Skip to main content

Posts

Final Blog

Final Blog This class opened my eyes to a topic I had very little knowledge about. I was especially confounded by how much toxic hazards are in my every day life. I want to continue to pursue healthier habits, behaviors, and product purchasing to decrease my overall exposure to chemical toxins. I also really enjoyed researching environmental racism/ justice. I had very little knowledge on the topic beforehand, and the lit review + final presentation really taught me a lot. I hope to use the knowledge I learned in this class not only in my personal life, but also to guide my professional choices as a public health and behavioral health leader. In response to the small group blogging, as mentioned previously, this blogger format seems unnecessary. In fact, the technological component really frustrated me, and a lot of my peers. We are not here to become tech savvy, we are here to maximize our learning. Creating discussion board posts or blog type submissions through Canvas is ve...
Recent posts

M14.4 Blog: Think About It - Website Exploration

M14.4 Blog: Think About It - Website Exploration 1. San Francisco is known for frequent earthquakes due to the proximity of the San Andreas fault line. Many of the articles touched upon the children and their psychological needs after an earthquake or other natural disasters. They can be traumatic for many kids who have never experienced an earthquake before. In particular, earthquakes can have a detrimental effect on sleep quality. One study found that sleep quality was greatly disturbed for both kids and adults after a traumatic event such as an earthquake. Providing resources post natural disaster for both kids and adults must be taken seriously.  2. A similar organization is the San Francisco Disaster Corps, which trains around 1,000 residents a year to respond to disaster. This program is the first nationwide effort to  professionalize, standardize and coordinate highly trained disaster volunteers across the state. 

M12.9 Blog: Climate Change

M12.9 Blog: Climate Change What do you personally find most troubling about climate change? The most troubling thing about climate change is that our current political leaders do not believe in climate change. This means that there is very little being done to try and combat climate change. Despite scientific evidence, Trump believes the Earth will "cool again" He believes climate change will just reverse on its own. He even went so far as to state that humans are not really responsible for climate change, despite his own administration conducting and publishing the National Climate Assessment, which did show humans are to blame for climate change. I mean, it does not take a genius to know climate change is real. If we do not take steps now to combat climate change, it will affect (as it already has started to do) our environments, our health, our rainforests, our water sources, our wildlife, and much more.  As a public health profess...

M11.5 Blog about a Zero Waste Life

M11.5 Blog about a Zero Waste Life Ever since bubbly water became popular (i.e. La Croix), my waste stream has dramatically increased. I have bags and bags of recycling every week, which I could not say was the case a year ago. I have also noticed that with the rise of online shopping (i.e. Amazon), the amount of packaging I discard each week has increased as well. On a positive note, I have always made sure to compost and continue to do so with all my food waste.  What an inspiring TedTalk! Lauren Singer had some simple, yet very inspiring ideas. I sometimes bring my own bags when I grocery shop, but it usually slips my mind. Making sure I bring my bags as often as possible can help to reduce the amount of paper and plastic I am wasn't, because I usually end up immediately throwing away that bag anyways. While I do like her idea of making my own products, I am not sure I have the time or patience in my day to do so. I do think that it would benefit me to downsize, especia...

Blog: Watch M10.1 Video!

Blog: Watch M10.1 Video! 1) Consider your workplace or a workplace of one of your family members.Are there chemical, biological, radiological or ergonomic issues? Using the industrial hygiene hierarchy of controls how might you address the issues? How are they being addressed in reality? One of my family members owns a martial arts gym. There is no question that there are germs and bacteria everywhere from the amount of human skin to skin contact with gym machinery. In particular, air quality in gyms is a cause for concern. There are elevated levels of carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, and other VOC's. This can lead to asthma, abnormal heart beat, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory diseases. Using the industrial hygiene hierarchy of controls, I would try using elimination to physically remove the hazard. This could be done by raising the standards on gym ventilation. The more people you cram into a windowless space, the worse off the air quality will be. Requiring fresh air...

M10.2 Blog about MSDS and ToxNet

M10.2 Blog about MSDS and ToxNet What are the health risks associated with this chemical? One chemical that is found in many dentist's offices is glutaraldehyde. This chemical is usually used to disinfect and clean medical, dental, or surgical tools.  Is the chemical a carcinogen? There is not enough research about glutaraldehyde to conclude that it is a known carcinogen.  What personal protective equipment or special precautions should be taken when working with this chemical? Patients usually will not be affected by glutaraldehyde, because they are not exposed to the liquid form of it. However, dentists or people involved in the sterilization process need to take precaution when cleaning tools in order to prevent glutaraldehyde inhalation. Inhalation of this chemical can lead to severe eye irritation, burning of skin, respiratory problems, coughing, and wheezing. Long-term effects include asthma, skin allergies, chronic eczema and skin rashes. People can...

M10.5 Blog about an occupational safety and health organization

M10.5 Blog about an occupational safety and health organization One health and safety program that OSHA sponsors is the OSHA Alliance Program. This program aims to promote safe and secure workplaces as well as increase worker input in the workplace. OSHA works with groups and agencies that believe in worker safety and health. These include unions, consulates, trade and professional organizations, businesses, and educational institutions. The Alliance program includes training workers on regulations and standards, encouraging order participation in the workplace, and facilitating various forums that discuss workplace safety and health. What I most appreciate about this program, is that it encourages worker involvement. With worker input, the health and safety of the workers can be exponentially increased.