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increase the use of clean, reliable, affordable, efficient, and safe home cooking and
heating practices that reduce exposure to indoor air pollution
o indoor air issues
poverty
reduces ability to switch to cleaner fuels
inefficient use of polluting solid fuels restricts economic development
income
simple fuels restrict opportunity
poor lighting & home environment
lack of time
environment
local: deforestation, erosion, desertification
global: black carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions
women
opportunity cost of lost time
injuries and assault during fuel collection
decision making
health
see below
o health effects
ARI, COPD, lung cancer (coal)
TB, low birthweight
burns
poisoning (kerosene)
Environmental Justice
EPA Definition
Describe how epidemiological and exposure assessment methods can be used to investigate an
environmental justice problem
Benefits of community involvement in environmental decision-making
Toxic Metals
Be able to name toxic metals and their sources
o lead
bone
gasoline
paint
o mercury
released into environment through
coal-fired power stations
residential heating systems
waste incinerators
result of mining for mercury, gold, and other metals
accumulates up food chain
elemental mercury is naturally transformed into methylmercury that
bioaccumulates in fish and shellfish
o arsenic
inhalation, dermal, ingestion
o cadmium
inhalation, dermal, ingestion
Be able to describe health effects
o lead
in children
lower IQ, decreased ability to pay attention, underperform in school
in adults
peripheral neuropathy, fatigue/irritability, impaired concentration
renal (kidneys)
chronic nephropathy with proximal tubular damage
hypertension
reproductive effects
miscarriage/stillbirths
reduced sperm count & motility
abnormal sperm
o mercury
methylmercury (through diet [fish])
brain and nervous system effects
impaired neurological development
elemental mercury (vapors from spills)
tremors
emotional changes (mood swings, irritability, nervousness)
neuromuscular changes
headaches
inorganic mercury (ingestion or use of homeopathic remedies/skin bleaching creams)
gastrointestinal tract
nervous system
kidneys
skin rashes and dermatitis
Risk Assessment
Know the four steps of risk assessment and the objective/goal of each step
1. Hazard Identification: What health problems are caused by the pollutant?
1. Single agent effect: what determines the effect?
2. Human data potential human health endpoints (cancer and noncancerous)
3. Toxicology data
4. Weighing the evidence judgment regarding adequacy of available evidence to support a
conclusion that a substance poses a hazard to humans, including judgments regarding any
limitations in the conditions under which the substance may pose those hazards
5. Output
1. Summary of the results of the hazard assessment
2. identification of any likely susceptible populations and life stages
3. identification of the evidence used, quality of the data, weight of evidence
4. Strength and limitations, data gaps
b. Dose-response assessment: What are the health problems at different exposures?
i.
Dose effect
b. Exposure assessment: How much of the pollutant are people exposed to during a specific time period? How
many people are exposed?
c. Risk Characterization: What is the extra risk of health problems in the exposed population?
Know the difference between LOAEL and NOAEL and which is preferred by EPA in deriving a reference
dose
o NOAEL highest exposure level at which no statistically or biologically significant increases in
effects are seen. No Observable Adverse Effect Level.
o LOAEL lowest exposure level at which there are biologically significant increases in frequency
or severity of adverse effects. Lowest Observable Adverse Effect Level.
o Reference Dose - estimated daily dose that is likely to have no adverse effects during a lifetime
exposure LOAEL
Built Environment
Review your responses to the discussion questions for Unnatural Causes
o Safe and healthy housing
o Food access
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Walkability
Green space
Safety
Transportation system
Community assets and resources
Community design
Social connections
Energy
Name sources of energy used in the US, what are the trends
o petroleum (35%)
o natural gas (28%)
o coal (18%)
o removeable gas (10%)
o nuclear electric power (8%)
Define hydraulic fracturing
o Shale gas extraction
drilling into the ground to extract gas.