This semester has been such a whirlwind experience! I feel as though I have learned so much about such a wide array of topics. I think my favorite topics were learning about flame retardants, climate change, and occupational health risks. Flame retardants were interesting to me because I knew so little about them initially, climate change was interesting (though extremely depressing) because there is no escaping it for any of us, and occupational health risks was an enjoyable topic for me because I feel like I know so many people who will benefit from what I've learned.
The blogging experience leaves me with mixed feelings. I liked being able to share my thoughts on each topic and it was fun reading about what my classmates had to say. However, the actual blog function itself was frustrating to work with. For a large part of the semester I was unable to respond to my classmates blogs (that kink never got sorted out, thus I simply started responding to their posts on my own blogs of the same topic) and this was very frustrating because it created a lot of makeup work for me to catch back up. I wonder if we couldn't have just used the message thread function on Canvas and responded to one another there? Still, the exercise itself was great; I really enjoyed getting to see what my classmates thought about each and every Module.
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Think About It
With all the recent destruction California has seen recently due to fires, I decided to look at the "Winter Weather" preparedness on the ThinkAboutIt website. I found this interesting, though perhaps not super applicable to where we live in California (the topics mostly included how to deal with black ice, sleet, and snow). One thing I found particularly interesting was a section that breaks down the role-categories during winter weather preparedness. They are:
1. Individual
2. Family
3. Organization
4. Profession
5. Community
I think its good that these differentiated spheres have been considered for disaster preparedness. It is important that relief/prevention efforts are thorough with programs such as these so that we have have the best programs possible available to us.
1. Individual
2. Family
3. Organization
4. Profession
5. Community
I think its good that these differentiated spheres have been considered for disaster preparedness. It is important that relief/prevention efforts are thorough with programs such as these so that we have have the best programs possible available to us.
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Climate Change
1. I personally find climate change to be very upsetting. That is why I've chose to write my lit review and focus my final presentation on the topic. The thing I find the most troubling about climate change though is the negative impact it will (and is) having on ecosystems. I feel terrible for the plants and animals that are suffering and dying off largely because of the selfish choices humans are making. I feel bad because they have no voice and a very limited ability to correct the problem.
2. As a public health professional I think the thing that needs our attention most is figuring out how to limit emission creation and get away from the use of fossil fuels. I think these two things to hand-in-hand and can do a great deal to combat climate change.
3. If I needed to explain climate change to someone who had never heard of it, I'd relate it to a greenhouse and tell them about how gasses contribute to the greenhouses insulation. I'd talk about how global warming contributes natural disasters that aid disease. I'd talk about the string of fires taking place in California, the storms on the East Coast, the extreme droughts taking place in Africa, and the floods leading to a multitude of health issues all around the world. Then I'd take a step back and relate all of these things back to the greenhouse effect and how our planet is becoming an oven.
2. As a public health professional I think the thing that needs our attention most is figuring out how to limit emission creation and get away from the use of fossil fuels. I think these two things to hand-in-hand and can do a great deal to combat climate change.
3. If I needed to explain climate change to someone who had never heard of it, I'd relate it to a greenhouse and tell them about how gasses contribute to the greenhouses insulation. I'd talk about how global warming contributes natural disasters that aid disease. I'd talk about the string of fires taking place in California, the storms on the East Coast, the extreme droughts taking place in Africa, and the floods leading to a multitude of health issues all around the world. Then I'd take a step back and relate all of these things back to the greenhouse effect and how our planet is becoming an oven.
Sunday, November 4, 2018
The Zero Waste Life
I thought this Module was very interesting. I've actually seen two of these videos before through my own general surfing of the internet - one of which is the Ted Talk with the young woman living a Zero Waste life. Looking around at my own home, I think the biggest waste stream contributor that I would like to see diminished is the use of my boyfriend and I's personal care products. These items are always packaged in plastic and we go through a LOT of them. Everything from deodorant, to makeup, to toothpaste, to hair gel. I think it would be worth our while to learn how to make a few of these things on our own so that we didn't need to rely so heavily on the packaged products. Toothpaste and soap are the two things that come to mind as being particularly easy to make as I've seen recipes for these things, made them on my own as gifts in the past, and I know that we go through them very quickly. I think that by making an effort to replace even just these two items as a start, I could lessen the waste being generated by my household a good deal.
Occupational Related Disease
For this assignment I chose to look at white noise as a risk to construction workers hearing. White noise damage can take years to develop symptoms but the damage can quickly become irreversible. It is recommended by the ILO (International Labour Organization) that construction workers use protective devices for their ears at all times as well as devices to monitor the noise dosimetry in a given area. These monitoring and protective devises can do a great deal to prevent loss of hearing later in life due to occupational exposure to elevated white noise levels. PPE (personal protective equipment) as well as a sound education about the risks of white noise exposure provided by employers, are the staples OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Association) presses as well when it comes to protecting construction workers hearing.
International Labour Organization
For this assignment I selected the International Labour Organization's program, 2030 Agenda. This program embraces three dimensions of sustainability: economic, social, and environmental. It also has 17 sustainable development goals: no poverty, zero hunger, good health, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace and justice, and partnership for the goals.
When I read over the 17 goals - it sounds like a perfect plan! These are missions I can get behind and that I know would lead to increased health and safety for myself and my community. When I clicked on each of these goals to learn a little more about each one, I was not disappointed. Each one of these goals takes a very progressive stand to see these issues remedied.
When I read over the 17 goals - it sounds like a perfect plan! These are missions I can get behind and that I know would lead to increased health and safety for myself and my community. When I clicked on each of these goals to learn a little more about each one, I was not disappointed. Each one of these goals takes a very progressive stand to see these issues remedied.
MSDS and ToxNet
When I asked about obtaining a Material Safety Data Sheet from my employer, I was told that I needed to contact HR. Our HR department is not in-house, so I sent out an email to our HR executive but have not yet heard anything back. I realized that I couldn't wait any longer so I decided to move forward with this assignment by looking up an MSDS for a product I know I am frequently exposed to at my work - gym sanitation wipes.
1. The health risks of this product include: mild irritation/redness of the eyes, mild irritation of the skin from prolonged exposure
2. The product contains no hazardous chemicals as defined in 29 CFR 1910.1200
3. If these wipes were spilled, it is advised that I ventilate the area, scoop up the spilled material and place it in a properly marked waste disposal container to be properly disposed of by local environmental authorities
4. The only "training" I was given about this product is to wash my hands after using it. It is a disinfectant wipe, so I think I assumed this role of hand washing pretty much on my own. I did assume that these wipes had bleach in them, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that they do not.
Listed in the "fragrance" section of this product was 'acetone'. Although the amount was very small (.002), I thought I'd look into this chemical on ToxNet as I don't know much about it. Turns out 'acetone' is a known carcinogen. I assume the MSDS did not list any of 'acetone's known health effects because it it used in such a small quantity - but I still found its omission from the sheet a bit frightening. I think overall, both the MSDS and ToxNet's findings are too difficult for most people to read. Someone with the reading level of a 6th grader, or who spoke English as a second language, would almost certainly struggle to make sense of this information.
1. The health risks of this product include: mild irritation/redness of the eyes, mild irritation of the skin from prolonged exposure
2. The product contains no hazardous chemicals as defined in 29 CFR 1910.1200
3. If these wipes were spilled, it is advised that I ventilate the area, scoop up the spilled material and place it in a properly marked waste disposal container to be properly disposed of by local environmental authorities
4. The only "training" I was given about this product is to wash my hands after using it. It is a disinfectant wipe, so I think I assumed this role of hand washing pretty much on my own. I did assume that these wipes had bleach in them, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that they do not.
Listed in the "fragrance" section of this product was 'acetone'. Although the amount was very small (.002), I thought I'd look into this chemical on ToxNet as I don't know much about it. Turns out 'acetone' is a known carcinogen. I assume the MSDS did not list any of 'acetone's known health effects because it it used in such a small quantity - but I still found its omission from the sheet a bit frightening. I think overall, both the MSDS and ToxNet's findings are too difficult for most people to read. Someone with the reading level of a 6th grader, or who spoke English as a second language, would almost certainly struggle to make sense of this information.
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Heavy Metals
I thought the article covering the history of led poisoning was very interesting. Like I mentioned in my previous blog post, learning about the toll of these chemicals on children is always hard to stomach. Its amazing how horrible the effects these chemicals can be when they reach people at a young age. I especially thought that the fact that lead can have a negative impact on children's reading abilities was interesting. I struggled with reading as a child and I remember how frustrating it was.
I found the article about the lead poisoning outbreak to be extremely sad and was surprised to see that this incident was as recent as 2010! 400 deaths due to lead poisoning in these villages! It was great to read about the United Nations involvement in this issue though - I thought that the steps they took were appropriate. I was happy to see that they administered a significant amount of treatment but was still concerned at the high casualty rate. This article drives home how dangerous lead poisoning is.
I found the article about the lead poisoning outbreak to be extremely sad and was surprised to see that this incident was as recent as 2010! 400 deaths due to lead poisoning in these villages! It was great to read about the United Nations involvement in this issue though - I thought that the steps they took were appropriate. I was happy to see that they administered a significant amount of treatment but was still concerned at the high casualty rate. This article drives home how dangerous lead poisoning is.
Green Chemistry
I had heard of green chemistry before - from my mother, actually. She had tried to use chemicals that were "green" and I can recall her talking to me about green chemistry as an alternative to traditional chemical development. I think the 12 principals of green chemistry are worth pursuing; I especially feel that "preventing waste" is something we can focus our energies on. If we can create things that do not leave waste, so that there are not things left to clean up, that would be a huge step in keeping people safe from toxic chemicals. I also thought that the video about the garbage patch was distressing. The amount of plastic in the environment is something scientists and public health actors need to continue to address.
Six Classes of Chemicals
Highly Fluorinated:
I did not know that highly fluorinated chemicals were man made or that they were primarily used for non-stick and water resistant products. Its pretty horrible, and crazy, to think that 98% of Americans are living with this inside them! The fact that carcinogens as toxic as this are so incredibly common in Americans is extremely troubling; especially when considering that they never breakdown and come with an array of health problems outside of "simply" cancer.
Antimocrobials:
These chemicals are supposed to kill/inhibit the growth of microorganisms and are once again found in many household items. These chemicals can inhibit/kill good microorganisms and are dangerous when ingested by humans and many animals. Unfortunately they are often found in humans, especially in breast milk where they are then ingested by infants.
Flame Retardants:
Unfortunately these chemicals are added in to many products to help them meet fire regulations. I though it was interesting to learn that these chemicals only hinder flames by generally 2 second and that they do real harm in the toxic smoke they give off. How crazy to think that the smoke of these things is more dangerous than the flames which they are supposedly working to stop. It almost seems as though having the flames run their course would be more worthwhile than having these chemicals create toxic smoke.
Bisphenols:
These chemicals are hormone disruptors and are usually found in plastics. The thing I found most frightening about these chemicals is that they "leach" into things like water and food. This makes it feel like they are harder to remove from our systems and homes unless these items are simply 100% removed; its not like you can clean these chemicals off of our products.
Solvents:
Air contaminant like solvents are often toxic and can be avoided. These chemicals are found in items like nail polish, paint, and cleaning products and can cause an array of respiratory problems as well as end up in drinking water as they seep through soil into groundwater. I liked that this video suggested one very simple solution for stopping solvents like cleaning products by just using water for your cleaning needs. Often advertising makes us feel like we need these chemicals to wipe down "dirty" surfaces, but that's not always the case.
Metals:
Metals are not something that I often think of as chemicals - I am 100% aware that some are toxic but it still is something I tend to forget until reminded. These metals end up in food and drinking water and end up ingested by humans. The biggest takeaway from this video for me was that these chemicals usually effect children while prenatal and/or early life exposure. Its always hard to hear that these things effect children more than any other population.
I did not know that highly fluorinated chemicals were man made or that they were primarily used for non-stick and water resistant products. Its pretty horrible, and crazy, to think that 98% of Americans are living with this inside them! The fact that carcinogens as toxic as this are so incredibly common in Americans is extremely troubling; especially when considering that they never breakdown and come with an array of health problems outside of "simply" cancer.
Antimocrobials:
These chemicals are supposed to kill/inhibit the growth of microorganisms and are once again found in many household items. These chemicals can inhibit/kill good microorganisms and are dangerous when ingested by humans and many animals. Unfortunately they are often found in humans, especially in breast milk where they are then ingested by infants.
Flame Retardants:
Unfortunately these chemicals are added in to many products to help them meet fire regulations. I though it was interesting to learn that these chemicals only hinder flames by generally 2 second and that they do real harm in the toxic smoke they give off. How crazy to think that the smoke of these things is more dangerous than the flames which they are supposedly working to stop. It almost seems as though having the flames run their course would be more worthwhile than having these chemicals create toxic smoke.
Bisphenols:
These chemicals are hormone disruptors and are usually found in plastics. The thing I found most frightening about these chemicals is that they "leach" into things like water and food. This makes it feel like they are harder to remove from our systems and homes unless these items are simply 100% removed; its not like you can clean these chemicals off of our products.
Solvents:
Air contaminant like solvents are often toxic and can be avoided. These chemicals are found in items like nail polish, paint, and cleaning products and can cause an array of respiratory problems as well as end up in drinking water as they seep through soil into groundwater. I liked that this video suggested one very simple solution for stopping solvents like cleaning products by just using water for your cleaning needs. Often advertising makes us feel like we need these chemicals to wipe down "dirty" surfaces, but that's not always the case.
Metals:
Metals are not something that I often think of as chemicals - I am 100% aware that some are toxic but it still is something I tend to forget until reminded. These metals end up in food and drinking water and end up ingested by humans. The biggest takeaway from this video for me was that these chemicals usually effect children while prenatal and/or early life exposure. Its always hard to hear that these things effect children more than any other population.
Monday, October 15, 2018
My Ideal Chemical Policy
After reviewing the content of Module 8, the workers "right-to-know" concern strikes me as the largest environmental health issue. In my ideal chemical policy, open disclose of any/all (though I'd really try and decrease my use of toxic chemicals/pesticides altogether) toxic chemicals/pesticides would be paramount. Furthermore, I'd take my workers care a step further by providing regular medical checks. These medical checks would screen my workers for any symptoms of the side effects of the adverse health issues caused by the chemicals they were working with while employed by me. My goal with this program would be to identify health issues caused by these chemicals/toxins before they progressed to their final/terminal stage. I realize that a program such as this would be expensive, and there would need to be rules/guidelines that made financial sense of some sort, but this seems like a high priority item to me. If the company that is asking these workers to handle toxic chemicals is not supporting their employees health then the duty ultimately falls on workers themselves - and getting sick in America is an outrageously expensive endeavor. I think that obligation lies with the company first to try and stop these illnesses in their tracks rather than wait for a worker to feel so ill that they seek medical attention and discover that they're in the final stages of lung cancer.
Chemical Policy Reform
"Give the Public and Workers Fulls Right-to-Know and Participate"
Knowledge and consent are the key factors here that are being deliberately overlooked by many chemicals when it comes to the chemical policy. I think most people, if they realized their ability to have a positive influence on the chemical policies of the places they work/live in, would want to have clear labels describing the industrial toxins they were being exposed to. Basic information about how much of these toxins are being produced and what the adverse health effects are due to exposure should be a basic human right. The current regularity of limited disclosure laws is alarming, but not surprising. I think Paul Orum does a very nice job summarizing this problem, why its important, and presenting potential solutions.
Knowledge and consent are the key factors here that are being deliberately overlooked by many chemicals when it comes to the chemical policy. I think most people, if they realized their ability to have a positive influence on the chemical policies of the places they work/live in, would want to have clear labels describing the industrial toxins they were being exposed to. Basic information about how much of these toxins are being produced and what the adverse health effects are due to exposure should be a basic human right. The current regularity of limited disclosure laws is alarming, but not surprising. I think Paul Orum does a very nice job summarizing this problem, why its important, and presenting potential solutions.
Pesticides
"Whats On My Food?"
Lettuce: 52 pesticides found; 3 known carcinogens; 17 hormone disruptors; 10 neurotoxins; 8 developmental/reproductive toxins; 14 honey bee toxins
Roast Chicken: **Not listed, I assume this is because its a meat
Black Beans: 1 pesticide found; 0 known carcinogens; 0 hormone disruptors; 0 neurotoxins; 0 developmental/reproductive toxins; 0 honey bee toxins
I founds these results to be a little all over the map for me. On the one hand, 'lettuce' raised a huge red flag for me. Although the pesticides that threaten my own health are alarming and terrifying, I honestly felt more upset about the 14 honey bee toxins! Being raised a bee keeper - I HATE the idea that my food choices could be hurting honey bees. The 'roast chicken' had nothing listed because its a meat so it doesn't really fall into this category and the 'black beans' had basically nothing reported for them. I wonder if the reason for the 'black beans' coming up so clean is because they get shelled, washed, and canned before being tested. This might account for there being so little pesticide residue on them though I suspect they are still exposed to pesticides while on the farm and on the vine.
Lettuce: 52 pesticides found; 3 known carcinogens; 17 hormone disruptors; 10 neurotoxins; 8 developmental/reproductive toxins; 14 honey bee toxins
Roast Chicken: **Not listed, I assume this is because its a meat
Black Beans: 1 pesticide found; 0 known carcinogens; 0 hormone disruptors; 0 neurotoxins; 0 developmental/reproductive toxins; 0 honey bee toxins
I founds these results to be a little all over the map for me. On the one hand, 'lettuce' raised a huge red flag for me. Although the pesticides that threaten my own health are alarming and terrifying, I honestly felt more upset about the 14 honey bee toxins! Being raised a bee keeper - I HATE the idea that my food choices could be hurting honey bees. The 'roast chicken' had nothing listed because its a meat so it doesn't really fall into this category and the 'black beans' had basically nothing reported for them. I wonder if the reason for the 'black beans' coming up so clean is because they get shelled, washed, and canned before being tested. This might account for there being so little pesticide residue on them though I suspect they are still exposed to pesticides while on the farm and on the vine.
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Topic of Interest
My topic of interest is how climate change is communicated. How is the message of climate change being delivered to the public and is the messaging working? I plan to likely utilize the following agencies as they address my topic:
1. globalchange.gov ; US Global Change Research Program
2. opm.gov ; the Office of Communication
3. climatechangecommunication.org ; the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication
4. un.org ; Climate Change Division
5. cdc.gov ; Health Communications and Social Marketing Practice homepage
1. globalchange.gov ; US Global Change Research Program
2. opm.gov ; the Office of Communication
3. climatechangecommunication.org ; the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication
4. un.org ; Climate Change Division
5. cdc.gov ; Health Communications and Social Marketing Practice homepage
EcoEmploy
I selected the Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The impact that this branch has on environmental health is pretty overwhelming - the majority of their work has to do strictly with the environmental health of human and animal populations! To give a specific example, the Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service offers a specialty certification to veterinarians so that they can confidently sign-off on the health status of livestock. This certification serves our community in an environmental health fashion because these veterinarians make sure that the cows producing our milk, the chickens producing our eggs, etc. are all up to par with their health and well-being. It is because of veterinarians like these, who act to enforce standards of care for livestock, that we can be sure our livestock are producing safe products.
Marin County Health Department
The County of Marin Department of Health and Human Services (CMDHHS) offers the following environmental health services:
1. Access to the community epidemiology program which monitors breast cancer data in Marin County. This program is a branch of the CMDHHS and the data is publicly available so residents can see things like which neighborhoods have the highest number of breast cancer cases.
2. The Community Development program serves residents by disposing of medical waste (Sharps Program).
3. The Marin County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs offer tips for preventing lead exposure from tap water.
I was pleased to see that these services were available in Marin county. The epidemiology program pleased me because I know about the staggering number of women in Marin county who suffer from breast cancer and the lead prevention programs pleased me because, even though Marin's water is top-notch (as I discovered in Module 6's blogs) - the issue is still covered in case residents need assistance/guidance.
1. Access to the community epidemiology program which monitors breast cancer data in Marin County. This program is a branch of the CMDHHS and the data is publicly available so residents can see things like which neighborhoods have the highest number of breast cancer cases.
2. The Community Development program serves residents by disposing of medical waste (Sharps Program).
3. The Marin County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs offer tips for preventing lead exposure from tap water.
I was pleased to see that these services were available in Marin county. The epidemiology program pleased me because I know about the staggering number of women in Marin county who suffer from breast cancer and the lead prevention programs pleased me because, even though Marin's water is top-notch (as I discovered in Module 6's blogs) - the issue is still covered in case residents need assistance/guidance.
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Obesogens
1.) Locally gown foods usually find their way to your table within 61 miles according to the Seasonal Foods document. Fruits that are currently in season include: pomegranates, cranberries, and persimmons.
2.) I think it is important for hospitals to incorporate seasonal/local foods into their menus for several reasons. They can help reduce transportation emissions by not shipping in fruit outside of a certain radius, they can support their local farmers and agricultural workers and invest back into their local communication, and they can expose their patients to real, wholesome, foods that are nutrient dense.
3.) Harvest Calendar: This calendar provided me with a very long list of produce that is currently in season in California. I was a bit surprised! I did not expect to see such an extensive list in early October - but there were upwards of 30 items listed!
4.) I had heard of obesogens before reading this article, but had only a vague understanding of what they were which was mostly due to their tell-tale name. The key new factor that I learned from this article was that obesogens are "dietary, pharmaceutical, and industrial compounds". I suppose I had not given much thought as to WHAT these things were - only that they were bad and had adverse effects on health and weight in both animals and humans. Still, I wasn't surprised that these things are manufactured as so many of the terrible things we ingest are manufactured by organizations making money on our failing health, growing waistbands, and desire for convenience and flavor.
5.) I chose to look at dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene.
What I found in the Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives was that this chemical pesticide is a DDT breakdown product and it has been linked to an increased BMI in children and insulin resistance in rodents. Most known obesogens (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene included) are endocrine disruptors which means that they alter the bodies endocrine system function and can cause cancer and/or tumors. Animal studies have done a great deal to link dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene to obesity though, interestingly, the animals often have fewer fat cells but these cells are much larger in size than normal fat cells so the animals end up with a higher BMI than desired.
Holtcamp, W. (2012). Obesogens: an environmental link to obesity. Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives. 59, 100-111. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.120-a62
2.) I think it is important for hospitals to incorporate seasonal/local foods into their menus for several reasons. They can help reduce transportation emissions by not shipping in fruit outside of a certain radius, they can support their local farmers and agricultural workers and invest back into their local communication, and they can expose their patients to real, wholesome, foods that are nutrient dense.
3.) Harvest Calendar: This calendar provided me with a very long list of produce that is currently in season in California. I was a bit surprised! I did not expect to see such an extensive list in early October - but there were upwards of 30 items listed!
4.) I had heard of obesogens before reading this article, but had only a vague understanding of what they were which was mostly due to their tell-tale name. The key new factor that I learned from this article was that obesogens are "dietary, pharmaceutical, and industrial compounds". I suppose I had not given much thought as to WHAT these things were - only that they were bad and had adverse effects on health and weight in both animals and humans. Still, I wasn't surprised that these things are manufactured as so many of the terrible things we ingest are manufactured by organizations making money on our failing health, growing waistbands, and desire for convenience and flavor.
5.) I chose to look at dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene.
What I found in the Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives was that this chemical pesticide is a DDT breakdown product and it has been linked to an increased BMI in children and insulin resistance in rodents. Most known obesogens (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene included) are endocrine disruptors which means that they alter the bodies endocrine system function and can cause cancer and/or tumors. Animal studies have done a great deal to link dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene to obesity though, interestingly, the animals often have fewer fat cells but these cells are much larger in size than normal fat cells so the animals end up with a higher BMI than desired.
Holtcamp, W. (2012). Obesogens: an environmental link to obesity. Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives. 59, 100-111. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.120-a62
Use of Antibiotics
Article 1: Antibiotic Resistance 101
I found this document really wonderful. It was easy to read and got across key facts about the abundance of antibiotics being forced upon our agriculture. Based on the format of this document, I wonder if it is a policy brief? The layout reminded me of documents we looked at in my Health Policy class last semester. The "Recommendations" section was particularly interesting; I very much liked that the author called upon Congress to initiate change but wanted to see more suggestions that the general consumer could get behind to try and bring about change.
Article 2: Nearby Livestock May Raise 'Superbug' Risk
I found this article to be disturbing - but not necessarily new information to me. The MRSA staph bacteria has been in the news for some time now and I've discussed it before with friends and family. It really is frightening to think about all the antibiotics being pumped into agriculture and how that fact then comes back to haunt us as 'superbug's emerge that are drug-resistant. I appreciated that the end of the article briefly stated that the study found an association, but no cause-and-effect relationship. I don't think there is/was any need to argue/prove the cause-and-effect point when the association is so strong.
Article 3: Antimicrobial Wipes and Soaps
I appreciated the writing style of this article! It was fun and easy to read - this made it fun to follow along as the author told us about the problems of triclosan. This article reminded me of new moms arguing on the playground about whether or not they should "let their kids eat dirt". One young mom explains that eating dirt will strengthen their child's immune system, while the other disagrees and believes the dirt will be the cause of illness. I think the author (and me as well) would side with the mom in favor of a little dirt being okay in their child's lives.
Article 4: Antimicrobials and the Manufacturing of Hospital Furnishings
Ah! Another policy brief! Easy to read and always informative! One new and interesting thing I learned from this article was that copper has antimicrobial properties. This struck me as really interesting, especially since (according to this article) this phenomenon is not entirely understood. If copper was not toxic in high concentrations, this metal could be a helpful tools for hospital furnishings. Along similar lines, Zinc is another interesting option for hospital manufacturing but this metal also falls short as it is not enough on its own to provide a safe hospital environment.
I found this document really wonderful. It was easy to read and got across key facts about the abundance of antibiotics being forced upon our agriculture. Based on the format of this document, I wonder if it is a policy brief? The layout reminded me of documents we looked at in my Health Policy class last semester. The "Recommendations" section was particularly interesting; I very much liked that the author called upon Congress to initiate change but wanted to see more suggestions that the general consumer could get behind to try and bring about change.
Article 2: Nearby Livestock May Raise 'Superbug' Risk
I found this article to be disturbing - but not necessarily new information to me. The MRSA staph bacteria has been in the news for some time now and I've discussed it before with friends and family. It really is frightening to think about all the antibiotics being pumped into agriculture and how that fact then comes back to haunt us as 'superbug's emerge that are drug-resistant. I appreciated that the end of the article briefly stated that the study found an association, but no cause-and-effect relationship. I don't think there is/was any need to argue/prove the cause-and-effect point when the association is so strong.
Article 3: Antimicrobial Wipes and Soaps
I appreciated the writing style of this article! It was fun and easy to read - this made it fun to follow along as the author told us about the problems of triclosan. This article reminded me of new moms arguing on the playground about whether or not they should "let their kids eat dirt". One young mom explains that eating dirt will strengthen their child's immune system, while the other disagrees and believes the dirt will be the cause of illness. I think the author (and me as well) would side with the mom in favor of a little dirt being okay in their child's lives.
Article 4: Antimicrobials and the Manufacturing of Hospital Furnishings
Ah! Another policy brief! Easy to read and always informative! One new and interesting thing I learned from this article was that copper has antimicrobial properties. This struck me as really interesting, especially since (according to this article) this phenomenon is not entirely understood. If copper was not toxic in high concentrations, this metal could be a helpful tools for hospital furnishings. Along similar lines, Zinc is another interesting option for hospital manufacturing but this metal also falls short as it is not enough on its own to provide a safe hospital environment.
The Vanishing of the Bees and Dirt!
1. The "Vanishing of the Bees" film was absolutely heartbreaking for me. I say that honestly, with no exaggeration. My mother raises bees and I've grown up loving them since I was in grade school. I loved the short history lesson in the movie - when they explained how ancient Egyptians would float hives down the river to follow the bloom - how amazing is that?! But the sad reality of this film was also driven home and I was very troubled to learn about colony collapse disorder and seeing the empty hive boxes strewn about all over the place.
2. Similar to my connection to the "Vanishing of the Bees" film, I also had a strong nostalgia connection to the "Dirt" film and Fact Sheet because of how I was raised. My parents have always composted and I am lucky enough to live in an apartment complex that has a composting service for tenants as well. After watching the "Vanishing of the Bees" film, it was nice to switch to something that felt a little more upbeat and positive. The film does a great job describing the process, why its important, and how you can get involved.
3. From the "Factory Farm Map" website I was able to see that Marin County scored in the "high" range according to the US Department of Agriculture Census. This didn't surprise me too much as I have seen, and know of, many farms that operate in our county. I did not see any Factory Farms listed in Marin though I noticed that the info had not been updated since 2012. Still, I do not think there are any Factory Farms in our county - I hope I am correct!
4. As I started to state in bullet #2, composting has been a large part of my culinary life since I can remember. I was raised composting and continue to do it myself. My challenge with composting has been trying to get my significant other on-board with the system. Its not that he is adamantly opposing it, but he often forgets to compost and struggles to remember what CAN and CANNOT be composted. This is something we continue to work on every day and he is getting a hang of it! Slowlllllyyyy but surely!
2. Similar to my connection to the "Vanishing of the Bees" film, I also had a strong nostalgia connection to the "Dirt" film and Fact Sheet because of how I was raised. My parents have always composted and I am lucky enough to live in an apartment complex that has a composting service for tenants as well. After watching the "Vanishing of the Bees" film, it was nice to switch to something that felt a little more upbeat and positive. The film does a great job describing the process, why its important, and how you can get involved.
3. From the "Factory Farm Map" website I was able to see that Marin County scored in the "high" range according to the US Department of Agriculture Census. This didn't surprise me too much as I have seen, and know of, many farms that operate in our county. I did not see any Factory Farms listed in Marin though I noticed that the info had not been updated since 2012. Still, I do not think there are any Factory Farms in our county - I hope I am correct!
4. As I started to state in bullet #2, composting has been a large part of my culinary life since I can remember. I was raised composting and continue to do it myself. My challenge with composting has been trying to get my significant other on-board with the system. Its not that he is adamantly opposing it, but he often forgets to compost and struggles to remember what CAN and CANNOT be composted. This is something we continue to work on every day and he is getting a hang of it! Slowlllllyyyy but surely!
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Sewage Facilities
There are 3 sewage facilities in Marin County:
1. The Central Marin Sanitation Agency in San Rafael
2. The Mill Valley Sewage Treatment Plant in Mill Valley
3. The Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District in San Rafael
I admit, I was a little surprised to learn that there were 3 of these plants in Marin county. I wonder if all of these plants have arisen out of necessity? Is there that much waste being produced in our county? I don't feel I have enough information to make the call as to yes or no, but I'd certainly be curious to find out the answer. Out of these three plants, the closest one to my home is the Central Marin Sanitation Agency which is 4.2 miles away.
1. The Central Marin Sanitation Agency in San Rafael
2. The Mill Valley Sewage Treatment Plant in Mill Valley
3. The Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District in San Rafael
I admit, I was a little surprised to learn that there were 3 of these plants in Marin county. I wonder if all of these plants have arisen out of necessity? Is there that much waste being produced in our county? I don't feel I have enough information to make the call as to yes or no, but I'd certainly be curious to find out the answer. Out of these three plants, the closest one to my home is the Central Marin Sanitation Agency which is 4.2 miles away.
The Story of Bottled Water
If I was to develop a nationwide campaign to get people to drink tap water, my campaign slogan would be:
Come Back to the Tap!
The idea behind it would be that Americans have gotten away from drinking their tap water as bottled water companies have manufactured demand by seducing us with false imagery and generating fear. The focus would be to bring Americans back to their taps and have them vote/support initiatives that work to further clean up their drinking water. A secondary mission of this campaign would be to continue to shine light on the bottled water industry and expose it for assisting in the manufacturing of a problem that only they can "fix".
Come Back to the Tap!
The idea behind it would be that Americans have gotten away from drinking their tap water as bottled water companies have manufactured demand by seducing us with false imagery and generating fear. The focus would be to bring Americans back to their taps and have them vote/support initiatives that work to further clean up their drinking water. A secondary mission of this campaign would be to continue to shine light on the bottled water industry and expose it for assisting in the manufacturing of a problem that only they can "fix".
Consumer Confidence Water Report - Marin County
1. Marin's water originates in reservoirs. There are 17 reservoirs in Marin that MMWD (Marin Municipal Water District) pulls from.
2. Marin's water proved to be free of high levels of contaminants. The only contaminant I was a bit alarmed by was the relatively high amount of chloride which was reported to average 34 mg/L. This contaminant is reported to originate from the runoff/leaching of natural deposits.
3. The only chemical that I saw listed on the list of possible contaminants that I was not expecting was radon. Even though the MMWD reports that the average amount of radon in our reservoir water was "N/A"- I was still a bit disturbed to see it even on the list as a potential contaminant. I am pleased to see that they are continually testing for it though!
4. Honestly, Marin's water is quite clean of chemicals. The one chemical that stood out as being a bit high, and that can cause adverse health effects, is chloride which can increase your risk of cancer, cause cell damage, and result in heart complications.
I do not filter my water in my home. In the past, my parents used a filter on and off again - but it never stuck around for very long. I've always drank Marin's tap water and did not feel a need to buy bottled water, or even invest in a filter myself. After reading this report, I feel confident continuing this practice. I am also constantly trying to avoid bottled water simply as a way to avoid contributing to plastic waste. The only time I may consider investing in a filter or purchasing bottled water is if I were to move or if I was traveling.
2. Marin's water proved to be free of high levels of contaminants. The only contaminant I was a bit alarmed by was the relatively high amount of chloride which was reported to average 34 mg/L. This contaminant is reported to originate from the runoff/leaching of natural deposits.
3. The only chemical that I saw listed on the list of possible contaminants that I was not expecting was radon. Even though the MMWD reports that the average amount of radon in our reservoir water was "N/A"- I was still a bit disturbed to see it even on the list as a potential contaminant. I am pleased to see that they are continually testing for it though!
4. Honestly, Marin's water is quite clean of chemicals. The one chemical that stood out as being a bit high, and that can cause adverse health effects, is chloride which can increase your risk of cancer, cause cell damage, and result in heart complications.
I do not filter my water in my home. In the past, my parents used a filter on and off again - but it never stuck around for very long. I've always drank Marin's tap water and did not feel a need to buy bottled water, or even invest in a filter myself. After reading this report, I feel confident continuing this practice. I am also constantly trying to avoid bottled water simply as a way to avoid contributing to plastic waste. The only time I may consider investing in a filter or purchasing bottled water is if I were to move or if I was traveling.
Monday, September 24, 2018
Clean Water in America
The Clean Water Act has done a great deal to protect America's water. From my previous understanding of the Clean Water Act, I only considered the CWA's impact on American's drinking water. What I had failed to realize was the impact the CWA has had on industry. I really appreciated learning in the 'Clean Water Act of 1972' video that 36.8 billion has been generated through fishing, hunting, and bird watching revenues in many states because there is clean water for the animals to thrive on. On a similar note, learning that water-front property has increased in value on bodies like the Chicago river as they get cleaned up, was another way that industry has been positively impacted. I enjoyed learning these facts about how industry is positively impacted by the protection of clean water because many of these industry giants can/should be powerful allies in the fight to protect our water. Being able to turn to them and say, "Hey! Look how much money clean water has provided you with! Don't you want to protect that?" can prove to be a powerful incentive.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Radon
When I hear someone talking about a nation-wide awareness campaign, my mind automatically goes to social marketing as a strong possibility. I think social marketing has huge potential to influence people and their decision making processes because I find myself influenced by social marketing campaigns every day. As I get on to the freeway near my home, there is a bus stop whose billboards are ALWAYS showing social marketing campaigns (alerting us that its tick season, reminding us about the importance of speaking up if we see abuse, telling us to get flu shots, etc.) and they serves as strong reminder to me every morning.
I would use social marketing billboards, radio ads, TV ads, and leaflets to get the word out about the importance of radon testing and to raise awareness about the harm it can do. I would form working relationships with (at the very least) the organizations mentioned in the Radon YouTube video we watched for this module - the Environmental Protection Agency, the Cancer Learning Center, and the Utah Department of Health. Partnerships with local governments would be important as well as their support will be critical when determining where our marketing should go in their communities. Local government can play a crucial role because they know how to reach their people and likely have a strong sense of which communities might be at a higher risk than others. This information is paramount as we plan where to launch our social marketing campaign efforts and decide on what method of message delivery would work best.
Fragrance Policy
Our group would utilize the motto of being a "fragrance free facility" for a hypothetical health club. No scented deodorant, body wash, shampoo/conditioner, perfume, or any other personal care products would be allowed. Now, considering that our fictional policy is for a health club that provides members with showers, sinks, etc. we think it would be a good business practice to provide members with deodorant, body wash, shampoo/conditioner, shaving gel, etc that was not scented. By providing them with product alternatives, we make it much easier for them to uphold the rules surrounding fragrance because they do not need to bring their own products from home. Also included in our health club would be prominent signage that alerts members as to why the fragrance free policy is in effect and how they can do their part in contributing to carcinogen free air.
This policy would help reduce the body burdens and exposures of our members by providing them with a space where they could reside without having copious amounts of carcinogens, mutagens, and tumor promoting chemicals from fragrances bombarding them. For a family oriented health club like the YMCA (for example) that often services families and young children - we think a safe space such as this is very important.
This policy would help reduce the body burdens and exposures of our members by providing them with a space where they could reside without having copious amounts of carcinogens, mutagens, and tumor promoting chemicals from fragrances bombarding them. For a family oriented health club like the YMCA (for example) that often services families and young children - we think a safe space such as this is very important.
ToxNet
Health Effects
Urea Formaldehyde: This chemical is a known, and well documented, mutagenicity that causes cells to mutate. Many studies done on ToxNet were preformed on lab animals, primarily rats, and tumors were found to develop in these animals exposed to Urea formaldehyde. In animals that were subjugated to Urea formaldehyde through means of inhalation,the tumors appeared most on their noses.
Bleach: ToxNet proved bleach (hydrogen peroxide) to be a very strong carcinogen. Studies showed that health effects include cancer development in lab animals exposed to this chemical. Most methods of testing involved consumption of the chemical by lab animals (fish,rats,mice) but some were exposed via inhalation which is the method that most humans are exposed.
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Transportation
I was raised in a community that, until I was in high school, had no access to public transportation. I lived in a small town with no streetlights, no traffic signals, and a grand total of three stop signs. I didn't grow up taking the bus to school or seeing people leaving/arriving in my community on public transportation and thus I never really "learned" how to take a bus. As a child in grade school, and even into high school, I can remember being intimidated by public transportation. I found the idea of riding a bus with strangers to be scary! And what if I missed my stop or got on the wrong bus?
According the the American Public Health Association (APHA) I may have increased my health risks by neglecting public transportation. My risk of dying in a crash while taking public transit is 1/25 that of my risk of dying in a private automobile and since I drive my own car to work, I am 44.6% more likely to be overweight or obese.
The How Does Transportation Affect Public Health? article gave me some insight as to how my transportation habits are negatively impacting the health of my community. "Active Transportation" (exercise) has obvious positive outcomes for the personnel involved, but it also does not generate air/soil/water/noise pollutants. Public transportation options, while still producing some emissions, are generally much lower in pollutants than individual automobiles as well. If I could partake in "Active Transportation" or public transportation more regularly, I could contribute to lowering air/soil/water/noise pollutants in my community and thus make their home environment a more positive social determinant of their health.
According the the American Public Health Association (APHA) I may have increased my health risks by neglecting public transportation. My risk of dying in a crash while taking public transit is 1/25 that of my risk of dying in a private automobile and since I drive my own car to work, I am 44.6% more likely to be overweight or obese.
The How Does Transportation Affect Public Health? article gave me some insight as to how my transportation habits are negatively impacting the health of my community. "Active Transportation" (exercise) has obvious positive outcomes for the personnel involved, but it also does not generate air/soil/water/noise pollutants. Public transportation options, while still producing some emissions, are generally much lower in pollutants than individual automobiles as well. If I could partake in "Active Transportation" or public transportation more regularly, I could contribute to lowering air/soil/water/noise pollutants in my community and thus make their home environment a more positive social determinant of their health.
Air Pollution
My Zip Code: 94903 Marin County
* There are no manufacturing facilities in Marin
*1% of houses in Marin have a high risk of lead hazards
*Superfund sites = worst toxic waste sites
*There are no superfund sites in Marin
*In 1999 Marin ranked in the top 20% of all U.S counties in terms of worst air pollutant VOC's (volatile organic compound emissions)!!!!
*Marin has 23 bodies of water with reported problems. Of these, 11 are classified as being of "medium" risk and 12 are classified as being of "low" risk.
*The leading pollutant in Marin's water are various pesticides (63%)
*The 'Distribution of Burden Mapper' highlighted a few environmental justice issues
-Facilities Emitting Criteria Air Pollutants (facilities per square mile): People of color = 26 ; Whites = 8.7
-Facilities Emitting Criteria Air Pollutants (facilities per square mile): Families below poverty = 10 ; Families above poverty = 8.1
Overall, I was most surprised by the issues I found with air quality problems in Marin. I already feel like I had a pretty solid understanding of the environmental justice issues in place in Marin, but it never gets old seeing the statistics in your face like that. I was very pleased to find out with 100% certainty that there are no manufacturing facilities or superfund sites in Marin!!!
* There are no manufacturing facilities in Marin
*1% of houses in Marin have a high risk of lead hazards
*Superfund sites = worst toxic waste sites
*There are no superfund sites in Marin
*In 1999 Marin ranked in the top 20% of all U.S counties in terms of worst air pollutant VOC's (volatile organic compound emissions)!!!!
*Marin has 23 bodies of water with reported problems. Of these, 11 are classified as being of "medium" risk and 12 are classified as being of "low" risk.
*The leading pollutant in Marin's water are various pesticides (63%)
*The 'Distribution of Burden Mapper' highlighted a few environmental justice issues
-Facilities Emitting Criteria Air Pollutants (facilities per square mile): People of color = 26 ; Whites = 8.7
-Facilities Emitting Criteria Air Pollutants (facilities per square mile): Families below poverty = 10 ; Families above poverty = 8.1
Overall, I was most surprised by the issues I found with air quality problems in Marin. I already feel like I had a pretty solid understanding of the environmental justice issues in place in Marin, but it never gets old seeing the statistics in your face like that. I was very pleased to find out with 100% certainty that there are no manufacturing facilities or superfund sites in Marin!!!
Environmental Justice
I found the 8 Horrifying Examples of Corporations Mistreating Black Communities with Environmental Racism article to be very fascinating because it served as a history lesson as much as it did a wake-up call. The issue of "Durban Poison" in South Africa was especially interesting as it has been a while since I read anything that had to do with apartheid and it helps to explain why/how these things come to be. An example such as this paints the picture of history very clearly so that environmental racism, as it exists today, is highlighted and better understood for those of us who were very young when apartheid ended. We can very obviously see how these decisions were not made by accident - there were laws and regulations put in place to protect/appease white communities at the expense of communities of color.
As I read over the Black Lives Matter website, I can see how environmental justice goes hand-in-hand with their message. Although I could not find anything explicitly listing "environmental justice" as one of the movement's goals, I think "creating a world free of anti-Blackness, where every Black person has the social, economic, and political power to thrive" (BLM website) as well as a loudly stated mission to "support freedom and justice for black communities" says enough to connect the dots between the movement and environmental justice. I wonder how understood/considered environmental justice is by the BLM movement? I wonder if they have conducted any research of their own linking environmental justice to their communities to strengthen their cause and generate awareness?
Environmental justice is clearly something that needs to be considered when assessing someones social determinants of health. Social determinants of health consist of the conditions in which a person is born, grows, lives, works, and ages (to quote the WHO website). Of course their proximity to toxic waste incinerators etc needs to be considered when assessing the possible health outcomes of this person or their community! Looking back at the Rishi Manchanda video, we can see how few health care providers may actually think to ask questions about things like their patients social determinants of health - and yet these things are so, so important!
As I read over the Black Lives Matter website, I can see how environmental justice goes hand-in-hand with their message. Although I could not find anything explicitly listing "environmental justice" as one of the movement's goals, I think "creating a world free of anti-Blackness, where every Black person has the social, economic, and political power to thrive" (BLM website) as well as a loudly stated mission to "support freedom and justice for black communities" says enough to connect the dots between the movement and environmental justice. I wonder how understood/considered environmental justice is by the BLM movement? I wonder if they have conducted any research of their own linking environmental justice to their communities to strengthen their cause and generate awareness?
Environmental justice is clearly something that needs to be considered when assessing someones social determinants of health. Social determinants of health consist of the conditions in which a person is born, grows, lives, works, and ages (to quote the WHO website). Of course their proximity to toxic waste incinerators etc needs to be considered when assessing the possible health outcomes of this person or their community! Looking back at the Rishi Manchanda video, we can see how few health care providers may actually think to ask questions about things like their patients social determinants of health - and yet these things are so, so important!
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Vulnerable Populations
I found this section to build really nicely upon Module 2. I especially liked how the Little Things Matter video built upon the pancake metaphor described in Module 2 to drive home the point that these trace amounts of chemicals are enough to alter human health. An example of this was highlighted in the Little Things Matter video with regard to Ritalin and its treatment of ADHD which positively effects ADHD symptoms, even at a level of concentration lower than a lot of chemicals commonly found in the body. The power of drug companies here needs to be addressed so that these chemicals become much more closely regulated.
Another thing I found really interesting was the article on estrogen-mimic. I honestly don't know if I'll ever want children - but I have a a few close friends who have been trying, and failing, for some time to become pregnant. This article, combined with the discussion of the body burden test, made me worry for them. I wonder if I should suggest that they partake in something like the body burden test, or suggest that they read some of these articles on chemicals that can alter fertility... but I'm not sure its my place. Still, perhaps more knowledge would assist them, and they might be able to change their fortune if they were equipped with some of this knowledge. I feel like this is a tricky situation however...these things become so much more complicated when the subjects are your friends.
Another thing I found really interesting was the article on estrogen-mimic. I honestly don't know if I'll ever want children - but I have a a few close friends who have been trying, and failing, for some time to become pregnant. This article, combined with the discussion of the body burden test, made me worry for them. I wonder if I should suggest that they partake in something like the body burden test, or suggest that they read some of these articles on chemicals that can alter fertility... but I'm not sure its my place. Still, perhaps more knowledge would assist them, and they might be able to change their fortune if they were equipped with some of this knowledge. I feel like this is a tricky situation however...these things become so much more complicated when the subjects are your friends.
Lab Result Discussion
After watching the "Body Burdens"video with Anderson Cooper, the results of the fictional lab test felt even heavier than when I initially read over them before watching the video. I think its always scarier when you see/hear someone in a white lab coat discuss serious topics like your reproductive health or your likeliness to test positive for cancer. Every time we watch a video like this regarding some new area of environmental health, I'm always appalled at how often I hear the words "We just don't know" when talking about the effects of these chemicals on human health. The chasm of uncertainty is overwhelmingly frightening!
Out of the list provided in my fictional lab test, the scariest result for me was the carcinogens. I'm seriously paranoid about getting cancer; so much so that I don't even like to talk/write about it because I'm afraid I'll jinx myself. I realize that's ridiculous (one of the few things in this world that probably can't give me cancer, is talking about getting cancer) - but then I think "why even risk it!". I think I am also very concerned about carcinogens because I am aware of the staggering cancer statistics in Marin county. I'd be very interested in going through the body burdens test for real, but I can't even begin to imagine how much anxiety my test results would cause me.
Out of the list provided in my fictional lab test, the scariest result for me was the carcinogens. I'm seriously paranoid about getting cancer; so much so that I don't even like to talk/write about it because I'm afraid I'll jinx myself. I realize that's ridiculous (one of the few things in this world that probably can't give me cancer, is talking about getting cancer) - but then I think "why even risk it!". I think I am also very concerned about carcinogens because I am aware of the staggering cancer statistics in Marin county. I'd be very interested in going through the body burdens test for real, but I can't even begin to imagine how much anxiety my test results would cause me.
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
Household Products
Product 1: Clorox Commercial Solutions Heavy Duty Liquid-Plumer Gel
I selected this product for this exercise because I thought it had to be one of the worst products in my household. Upon entering this product into the Household Products Database on the U.S Department of Health and Human Services website I discovered that I was not mistaken. Clorox Commercial Solutions Heavy Duty Liquid-Plumer Gel was deemed to be hazardous by OSHA in 2012 and is known to react with other household chemicals like ammonia to produce hazardous gases such as chlorine. The "Health Rating" of this product was a 3.
Product 2: Febreze Auto Fabric Refresher
This is a product that I have not used in my own car, but that I know my boyfriend uses is his. I ride in this car 2-3x/week and he rides in it 3-4x/week. I decided to look up information on this product so that I might share what I find with him and try to get him interested in the risks involved with some of the products he uses. One thing I found to be interesting about this product was that the manufacturer's Material Safety Data Sheet does not state whether the ingredients are considered carcinogens or potential carcinogens. It feels like this information could be being intentionally withheld from the customers. The "Health Rating" of this product was a 1.
I selected this product for this exercise because I thought it had to be one of the worst products in my household. Upon entering this product into the Household Products Database on the U.S Department of Health and Human Services website I discovered that I was not mistaken. Clorox Commercial Solutions Heavy Duty Liquid-Plumer Gel was deemed to be hazardous by OSHA in 2012 and is known to react with other household chemicals like ammonia to produce hazardous gases such as chlorine. The "Health Rating" of this product was a 3.
- "Health Rating" Scale: 0 = Minimal, 1 = Slight, 2 = Moderate, 3 = Serious, 4 = Severe
Product 2: Febreze Auto Fabric Refresher
This is a product that I have not used in my own car, but that I know my boyfriend uses is his. I ride in this car 2-3x/week and he rides in it 3-4x/week. I decided to look up information on this product so that I might share what I find with him and try to get him interested in the risks involved with some of the products he uses. One thing I found to be interesting about this product was that the manufacturer's Material Safety Data Sheet does not state whether the ingredients are considered carcinogens or potential carcinogens. It feels like this information could be being intentionally withheld from the customers. The "Health Rating" of this product was a 1.
- "Health Rating" Scale: 0 = Minimal, 1 = Slight, 2 = Moderate, 3 = Serious, 4 = Severe
The Clorox Commercial Solutions Heavy Duty Liquid-Plumer Gel proved to be a product that I want to replace in my home immediately. Not only did it make me uncomfortable to know that I was exposing my boyfriend and myself to this product, but I also felt terrible knowing that I was dumping this product down our sink and into our water systems (as instructed)! The toll that I've personally taken on our environment from just my use of this one product over the years is terrifying. As I stated in my "Personal Care Items" blog, this kind of database/information needs to be more readily available to the general public so that we can all make more informed decisions about what we put on our skin, furniture, dishes, and down our drains. The more education we can provide about this topic, and instruction on where to find fast facts, the better!
Personal Care Products
Product 1: Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Dry-Touch Sun Screen SPF 30
I selected this first product to be what I hoped would be the "healthier" of my two selections. I use this product on my face every day, assuming that sun screen is an important component of my skin care regimen. After running this product through www.ewg.org, I felt a bit relieved! This product held up pretty well from what I learned - the only cause for concern being "Use Restrictions" which scored just below "Moderate".
Product 2: Cover Girl Full Lash Bloom by LashBlast Mascara
This is one of the few other products, aside from my Neutrogena sun screen, that I apply to my face every day. I assumed that this product would be "worse" than my Neutrogena sun screen, and I was right. The most concerning aspect of this product was the "Overall Hazard" which ranked smack-dab in the middle of "Low" and "Moderate". Even though my findings surrounding this product were less than ideal, they were actually better than I had thought they would be.
Overall, I wasn't incredibly alarmed at my findings concerning these two products. I think I will likely spend some additional time using www.ewg.org to check out other products I have in my house that I use on a regular basis - and it will probably serve me as decision making tool in the future when I decide to switch shampoo or change toothpastes. Based on the information I found today, I will not currently be changing out either of these products from my daily beauty regimen. To conclude, I think that everyone should have access to the kind of data provided on www.ewg.org. I am glad this website is public, and I now feel obligated to tell people about it and usefulness! I already leaned over and interrupted my boyfriend's statistics homework so that he could run an analysis of his hair gel! I think this kind of information and teaching gets lost in most general education programs, so it becomes the duty of public health professionals to help spread the word wherever we can.
Ken Cook Video:
This video was a terrifying wake up call to remind us all that we are being exposed to some very terrible chemicals on a daily basis - even when we try to lead "healthy" lives. The fact that these 10 Americans averaged 200 chemicals in their blood was astounding and that so many of them were absorbed while they were still in their mothers womb was very sad. Even before we are able to make choices of our own we are already being exposed to toxic chemicals via our mothers blood, even if she is doing all that she can to try and protect us based on the knowledge she has. I found Mr Cook's point about how much low doses matter to be extremely powerful. He does a very, very good job of driving this point home with his pancake metaphor.
I selected this first product to be what I hoped would be the "healthier" of my two selections. I use this product on my face every day, assuming that sun screen is an important component of my skin care regimen. After running this product through www.ewg.org, I felt a bit relieved! This product held up pretty well from what I learned - the only cause for concern being "Use Restrictions" which scored just below "Moderate".
Product 2: Cover Girl Full Lash Bloom by LashBlast Mascara
This is one of the few other products, aside from my Neutrogena sun screen, that I apply to my face every day. I assumed that this product would be "worse" than my Neutrogena sun screen, and I was right. The most concerning aspect of this product was the "Overall Hazard" which ranked smack-dab in the middle of "Low" and "Moderate". Even though my findings surrounding this product were less than ideal, they were actually better than I had thought they would be.
Overall, I wasn't incredibly alarmed at my findings concerning these two products. I think I will likely spend some additional time using www.ewg.org to check out other products I have in my house that I use on a regular basis - and it will probably serve me as decision making tool in the future when I decide to switch shampoo or change toothpastes. Based on the information I found today, I will not currently be changing out either of these products from my daily beauty regimen. To conclude, I think that everyone should have access to the kind of data provided on www.ewg.org. I am glad this website is public, and I now feel obligated to tell people about it and usefulness! I already leaned over and interrupted my boyfriend's statistics homework so that he could run an analysis of his hair gel! I think this kind of information and teaching gets lost in most general education programs, so it becomes the duty of public health professionals to help spread the word wherever we can.
Ken Cook Video:
This video was a terrifying wake up call to remind us all that we are being exposed to some very terrible chemicals on a daily basis - even when we try to lead "healthy" lives. The fact that these 10 Americans averaged 200 chemicals in their blood was astounding and that so many of them were absorbed while they were still in their mothers womb was very sad. Even before we are able to make choices of our own we are already being exposed to toxic chemicals via our mothers blood, even if she is doing all that she can to try and protect us based on the knowledge she has. I found Mr Cook's point about how much low doses matter to be extremely powerful. He does a very, very good job of driving this point home with his pancake metaphor.
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Environmental Health Home Assessment
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
List of Environmental Exposures
Following up on the larger discussion we had in class regarding environmental exposures, I found this exercise to be very insightful. It was interesting to see how so many of us, myself included, struggled to really understand what an environmental exposure even was. Thinking back, I think a lot of the class got stuck thinking too "big picture" and stumbled when it came to getting specific.
The example that comes to mind was when some students listed "plants" as an environmental exposure. When this was first suggested, I personally felt I understood what the students meant - and I agreed with them that "plants" seemed like a legitimate environmental exposure. However, I now have a better understanding and know that "plants" is far too wide of an umbrella term. Something more specific like "pollen" or the "toxic oils" found on certain types of plants would have been a better example - but until this exercise I did not know that.
Another thing that I found to be a stumbling block was my lack of knowledge surrounding specific viruses, bacteria, chemicals, etc. Some of the students in our class come from a stronger medical background than myself, and they were very excited to share their knowledge with the class regarding certain, specific, exposures that they knew were potentially harmful. I found their excitement to be inspiring and I look forward to learning more from these classmates this Fall. I think the best approach for me to take this semester however, might be to try and find a few environmental exposures that interest me - and stick to studying and understanding those. This way, I will not feel overwhelmed with learning about every environmental exposure around and I can obtain a solid understanding of one exposure and how it transfers to human life from start to finish. I am really looking forward to seeing what the rest of this semester is like and finding out about environmental exposures that resonate with me.
Thank you!
The example that comes to mind was when some students listed "plants" as an environmental exposure. When this was first suggested, I personally felt I understood what the students meant - and I agreed with them that "plants" seemed like a legitimate environmental exposure. However, I now have a better understanding and know that "plants" is far too wide of an umbrella term. Something more specific like "pollen" or the "toxic oils" found on certain types of plants would have been a better example - but until this exercise I did not know that.
Another thing that I found to be a stumbling block was my lack of knowledge surrounding specific viruses, bacteria, chemicals, etc. Some of the students in our class come from a stronger medical background than myself, and they were very excited to share their knowledge with the class regarding certain, specific, exposures that they knew were potentially harmful. I found their excitement to be inspiring and I look forward to learning more from these classmates this Fall. I think the best approach for me to take this semester however, might be to try and find a few environmental exposures that interest me - and stick to studying and understanding those. This way, I will not feel overwhelmed with learning about every environmental exposure around and I can obtain a solid understanding of one exposure and how it transfers to human life from start to finish. I am really looking forward to seeing what the rest of this semester is like and finding out about environmental exposures that resonate with me.
Thank you!
Monday, August 27, 2018
Environmental Health in the News!
Below is a link to an article published Environmental Health News. It discusses researchers findings regarding rising CO2 levels and the inevitable effect it has on crops and human health.
https://www.ehn.org/carbon-dioxide-makes-food-less-healthy-2598739140.html
https://www.ehn.org/carbon-dioxide-makes-food-less-healthy-2598739140.html
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