Environmental Health

Urea formaldehyde is a synthetic resin that comes in a solid form of ammonia and when it is in its formaldehyde state it is a highly reactive gas from methane. Typically, Urea formaldehyde is found in pressed board, plywood and other wood products. Watery eyes, nose irritations, wheezing and coughing, fatigue, skin rash, severe allergic reactions, burning sensations in the eyes and throat, nausea, and difficulty in breathing in some humans below 1.0 ppm. When Urea formaldehyde is in the air and below 1.0 ppm there is no immediate cause for alarm. Once levels reach 3.0-5.0 ppm chances are increased one will experience respiratory irritation and exposure to cancer. The most common way people interact with Urea formaldehyde is through inhalation. People can also be exposed to it by food such as cooking or when food burns. It can also be found in makeup and lotions, which many people use on a daily basis. Which poses the question, why is this dangerous chemical at even small dosages th...

I have only heard of Radon when I took my chemistry class many years ago. Only things I know about it its a gas and it is toxic. In watching that YouTube video I learned a new fact about Radon; it is radioactive and comes from decaying Uranium from the ground. I am sure many people have not heard of Radon and having a campaign for it would be a great way to let the public know there is another toxic chemical they need to be afraid of (no pun intended). To set up a national campaign on Radon education would need to be brought to the attention of communities, more so towards those who might have radioactive decaying Uranium in the ground such as those in Utah. Tents could be set up at nationwide at walk-a-thons, marathons, local neighborhood block parties, and festivals relevant to health and of course an accessible website filled with information. The point would be to bring awareness and how to test for radon in the grounds surrounding one's home. Stakeholder's needed to help e...

The M3.2 module was a very dense and interesting one out of all this week's modules. I felt like I learned more facts than what I have been already exposed too. For example, I feel more educated now on BPA. When my daughter was born in 2007, I remember hearing about BPA from pregnancy health classes, , but as a young mother I had no idea what that was or even what it could do to my child. When she became a toddler, there were many products that were labeled BPA free. I tried to educate myself on and learned that it was a chemical that can effect the child's brain development. I started buying products that are BPA to try and minimize the contact she was from these products with these harsh chemicals. Watching Rishi Manchanda video on upstream approach sheded some new light for me. I had learned about that concept during undergrad but now I feel like I was able to grasp it more. His example on the 3 individuals and what each were trying to do to save the children made complete s...

How does this fit into the concept of "social determinants"?  How does it connect to the "Black Lives Matter" movement? Reading the article "8 horrifying Examples of Corporations Mistreating Black Communities with Environmental Racism", it made me think that what if these refineries, incinerators and other hazardous plants are , racism is very much alive more so with the Trump administration in office. Such as how Native Americans are found in reservations, unfortunately, most African communities are found near locations that are unsafe for their health. W ith social determinants  as a factor it does play a  role on determining where people live based on their location of birth, ethnicity and income.  Those who are of low income will be able to afford somewhere to live even if its by a hazardous location because they other options might not exist. For example. Richmond, CA was part of the 8 horrifying examples where predominantly  African Americ...

BLOG about your personal experience regarding transportation and its implications for your health and the health of your communities and air quality. My personal experience with transportation and health have been a unique one. I have my own vehicle and tend to use it on a daily basis. How it has affected my health is the road rage I experienced when drivers have no clue on how to drive and it makes me upset and I tend to yell or scream at the person in front of me. The anger I experience creates my heart to race which makes my blood pressure go up which is not a good thing. Stress is created in the environment of driving. Instead of becoming upset with the driver who has made me upset I try to take a deep breath before I become upset, which has its pros and cons. As for my community I live in an area where each household has 2-4 cars; which emits plenty of harsh chemicals into the air. Public transportation is down the block where 4 bus lines run. Those in the com...

Watching the youtube video, I felt like it introduced me more to air quality. I have some knowledge on it from taking some health class during undergrad, but only understanding the iceberg of it. The 10 minute video summarizes how poor air quality is made up and the effects it has on the human population and the place we call home, planet earth. It was interesting learning about how sulfuric acid is made and how other chemical compounds can wreak havoc when produced. Looking over the air quality index I learned how to read AQI levels on air quality. It connects to the poor air quality we experienced with the fires last October. To learn what numbers indicate what color to use to warn those that the air is good, moderate or poor. I also learned about the ozone, the one Earth has and the one us humans create with pollutants from cars and factories.  Who and what are the top polluters in your zip code? The top polluters in my...

In watching the Anderson Cooper segment on "Body Burdens" it was quite interesting to hear how we have so many chemicals in our body and have no idea they exist until we get tested. The short segment on the family with the two children was quite startling. To hear the children have double the amount of toxins compared to the families is scary. As we know plenty of chemicals are put into children's toys, household products such as plates and cups and even on clothing. I am assuming to get a test done like that is expensive and as we saw Anderson Cooper waited a few months to hear his results; a lengthy period of waiting. As for hearing results such as the one's posted on the table, I would be startled, confused and question what comes next. To receive news that high chemicals such as DDT, Lead, PCB's, etc. are found in my body would lead to where did exposure happen? As someone who is in the reproductive stage in life , I would like to have more children in the fut...