Environmental hazards and human health
There are four major categories of environmental hazards as well as human health hazards. These are biological hazards, chemical hazards, cultural hazards and physical hazards. Each of the four categories has its negative effect on the environment as a result of human activity. Biological hazards are effects of ecological interactions among living things. Such hazards include virus or bacterial infections. It could also be infection due to other pathogens. These hazards are mainly communicable diseases and other transmissible sicknesses like malaria, tuberculosis, cholera and influenza. These hazards can be controlled to avoid the devastating effect on human beings through ways like cleanliness and vaccinations.
Chemical hazards are very common and have the worst effect on human beings and the environment. Chemicals are found everywhere because human beings use them for various reasons. They include some of the household effects such as toilet cleaners, farm fertilizers, acids, pesticides and solvents. The hazards resulting from the use of such chemicals include; soil degradation in terms of fertility and acidity, air pollution, water pollution and some chemicals that are poisonous to human beings and animals.
Physical hazards are natural disasters like volcanic eruptions, drought, earth quakes, hurricanes and floods. They result into global warming, noise pollution, and even the entry of ultra violet rays into the atmosphere. They are at time unpredictable and uncontrollable because they occur naturally, killing many animals, plants and human beings.
Cultural hazards come about as a result of the behavioral choices, occupation and socioeconomic status of human beings. They include the kind of lifestyle, nutrition or diet and occupations. For instance, an individual who smokes faces the risk of getting lung cancer. Those people who live lavish lifestyles risk going bankrupt and end up engaging in things like crime. An unbalanced diet also results in the risk of contracting diseases.
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Philp, R. B. (2011). Ecosystems and Human Health: Toxicology and Environmental Hazards (2, illustrated, revised ed.). Ontario: Lewis Publishers.
Smith, K., & Petley, D. N. (2009). Environmental Hazards: Assessing Risk and Reducing Disaster (5, illustrated, annotated ed.). New York: Taylor & Francis.
