Abstract
The environment has a substantial impact on people’s lives as far as people’s activity is always connected with being in the particular environment. Environmental health is often referred to as the public health segment that aims to investigate the impact of environment on human health. Hazardous environment leads to the aggravation of health condition and development of different diseases. There are safety and health-related hazards that are further subdivided depending on their characteristics. Major environmental factors that negatively influence health include air and water pollution, wastes, toxins and gasses emissions, noise, and global climate change. The role of nurse cannot be overestimated in environmental health. Nurses should be aware of all aspects concerning health and environment. Also, nurses should support policies aimed at eliminating barriers to environmental health. Finally, nurses should assist, educate, and monitor the environmental health of individuals and communities.
Introduction
Nature and people are interconnected. Whatever people do and whenever they go, nature is always an integral part of human activity. Nature gives humanity the opportunity to live, survive, and develop. Everything that surrounds people is called environment. The environment includes a variety of aspects. They are usually developed into physical, social, biological, and cultural. As people interact with the environment, it influences their health. The environment can have both positive and negative effects on human health. Adverse effects comprise serious challenge to humankind. Still, harmful effects can be eliminated, and the role of health care providers is crucial in this respect.
Synopsis
Environmental health issues have not been considered as important ones for a long time. However, recent investigations prove that there is a close connection between the health condition and the environment. It is necessary to start with the definition of basic concepts to investigate this issue. Landon (2006) defines environment as “physical, biological, social, and cultural conditions affecting people’s lives and the growth of plants and animals” (p. 3). Also, Landon (2006) writes that health is “a state of physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (p. 3). The notion of environmental health combines both definitions. Environmental health is often defined as a segment of public health that aims to assess, understand, monitor the interconnection between people and environment.
Moeller (2009) emphasizes the fact that environmental health focuses on the problems rather than on approaches. For example, environmental health aims to reduce the stress in the workplace, purify polluted water, or monitor that food is safe for the health of consumers. Environmental health also deals with global issues. For instance, environmental health professionals make everything possible to reduce the risk of being infected with AIDS during the provision of treatment for infected patients. Environmental health specialists have to cope with global warming, noise pollution, and cancer-related issues. Such issues are extremely challenging and require immense efforts to be reduced or at least investigated. Due to such diversity and complexity, environmental health experts are scientists, engineers, lawyers, epidemiologists, physicians, economists, nurses, mathematicians and so on.
As far as environmental health issues influence people globally, a variety of governmental organizations has been established to address these problems. For example, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the governmental organization that regulates occupational health in the United States of America. Some agencies, such as Mine Safety and Health Administration, investigate issues related only to the particular type of occupation. Besides, several federal agencies are created to examine occupational and environmental health issues (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences).
For better understanding of the problem, environmental hazards can be classified into the following groups (Levy, Wegman, Baron, & Sokas, 2010):
- Safety hazards. They occur as a result of the improper following of safety measures in different environments including home and work. Falling from high building because of the lack of fall protection is an example of such hazard;
- Health hazards. This group is further subdivided into:
- Chemicals. Environmental health professionals are deeply concerned with the usage of chemicals in many products. Mercury and lead also belong to this group;
- Physical hazards. Noise pollution, radiation (ionizing and nonionizing), vibration comprise the second sub-type;
- Biomechanical hazards lead to the development of problems with musculoskeletal system (e.g. carpal tunnel syndrome);
- Psychological hazards are often connected with difficult working conditions such as working under extreme pressure. Unemployment can also serve as an example of psychological hazard because it may result in stress;
- Biologic hazards include all diseases that that be spread via water, air, or blood (e.g. human immunodeficiency virus and the tubercle bacillus).
Environmental Factors that Impact Health
The already described classification of environmental hazards can be used for further identification of the facts that influence health condition. As it has been mentioned, environmental factors can be positive, and they are useful for health. For example, the ozone layer is a positive environmental factor because it protects the life of the planet from UV. Good quality of soil, water, and air also improve and sustain the health condition of people. However, environmental health is about harmful environmental factors as far as they hinder the quality of life and damage health.
Air and water quality comprise the first factor that impacts human health. Thus, the polluted air (which is the result of human activity) leads to the respiratory diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular problems. For example, in 2008, almost one hundred and thirty million people lived in areas with the inappropriate level of air pollution in the U.S (Environmental Health, n.d.). The poor quality water (both ground and surface) may lead to serious problems with health.
Many environmental factors are closely connected with human activity. Agricultural, municipal, and industrial emissions and discharges form a large group of harmful environmental factors. Here belong various solid wasted, gases, or liquids that usually contain toxins and chemicals that decrease the quality of air, water, and soil (Environmental Factors Affecting Health, 2004).
Global issues can also be environmental factors that negatively affect the human health. Global warming is the example. Global warming does not have one particular effect on health. The consequences of global warming are numerous and dangerous. For example, the climate change impacts air quality. It can intensify devastating results of natural disasters, or enhance the activity of viruses.
In addition, some environmental factors cannot be even predicted. New chemicals are introduced annually. It is considered that some of them may have unpredictable effects on human health (Environmental Health, n.d.).
My Role in Improving/Eliminating Environmental Barriers to Health
Nurses have always played a significant role in the protection of environmental health. Since the beginning of the nursing profession, nurses have realized the importance of the environment for the healthy life. For example, Florence Nightingale’s first rule of proper nursing practice is “Keep the air within as pure as the air without” (American Nurses Association, 2007).
I share the opinion that nurses can do a lot when it comes to environmental health. I believe that the nurse, first of all, should be aware of current environmental health issues. It is significant to have sufficient knowledge about numerous hazards, their potential threat, and elimination. I should read relevant literature and journal articles devoted to the topic being analyzed. Also, as a nurse, I should personally assess some environmental hazards. For example, I can buy products and check their composition. Thus, the first task of the nurse is to be educated and aware of the problem.
However, I should admit that I cannot change some problematic issues. For example, I cannot forbid the usage of harmful chemical in products for children. Consequently, I should become an active person in social life. I should promote and support the implementation of policies aimed at reducing adverse effects of some hazards. It is important to be socially active because the majority can assert rights of people for the healthy and safe environment.
One more thing I can do is to help individuals, families, or communities to protect their health. The nurse should educate people how to protect themselves, make their indoor environment useful, and be careful outdoors. For example, I can provide young mothers with pieces of advice about the healthy feeding of the child. Nowadays, numerous products for children can be bought. As a nurse, I should help the young mother to be able to choose only the safest food or clothes.
Summary and Conclusion
Environmental health is about assessing, monitoring, and understanding of the interaction between people and environment. Various environmental factors may influence people’s health negatively. Major environmental hazards include climate change, air and water pollution, excessive noise, the usage of chemicals in food, and toxins. The nurse can eliminate barriers to environmental health via supporting relevant policies and providing necessary support and consultations to individuals or whole families.
References
American Nurses Association. (2007). ANA’s Principles of Environmental Health for Nursing Practice with Implementation Strategies. Web.
Environmental Factors Affecting Health. (2004). Web.
Environmental Health. (n.d.). Web.
Landon, M. (2006). Environment, Health, and Sustainable Development. London, UK: McGraw-Hill Education.
Levy, B., Wegman, D., Baron, S., & Sokas, R. (2010). Occupational and Environmental Health: Recognizing and Preventing Disease and Injury. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Moeller, D. (2009). Environmental Health. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.