Health 9 2 2023 2024

ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES AND
CONCERNS
• A healthy environment is essential for human health and well-
being.
• Based on the World Health Organization’s report in 2017 an
estimated 12.6 million death worldwide are due to an unhealthy
environment.
• This number of deaths represents about 23% of all deaths
worldwide and 36% of all deaths among children 0-14 years
old.
• These deaths, according to WHO, could have been avoided
if a healthy environment is sustained.
• In the same report, more than 100 diseases and injuries are
due to environmental risk factors.
• It is clear from this report that a healthy environment is a
must for a healthful and comfortable living conditions.
What are some of the community and environmental health
problems and issues?
A. Pollution-is major environmental

problem. It can be classified as air, water, and
land pollution. It is the result of a process
when land, water, and air are contaminated
by toxic chemicals that are harmful to man
and the environment.
1. AIR POLLUTION
-refers to the contamination of the air due to
harmful gases from industries, vehicles, and
agricultural areas. The WHO confirms that air
pollution is now the world’s largest single
environmental health risk because it is dangerous
to living things. Thus, reducing air pollution could
save human lives.
The causes and effects of air pollution are
the following:
CAUSES:
1. Fossil fuel emissions such as the emissions from
vehicles. This is true in big cities like Metro Manila.
2. Improper waste disposal such as the burning of
garbage and dumping of waste in inappropriate places.
3. Exhaust from factories and industries.
4. Household products like paint, insect spray, and
others.
5. Agricultural activities such as spraying of pesticides
on plants.
6. Ashes and gases are produced by volcanic eruptions
just like what happened in the Taal volcano in January
2020.
EFFECTS:
1. Air pollutants like carbon monoxide from automobiles have
harmful effects on the human heart and lungs. People exposed
to air pollutants are said to commonly suffer form pneumonia,
asthma, heart, and lung diseases.
2. Air pollution can damage the human immune system and the
endocrine and reproductive systems. The inhaled pollution is
absorbed by the blood tissue it affects the human body system.
A substance in the environment that exists in the air as a
volatile compound (easily becoming vapor or gas) known as
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC’s) that are found in the
plastics. Can disrupt the functioning of the hormones in the
body’s endocrine system.
When someone inhaled too much EDC’s in the air it can lead
to sperm reduction (male) and irregular menstruation cycles
(female) thus, infertility occurs.
2. WATER POLLUTION
-refers to the contamination of bodies of water

usually by human activities like the dumping of
industrial wastes, mining activities, sewage and
wastewater, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides.
This is the second environmental pollution concern
of the world today.
CAUSES
1. Waste from farms is like animal manure. Heavy rain pushes
contaminants from a farm into nearby bodies of water and into
the groundwater which can cause contamination.
2. Dumping of waste can cause water contamination that affects
some sources of drinking water.
3. Waste from factories, industries, and households produces
pollutants that are hazardous to human health.
4. Accidental oil spills from ships and motorboats.
5. Extracting coal and other minerals from
underground during mining activities produces
more amount of metal waste.
EFFECTS
1. Consumption of polluted water can cause diseases and
bring danger to humans. This can contain bacteria and
viruses that can threaten or even fatal to a human life.
2. Polluted water greatly affects water ecosystems, as
well as plants.
3. Bacteria from animal waste can cause cholera and
typhoid.
What are some practical ways at home that
can help prevent water pollution?
Some practices can be done at home to prevent water from being
polluted.
a. To keep water sources clean and fresh, chemicals, oils, paints, and
medicines should not be thrown down the sink drain, or the toilet.
b. Use environmentally safe cleaning liquids at home and other household
products should be used at home.
c. Chemicals and pesticides should be minimally used for gardens and
farms so that they cannot reach nearby bodies of water.
3. LAND POLLUTION
is the contamination of the land or soil which is

caused by the dumping of solid or liquid waste
materials. This also causes unsightly conditions
and nuisances, especially piles of waste or garbage
scattered on the land.
CAUSES
1. Improper disposal of toxic waste on land and open dumpsites.
2. Use of toxic fertilizers and pesticides on the land.
3. Deforestation and soil erosion.
4. Waste from industries, agriculture, hospitals, and households are
dumped on the soil.
5. Waste materials from mining operations.
EFFECTS
1. Polluted land may cause the spread of diseases.

2. The land, when contaminated with toxic chemicals
and pesticides, may cause diseases.
3. The toxic chemicals can reach the body through
vegetables and farms products as they are grown in
polluted soil.
SOME ISSUES RELATED TO LAND
POLLUTION
a. Improper Waste Disposal
Waste that is improperly disposed of
contaminates the soil, air, and water. This brings
risks to the lives of humans, animals, and plants.
Effects of Improper Waste Disposal:
I- People who live near or within dumpsites are susceptible to various
diseases.
II- Leachate from solid waste can pollute groundwater tables, surface waters,
and the surrounding environment.
III- Insects and pests in open dump sites can affect the health of exposed
populations.
IV- Methane gases from dump sites can affect the health of exposed
populations.
V- Methane gases can contribute to global
warming.
VI- It results in increased flooding.
VII- It leads to the destruction of infrastructures
due to clogged waterways.
b. Land Degradation
This is the decline in the condition of the land because
of deforestation, extreme weather conditions, and human
activities. This is a global issue with serious implications
not only for humans but for all. Plants, animals, and their
habitats.
There are several ways to prevent this
problem.
I- Gardening and tree planting can prevent heavy rains from
damaging the soil.
II- Afforestation is a method to prevent soil erosion. Trees are
planted especially in areas prone to landslides and flashfloods.
III- Reforestation is a process of replanting trees in a previously
deforested area before the quality of the soil disintegrates.
OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THAT
AFFECT COMMUNITY HEALTH
a. ILLEGAL MINING
lead to deforestation and loss of biodiversity in land and aquatic life.
b. Pesticide Drift
This is the movement of chemical pesticides from the intended place to
another, caused by wind and other factors.
c. Deforestation
is the result of widespread illegal logging, agricultural expansion, and land
conversion for residential and commercial purposes.
d. Oil Spill
a form of pollution where oil or liquid petrol is released into the environment, either on
land or on a body of water.
e. Coral Reef Degradation
it is normally caused by illegal fishing techniques, pollution, careless tourism, other natural
phenomena such as earthquakes and hurricanes.
f. Climate Change
Changes in the global climate cause a variety of health risks, ranging from altering patterns
of infectious diseases to deaths in extreme temperatures.

Health 9 2 2023 2024

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ENVIRONMENTAL

A. Pollution-is major environmental

-refers to the contamination of bodies of water

is the contamination of the land or soil which is

1. Polluted land may cause the spread of diseases.

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