Final Blog

I truly learned so much in this class and feel like I am already a much more conscious consumer and also freaked out and much more aware of all of the toxins and chemicals we are exposed to that impact our health. I have had fun sharing all that I have learned with my family and friends and I feel that by explaining it to others I have increased my learning experience and feel inspired to continue learning. I felt the blogs were overwhelming at first but they were all very interesting topics and I learned a lot about many different aspects of environmental health. It was great reading and commenting on my blog groups posts and I enjoyed learning their perspective and realizing that we share the same beliefs and hope for the same changes. I also enjoyed doing the book review and learned a lot from researching for the literature review, and I appreciated the feedback I received from the professor.

M12.9: Climate change

1.   What do you personally find most troubling about climate change?

What I find most troubling about climate change is how it has impacted so many animals, marine life, and plants. After reading the sixth extinction I was shocked at how climate change has drastically decreased coral reefs and also many rainforests. Human activity is solely to blame for the rapid increase in temperature, yet there is not enough that is being done to reverse the dangerous effects. Another issue is how many are denying the impact of climate change and how businesses continue to emit large portions of gases into the atmosphere.

2.   As a public health professional, what do you think needs the greatest attention right now?

I would say the greatest attention needs to go toward spreading awareness and have people make small changes that will make a huge impact. We can change the way we eat by buying locally and eating organic, we can reduce and reuse and stop being so wasteful, and most importantly reduce our carbon emissions and use energy more wisely. I think if everyone makes a change we can drastically improve the current state of climate change which will in turn improve our air quality and our health, while also helping animals, marine life, and plants.  

3.   If you were visiting with a long-lost relative who had never heard about climate change, how would you describe it and its attendant human health and ecological threats?

I would explain to them that climate change is a change in the global climate patterns that is directly linked to human activity. I would explain the greenhouse effect and how gases like carbon dioxide are trapping heat near the surface, causing temperatures to rise. I would discuss the difference between weather and climate and how climate refers to the long-term average of weather measured over several decades. I would then explain how it is scientifically proven that our climate has risen and as well as the increased heat of our oceans. I would then state how some of the impacts of climate change that we can see are heat waves, sea-levels rising, ocean acidification, threats to habitats and animals, wildfires, and droughts.

M11.5: Zero waste life

I felt really inspired after watching the video of Lauren Singer discuss how she lives a zero waste life. It is shocking that the average American person produces 4.4 pounds of waste per day! That is hard to comprehend and I do not think I produce that much waste and I am doing more and becoming more conscious about the waste I produce. For me, one of the changes I have started to make is composting and also limiting the amount of packaged foods I buy which has been a challenge. I never realized how nearly every product we buy is packaged in plastic. I really like how she talked about creating her own products and I hope to one day create my own products as well. What also came to mind for me is the waste that my dog produces. She was diagnosed with Addison’s disease this year so she needs to take a small dose of prednisone everyday which makes her have to pee more frequently. I take her for walks first thing in the morning and at night but she uses the pee pads during the night and when I am away for a long day of work and school. I always feel so guilty picking up the pads and plan to search for another alternative. I also have to order her medicine every 45 days or so and it always comes in new plastic containers and I wish there was a way I could just go to the compounding pharmacy and have them refill her prescription with the bottles I already have. In addition I plan to look at all the products I use and see where I can make small gradual changes, which will be better for both our planet and myself in the long run. It will definitely be a challenge to create such little waste over the years that would fit in a small mason jar like Laurens, but I hope to make small changes and inspire my friends and family to do the same.

M10.1: Video

My uncle is a construction worker and works at various sites building, renovating, and remodeling homes and businesses. He has been working in this industry for almost 30 years. I would say that with his job there are chemical and ergonomic issues that he faces. He has fallen from ladders in the past, has back issues, and has cut himself with sharp objects. The job itself is very demanding physically and mentally. He has to carry heavy objects, is on his feet for most of the day, has the stress of managing employees, and also the stress of meeting deadlines and working overtime. He is also exposed to various chemicals from the products he uses, and renovations he completes that expose dangerous chemicals like asbestos. I think we would be able to address these issues at every level of the hierarchy of controls. Construction workers should wear more protective gear when they use or are possibly exposed to chemicals. Engineering controls could isolate workers from exposure to dangerous levels of chemicals like lead and formaldehyde by better monitoring levels and recognizing potential hazards. Substitution would create better chemicals and safer handling of heavy equipment and machinery. Barriers include lack of current regulations and data that would support the need for change as these practices have been done for many years. Also the high demand for construction workers and the need to meet deadlines make significant changes happen at a slower pace.

M10.5: Occupational safety and health organization

I chose to look at the World Health Organization (WHO). Their website provides a lot of information about the work they are doing to improve occupational health as well as key areas of focus. The WHO works on extending access to the most essential health interventions and services for workers health. They work to increase access to occupational health services, strengthen and specialize occupational health services, and stimulate international efforts to build human resource capacities for workers’ health in both primary care and occupational health specialists. I looked into more detail for the topic of protecting workers’ health series no. 1 preventing health risks from the use of pesticides in agriculture. The booklet provided, gives advice on how health risks associated with pesticide use for agricultural workers can be reduced. Advice for proper working procedures for mixing/loading, application, transportation, storage and disposal of the pesticides is provided in detail. This information is targeted for use by workers all over the world, especially for those countries still under development where agriculture is the main source of sustenance and technology. This is very important and as mentioned this is essential information for under developed countries that lack additional measures provided by local occupational health services.

M10.2: MSDS and ToxNet

When I asked my boss for our Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), I was handed a very large binder, which included several data sheets. I work at a dental office so there are a lot of materials we use in our workplace. I decided to look at a disinfectant we use everyday, CaviCide. CaviCide is a disinfectant spray that we use to disinfect the rooms after we see each patient and ingredients include 3 main chemicals. Some of the potential health risks listed on the MSDS include inhalation hazards of irritation of the nose, throat, and upper respiratory tract as well as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and possible unconsciousness. Ingestion hazards include gastrointestinal disturbances and central nervous system effects. It is stated that none of the components in the product are listed as a carcinogen. Personal protection includes general ventilation, gloves, and eye protection. As a previous assistant that would clean/prepare an operatory, I was told to use gloves and wear a mask when using CaviCide but I was never educated about the potential health risks associated with use and the smell of the spray is very strong and I can still smell it through my mask and the smell remains in the air for some time after it has been used.

One of the main chemical ingredients in CaviCide is Isopropanol. According to ToxNet, human exposure to Isopropanol is related to toxic effects that include central nervous depression, liver, kidney, cardiovascular depression and brain damage. It can also cause ataxia, stupor, coma and respiratory depression, irritation of mucous membranes and eyes, gastritis, gastric hemorrhage, vomiting, pancreatitis, cold clammy skin, hypothermia, miosis, tachycardia, slow and noisy respiration. Though some of these health risks were mentioned in the MSDS, ToxNet results revealed many more health effects including information found from multiple studies.  So in this case, I would day that the MSDS provided by the manufacturer was an inadequate tool especially considering that the ToxNet results were just for one of the three main chemicals in the product. This is especially concerning considering the fact that this product is used multiple times a day during a regular workday.