Environment and Human Health

Our environment and health are intricately linked to one another. A good quality environment has a positive impact on human health. When our environment is contaminated or polluted, then all life on this planet is affected. Environmental health includes the physical, chemical, and biological factors external to an individual that impacts human behaviours. Environmental health is very important as it helps in better understanding of relationships between our environment and the incidence of disease. It will help towards preventing disease and creating health-supportive environments. It also involves the measurement and control of the various environmental factors that may affect human health negatively.The impacts of environmental factors on health are varied and complex in nature. For example, environmental pollution can cause allergies, toxicity and even cancer. The linkages between exposure and disease are not that clear but there is a direct causal relationship in some cases. Urban air pollutants can cause respiratory diseases and heavy metals have been reported to cause neurological diseases. Environmental factors causing health disorders have not been given importance in policy decision and development planning activities. There are so many pathogenic biological agents and parasites that cause significant health problems. Further chemicals and hazards occurring at work environments are also some causes for diseases and deaths. Exposure to pollutants whether short term exposure or long term exposure causes diseases and in some cases chronic ailments. The environment may be polluted by natural phenomena like volcanoes or earth processes. But in the past decades especially after industrialization human beings have been responsible for such an increased and alarming level of pollutants in the environment. This is a cause of serious concern. It is only in the past two decades that there is an alarm at the international levels with respect to the degradation of our environment and its consequences on human health and well-being.