their future impact. With the close relationship of the environment and the human population, damage to one frequently leads to the inevitable damage of the other.

McCally, M. (2002). McCally M. (Ed.), Life support: The environment and human health.

Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press. Retrieved March 25, 2008 from NetLibrary.

This book analyzes the environmental crisis and human’s effect on the environment. Humans have started altering the earth’s atmosphere as well as its biosphere. The alterations taking place are substantial and have lead to many other subsequent changes, as well. The atmosphere’s carbon dioxide concentration has increased nearly 30 percent since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Declining frog population is another effect of the harmful environment. While humans continue to destroy it, the environment is taking a toll on human health as well. Although often indirect, the health effects of global change have put a damper on the well-being of the human population. Pollution continues to deplete the ozone layer leading to increased UV light and, in turn, higher rates of skin cancer. Scientists must anticipate further changes to the environment in order to help control these hazardous effects on health.

Mercury: Health effects.(2007). US Environmental Protection Agency, Retrieved February 4,

2008 from http://www.epa.gov/hg/effects.htm

The United States Environmental Protection Agency website reports the health effects humans experience after exposure to mercury. Methylmercury has been found in trace amounts in almost all people’s tissues. Whether or not these traces impact their health depend on a few different factors. The route of exposure, the duration of exposure and the age of the person exposed all determine whether the mercury leads to health issues. Three different chemical forms of mercury exist. Each of these forms has specific effects on the human body. Elemental mercury, for example, mainly causes health damage when inhaled. Damage to the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and nervous system has resulted from mercury exposure, as well.

Nuckols, J. R., Ashley, D. L., Lyu, C., Gordon, S. M., Hinckley, A. F., & Singer, P. (2005).

Influence of tap water quality and household water use activities on indoor air and internal dose levels of
trihalomethanes. Environmental Health Perspectives, 113(7), 863-870.

The authors of Influence of Tap Water Quality and Household Water Use Activities on Indoor Air and Internal Dose Levels of Trihalomethanes go in depth to identify the health hazards associated with tap water. Chlorine added to disinfect the water often reacts with organic matter naturally located in the water. This reaction can lead to the formation of trihalomethanes, also known as THMs. The four main species of THMs include chloroform, dibromocholoromethane, bromodichloromethane, and bromoform. These elements all consist of chlorine, a toxic to humans if exposed in excess. Humans may be exposed to THMs through ingestion and dermal contact. Exposure to THMs often leads to increased THM concentration in the blood. This article explains their study at a Texas home and a home in North Carolina. Relating to the main topic, this article shows the adverse effects of the environment on human health. The more contaminated the water source, the more chlorine must be added to disinfect it, and the riskier it is to human health.

Pope, A. M. (1995). Snyder M. A., Mood L. H. (Eds.), Nursing, health & the environment: Strengthening

the relationship to improve the public's health. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.
Retrieved March 26, 2008 from NetLibrary.

Andrew Pope writes of the link between health care and the environment. While examining the issue of the environment’s impact on health through the eyes of a care taker, Pope illustrates the importance of understanding such health hazards. Nurses comprise the largest group of professional health care providers in the United States. Also, nurses are often the only contact for those seeking medical care. However, nurses rarely receive training in environmental health. In order to effectively deal with the health hazards and effects brought about by the environment, it is vital that health technicians obtain a clear understanding of the relationship between health and the environment. The best approach to nursing practice requires that the individual posses a number of qualities such as awareness and recognition. The nurse must also be able to treat critical factors that affect individual and community health. The book breaks down environmental health hazards into four distinct categories: chemical, physical, psychological, and biological. Environmental hazards can be found in occupational settings, as well as outdoors, or in the home.

Qi, J., Yang, L., & Wang, W. (2008). Environmental degradation and health risks in beijing,

china. Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, 62(1), 33-37.

This article highlights the impact of the changing environment on human health in Beijing. Beijing’s climate alteration, as well as their swift urbanization, has caused an abrupt change in human health. The day time temperature tends to be warmer than usual due to the large number of heat-retaining buildings in the cities. The temperature in the evenings also has a tendency to be warmer as a result of the lack of cooling breezes. Scientists refer to this phenomenon as the “urban heat island effect.” Poor air quality and increased temperature have led to more deaths and heat-related incidents. In addition to the rising heat, the increasing level of air pollution correlates with a number of health issues. Many developing countries have experienced this enormous health problem. “An estimated 130,000 premature deaths and 50-70 million incidences of respiratory illness occur each year because of episodes of urban air pollution in developing countries.” Furthermore, water demand, soil pollution, and urban consumerism all contribute to the environment’s responsibility of poor health. This article proves extremely relevant to the research of environmental impacts on human health. The work comments on the large correlation between the strained environment and the worsening of its inhabitant’s health.

Report links environmental development to health safety.(2007, September 5). BusinessWorld,

pp. S1/10.

The Philippines has experienced many human health issues relating to poor environmental conditions. The country reports that air and water pollution, as well as inadequate sanitation and hygiene, has led to significant environmental issues and health risks. The outsized air and water pollution in urban areas have led to an unpleasant water supply. The people of the Philippines have no other choice but to drink the water and therefore fall victim to disease and even death. Diarrhea, typhoid, and intestinal worms have been known disease symptoms that result from these conditions. While the poor conditions impact everyone, it is the Filipino children who are most at risk. This article supports the research topic describing the intertwined relationship of the environment and human health. Recognition of the the connections between poor environment conditions and poor population health is imperative if people want to help mend this growing problem.

Schettler, T. (1999). Solomon G., Valenti M. and Huddle A. (Eds.), Generations at risk: Reproductive

health and the environment. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press. Retrieved March 25, 2008 from NetLibrary.

The book Generations at Risk describes the effects of a polluted environment, specifically on the human reproductive system. The reproductive system contains extremely complex, interconnected organs, hormones, and tissues. Because of its complexity, the reproductive system is very susceptible to hazardous exposures. Mercury and lead have been studied the most extensively. Widely disbursed throughout the environment, these substances cause damage if exposed to the fetus. Also, lead can cause infertility in males and spontaneous abortion in women, if exposed to at high levels. People subtly expose themselves to lead through hobbies or their occupation. Painting, electronics, welding, and firearms can all contain lead. Cadmium affects sperm production, as well. The book also looks at the regulatory responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency and their influence on the environment’s condition. The EPA examines air conditions, toxic water contaminants, pesticides, and much more. The EPA must consider many factors before setting the standards for each of these areas. For instance, while pesticides are harmful to humans if consumed directly, they are very beneficial to crops. Since the EPA cannot eliminate pesticides altogether, they must analyze the amounts at which they are harmful and form regulations according to these standards.

Slama, R., Morgenstern, V., Cyrys, J., Zutavern, A., Herbarth, O., Wichmann, H., et al. (2007).

Traffic-related atmospheric pollutants levels during pregnancy and offspring's term birth weight: A study relying on a
land-use regression exposure model. Environmental Health Perspectives, 115(9), 1283-1292.

Particulate matter, highly associated with road traffic, appears to be linked with the birth weight of children. Particulate matter is a form of air pollutant that can penetrate the innermost region of the lungs. It also has been known to cross the threshold of the lung epithelium and penetrate into the blood circulation. This article analyzes a study that examined the weights of babies belonging to women in different environments. Four of the studies analyzed showed a decrease in term birth weight in correlation with maternal exposure to the particulate matter air pollutants. This relationship demonstrates the impact of the environment on human health. The lives and well-being of children are being impacted even before they leave their mother’s womb. The environment’s close tie to human health shows itself through the effect of air pollution on babies’ birth weights. This article continues to observe this relationship and proves useful to the topic.

U.S. Geological Survey. (2007). Human health: Chemical and pathogenic contaminant exposure by drinking water. Retrieved
February 4, 2008 from http://health.usgs.gov/dw_contaminants/

The U.S. Geological Survey website published this article “Chemical and Pathogenic Contaminant Exposure by Drinking Water.” In order to protect public health, public water utilities must keep the water safe. Treatment plants and technologies monitoring the water regulate water standards and make sure these standards comply with state and federal regulations. The constant developing needs of industry, agriculture, and society, place a good deal of stress on our water supply. Newly developed chemicals work to ensure safe, clean drinking water. Also, the termination of old chemicals maintains a safe environment. Some water-borne pathogens inadvertently enter our water supply. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency upholds existing drinking water standards. The USEPA creates new standards, as well. This article relates to the topic since it analyzes the water treatment necessary to prevent harmful effects on human health. Additionally, the article stresses the importance of upholding governmental standards in order to keep the drinking water safe.

See also:

www.epa.gov

www.ehhi.org

Databases Used:

Academic Search Premier

LexisNexis

Gale PowerSearch

NetLibrary

About the Author:
Kimberly Andreu is an Economics major in the Warrington School of Business at the University of Florida. She was born and raised in Tampa, Florida, along with her two siblings. Kimberly is an avid Gator fan and enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing golf, traveling, and being by the water. She also loves being with her golden retriever, Riley. She plans on attending law school after completing her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Kimberly picked the topic because of her passion for the environment and for people.
She can be reached at: kandreu8@ufl.edu

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