Title: How Environment Affects Human Health?
Headings: How Environment Affects Human Health?
How Environment Affects Human Health?
The World Health Organisation recognises a number of environmental factors that affect human health (Table-31.1):
Human Diseases:
To understand how these factors affect us, let’s look at some of the major categories of environmental health hazards (Table-31.2):
Chemicals:
Diet:
Some special categories of health problems are:
1. Water-Borne Pathogens:
A summarised accounts of water related infections is given in Table 31.4:
2. Respiratory Hazards:
3. Climate Change and Human Health:
A schematic presentation of such diseases is shown in Fig. 31.1:
4. Vector-Borne Diseases:
5. Metal Toxicity:
Arsenicosis:
Fluorosis:
Goiter:
6. Radiation Damage:
An overall example of cancer risk of human organs is shown in Fig. 31.3:
Health Impact Assessment:
National Policy and Programme of Vector-Borne Diseases:
Surveillance and Outbreak Response:
Prevention through Social Mobilization:
Case Management:
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Content: Minamata disease is one such metal toxicity disease. Arsenicosis: Arsenic is one of the most important environmental global toxicants that cause acute and chronic adverse health effects, including cancer. Millions of people around the world have been exposed to arsenic through geologically contaminated drinking water. Epidemiological studies conducted since 1960s indicated that ingestion of inorganic arsenic is linked to internal cancers in lung, liver, skin, bladder and kidney of man. The evidence of health risk from arsenic contamination is so compelling that since 2000 WHO/EPA (USA) recommended lowering of the maximum contaminant level of arsenic from 50 to 10 µg/ lit. In addition to cancer induction due to arsenic toxicity, cardiovascular disease, neurogenic effects, diabetes mellitus, hearing loss, fibrosis of lung and liver, anaemia and other hematological effects are seen as an effect of arsenic toxicity. The exposure pathways of arsenic could be inhalation of dusts containing arsenic, ingestion of food and drinks containing arsenic and also through dermal contacts. The potential role of carcinogenic effects of arsenic are considered as altered DNA/chromosomal abnormalities and/or through oxidative stresses. Various clinical cases of arsenic affected patients are reported in West Bengal viz.,