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EURASIAN EXPERIMENT JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

(EEJPH)
ISSN: 2992-4081 ©EEJPH Publications
Volume 5 Issue 2 2024

Page | 33

The Impact of Environmental Factors on Human

Health
Mwende Muthoni D.

Faculty of Medicine Kampala International University Uganda

ABSTRACT
The intricate relationship between environmental factors and human health is increasingly recognized as
a critical area of study. This essay explores the influence of various environmental components—
including air quality, water quality, climate change, and chemical exposures—on human health. Air
pollution is linked to respiratory conditions and is exacerbated by urbanization. Contaminated water, a
significant concern in low-income regions, contributes to widespread infectious diseases. Climate change
affects the distribution of vector-borne diseases, with implications for global health. Additionally,
chemical exposures from pollutants and consumer products are associated with chronic diseases and pose
significant public health challenges. Through a comprehensive review of current literature and data, this
essay highlights the multifaceted nature of environmental health issues and underscores the need for
proactive measures and policy interventions to mitigate these risks.
Keywords: Environmental Health, Air Pollution, Water Quality, Climate Change, Vector-Borne Diseases
INTRODUCTION
A growing number of investigations are aimed at determining the link between environmental exposures
and human health. It has become evident that the suspected villains are varied, ranging from air pollution
in urban regions that leads to various inflammatory conditions, to contaminated drinking water supplies
in both rural and urban areas, to the spread of certain diseases, probably related to climate change,
throughout the developed world. Environmental stressors can affect human health and disease in both
social and biological pathways. The most vulnerable, due to age, genetics, or nutrition, will suffer the
worst consequences. We live in a complex world, an interconnected web of air, water, climate, and at
times chemical exposures where all of these elements are clearly interrelated. In this essay, we will
examine the various components of the environment, which are having a direct or indirect impact on the
health of populations, causing disproportionate disease in different communities. Many of these problems,
although they have always existed, have received enormous attention, partly because we now have the
technology to better diagnose such conditions, and governments have finally taken a more affirmative
stance on these issues, than merely providing reactive as opposed to proactive public health.
Environmental health studies began during ancient human history but received new vigor with the
industrial revolution. With the toxic release of large amounts of heavy metals and hydrocarbons, the face
of environmental problems changed from smog to ground-level pollution. At the end of the 20th century,
acid deposition and global change were recognized as new threats. A deeper understanding of human
health and ecosystems may harmonize these [1, 2].
AIR QUALITY AND RESPIRATORY HEALTH
The environment exerts a significant impact on human health. For instance, air quality has a direct
relationship with respiratory health. Air pollution encompasses a range of pollutants including particulate
matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, ozone, and lead.
Particulate matter and ozone pollution have been of particular global concern. Exceedance of the air
quality standards often precedes an increase in health effects. The acute health effects of poor air quality
have been well documented, including worsening of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
increased respiratory symptoms, reduced lung function, and a decline in the number of people with
symptoms and diseases. There may potentially be long-term health effects for people living in areas of
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higher air pollution as well. An array of studies indicates that an increase in ambient air pollution levels
leads to an increase in the number of respiratory-related hospital admissions and death rates, and reduced
life expectancy. Urbanization is likely to increase the risk of poor respiratory health as people are more
likely to be exposed to air pollution sources and unhealthy lifestyle choices. Some members of the
population may be more susceptible to the health effects of poor air quality, such as those with existing
respiratory disease, children, and the elderly, who have lower respiratory reserves. Reducing air pollution
concentrations may not only provide benefits to the population's respiratory health but also reduce the
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rate of decline in respiratory health that has been observed in past decades due to factors including
improved nutrition and decreased exposure to smoking. Measures to reduce air pollution and improve air
quality have been developed, including urban planning and transport-related initiatives, advances in clean
fuel technologies, and regulatory controls that establish air quality standards. There is a concurrent need
for policy measures that seek to improve public knowledge and awareness of air quality and its health
impacts and to encourage lifestyle changes to improve air quality. In conclusion, air quality is of critical
importance for respiratory health [3, 4].
WATER QUALITY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES
The provision of safe drinking water is central to the prevention of infectious diseases. Water that has
been contaminated with the excreta from another infected individual is the source of many disease
outbreaks, including bacillary dysentery and cholera; water infrastructures that separate waste from
drinking water help to maintain water quality. However, three in ten people worldwide still live without
access to safe, nearby drinking water. While infrastructure expansion can effectively deliver higher
drinking water quality, it is challenging to meet public health outcomes in regions with a higher risk of
water quality deterioration. In comparison to infrastructure provision issues, climate change has been
shown to alter both the availability and quality of water. Climatic variations can lead to substantial public
health issues where drinking water quality is dependent on both natural water quality and quantity [5,
6]. Poor water quality is evident in the high rates of waterborne disease in low-income countries. In low-
income countries where diarrhea is the fifth leading cause of death; the vast majority of these cases result
from poor access to sanitation and unsafe drinking water. In sub-Saharan Africa, most waterborne disease
is due to high contamination concentrations of both Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens in
drinking water. In response to contaminated water, the practice of boiling water is widespread, with a
significant percentage of people in sub-Saharan Africa reporting the use of boiled water for personal
protection (although water quality remains a publicly unacknowledged public health issue even when this
practice is employed). As well as improving water sanitation and hygiene behavior, global efforts and
policies to improve water, sanitation, and infrastructure have resulted in millions of people gaining
improved access to drinking water [7, 8].
CLIMATE CHANGE AND VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES
A warming climate zone can lead to the expansion of suitable habitat for some vectors while decreasing
the conditions required for others. This may be contributing to the observed resurgence of some vector-
borne diseases that were previously showing declines or were under control. In many settings, climate
strongly influences vector survival, reproduction, and biting behavior, and human and vector movement
are highly correlated with weather or climate patterns. There are epidemiological and sometimes
entomological data to show that climate plays an important role in determining inter-annual fluctuations
in disease incidence and prevalence, as well as large-scale variation in the measured intensity of
transmission. Temperature and rainfall not only govern suitable habitat conditions, but also modulate
mosquito abundance. Human behavior is also changed by weather and climate, and this can affect patterns
and extent of disease transmission and risk. Another factor of relevance is where, spatially, vectors and/or
parasites are [9, 10]. Vector-borne diseases are very much diseases of poverty and influenced by complex
socio-economic forces, such as urbanization, deforestation, alteration of water management practices in
agriculture, changes in human settlement patterns, and migration. The inception and spread of epidemics
in developed countries often depend on the presence of disease and a chain of events, including the
susceptibility, behavior, or immune status of a population. Preventive and control strategies can differ
between settings, and knowledge of the local vector ecology, environmental conditions, human behavior,
and other social factors is crucial. Numerous adaptations or response strategies have been proposed that
include changes in the suite of existing preventive interventions and new tools, but also socio-economic
measures. More long-term, sustainable strategies to cope with global climate change include efforts to
undertake better epidemiological surveillance and compile and research the existing data to validate the
models and to enable us to better interpret the burden of climate-sensitive diseases. Climate-sensitive
vector- or disease-transmission models suggest some potential adaptation and coping strategies for
vector-borne diseases in a changing world. These include the development of forecasting systems, early
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warning schemes and trigger points for intervention, capacity-building and awareness, and the direct
development of adaptive interventions. Monitoring of potential pathogen vectors, the environment, and
inter-human interactions in space and time is also a crucial and long-term aspect of many of these. Efforts
on the part of international and national public health and donor communities are aimed at understanding
the risks and vulnerabilities posed by environmental impacts on health, promoting evidence-based policy
responses, undertaking surveillance for some communicable and non-communicable diseases especially
affected by climate, and developing economic and decision-support tools. Ultimately, we need to be
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prepared to allow proactive management of global environmental change that protects human health in
the long term [11].
CHEMICAL EXPOSURES AND CHRONIC DISEASES
The way we grow food, manufacture consumer products, and live in our built environment has permeated
humans with an unprecedented number of toxic chemicals implicated in the development of chronic
disease. A growing contemporary literature links chemical exposures from pollutants and consumer
products to a spectrum of illnesses and diseases. These environmental health effects include epigenetic
disturbances that can be passed on to future generations. Of significant concern, these chemicals and
mixtures may have effects at low concentrations and at realistic exposures, such that many or most people
are affected. The prevalence of disease from these toxicants can be particularly high in vulnerable
populations due to environmental and social determinants of health. The failures in public and
environmental health agencies to restrict exposure to known chemicals continue to disproportionately
impact children and workers [12, 13]. The primary debate over chemical safety and protection from
exposures is how to institute better regulation, including how to reform the rules that govern regulatory
decision-making, increase the scrutiny put on companies operating in our environment and expose
populations to their chemicals, ensure more effective safety standards are applied, and provide for the
transparency of company-held data and the decision-making that is based on it. In this section, we discuss
how environmental chemicals contribute to poor health, focusing on the specifics of pesticides, heavy
metals, industrial chemicals, and the use of radiofrequency devices, before discussing methods of reform
and building the capacity of communities to advocate for toxicity reduction. We conclude this section
with a case study of air pollution in the context of poor health, despite having been the subject of a large
body of regulation, public debate, and control efforts [14, 15].
CONCLUSION
Environmental factors play a pivotal role in shaping human health outcomes, with each component—air
quality, water quality, climate change, and chemical exposures—affecting health in distinct yet
interconnected ways. The evidence underscores the urgent need for comprehensive strategies that
address these environmental challenges. Improving air quality through regulatory measures and urban
planning, enhancing water infrastructure and sanitation, adapting to climate-induced changes in vector-
borne disease patterns, and implementing stricter regulations on chemical exposures are crucial steps
toward safeguarding public health. Collaborative efforts involving policymakers, scientists, and
communities are essential to develop and implement effective interventions. By advancing our
understanding of these environmental impacts and fostering proactive approaches, we can better protect
human health and promote a sustainable future.
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CITE AS: Mwende Muthoni D. (2024). The Impact of

Environmental Factors on Human Health. EURASIAN
EXPERIMENT JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, 5(2):33-36