ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN

HEALTH
What is environment ...... ?

the surroundings or conditions

in which a person, animal, or

plant lives or operates.




It is derived from the French word
Environ which
means surrounding.
Our surrounding includes biotic factors like
human beings,
Plants, animals, microbes, etc and abiotic
factors such as light, air, water, soil, etc.
COMPONENTS OF ENVIRONMENT


OUR ENVIRONMENT HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED INTO
FOUR MAJOR COMPONENTS:

HYDROSPHERE

NINETY-SEVEN PERCENT OF THE EARTH'S WATER IS
IN THE OCEANS.
HYDROSPHERE INCLUDES ALL WATER BODIES SUCH
AS LAKES, PONDS, RIVERS, STREAMS AND
OCEAN ETC. HYDROSPHERE FUNCTIONS IN A CYCLIC
NATURE, WHICH IS TERMED AS HYDROLOGICAL
CYCLE OR WATER CYCLE.



LITHOSPHERE
LITHOSPHERE MEANS THE MANTLE OF ROCKS
CONSTITUTING THE EARTHS CRUST.
THE EARTH IS A COLD SPHERICAL SOLID PLANET OF
THE SOLAR SYSTEM, WHICH SPINS IN ITS AXIS AND
REVOLVES AROUND THE SUN AT A CERTAIN CONSTANT
DISTANCE .
LITHOSPHERE MAINLY, CONTAINS SOIL, EARTH ROCKS,
MOUNTAIN ETC.
LITHOSPHERE IS DIVIDED INTO THREE LAYERS-
CRUSTS, MANTLE AND CORE (OUTER AND INNER).
ATMOSPHERE
THE COVER OF THE AIR, THAT ENVELOPES THE EARTH IS KNOWN AS THE
ATMOSPHERE.
ATMOSPHERE IS A THIN LAYER WHICH CONTAINS GASES LIKE OXYGEN,
CARBON DIOXIDE ETC
ATMOSPHERE PROTECTS THE SOLID EARTH AND HUMAN BEINGS FROM
THE HARMFUL RADIATIONS OF THE SUN.
THERE ARE FIVE CONCENTRIC LAYERS WITHIN THE ATMOSPHERE, WHICH
CAN BE DIFFERENTIATED ON THE BASIS OF TEMPERATURE AND EACH
LAYER HAS ITS OWN CHARACTERISTICS.
THESE INCLUDE THE TROPOSPHERE, THE STRATOSPHERE, THE
MESOSPHERE, THE THERMOSPHERE AND THE EXOSPHERE

BIOSPHERE
IT IS OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LIFE LAYER, IT REFERS TO ALL
ORGANISMS ON THE EARTHS SURFACE AND THEIR INTERACTION WITH
WATER AND AIR.
IT CONSISTS OF PLANTS, ANIMALS AND MICRO-ORGANISMS, RANGING
FROM THE TINIEST MICROSCOPIC ORGANISM TO THE LARGEST WHALES IN
THE SEA. BIOLOGY IS CONCERNED WITH HOW MILLIONS OF SPECIES OF
ANIMALS, PLANTS AND OTHER ORGANISMS GROW, FEED, MOVE,
REPRODUCE AND EVOLVE OVER LONG PERIODS OF TIME IN DIFFERENT
ENVIRONMENTS.

HOW ENVIRONMENT IS RELATED TO
HEALTH .. ?
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS CAN AFFECT HUMAN HEALTH;
LESS WIDELY KNOWN IS THAT HEALTH CARE CAN ALSO
AFFECT THE ENVIRONMENT.
THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE ENVIRONMENT AND
HUMAN HEALTH RAISE COMPLEX ETHICAL QUESTIONS
RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS AND HEALTH
POLICY DECISIONS.
THESE ETHICAL QUESTIONS ARE BOUND TO INTENSIFY WITH
THE EMERGENCE OF NANOTECHNOLOGY, GENETICALLY
MODIFIED PLANTS, BIOFUELS, AND OTHER TECHNOLOGIES
THAT CAN BRING BENEFITS AND RISKS.

THE ENVIRONMENT HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN TO BE LINKED TO
HUMAN HEALTH.
THE REGIONS WITH POOR SANITATION ARE EXPOSED TO MORE
AGENTS QUICKLY.
IF AN INDIVIDUAL IS TOO CLEAN, WHEN THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEM
ENCOUNTERS AND ALLERGEN, OR AN AGENT THAT STIMULATES
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM, IT MAY BECOME OVER-STIMULATED. THIS
THEORY IS KNOWN AS THE HYGIENE HYPOTHESIS.
DEFORESTATION, THE MOVEMENT OF HUMANS INTO
UNSETTLED REGIONS OF THE GLOBE, AND MASS ANIMAL
FARMING IS THOUGHT TO BE LEADING TO THE DEVELOPMENT
OF PATHOGENS KNOWN AS "EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
" A PERFECT EXAMPLE IS THE EMERGENCE OF
2009 H1N1 INFLUENZA VIRUS, ALSO KNOWN AS SWINE FLU, THAT
CONTAINED GENES FROM THE VERSION OF THE VIRUS THAT
INFECTS PIGS. SCARIER PATHOGENS AND DISEASE EXAMPLES
INCLUDE WEST NILE VIRUS, LYME DISEASE, HIV, RIFT VALLEY
FEVER, AND SEVERAL OTHERS.
THE LINK BETWEEN THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH IS
BOTH LOGICAL AND SOMETIMES COUNTERINTUITIVE.

ENVIRONMENTAL RISK FACTORS FOR DISEASE

POLLUTION
MICROBES IN AIR, WATER, OR SOIL
CONTAMINANTS IN FOOD
WEATHER CONDITIONS (DROUGHTS, HEAT WAVES)
NATURAL DISASTERS (HURRICANES, EARTHQUAKES, FLOODS)
PESTICIDES AND OTHER CHEMICALS
PESTS AND PARASITES
RADIATION
POVERTY
LACK OF ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE

AS A WORLD CITIZEN IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY CITIZEN TO HELP MAINTAIN
THE ECOLOGICAL BALANCE.

HERE ARE FIVE THINGS THAT YOU
CAN DO AS A GLOBAL CITIZEN ON
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY:





1) SPREAD AWARENESS:
THE MAJOR PURPOSE OF THIS
YEAR'S THEME IS TO START
MAKING CHANGES FROM THE
HOUSEHOLD LEVEL. AS AN
ENVIRONMENT ENTHUSIAST,
YOU CAN SPREAD AWARENESS
ON A SMALL LEVEL BY TALKING
TO CHILDREN IN YOUR FAMILY,
OR AT YOUR OFFICE OR IN
YOUR LOCALITY. INFORM
EVERYONE ABOUT THIS YEAR'S
THEME OR SPREAD
AWARENESS ABOUT THE
ENVIRONMENT IN GENERAL.


2) BUILD A
SMALL FARM OR
GARDEN:

WE KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT TO
FIND SPACE IN A METROPOLITAN
CITY, BUT IF YOU'RE BLESSED
WITH ONE, MAKE AND MAINTAIN
A SMALL FARM OR GARDEN.
GROW FRUITS, VEGETABLES.
LEARN ABOUT VARIOUS SEEDS,
PLANTS AND MANURE. CREATE A
PART OF YOUR GARDEN WHERE
YOU GROW EDIBLE PLANTS AND
ANOTHER WHERE YOU CAN
GROW FLOWERS.

THIS WILL HELP YOU
INTERACT WITH NATURE
AND WILL ALSO GIVE YOU
AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO
SOMETHING NEW. FOR
THOSE WHO ARE NOT
BLESSED WITH HUGE
SPACES, START WITH A
SAPLING OR POTATO IN A
BAG OR A SMALL SPROUT
GARDEN IN YOUR
WINDOWSILL.

3) TRAVEL BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT:







TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ON WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY AND VOW
TO TAKE IT MORE OFTEN THAN YOU DO. IF YOU'RE ALREADY A PUBLIC
TRANSPORT USER, TAKE A WALK. INTRODUCE THE CONCEPT OF PUBLIC
TRANSPORT TO YOUR FAMILY OR CAR-LOVER FRIENDS. CYCLE. IT'S FUN
AND A GREAT WAY TO EXERCISE.

4) REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE, RENEW, RECYCLE:








IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY INTO THIS HABIT, IT'S A GOOD DAY OF THE YEAR
TO START. THESE 5R'S ARE MAGIC MANTRAS WHEN IT COMES TO
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USAGE. THE CONCEPT
IS ALREADY TAUGHT TO STUDENTS AT SCHOOL. THE PROBLEM IS THAT
ELDERS HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT. TAKE TIME ON WORLD ENVIRONMENT
DAY TO LEARN ABOUT THIS CONCEPT. THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT YOU
CAN DO ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, IF YOU JUST KEEP THESE 5R'S IN YOUR
MIND.


5) PUBLICISE:

DID SOMETHING NICE TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT?
TALK ABOUT IT! SHOW OFF.
SHARE PICTURES AND
POSTS ON FACEBOOK,
TWITTER AND PINTEREST.
LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT
YOU PLAN TO DO AND DO IT
THIS WORLD ENVIRONMENT
DAY. YOU CAN USE
FACEBOOK INVITES TO
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO
PARTICIPATE. USE TWITTER
HASHTAGS LIKE
#STAYGREEN OR
#WORLDENVDAY TO SPREAD
YOUR MESSAGE FASTER.


TALK ABOUT IT! SHOW OFF. SHARE PICTURES AND POSTS ON FACEBOOK,
TWITTER AND PINTEREST. LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT YOU PLAN TO DO AND DO
IT THIS WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY. YOU CAN USE FACEBOOK INVITES TO
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO PARTICIPATE. USE TWITTER HASHTAGS LIKE
#STAYGREEN OR #WORLDENVDAY TO SPREAD YOUR MESSAGE FASTER.

YOU CAN ALSO INVOLVE YOURSELF WITH VARIOUS CONSERVATION,
RESTORATION, OR LOCAL ECO-COMMUNITY PROJECTS IN YOUR AREA.


BY
AKHIL ARJUN
GITAM
UNIVERSITY
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/akhil.arjun.05
mail: akhil.mukkamala@gmail.com