Basic Environmental Health [Hardcover]

This comprehensive interdisciplinary text draws from the social sciences, the natural sciences and the health sciences to introduce students to the principles and methods applied in environmental health. It presents an overview of the basic sciences needed to understand environmental health hazards, including toxicology, microbiology, health physics, injury analysis and relevant psychosocial concepts. It also presents a basic approach to risk assessment and risk management. The first part of the book concentrates on broad issues, providing frameworks for the investigation and management of environmental health problems. The middle section deepens the discussion of routes of exposure (air quality, water and sanitation, food and agricultural issues). The final section addresses environmental health from sustainable development themes (settlements and urbanization, energy, industry, and global concerns). The final chapter focuses on ethical issues and action planning. Thus, the text aims to enhance knowledge, skills and attitudes in environmental health.

1. Introduction
Birth, Life, Death, and the Environment
Health and the environment
Historical Perspective
Basic requirements for a healthy environment
Measuring environmental quality, human exposure, and health impact
Pattern of illness throughout the world
Impact of environmental factors on health
Links between environmental and occupational health
Obstacles to and opportunities for resolving environmental health problems
Role of the environmental health professional
2. Nature of environmental health hazards
Hazards and risks
Biological hazards
Chemical hazards
Physical hazards
Mecanical hazards
Psychosocial hazards
3. Risk Assessment
The health risk assessment and risk management framework
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