Environmental Health MPH 632- Christina K-H

M1.5 Environmental Health Home Assessment When I started this exercise, I realized I had very little answers for the majority of these questions. My father was able to answer the majority of them. I was most shocked by the amount of gas based appliances my house has. This includes a combustion heating source, a gas space heater, a gas dryer, a gas hot water heather, and a gas stove. It is imperative to have proper venting for all of these gas sources. Suggesting an annual assessment to ensure the proper function of these appliances will be an important in lowering the risk of exposures. I was most proud of the fact that my family is well prepared for disasters. This includes having a disaster plan, shelter-in-place supplies, fire evacuation routes, and a carbon monoxide detector. This was quite a powerful experience in learning how to lower the risk of exposures in my home.

Pot-smoking mothers may have THC in breast milk for days Link to article: https://in.reuters.com/article/us-health-pregnancy-marijuana/pot-smoking-mothers-may-have-thc-in-breast-milk-for-days-idINKCN1LE2KP This article found that levels of chemicals in marijuana such as THC, can remain in breast milk from 1-6 days after nursing mothers use the drug. In fact, this article found that marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug amongst women who are breastfeeding or pregnant. Previous research has found that marijuana exposure could lead to impaired fetal growth and impaired brain development. The current study used 54 milk samples from breastfeeding mothers who are recreational marijuana consumers. Results showed that THC was found in 34 samples, which is about 63%. This study was important, because it looks at the effects of recreational users. It is even more imperative now as the legalization of marijuana continues to spread throughout the country.

M1.4 Blog Assignment: List of Environmental Exposures The in-class assignment of listing environmental exposures showed that I have little knowledge in  this area. This exercise pushed me to take a zoomed-in look at the details of my daily environments.  When coming together as a class, there were many exposures that I did not think of, many of which  were seemingly innocuous items such as rubber turf and whiteboard markers. I have learned through  this exercise to remain vigilant about what I choose to purchase and what exposures are in my  immediate, daily environments. For example, I will now be more proactive in taking precautions to  minimize airborne, foodborne, and blood borne pathogens while working in a middle school.