Environmental Health Department, Essay Example

Define Environmental Health

Environmental health is pursued as a branch of public health focusing on the natural and physical infrastructure within the environment. The natural aspects include beaches; oceans; land shapes; soil consistency and vegetation. Physical features embrace water supply system; electricity, housing architecture; sanitation and construction projects (White, Lorann. & Last, 2013).

Picture evaluation (Area of interest).

This picture depicts a beach/erosion occurring in Pacific California coast. California coast, is known for its soft cliffs made up of sedimentary rock. This area is densely populated. The erosion has been responsible for frequent housing damage when cliffs erode.  Communities/cites mostly affected are Santa Barbara; Devil’s Slide and Malibu. Importantly, this could be considered a natural disaster interrupting the environments. Homes near these cliffs also have to be reconstructed often due to the salt air penetration. It is difficult for these homes to maintain the paint on the outside of the building (McPherson, 2009).

Further environmental studies show where North Carolina’s coastal plain consists ecosystems, swamps, barrier islands, rivers, and 325 miles contain estuaries. Estuaries are of public health significance because they form a distinct separation between the river and maritime environments. This separation creates a transition zone through which waves; tides and much saline water. This water has the potential to erode deep into the soil and destroy houses in infrastructure to the level of a disaster (McPherson, 2009).

What health risk does it pose to the public?

The obvious health risk is injury when the underlying structures of homes collapse due to the erosion. Depending on the extent of estuary activity demonstrating as erosion many life could be lost when house fall to the ground. This could predispose to inland flooding which could drown the entire city if the hydraulic system in the community is malfunctioning (McPherson, 2009).

References

McPherson, M. (2009). Adaptation to Sea-Level Rise in North Carolina”. Nicholas School of the Environment of Duke University. Retrieved on March 20^th, 2014 from

http://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/10161/958/mcpherson_MP_FINAL.pdf?sequence=1

White, F. Lorann. S., & Last, J. (2013). Global Public Health: Ecological Foundations. Oxford University Press