Environmental hazards are substances, states, or events that have the potential to threaten the surrounding natural environment / or adversely affect the health of people living in the environment. Environmental hazards include natural disasters such as storms and earthquakes.
Environmental hazards are also said to be any single or combination of toxic chemical, biological, or physical agents in the environment, resulting from human activities or natural processes, that may impact the health of exposed subjects, including pollutants such as heavy metals, pesticides, biological contaminants, toxic waste, industrial and home chemicals.
Environmental health hazards are ubiquitous, affecting all aspects of life. As noted by the National Research Council, more than 65,000 new chemical compounds have been introduced into the environment since 1950, and new chemical compounds enter commerce each year. The post-World War II era brought major technological advances to society, accompanied by the release of an unprecedented amount of synthetic chemicals onto U.S. markets.
Types of Environmental Hazards
1. Chemical hazards:
Chemical hazards are present when a person is exposed to a harmful chemical at home or work. Chemical hazards can be in the form of solids, liquids, or gases. Exposure to chemicals could cause acute health effects or chronic health effects. Examples of chemical hazards are – Lead, Carbon Monoxide, benzene, Vinyl Chloride, etc.
2. Physical hazards:
These are those substances or conditions that threaten our physical safety. Examples include; Fires, Explosive materials, Spills on floors, Unguarded machines, Noise, Ionization radiation, Electromagnetic fields, Extreme temperature, Cosmic rays, Drought, Earthquake, etc.
3. Biological hazards:
These are organisms, or by-products from an organism, that are harmful or potentially harmful to human beings. Examples include Bacteria, Parasites, Viruses, Vectors, etc. Biological hazards are the cause of the majority of human diseases. For instance, Bacteria cause cholera, tuberculosis, leprosy, relapsing fever, and many diarrhoeal diseases; viruses are responsible for hepatitis B and C, HIV, measles, and polio; and there are many diseases caused by parasites.
4. Mechanical Hazards:
Vibration, Repetitive motion
5. Psychological hazards:
Violence, Stress, High Job demand, etc.
All of the above are considered environmental hazards because they result from either human activities or natural processes within the environment.
Causes of Environmental Hazards
There are quite several sources from which environmental hazards can be a result of either natural or human activities. Outlined below are some common causes:
- Natural calamities: These are disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods volcanic eruptions, and wildfires among others which may lead to a lot of destruction in the environment.
- Change in weather patterns: The rise in global temperatures brought about by the emission of greenhouse gases results in more intense and frequent heat waves, droughts, storms floods etcetera all affecting ecosystems and communities.
- Pollution: Different types of pollution degrade the quality of the environment and hurt human beings in return; for example air pollution (industrial discharges, vehicle emissions, and fires), water pollution (agricultural runoffs, industrial effluents/sewage) soil contamination (mining activities, improper disposal).
- Deforestation: The act of Deforestation disrupts ecosystems by removing carbon-storing forests for urbanization, agriculture, or logging thus reducing biodiversity and heightening climate change.
- Human Activities: Human activities like habitat destruction, and the introduction of invasive species pollution and over-exploitation lead to the loss of plant and animal species which in turn hinders ecosystem functions and decreases its ability to support life.
- Industrial Accidents: These include such events as oil spills, chemical spills into water bodies or on land, and nuclear accidents among others which are detrimental because they contaminate air, soil, and water thereby endangering human beings together with ecological systems.
- Resource Depletion: Resource Depletion resulting from taking out (mining or extraction), usage (fossil fuels burning) of natural resources such as minerals fishery products wood water, etc., beyond their capacity can degrade these vital elements needed for our survival within some time hence causing environmental harm in long run?
Effects Of Environmental Hazards
Environmental hazards can affect a particular organ or body system, directly damaging it and/or leading to further complications. While scientists generally test substances in labs one at a time, in real life our bodies always deal with more than one hazard at once. The combined interaction of two or more hazards may produce an effect greater than that of either one alone. The amount of exposure, the route of exposure, and the toxic substance(s) we are exposed to will determine the occurrence and the degree of health effects on us.
We can absorb toxic substances through the skin, the digestive system (eating or drinking), or the lungs. Often toxins cause damage on first contact: burns, rashes, or stomach pain. Once in the body, they can damage the internal organs and systems, and build up in the bones and tissues. Both dosage and timing may influence the development and degree of damage; we might be more vulnerable at different stages of life.
In general, toxins affect women and men in similar ways; they can have an allergic reaction or liver damage, chronic headaches or respiratory problems, mental retardation or lung cancer, or damage to reproductive organs. Environmental hazards place extra stress on our bodies and compound any other health problems that we might have.
Environmental Hazards Control Measures
This can be achieved through the following steps:
- Identify the hazard: This is the first step. You should identify the type of hazard that you want to manage. This will also involve describing the condition for exposure and trying to answer questions like; What is the source of the hazard? Who is exposed? What are the pathways or activities that expose a person? What part of the environment is involved in the transfer of the hazard to humans? Etc.
- Analyse and Evaluate the hazard: At this point, you need to analyze the risk and evaluate the potential of the hazard to cause damage to health. The evaluation may require appropriate design, sampling, and laboratory investigation.
- Communicate and consult: When the hazards and risk levels have been determined, advice can be communicated on the interventions or control measures that are needed to control the hazard. There can also be consultations with relevant people and organizations.
- Implement risk control measures: At this point, the risk control measures agreed upon will be implemented. The interventions or control measures are carried out by the person or people responsible for the hazard or risk.
- Monitoring and review: The implementation of interventions or control measures for the hazard must be followed up to determine whether they are successful. Corrective measures can be applied if there is any failure. Identifying appropriate indicators for monitoring is critical and must be done formally.
- Record keeping: Keeping records and reports on hazard management is always important. These records must contain the type of hazard, exposures, and what control measures were taken.
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