Environmental Health: Thoughts & Reflections

According to the American Lung Association (ALA), pneumoconiosis is any lung disease caused by inhalation of dust that has been deposited into the lungs. It is frequently called “Black Lung Disease” due to it being common among coal miners and also known as an occupational disease. Its symptoms include coughing and shortness of breath. Unfortunately, there are currently no specific treatments or medications for this disease. Pneumoconiosis has been publicly known since the 1950s, but it was not well understood. The Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 provided standards for reduced coal dust and developed the Black Lung Disability Trust. A 1995 publication from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provided recommendations for acceptable limits for coal dust exposure.  Coal mining has exhibited significant change, evidenced by the notable reduction of deaths from 29,000 people in 1990 to 25,000 in 2013.  Although deaths have been...

The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal OSHA) leads several programs including the Injury & Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). Required by California law , the IIPP is a written workplace safety program. The elements of this program include: responsibility, compliance, communication, hazard assessment, accident/exposure investigation, hazard correction, training and instruction, and record keeping. The entire staff must be involved, all employee hazards must be identified, address all the identified work hazards, and the entire staff must also be trained. A comprehensive and effective IIPP can help prevent or reduce injuries and illnesses, and thus any related business and/or medical costs. The IIPP is incredibly important to me because it ensures my safety and health at my workplace. I need to know that I will be safe at work in order to be a productive employee, and that if there are hazards involved, I will be appropriately notified about them and p...

There are several types of cleaning products at my workplace, but I opted to research Clorox Scentiva in Lavender. According to the 2015 revision of the safety data sheet (SDS), this product listed as “Clorox Purple” has no known significant health effects or critical hazards with eye contact, skin contact, or ingestion. However, inhalation may cause a health hazard and serious effects may be delayed after exposure. The SDS also noted that this product is non-carcinogenic. Additionally, the SDS recommends that individuals wear personal protective equipment when handling this chemical. This chemical is found in products that are at my workplace, but I have not been provided any official training with chemical exposure or accidents.  Furthermore, the SDS listed titanium dioxide as an ingredient which helped inform my ToxNet search. The database provided more comprehensive information on the chemical’s toxicity. It noted that there is inadequate evidence of carcinogenicity on hum...

My workplace poses some minor safety issues. Some chemical issues include, cleaning supplies, hand soaps, and lotions, which could be substituted with some environmentally and allergy friendly options. Some biological threats include, viruses and other bacteria that my coworkers might bring into the office. Alternatively, my colleagues could also introduce viral or bacterial strains into the office because they all live with young children, active teens, and/or several pets who are either susceptible or are frequently ill. If they or one of their loved ones were to become ill, it’s possible that they could affect individuals at the office who have weakened immune systems. If illness is severe enough, that person would be advised to work remotely or take a sick week to remove the biological hazard. If not severe enough, the staff will be reminded to be more mindful and be hygienic through frequent hand-washing and using hand sanitizers. Ergonomic issues certainly apply in our typical o...

Both articles discuss the impact of lead poisoning on human health, particularly for low, consistent exposure in young children—a population highly vulnerable to their developmental age. Lead toxicity influences the central nervous system, which can result in impaired learning and social function. Acute lead poisoning in adults can lead to hypertension and even bone demineralization, while children are more susceptible to deficits in cognitive, attentional, and behavioral function. Such developmental deficits have resulted in severe disabilities in children when followed up on in adolescence. Given these health outcomes, it is recommended for children who demonstrate stunted growth, abdominal pain, behavior change, hyperactivity, speech impairments, anemia to be tested for lead poisoning. Lead toxicity was also reduced by limiting exposure from common products like gas and paint. Lead toxicity was also found to be related to artisanal gold ore processing, which caused the death of...

I do not have any explicitly learned knowledge of green chemistry, but surely have come across these 12 principles. Take for example, designing safer chemicals and designing for energy efficiency. The hydrogen peroxide replacement of chlorine bleach in paper production leads to polyphenylene sulfone (PPSU) production, which is widely used for indoor airplanes and in underground trains. These non-flammable materials are novel engineering plastic that combines useful environmental, mechanical, and flame-resistant properties. Furthermore, chemical plants can encourage plant growth by waste steam-heating a greenhouse, through which carbon dioxide extrusion is accelerated to feed the growth of plants.  In both examples, hazardous chemicals have been replaced by more sustainable products. The first discusses that plane and train equipment have evolved to be less flammable, which means that if any equipment combusts, they release less toxic chemicals, help minimize air pollution,...

Highly Fluorinated Highly fluorinated materials are man-made, and manufactured into products and disposed into our waterways. Humans are exposed through food, water, and also at some places of work. They can be found in carpets, furnishings, cosmetics, and clothing. These materials can also reach remote locations and are not biodegradable. Fetuses and children are also developmentally vulnerable. Furthermore, all of these materials pose a potential risk and must be avoided. It is recommended for consumers to ask themselves if the convenience is worth the harmful exposure, as well as to ask for products without highly fluorinated chemicals, if possible. Antimicrobials  Found in consumer products, building materials, and personal care products, these products are questionably beneficial. As antimicrobials are often unnecessary, they can actually do more harm than good. Triclosan has reproductive and developmental side effects; it can affect drinking water, food, breast mil...