Environmental Health MPH 632- Christina K-H

M5.7 Blog: Your Sewage Facilities The closest sewage facility to my house is the North Point Wet Weather Facility. This facility was built in 1951 and is located at Bay Streets and The Embarcadero in San Francisco. It is the oldest treatment facility in SF and was used as the main treatment facility until 1983.  As part of the Clean Water Act of 1972 upgrades, this facility was converted to an "wet-weather only" treatment facility.  This facility provides both pretreatment and primary treatment services.

M5.4 Blog about your Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) and water quality My water comes from Hetch Hetchy Resevoir located in Yosemite. There were three chemicals found that were in higher concentrations than expected. These were chromium, radiological contaminants, and trihalomethanes. All three of these have the potential to cause cancer. I did not expect to see radiological contaminants in my water source, especially in exceeding doses. That is definitely a cause for concern. What I discovered about water quality is that there were a lot less contaminants than I thought there would be. However, it is frightening to see that some of the contaminants that do exist, are in dangerous quantities, which can lead to health concerns like cancer. I personally, do not filter my water. I do drink bottled water everyday, but mainly because I buy sparkling water. The use of bottled water is less due to health reasons, and more due to liking the taste of flavored sparkling wate...

M5.5 Blog: Campaign for Tap Water  If I were to develop a nationwide campaign to get people to drink tap water instead of bottled water, my campaign slogan would be "ditch disposables, hydrate for free." This slogan suggests that hydration does not need to be costly. New products have come onto the market to ensure people are staying hydrated. This includes "Spark" a water bottle that flashes lights to remind individuals to drink. It also tracks the number of water bottles the consumer drinks everyday and links it to an app. I think taking more of a health and fitness approach by using the word "hydrate" can influence more individuals to find viable, economically sound drinking options, such as tap water. 

M5.2 Blog about the public health importance of safe drinking-water Safe drinking-water is imperative to the health and well-being of our nation. The Flint Michigan Water Crisis serves as an example of how untreated water can lead to serious health concerns and even death. I was shocked to hear that 1.2 billion people have no access to clean water, even after the  The Clean Water Act of 1972 was created to control water pollution. This law was created to ensure better safety standards for our drinking water. I was taken aback by the fact that Nixon vetoed the bill, because he thought it would be too costly and impact the productivity of big companies. It is important to maintain the integrity of our water to ensure that it does not lead to an adverse health epidemic. 

M4.2 Blog Assignment: National Library ToxNet Urea formaldehyde (found in pressed board, a common building material) This is a colorless, flammable gas that easily dissolves in water. It is naturally produced in small amounts in most animals. It is used in building materials, clothing fabrics and synethic fibers as well as insulation. This can cause serious health effects, especially for people who work with formaldehyde on a regular basis such as morticians. It can cause cancer, tumors, and even death. Bleach (a cleaning/disinfectant product) Bleach is used for many purposes including whitening clothes, teeth, and even used in cosmetic and hair processes. If used properly, it should not be of big hazardous concern. However, it can cause irritation to the eyes, mouth, lungs and skin. Certain groups may be more susceptible than others when it comes to adverse side effects. This includes people with asthma who may have a harder time breathing when exposed to bleach.

M4.6 Blog Assignment: Radon I would create a digital national awareness campaign that would be broadcasted on youtube, in commercials, and on paid programming websites such as Netflix and Hulu. I would try and create something similar to the "dumb ways to die" campaign created by the Melbourne Metro Train System. This would include using a catchy tune, simple language, and captivating cartoon animation. Some potential collaborators/ stakeholders would include the Department of Public Health and the American Lung Association. 

M3.5 Transportation Growing up in the city, public transportation was always a big part of my life. It was very common for kids and high schoolers to take the bus to and from school by themselves. I still utilize public transportation as my main form of getting to work, school, and the gym. I think this has lowered my risks of serious injury, and has also lowered my overall expenditures per month. This has in turn has led to less financial stress. Of course, the more people who take public transportation, the lower emissions will be, which can greatly reduce air pollution. My second mode of transportation is walking. If the bus takes too long, or I have a relatively short distance to go (30 min walk or less), I will opt for walking. This has led to an increase in physical activity and has been a great way to stabilize my mood and burn off some energy.

M3.4 Air Pollution The top polluters in my area code were: 101 FULL SERVICE DRY CLEANER 1010 CLEMENT ST SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118 3838 CALIFORNIA-RADIOLOGY 3838 CALIFORNIA STREET SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118 7% had a higher risk of lead hazards Superfund sites were created to fund the cleanup of toxic wastes by the federal government. There were no Superfund sites in my zip code. The closest Superfund site near my house is the Treasure Island Naval Station in hunters point. It is made up of 936 acres of land and is used for the following:  Discharge to sewer/surface water Dumping - unauthorized Inadvertent spill Lagoon disposal Landfill Manufacturing process Ocean disposal Recycling (Other than primary operation) Storage - drums/containers of waste Storage - finished product Storage - raw material Waste pile Waste tank - above ground Waste tank - below ground The air quality ranked "good" (on a scale of good-hazardous) compared ...

M3.2 Vulnerable Populations One reason we may not be looking at ways to decrease exposures to chemicals that contribute to the obesity epidemic, is because the food and beverage industry is great at marketing products to its customers. By focusing on sedentary lifestyles and diets, it puts the fault on the consumer, not the producer. Looking at BPA's in products would may raise awareness around the chemicals put in our food and beverage products, however federal regulation is lacking, most likely due to the pay out from large food and beverage companies.

M3.3 Environmental Justice Blog Although President Clinton signed an Executive Order in 1994 requiring federal agencies to address disproportionately adverse environmental effects in minority and low-income populations, environmental racism remains a big issue. For example, The Flint Michigan Water Crisis in 2014 exemplified how an African American community faced health consequences when bacteria water that was passed through corroded pipes, led to elevated blood led levels. Many argued that this would not happen in surrounding areas that had predominately white populations. Another example that comes to mind is the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North and South Dakota, relies on Lake Oahe as their water source. The Dakota Access Pipeline that was meant to carry crude oil from North Carolina to Illinois, was set to run right next to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, including sacred land. This too, is an example of how environmental racism is ...

M3.1 Biomonitoring Upon receiving this news, I would feeling anxious, uneasy, and curious. Speaking with my doctor about my concerns would be my first step in order to educate myself on what these lab results could mean for my health. Second, further educating myself on each of the chemicals found in my body would be my second step. By figuring out where these chemicals are usually found, where I may have been exposed to them, and what potential risks they hold, I can then begin to examine my risks levels. It is important to know if my exposure is linked to travel, where I grew up, or behaviors. While the first two cannot be changed, pinpointing behaviors that elevate my risk of chemical exposures can be life-changing. For example, if I find out that a chemical is found mostly in plastic bottles, microwaves, electronic casings, or make-up products, I can begin to find alternatives to these behaviors or products. 

M2.4 Ken Cook and Advocacy Organizations on Toxics in Personal Care Products In Ken Cook's video, I found it most interesting that product are now being taken off the market if it can be  proven that they are dangerous. Does this mean that there has to be a death or severe symptoms for products to be reevaluated for dangerous toxins? This doesn't seem right. Companies are holding onto the notion that low doses should not lead to dangerous exposures, however Cook's personal story about his son proves otherwise. Cook also shared some compelling statistics that  should require people to take action! These include: - 57% increase in childhood brain cancer - 1 in 150 children on the autism spectrum disorder  - Deceased sperm count decreased ability to get pregnant - 1 in 8 women develop breast cancer These are quite scary statistics and stuff must be done! Reinforcing policy such as the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Kid Safe Chemicals Act is a great fir...

M2.3 National Library of Medicine's Household Products Database My go to cleaning product is Clorox all-purpose wipes. The database shows that these wipes can cause skin irritation, serious eye irritation, and even drowsiness or dizziness. Other than these warnings, this product does not directly lead to any serious diseases such as cancer. It is relatively safe as long as it is not ingested or put directly in eyes.  Another product that my family uses on the go, and at home is dial hand sanitizer. Unlike the Clorox wipes, this sanitizer had a number of more warnings. Aside from skin irritation, serious eye irritation, drowsiness and dizziness, inhalation of this sanitizer could lead to central nervous system effects as well as irritation of the throat and lungs. Ingestion of this sanitized could also lead to gastrointestinal irritation with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. For the most part however, if this product is used correctly, there ...

M2.2 Personal Care Products One product I use almost every day is Lever 2000 Bar soap, Aloe & Cucumber. I use this product, because it smells good, and is the cheapest soap I've found. Unfortunately, this product had an overall score of 5. Specifically, fragrance ranked an 8. This includes allergies, immunotoxicity  miscellaneous, irritations of the skin, eyes, or lungs, organ system toxicity, and exotoxicology. This is especially scary, because the overall fragrance of a product is important to most consumers. This data is compelling enough to make different decisions about my soap preference, even if an alternative soap bar is higher in cost.  BHT, used as a preservative, scored a 4. It can lead to cancer, organ system toxicity, allergies, irritation of skin, eyes, or lungs, endocrine disruption, and/or developmental reproductive toxicity. Petrolatum also score a 4, and can contribute to system toxicity and contamination concerns. Lastly, cocamidoprophyl betaine als...