Environmental health

Environmental health comprises those aspects of human health, including quality of life, that are determined by physical, chemical, biological, social, and psychosocial factors in the environment. It also refers to the theory and practice of assessing, correcting, controlling, and preventing those factors in the environment that can potentially affect adversely the health of present and future generations.

Environmental health as used by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, includes both the direct pathological effects of chemicals, radiation and some biological agents, and the effects (often indirect) on health and wellbeing of the broad physical, psychological, social and aesthetic environment which includes housing, urban development, land use and transport.  Nutrition, soil contamination, water pollution, air pollution, light pollution, waste control, and public health are integral aspects of environmental health.

When well-being of a whole population is measured, these become economic and political concerns. Increasingly wellness concerns are affecting fiscal policy and prompting some advocates to call for monetary reform (to end systematic pollution credit, governments actually paying to create human health harms).

Environmental health services
Environmental health services are defined by the World Health Organization as:


 * those services which implement environmental health policies through monitoring and control activities. They also carry out that role by promoting the improvement of environmental parameters and by encouraging the use of environmentally friendly and healthy technologies and behaviours. They also have a leading role in developing and suggesting new policy areas.

The Environmental Health profession had its modern-day roots in the sanitary and public health movement of the United Kingdom. This was epitomised by Sir Edwin Chadwick who was instrumental in the repeal of the poor laws and was the founding president of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

Environmental Tobacco Smoke; Secondhand Smoke
Secondhand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), is a serious and deadly environmental health issue facing workers across the world. On June 27, 2006, the U.S. Surgeon General released an in-depth report which analyzed the body of science relating to the disease and death caused by secondhand smoke.

Related Journals

 * Environmental Health Perspectives, an open access journal published by NIEHS
 * Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health: Part A: Current Issues
 * Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health: Part B: Critical Reviews
 * Environmental Health, an open access journal
 * Environmental Science & Technology