8 Environmental Factors That Are Harmful to Health

The vulnerabilities of our general public health procedures and systems have been unveiled by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Strengthening their resilience to such global emergencies must be prioritised in order to prevent any such incident in the future from becoming an epidemic. Societies and governments have been making endless efforts in order to improvise upon the well-being and other aspects of human health, especially the ones which are determined by the environmental factors.

Environmental health related advocacy is a major priority in the field of public health systems since the environmental factors perpetually affect the population’s health adversely. The looming threat of climate change resulting in the transformed disease patterns, increasing the susceptibility to several diseases of the communities. Wildfires, uptick in floods, and superstorms are highly linked with the climatic changes, ultimately affecting human health. Besides, poor industrial hygiene due to exposure to plastics or heavy materials leave an everlasting health impact, resulting in severe medical conditions. In simple terms, the industries with waste mismanagement and irresponsible manufacturing practices are nothing less than poison to the natural world, thereby impacting our health and well-being.

Impacts of Environmental Elements on Human Health

The environmental elements impact the economically challenged, pregnant women, children, and elderly at a relatively greater extent. Several medical conditions such as asthma, Parkinson’s sickness, cardiovascular disease, and several others are a direct impact of the hiked pollution and water contamination levels.

These diseases can result in extremely high medical expenses which can burn a hole in your pockets. Hence, several insurance providers offer health insurance policies to provide you with financial coverage against such unexpected treatment expenses. Comparing the health insurance plans offered by the best health insurance companies must be the first step to choose the one that aligns with your goals and requirements.

That being said, it is important for you to understand the hazardous implications of several environmental elements on your health. Read on to know more about the particular environmental factors which result in the deterioration of human health.

Here are eight environmental elements which impact human health and well-being:

1.   Air Pollution

Caused by liquid particles, certain gaseous elements which remain suspended in the atmosphere, and the hazardous solids. These gases and particulate matter could be a by-product of vehicular emissions, dust, pollen grains, volcanic emissions, wildfires, factories, and more.

If an individual remains exposed to extremely high pollution levels, they can be exposed to severe health related concerns which can have adverse implications. It raises the risks of respiratory diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases, and different kinds of cancers massively. Besides, people who are already diagnosed with pre-existing ailments, children, infants, pregnant women, and the economically weak populations are most likely to be severely affected. The maximum number of toxic pollutants lead to premature mortality and highly intensive diseases. The fine particles of PM2.5 penetrate into the depth of the lungs affecting it adversely.

2.   Water Pollution

Water is the most important surviving natural resource on which every living organism depends. If its physical and chemical composition is disrupted by contaminating it by harmful substances, it can end up becoming the worst enemy of the human race. The disruption in its composition makes it unusable for cooking, drinking, swimming, agriculture, cleaning, and more. Such pollutants comprise plastic materials, bacteria, parasites, trash emissions from factories, chemicals, and more. Industrial and agricultural practices are the major contributors to the increase in water pollution. This is so because the toxic wastes are directly introduced into the water streams. The excessive usage of fertilisers, pesticides, insecticides due to increasing urbanisation because of the extreme population growth has increased the rate of water pollution. Not only the small water streams but also the huge water bodies such as the oceans are being polluted indiscriminately by such toxins, thereby affecting marine life, ultimately affecting the human health resulting in diseases such as dysentery, typhoid, hepatitis, and more.

3.   Environmental Chemicals

Exposure of the human population to harmful chemicals such as asbestos, lead, mercury, fungicides, pesticides, herbicides, and more, both outdoor and indoor, might result in several bad health effects. These may comprise allergies, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory ailments.

4.    Global Environmental Impacts

Environmental issues such as bad waste management systems, wildfires, increasing population, global warming, ozone depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, worsening biodiversity, and more, result in increasing fatality rate every year globally, according to WHO.

5.   Microbial Diseases

Microbes cause severe diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid, measles, and flu. Besides, diseases such as tuberculosis, plague, and anthrax are caused by the pathogenic bacteria. In addition to these, extremely dangerous diseases such as sleeping sickness, malaria, and dysentery are caused by the protozoan parasites. Infections which are brought into effect by the organisms can be contracted by eating. Food contamination which is caused by E.coli which is a kind of a microbial organism which results in urinary diseases, respiratory sickness, and more.

6.   Natural Disasters and Climate Changes

Change in the climatic patterns due frequent extreme weather conditions, storms, hurricanes, heatwaves, landslides, wildfires, typhoons, floods, and droughts result in severe health related issues amongst humans. Besides, the increase in vector-borne diseases, food systems’ disruption, mental health disasters, and more are a few of the other causes of such adverse health related diseases. Natural disasters also lead to disruption in the economical welfare of the societies, in addition to resulting in dangerous health related impacts on Earth.

7.   Solid Waste Pollution

Solid waste pollution is referred to improper waste disposal, comprising construction waste, garbage, metal pieces, plastic and glass products, solid agricultural wastes, radioactive and medical wastes. It impacts the health of the human population to a great extent as it causes adverse health related issues.

8.   Deforestation

Cutting down forests, thereby disturbing the natural balance of an ecosystem is known as deforestation. This method not only harms human habitation but also the flora and fauna. Beside affecting the environment negatively, it ultimately results in climatic changes, thereby contributing to the adverse health related impact on the humans, as discussed above.

Conclusion

Limiting the exposure of humans to the hazardous biological, chemical, and physical agents present in soil, food, air, water, and other environmental mediums will mitigate their likelihood of being prone to the future pandemics, if any. This will ultimately improvise their health, and offer the public healthcare systems with an impetus. Proper human health as well as their well-being demands a clean and green environment. Knowing about the environmental factors impacting human health as discussed throughout this article will help you be aware of the risks, and take the necessary precautions to protect yourself against adverse effects.

Disclaimer : The above is a sponsored article and the views expressed are those of the sponsor/author and do not represent the stand and views of The Tribune editorial in any manner.