Environmental health: Nursing

Environmental health is focused on how human health and well-being is influenced by the environment in homes, schools, workplaces, and communities.

Exposure to environmental hazards in the air, water, land, and food supply can negatively impact health.

As the nurse, you’ll promote environmental health by assessing and managing environmental risk factors, providing education, and advocating for policies that support healthy environments.

Okay, so hazards to environmental health can involve the air, water, land, and food supply. Starting with air, both outdoor and indoor air quality can be affected. Outdoor air quality is affected by natural events, like smoke from wildfires, and human activities, like emissions from driving motor vehicles. Also, industrial processes, such as emissions from chemical plants, power plants, and waste incineration that release heavy metals and other toxic chemicals into the atmosphere, leading to poor air quality.

On the other hand, indoor air quality, like within homes, schools, and workplaces, can be impacted by factors like the use of certain appliances such as gas stoves that have the potential to produce carbon monoxide; building materials, such as those that contain formaldehyde; and tobacco smoke. Another cause of poor indoor air quality is the presence of pests like cockroaches, that release allergens in their feces, saliva, and shed skin, which can affect individuals with allergies or asthma.

Poor air quality is also linked to other health problems, such as cardiovascular diseases, like hypertension, certain types of cancer, and even birth defects. Poor air quality can be especially harmful for older adults, small children, and those with preexisting respiratory conditions, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Next up is water. The quality of surface water, like rivers, lakes, and streams, and groundwater can be contaminated through a variety of routes. These can include stormwater runoff from paved roads and parking lots; soil erosion from cleared tracts of land like with clear cut logging; and pesticides and fertilizers that run off from agricultural lands and into nearby waterways.

On top of that, microorganisms, such as E. coli can be introduced into the water supply through leaking septic systems, poorly treated wastewater, or runoff from farms. Poor water quality can not only contribute to infectious diseases, but certain pollutants can interfere with endocrine functions by mimicking, blocking, or interfering with hormones in the body, leading to a variety of health issues.

As far as environmental hazards involving the land are concerned, sometimes toxins remain in the soil in areas that were previously used for certain industries, like heavy metals left behind from mining operations. At other times, the soil can be contaminated from oil spills or industrial chemical leaks, or from harmful chemicals that leach into the soil from landfills.

Another important soil contaminant is lead, which is a neurotoxin and can come from the peeling and flaking of lead-based paint that was used in older homes. Children are especially at risk of exposure to soil contaminated with lead, which they can pick up when playing outside.

Last up is the food supply. There are risks associated with pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables that can be toxic to humans. There are also concerns about the use of growth hormones used in dairy cows to increase milk production, because it’s thought it can potentially increase the amount of insulin-like growth factor 1, or IGF-1, in the milk supply, which could be linked to certain cancers in humans.

In addition, antibiotics are often given to livestock to promote growth. This can lead to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can then be spread to humans, causing infections that are difficult or impossible to treat.

At other times, improper food processing can lead to foodborne illness outbreaks from pathogens like E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria.

Lastly, mercury released by coal-fired power plants and other industrial processes pollutes the air by releasing toxic chemicals, which can enter bodies of water through rain, snow, and runoff. Once the water is contaminated, it enters the food chain and concentrates in larger fish like tuna, shark, and swordfish. The neurotoxic effects of mercury are associated with developmental problems and other adverse effects particularly in developing fetuses and children.