Our Global Environment: A Health Perspective

Title Page
......Page 4
Table of Contents
......Page 6
Preface
......Page 8
Part 1: People, Progress, and Nature: Is Conflict Inevitable?
......Page 10
Chapter 1: Introduction to Ecological Principles
......Page 16
Biotic Community......Page 17
Ecological Dominants......Page 20
Taiga......Page 23
Temperate Deciduous Forest......Page 24
Tropical Rain Forest......Page 25
Ecological Niches......Page 27
Limiting Factors......Page 28
Energy Flow through the Biosphere......Page 29
Food Chains......Page 30
Ecological Pyramids......Page 31
Biogeochemical Cycling......Page 32
Gaseous Cycles......Page 33
Sedimentary Cycles......Page 34
Succession......Page 37
Limits to Growth......Page 42
S-Curve......Page 43
Human Population Growth......Page 44
Historical Trends in Human Population Growth......Page 45
Growth Rates......Page 46
Population Explosion......Page 49
Demographic Transition......Page 51
Age Structure......Page 55
Urbanization......Page 57
Population Projections......Page 62
Early Attempts at Family Limitation......Page 64
Modern Family-Planning Movement......Page 65
Age of Mother......Page 66
Interval between Births......Page 68
Total Number of Births......Page 70
Hormonal Contraceptives......Page 71
Intra-uterine Device (IUD)......Page 73
Family Planning in the DEVELOPING World......Page 74
Spreading the Word......Page 75
Motivation—The Key to Success......Page 76
Population Policy: Moving Beyond Birth Control......Page 80
Chapter 4: The People-Food Predicament
......Page 82
Factors Influencing Food Demand......Page 83
Extent of Hunger......Page 84
Causes of Hunger......Page 85
Malnutrition......Page 86
Micronutrient Deficiencies......Page 90
Expanding the Amount of Land Under Cultivation......Page 91
Increasing World Fish Catch......Page 92
Aquaculture......Page 94
Eating Lower on the Food Chain......Page 95
Improving Yields per Acre......Page 98
Degradation of Land Resources......Page 104
Overgrazing......Page 105
Soil Erosion......Page 106
Deforestation......Page 109
Desertification......Page 115
Wetlands Loss......Page 116
Loss of Biodiversity......Page 118
Direct Killing or Collecting of Wildlife for Food, Pleasure, or Profit......Page 120
Introduction of Invasive Species......Page 123
Pollution of Air and Water with Toxic Chemicals......Page 125
Habitat Destruction......Page 126
Climate Change......Page 127
Protecting Biodiversity: The Endangered Species Act......Page 129
Part 2: Our Toxic Environment: Does Everything Cause Cancer?
......Page 132
Mutation......Page 136
Types of Mutations......Page 137
Mutation Rates......Page 140
Birth Defects......Page 141
Cancer......Page 147
What Causes Cancer?......Page 149
How Does Cancer Develop?......Page 151
Environmental Carcinogens......Page 153
Preventing Cancer......Page 161
Testing for Toxicity......Page 162
Assessing Health Risk......Page 164
How Could This Situation Come About?......Page 168
PCB Threat to Health......Page 169
Dioxin (TCDD)......Page 170
Asbestos......Page 173
Asbestos-Related Diseases......Page 174
Asbestos Problems in Public Buildings......Page 177
Legal Status of Asbestos......Page 179
Lead......Page 180
Route of Entry into Body......Page 181
Biological Effects......Page 183
Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning......Page 184
Mercury......Page 185
Health Effects of Mercury Exposure......Page 187
Regulating Mercury......Page 189
Problems Caused by Pests......Page 192
Sources of Discomfort......Page 193
Vectors of Disease......Page 195
Early Attempts at Pest Control......Page 201
Types of Pesticides......Page 202
Environmental Impact of Pesticide Use......Page 206
Development of Resistance......Page 207
Killing of Nontarget Species......Page 208
Environmental Contamination......Page 211
Hazards to Human Health......Page 213
Microbial Pesticides......Page 218
Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs)......Page 221
Sanitation......Page 222
Chapter 9: Food Quality
......Page 224
Food Contaminants......Page 225
Food Additives......Page 230
Natural Toxins in Food......Page 232
Microbial Contamination......Page 234
Preventing Foodborne Disease......Page 244
Sanitation......Page 247
Time-Temperature Control......Page 249
Ionizing Radiation......Page 252
Radiation Exposure......Page 253
Health Impacts of Ionizing Radiation......Page 256
Types of Ionizing Radiation......Page 258
Dosage......Page 259
High-Level vs. Low-Level Radiation Exposure......Page 260
Radiation-Induced Mutations......Page 261
Radiation and Birth Defects......Page 262
Radiation-Induced Cancer......Page 263
Radiation and Nuclear Power Generation......Page 266
Ultraviolet Radiation......Page 279
Electromagnetic Fields (EMF)......Page 283
Part 3: Environmental Degradation: How We Foul Our Own Nest
......Page 286
Chapter 11:
The Atmosphere......Page 290
Regions of the Atmosphere......Page 291
Radiation Balance......Page 292
Human Impact on the Earth-Atmosphere System......Page 293
Depletion of the Ozone Layer......Page 294
Rising Levels of Atmospheric CO2......Page 297
Evidence for Climate Change......Page 305
Melting Sea Ice and Mountain Glaciers......Page 306
Ocean Waters Heating Up and Acidifying......Page 307
Shifting Rainfall Patterns......Page 308
Rising Sea Levels......Page 309
Diminishing Crop Yields......Page 311
Loss of Biodiversity......Page 312
Collapse of Thermohaline Circulation in North Atlantic......Page 313
Rate of Global Warming......Page 314
The Greenhouse Policy Debate......Page 315
Mitigation Strategies......Page 317
Averting Catastrophe......Page 320
Chapter 12: Clean Energy Alternatives
......Page 322
Energy Efficiency......Page 323
Lighting......Page 324
Appliances......Page 325
Building “Green”......Page 326
Transportation......Page 327
Smart Grid......Page 329
Alternative Energy Technologies......Page 330
Wind Power......Page 331
Solar Energy Technologies......Page 335
Geothermal Energy......Page 339
Biofuels......Page 340
Other Possibilities......Page 345
Future Outlook......Page 348
Chapter 13:
Air Pollution......Page 350
Sources of Air Pollution......Page 351
Criteria Air Pollutants......Page 352
Impact of Air Pollution on Human Health......Page 354
The Air Pollution-Health Connection......Page 355
Major Health Effects......Page 357
Pollution Control Efforts— The Clean Air Act......Page 358
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)......Page 359
Strict Emission Standards for Automobiles......Page 361
Acid Deposition Controls......Page 364
Global Air Quality Trends......Page 365
Extent of the Problem......Page 369
Formation of Acid Rain......Page 370
Long-Distance Transport......Page 371
Environmental Effects of Acid Rain......Page 373
Indoor Air Pollution......Page 376
Radon Gas......Page 377
Products of Combustion......Page 379
Chemical Fumes and Particles......Page 381
Biological Pollutants......Page 384
Sick Building Syndrome......Page 385
Sources of Noise......Page 388
Noise as a Nuisance......Page 389
Nature of Sound......Page 392
Mechanism of Hearing Loss......Page 393
Effects of Hearing Loss......Page 394
Teratogenic Effects of Noise......Page 395
Effects of Noise on Learning Ability......Page 397
Safety Aspects of Noise......Page 398
Noise Control Efforts......Page 399
Hydrologic Cycle......Page 404
Water Quantity and Health......Page 405
Water Supply: Our Next Crisis?......Page 406
Impact of Population Growth on Water Demand......Page 410
Nature of Groundwater......Page 411
Groundwater Pollution......Page 412
Groundwater Depletion......Page 414
Natural Recharge......Page 416
Water Consumption......Page 417
Water Conservation......Page 421
Controlling Water Pollution: The Clean Water Act......Page 426
Nonpoint Sources......Page 428
Municipal Sewage Treatment......Page 435
Secondary Treatment......Page 438
Disinfection......Page 439
Biosolids Management......Page 440
New Approaches to Wastewater Treatment......Page 443
Industrial Discharges......Page 447
Direct Versus Indirect Discharges......Page 450
Industrial Accidents, Spills, and Stormwater Runoff......Page 451
Microbial Waterborne Disease......Page 452
Water Purification......Page 455
Chemical Contaminants in Drinking Water......Page 456
Safe Drinking Water Act......Page 461
Looking Ahead......Page 464
Waste Disposal—A Brief History......Page 466
Municipal Waste Collection and Disposal......Page 467
Sanitary Landfilling......Page 470
Source Reduction......Page 473
Recycling......Page 474
Composting......Page 481
Waste Combustion......Page 484
The Love Canal Story......Page 486
What Is “Hazardous” Waste?......Page 488
Threats Posed by Careless Disposal......Page 490
Methods of Hazardous Waste Disposal......Page 491
Hazardous Waste Management Legislation: RCRA......Page 496
“Superfund”......Page 497
Household Hazardous Wastes......Page 502
Appendix A: Environmental Agencies of the Federal Government
......Page 504
Appendix B: Environmental Organizations
......Page 508
References
......Page 510
Index
......Page 528