PUB HLT 150 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Vehicular Homicide, Minamata Disease, Sea Level Rise
Document Summary
Environmental health challenged by: [dwcofs: deforestation, water security, climate change, sea level rise, food insecurity, overfishing. 15/24 ecosystem provided services are being degraded/used unsustainably. Environmental stability, poverty alleviation, food security roadblocked by environmental declines. Vehicular manslaughter is a global epidemic of traffic deaths. Increasing amount of cases, will be a leading contributor in near future. Road injuries currently 9th contributor to global burden of disease, will become 3rd. Earth has a carrying capacity and we will reach a limit, environmental health will impact it water pollution. Minamata disease: factory town disposes methylmercury in river -> contamination of fish -> neurological disorders. Tube wells, arsenic drinking water: groundwater naturally high in arsenic in bangladesh (97% contaminated) Inadequate wastewater treatment -> pollution flows unchecked in water bodies. > marine environments and seafood are contaminated: solution: cleaner canals to collect channel sewage, reduce odors and bacteria that flow into river. Urban and rural proximity to pollution sources.
