1. Chapter 3 Environmental Health

11. Indoor Pollution HHW: Household hazardous waste Many communities have programs http:// www.southwindsor.org/pages/swindsorct_dpw/hazardous http://www.ci.redlands.ca.us/utilities/waste_household_hazardous.htm http://www.co.berks.pa.us/berks/ical/eventDetail_page.asp?date_ID =CDCACEC7C683CDC9CA

12. Indoor Pollution HHW: Household hazardous waste Manufacturing Household Cleaning Products Ammonia: combines nitrogen and hydrogen gases; nitrogen escapes and pollutes air (nitrogen dioxide) Chlorine bleach: Chlorine gas is poisonous and irritates upper respiratory systems and lungs Laundry detergents: petroleum by products; methyl alcohol; sulfuric acid; strong bases can get out and pollute the environment

13. Earth~One Enormous Ecosystem Ecology: the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments Ecologists: Collect and analyze quantitative data about populations (counts and measurements) Ecologists: Gather qualitative data (descriptive) about relationships between species in an ecosystem

14. Earth~One Enormous Ecosystem Three basic principles of ecology: 1 ) EVERYTHING IS RELATED TO EVERYTHING ELSE The simplest disturbance in any natural process sets off a chain reaction

15. Earth~One Enormous Ecosystem Three basic principles of ecology: 2) EVERYTHING MUST GO SOMEWHERE Nothing can really be “thrown” away. It all ends up somewhere and has some effect on the environment

16. Earth~One Enormous Ecosystem Three basic principles of ecology: 3) NATURE KNOWS BEST The Earth and all of it’s life-forms have been here for billions of years. Humans share and we make changes that could cause long term effects

17. Humans must live in harmony with the Earth… if we use a resource, it must be returned at some point… either by natural processes or by human activities

22. Earth~One Enormous Ecosystem Detecting Pollutants Technologies for when our eyes and noses can’t see it Detecting Hazardous Wastes Underground storage tanks can be monitored with seismic vibration imaging Abandoned storage sites have to be checked before they can be torn down Hazardous metals monitored from incinerators and combustion facilities

23. Earth~One Enormous Ecosystem Detecting Air Pollutants CEMS-Continuous Emission Monitoring System; measures gas or particulate matter in the air FTIR-Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer; measures >100 of 189 air pollutants listed in Clean air act Coming soon: Electronic “tasters”; for water pollution; Electronic “noses” for air pollution

24. Earth~One Enormous Ecosystem Natural Events and Environmental Health Already know about: Fires, Severe Weather, Natural Oil Seeps El Nino: disruption between Earth’s hydrosphere and atmosphere (water level and gas level) in the Tropical Pacific Ocean Happens about every 4 years

26. Volcanic Eruptions Natural Events and Environmental Health Volcanic eruptions send tons of gases, ash and dust into the atmosphere Pollutants travel far and affect wide circle of habitats Affects last for many years

27. Biodiversity and Environmental Health Biodiversity: the variety of living things on Earth When a habitat is in equilibrium, the number of species is in balance with the resources available When a habitat is stressed or damaged it’s organisms are no longer in equilibrium

28. Biodiversity and Environmental Health Biomonitoring The biological approach to monitoring an ecosystem’s health Organisms occur and thrive within a limited range of conditions. When these conditions change, the numbers and distribution of organisms in the affected site also change

32. Biodiversity and Environmental Health Humans and Species Extinction In PA.. Estimated that up to 50,000 species are becoming extinct each year Estimated that the current rate of extinction is 10,000 times that which is “normal” or “natural”

33. Humans and Species Extinction Sprawl Unplanned development that results in more and more suburbs Contributes significantly to air and water pollution Major cause of habitat loss

34. Humans and Species Extinction Pollution Pollution of the air, water, and land result in habitat degradation and loss Some pollutants affect organisms directly Pesticide DDT has affected various species of birds especially bald eagles and peregrine falcons

35. Humans and Species Extinction Logging and Mining Logging: removing timber from forests and mining coal fields have destroyed many wildlife habitats in PA Ecosystems polluted with sediment, soil and acid mine drainage

36. Humans and Species Extinction Fire Suppression Pine forests need naturally occurring forest fires Fire suppression can leave native plants vulnerable to competitors Disrupting the natural cycle can destroy the habitat