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Environment and Human Health Essay | Essay on Environment and Human Health

February 12, 2024 by Prasanna

Environment and Human Health Essay: Environment comprises of some major elements and a thousand minuscule elements that contribute to nature in some or other way. Environment goes far beyond the normal perception of nature and there are many facts which are yet unknown about it. We have presented long and short essay samples to provide a proper idea about the environment and how it affects human health in various ways. Along with this, we will also provide ten pointers on the theme that will work as guidance for framing the essay.

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Long and Short Essays on Environment and Human Health Essay

We are providing a long essay of 400-500 words and a short essay of 100 to 200 words on Environment and human health essay

Long Essay on Environment and Human Health 500 words in English

Environment and Human Health Essay will be helpful for students in classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

For some people environment generally means nature. The environment is the surroundings in which a living being takes birth and evolves according to changes that happen from time to time. It is said that the environmental challenges, changes, and makes human beings adapt to the state of the environment they live in. Thus, Environment visibly affects the humans living on it in many direct or indirect ways.

The life on earth is interconnected in a way that proves that whatever we give in to the earth never simply disappears. Contaminants reach the humans in the form of the food they eat, the air they inhale, and the water that they drink. In some or the other way, everything is connected. The most vulnerable to the harm of the environment are the children and the old age people as their immunity is in question for many reasons. The Food that we eat is not free of pesticides or chemicals as well.

When the food is produced many chemicals are used for ensuring the proper growth of food and due to this, the modern additions damage the quality of the soil of the farmland. Moreover, they also degrade the quality of pollinators that help the food grow naturally. They can cause many diseases like cancer and antibiotic resistance in the people who eat them.

Maintaining the quality of water is important as well because only 2.5% of the total water on earth is drinkable. No matter how many clean water safety acts we put out, sometimes it will always slip through. Many plants rooted in water safety are under threat. We have made rivers and oceans into our dumping areas which at last dents a hole in our hygiene only.

Air pollution is not any less dangerous to humans. It is already seen that outdoor air pollution is attracted to more than 1 million deaths and countless illnesses each year. The toxins transmitted from motor vehicles and industrial emissions dangerously impact human health as they contain pollutants like mercury and Sulphur dioxide. Illnesses like lung cancer, heart diseases, and asthma are results of unhealthy levels of pollution around the world. Rising global temperatures also play an active part in this.

Indoor air can be dangerous as well as they also have chemicals present due to different reasons. Governments have tried to give solutions in the form of agreements and acts to commence a “greener approach” in industries and businesses. However, governments are unable to maintain biodiversity as the world continues to lose species. Thus, Challenges keep on coming along with new improvements that are decided to give way to a healthier earth.

What we can do to solve this? Each person would have to take individual responsibility in this mission. You can reduce your exposure to toxic environments by taking organic food and getting your water tested for metals or chemicals. The earth can do its part of healing you but the best way to deal with it is to take precautionary measures by avoiding a toxic lifestyle, both mentally and physically.

Short Essay on Environment and Human Health Essay 200 words in English

Environment and Human Health Essay is useful for students in classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

The Environment consists of many facets, both known and unknown. The same is the case with the humans that reside on it. The environment causes many hazards that are harmful to humans in a long-lasting way. They are all caused in the form of the food they eat, the air they inhale, and the water that they drink. All organisms depend on necessities like food water and air to survive. But when these necessities turn out to be polluted to a dangerous extent, there is a huge problem.

The microscopic pollutants in the air can easily slip through our defenses and cause endangering respiratory diseases. Water pollution is the main problem and our body immediately reacts to it. The diseases caused by water cause deaths of 3,575,000 deaths per year globally! Food pollution is no less dangerous as they can cause hormonal or metabolic problems to us and can trigger many forms of diseases. Thus, Earth does let us live on it, but it is solely our responsibility to keep it and ourselves healthy and in the best condition.

10 Lines on Environment and Human Health Essay in English

• The environment can be simply called the nature that accommodates for us to live in.
• Environment and humans’ lives are interconnected, so nothing goes to waste.
• Whatever is given in to the earth, is returned.
• But various hazards are caused by the pollution of the earth’s basic resources.
• The air is polluted due to the toxins of motor vehicles and industrial emission.
• The food is polluted due to the different chemicals used in its production and it alters its natural healthiness.
• The water which is already in the scarce entity is used in many polluting ways and by dumping our waste in it, we make it undrinkable.
• The Illnesses that arise due to these polluted resources are no one’s fault, but ours.
• The government takes many steps to solve the situations in the form of cleaning the resources or lessening pollution.
• But, If we do not stay alert about the same and do not put effort, there would be no change in these bad times.

FAQ’s on Environment and Human Health Essay

Question 1. Which are the organizations that work for human health at a global level?

Answer: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Wide Fund for Nature, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), World Meteorological Organization, Greenpeace, Earth Day, and Green Panther are some of the organizations aiding in human health.

Question 2. Which health hazard causes the most deaths globally?

Answer: Air pollution causes the most amount of deaths according to the UN.

Question 3. Which tests are used to understand the water quality?

Answer: Tests like temperature testing, salinity testing, Ph testing, and many more are used to determine water quality.

Question 4. What does environmental health science mean?

Answer: Environmental health science is the study of processes of the environment and how they affect life on earth.

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119 Environmental Issues Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

The environment is facing numerous challenges today, and it is important for us to address these issues in order to create a sustainable future for our planet. In this article, we will explore 119 environmental issues essay topic ideas and provide examples to help you get started on your own essay.

• Climate change: Discuss the causes and effects of climate change and potential solutions to mitigate its impact.

Example: The role of deforestation in contributing to climate change and the importance of reforestation efforts.

• Air pollution: Analyze the sources of air pollution and its effects on human health and the environment.

Example: The impact of vehicle emissions on air quality in urban areas and ways to reduce pollution from transportation.

• Water pollution: Examine the sources of water pollution and the potential consequences for aquatic ecosystems and human health.

Example: The effects of agricultural runoff on water quality and strategies to prevent pollution from entering waterways.

• Deforestation: Discuss the causes and consequences of deforestation and the importance of preserving forests for biodiversity and climate regulation.

Example: The impact of deforestation on indigenous communities and the loss of traditional knowledge and cultural practices.

• Plastic pollution: Explore the sources and effects of plastic pollution in the ocean and ways to reduce plastic waste.

Example: The role of microplastics in marine ecosystems and the need for regulations to prevent further pollution.

• Biodiversity loss: Analyze the factors contributing to the loss of biodiversity and the importance of protecting endangered species.

Example: The impact of habitat destruction on wildlife populations and the need for conservation efforts to preserve biodiversity.

• Overfishing: Discuss the consequences of overfishing on marine ecosystems and sustainable fishing practices.

Example: The decline of fish stocks due to overfishing and the importance of implementing fishing quotas and marine protected areas.

• E-waste: Examine the growing problem of electronic waste and the environmental and health risks associated with improper disposal.

Example: The challenges of recycling electronic devices and the need for better e-waste management practices.

• Urban sprawl: Analyze the impact of urban sprawl on natural habitats and the importance of smart growth and sustainable urban planning.

Example: The loss of green spaces and farmland to urban development and the benefits of compact, walkable communities.

• Renewable energy: Discuss the potential of renewable energy sources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels.

Example: The growth of solar and wind power as clean energy alternatives and the challenges of integrating renewables into the grid.

• Ocean acidification: Explore the causes and consequences of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems and the need for carbon emission reductions.

Example: The effects of ocean acidification on coral reefs and shellfish populations and the importance of marine conservation efforts.

• Soil erosion: Analyze the causes of soil erosion and the impact on agricultural productivity and ecosystem health.

Example: The loss of topsoil due to deforestation and unsustainable farming practices and strategies to prevent erosion through soil conservation.

• Wildlife trafficking: Discuss the illegal trade of wildlife and the threats to endangered species and biodiversity.

Example: The demand for exotic pets and animal products driving the illegal wildlife trade and the need for stronger enforcement of wildlife protection laws.

• Pesticide use: Examine the environmental and health risks associated with pesticide use in agriculture and the need for sustainable pest management practices.

Example: The impact of pesticide runoff on water quality and non-target species and the benefits of organic farming methods.

• Food waste: Analyze the causes and consequences of food waste and potential solutions to reduce waste and improve food security.

Example: The environmental footprint of food production and distribution and the benefits of composting and food rescue programs.

• Greenhouse gas emissions: Discuss the sources of greenhouse gas emissions and the need for global action to reduce carbon pollution.

Example: The role of the transportation sector in contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and the potential for electrification and public transit to reduce emissions.

• Climate refugees: Explore the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities and the need for adaptation and resilience measures.

Example: The displacement of communities due to sea-level rise and extreme weather events and the challenges of climate migration.

• Land degradation: Analyze the causes of land degradation and the consequences for food security, water quality, and ecosystem health.

Example: The loss of arable land to desertification and soil erosion and the importance of sustainable land management practices.

• Ocean pollution: Discuss the sources of ocean pollution, including plastic waste, oil spills, and chemical contaminants, and the need for marine conservation.

Example: The impact of oil spills on marine ecosystems and the challenges of cleaning up and restoring affected areas.

• Environmental justice: Explore the intersection of environmental issues with social justice and equity, including the disproportionate impacts on marginalized communities.

Example: The siting of polluting industries in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color and the need for environmental policies that prioritize equity and inclusion.

• Green infrastructure: Discuss

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Short Essay & Paragraph On Environment And It’s Importance

The environment is not just a mere backdrop to our lives; it is the very foundation of our existence. From the air we breathe to the water we drink, the environment plays a crucial role in sustaining life on Earth. Let’s delve into why the environment is of paramount importance and why it is our collective responsibility to protect and preserve it.

Table of Contents

Essay On Environment And Its Importance: Nurturing Our Home for a Sustainable Future

1. Life Support System: Think of the environment as Earth’s life support system. It provides us with essential resources such as air, water, soil, and sunlight that are indispensable for the survival of all living beings, including humans. Without a healthy environment, life as we know it would cease to exist.

2. Biodiversity: The environment is a treasure trove of biodiversity. It is home to a dazzling array of plant and animal species, each with a unique role in keeping the delicate balance of ecosystems. Biodiversity ensures that ecological processes function smoothly, and disruptions to it can have far-reaching consequences.

3. Climate Regulation: Our environment plays a vital role in regulating the climate. Through processes like photosynthesis, oceans absorbing carbon dioxide, and forests acting as carbon sinks, the environment helps stabilize the climate and counteract the impacts of global warming.

4. Abundant Natural Resources: Nature provides us with invaluable natural resources like water, minerals, timber, and energy sources. These resources fuel our industries, economies, and daily lives. However, overexploitation and unsustainable practices threaten their availability.

5. Economic Value: The environment contributes significantly to the economy through various industries. Tourism, for instance, thrives on the natural beauty of places, while agriculture and forestry rely on fertile soil and biodiversity for sustenance.

6. Health and Well-being: A clean and healthy environment is fundamental to human health and well-being. Access to clean air, safe drinking water, and nutritious food are vital for thriving communities and preventing diseases.

7. Cultural and Aesthetic Value: The environment holds profound cultural and aesthetic value. Natural landscapes, diverse flora and fauna, and traditional practices are part of our cultural heritage. They not only connect us to our roots but also instill a sense of awe and appreciation for the natural world.

8. Sustainable Development: For a sustainable future, we must prioritize environmental protection and conservation. By adopting eco-friendly practices and sustainable development, We can fulfill the requirements of the current era without threatening the capacity of coming generations to fulfill their own needs.

What are some specific ways in which human activities impact the environment?

Human activities such as deforestation, pollution, overfishing, and greenhouse gas emissions significantly impact the environment, leading to climate change, loss of biodiversity, and degradation of natural resources.

What are some practical steps individuals can take to protect the environment?

Individuals can take several actions, such as reducing waste, conserving water and energy, using eco-friendly transportation, supporting sustainable products, and participating in community clean-up efforts.

How can governments and businesses work to reduce their impact on the environment?

Governments can enact and enforce environmental regulations, promote renewable energy, and invest in green technologies. Businesses can adopt sustainable practices, reduce emissions, implement recycling programs, and prioritize environmentally-friendly operations. Collaboration between governments, businesses, and individuals is crucial in creating a greener and more sustainable future.

In conclusion

The environment is the lifeblood of our planet and the sustainer of all life forms. It provides us with resources, supports biodiversity, regulates climate, and enriches our lives culturally and aesthetically. We must recognize its significance and take immediate action to protect and preserve it. Embracing sustainable practices and making conscious choices in our daily lives can collectively make a difference. It is only through responsible stewardship of the environment that we can secure a sustainable future for generations to come.

Hello! Welcome to my Blog StudyParagraphs.co. My name is Angelina. I am a college professor. I love reading writing for kids students. This blog is full with valuable knowledge for all class students. Thank you for reading my articles.

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Essay On Environmental Pollution

Table of Contents

Short Essay On Environmental Pollution

Environmental pollution refers to the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment. It is a major problem in today’s world and has a profound impact on both the natural world and human lives.

The sources of environmental pollution are numerous and varied, including industrial activities, transportation, and household waste. One of the most significant contributors to environmental pollution is the burning of fossil fuels, which releases toxic chemicals and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This not only contributes to air pollution, but it also has a significant impact on climate change, causing rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and melting of polar ice caps.

Another major source of environmental pollution is the disposal of hazardous waste. This includes chemicals, batteries, and electronic waste, which contain toxic substances that can contaminate soil and groundwater, leading to serious health problems for both humans and wildlife.

The effects of environmental pollution are far-reaching and often devastating. It can cause serious health problems for humans, including respiratory problems, heart disease, and cancer. Additionally, environmental pollution can have a significant impact on wildlife, causing a decline in biodiversity and threatening species with extinction.

To address environmental pollution, it is essential that we take a multi-faceted approach, addressing both the causes and consequences of pollution. This may involve reducing the use of fossil fuels and implementing clean energy technologies, as well as improving waste management and increasing public awareness about the impact of pollution.

In conclusion, environmental pollution is a serious problem that has a profound impact on both the natural world and human lives. To address this problem, it is essential that we take a comprehensive approach, addressing the causes and consequences of pollution and working to reduce its impact on the environment. By taking action now, we can protect the future of our planet and ensure a healthy and sustainable future for generations to come.

Long Essay On Environmental Pollution

Environmental pollution is one of the biggest threats to our planet today. It affects both the environment and human health, and it’s becoming more and more pervasive in our daily lives. In this essay, we’ll explore what environmental pollution is, how it affects us, and what the most effective solutions are to reduce its impact on people and the planet.

Introduction

There are many different types of environmental pollution. Some of the most common include air pollution, water pollution, and soil contamination. Each type of pollution has different causes and effects. Air pollution is typically caused by emissions from factories and automobiles. These emissions can contain harmful chemicals that can cause respiratory problems, heart disease, and cancer. Water pollution is often caused by sewage or agricultural runoff. This pollution can contaminate drinking water supplies and make people sick. Soil contamination can be caused by hazardous waste disposal or mining operations. This contamination can make crops unsafe to eat and cause health problems in people who come into contact with it.

Causes of Environmental Pollution

There are many causes of environmental pollution. The most common cause is the release of harmful chemicals into the environment. These chemicals can come from factories, power plants, cars, and other sources. They can pollute the air, water, and soil. They can also cause health problems for people and animals.

Other causes of environmental pollution include sewage, agricultural runoff, and mining. Sewage can contain harmful bacteria and viruses that can pollute water supplies. Agricultural runoff can contain pesticides and fertilizers that can pollute rivers and lakes. Mining can release harmful metals and minerals into the environment.

Types of Pollutants and Their Impact on the Environment

There are many different types of pollutants that can have an adverse impact on the environment. Some of the most common pollutants include:

• Air pollution – This is one of the most visible forms of pollution and can cause a range of health problems, including respiratory illnesses.

• Water pollution – This can lead to contamination of drinking water supplies and also harm marine life.

• Soil pollution – This can contaminate crops and lead to soil erosion.

• Light pollution – This can disrupt the natural circadian rhythms of animals and cause light-sensitive species to suffer.

All of these pollutants can have a serious impact on the environment, both in terms of the immediate damage they cause and also the long-term effects. It is therefore important to be aware of the different types of pollutants and their potential impacts.

Effects Of Environmental Pollution

There are many effects of environmental pollution. Some of the most common include air pollution, water pollution, and soil contamination.

Air pollution is one of the most harmful forms of environmental pollution. It is a major contributor to respiratory problems, heart disease, and cancer. Air pollution is also a leading cause of climate change.

Water pollution is another major problem caused by environmental pollution. It can contaminate drinking water supplies, damage aquatic ecosystems, and make recreation in waterways unsafe.

Soil contamination can occur when pollutants such as chemicals or oil spills enter the ground. This can make crops difficult to grow and can contaminate food supplies. Soil contamination can also cause health problems if people come into contact with contaminated soil or eat contaminated food.

Prevention and Control Measures

There are a number of things that individuals can do to help prevent and reduce environmental pollution. One of the most important things is to educate yourself and others about the issue and its causes. This can help raise awareness and create a demand for change. Another key prevention measure is to support businesses and industries that are working to reduce their pollution output. This includes voting with your wallet by patronizing companies that have green policies in place, and investing in cleaner energy sources. Finally, you can take action in your own life to reduce your impact on the environment. This includes conserving energy, recycling, driving less, and composting.

In conclusion, environmental pollution has become a major global concern and it is important for us to take proactive steps to reduce the amount of pollutants that are entering our environment. We can start by reducing our consumption of single-use products, switching to renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power, and engaging in conscientious recycling habits. By taking these actions we can help protect our planet from further harm caused by environmental pollution.

Manisha Dubey Jha is a skilled educational content writer with 5 years of experience. Specializing in essays and paragraphs, she’s dedicated to crafting engaging and informative content that enriches learning experiences.

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What is Environmental Health and What Critical Issues Impact Our Health?

What is environmental health, areas of environmental health, global environmental health, how you can help protect and improve environmental health.

Water quality, safe housing, healthy food access, and pollution -free transportation all contribute to human health, along with many other factors. Where people live and how they're connecting to the world can affect their health. The environmental health field—with its professionals, policies, and programs—is focused on these factors.

Your health is determined by personal choices (like whether you exercise or get vaccinated ) but also factors like local industry, the age of your home, food deserts , green space in your community, and more. Environmental stressors and advantages help to shape your options.

This article explains what environmental health is and how it can affect you and your community. It describes the work done by professionals and what you can do, too, to improve environmental health.

Environmental health is the  public health  field that monitors and addresses physical, chemical, and biological factors that impact your health though they're not always within your direct control.

Simply put, environmental health is the area of public health that deals with all the different ways the world can impact physical and mental well-being. Examples of impacts include:

• Lead toxicity (poisoning) from the paint or water pipes in older homes and neighborhoods
• Obesity and type 2 diabetes risk in food deserts and food swamps (communities with limited access to grocery stores and healthy food options, but often home to fast food stops)
• Cancer and the impacts of air pollution, heat, ultraviolet radiation, and other carcinogens and climate factors
• Stress, sleep disruptions , hearing loss , and other impacts due to traffic and other environmental noise
• Depression, cognition, and other brain health factors can be affected by green space

If you live in an urban heat island with few trees, it may be hotter than other neighborhoods— affecting a range of issues, from heat-related illness to asthma and heart disease. It's harder to get outside and exercise, too. When your home was built and the materials used, what insects live nearby, and what food you can access affect your health and the health of your family.

Environmental health is one of the largest fields within public health because of the myriad ways external forces can impact how people eat, live, and grow. These forces can be about addressing the natural environment (as in the case for clean water or sanitation), but they can also be the consequence of human beings' actions—including societal norms.

There are a number of initiatives focused on environmental health in the United States. Among them is the Healthy People 2030 agenda, which highlights six key areas that encompass the various ways environmental health is crucial to the health of communities.

Air Quality

Air is non-negotiable for humans. It's needed to survive and air quality can have a significant impact on health.

Poor air quality has been linked to a wide range of health issues, including SIDS, lung cancer , and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ). Air pollution is also linked to low birth weight.

One2019 study found that people exposed to high levels of air pollutants in the early and late states of pregnancy were more likely to have babies with lower birth weights, or with preterm births, than their non-exposed peers.

The Clean Air Act

The Clean Air Act of 1970 marked the first time the federal government took responsibility for protecting the air quality for all U.S. citizens by regulating harmful emissions from things like cars and factories. The act was later expanded in 1990 to address acid rain and ozone depletion.

Water and Sanitation

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 780 million people worldwide don’t have access to safe drinking water, and a jaw-dropping 1.7 billion (or roughly a fifth of Earth’s population) lack adequate sanitation services like clean bathrooms.

The simple act of filtering and chlorinating water systems in the United States has resulted in significant declines in once-common diseases like typhoid . Historically, clean water is responsible for the bulk of the decline in childhood mortality in the country.

The environmental health impact of safe water can't be overstated. An estimated 2,200 children die every day worldwide of diarrheal diseases linked to improper water and sanitation. The United Nations estimates a return of $4.30 in medical and social costs for every dollar spent on clean water.

Toxic Substances and Hazardous Wastes

Toxicology—that is, the area of science devoted to understanding how chemicals and substances can affect people and their surroundings—is an important field in environmental health. Many of the materials needed to advance industries and technology, like heavy metals or even some plastics, can also hurt the human body and even lead to serious medical conditions.

The Flint, Michigan, water crisis is an example of lead poisoning effects in a community that can lead to long-term health complications, including brain damage in children. Economically disadvantaged kids are often most affected.

The Flint crisis, which exposed more than 100,000 people to unsafe lead levels in drinking water, was a prime example of how environmental health issues often hurt those whose health status is already most at risk.

Homes and Communities

Home and neighborhoods are at the core of environmental health. When a neighborhood has a lot of violence, for example, families or older people might not go outside to exercise. When roads aren't properly maintained, it can result in more car crashes. When sidewalks are in poor condition, people may avoid walking for fear of accidents.

An emerging field of environmental health is that of food access. In neighborhoods without full-service grocery stores, people rely on convenience stores, gas stations, and fast food restaurants. This limits fresh produce options—a vital part of a healthy diet. These food deserts contribute to health disparities for low-income and minority populations especially.

Environmental health professionals are urging communities to establish public gardens where residents can grow and harvest their own fresh produce, improve access to public transportation to full-service grocery stores and farmers markets, and change zoning laws to incentivize retailers to offer healthier food options.

Infrastructure and Surveillance 

A primary piece of any public health strategy is information to identify risks and guide the resources and responses to prevent them. This includes investigating and responding to diseases—a field called  epidemiology —as well as screening for hazards and establishing surveillance programs.

Surveillance activities involve either going out and looking for particular health concerns (active surveillance) or by asking professionals in other fields, such as medicine or agriculture, to alert environmental health agencies when they encounter them (passive surveillance).

An example of this in action is mosquito surveillance and abatement activities. These programs test mosquitoes for certain things, including the presence of dangerous infections like  Zika virus , as well as monitor populations to ensure control measures are working. This information can help health officials know what to watch for in doctors' offices, direct local governments on where and how best to spray for mosquitoes, and alert the public if a mosquito-borne illness is spreading in the area.

In the coming decades, environmental health professionals are bracing for a warmer, wetter climate that will likely prompt or exacerbate threats to public health across the globe.

Disease-carrying mosquitoes can live in areas previously too cold for them to survive, upping the number of people impacted by vector-borne illnesses like dengue and malaria . As sea levels rise, whole coastal cities and island nations face flood risks and disease due to displacement.

Even though health outcomes have improved significantly over the past century—in wealthy nations like the United States in particular—environmental hazards and infectious diseases know no geopolitical boundaries. People today are traveling farther and more often than ever before, and conflicts in areas like Syria, Afghanistan, and South Sudan cause millions to flee their homes.

These increases in cross-border and cross-continental movements have the potential to threaten disease prevention efforts and overextend existing infrastructure. That's why it's crucial that countries look beyond their borders to improve the health of the global population overall.

Environmental health is supported by trained experts who assess nutrition and community health, test water for heavy metals, and do research on how rising heat might change where insects are likely to spread disease. They develop laws, policies, and programs at all levels of government.

And while environmental health doesn't focus on individual impacts and footprints, there's much you can do to help. Consider protecting environmental health and safety by:

• Improving air quality. You can ride your bike, take mass transportation, or work from home instead of driving a car to and from work.
• Testing for toxins. You can test for radon gas, lead paint, or heavy metal exposure in pipes to prevent toxicity. Don't forget your cooking stove, which can be a source of indoor air pollution.
• Cooling your home. You can plant trees, install roofs designed for cooling, and make lifestyle choices (like closing off rooms or running certain appliances after dark) to limit heat impacts.
• Promoting healthy food choices. Plant gardens, shop at local farmer's markets, join a food co-op, and consider eating less meat when opting for a diet that's friendlier to environmental health.

Keep in mind that visibility helps to drive environmental health policy. Talk with your government and local businesses about investing in environmental health to ensure every neighbor has the chance to live, work, and play in a healthy and safe community.

Environmental health professionals focus on factors like industrial air pollution, water quality, healthy food access, and safe housing that impact public health. In many cases, these factors (unlike the personal risk of genetics, for example) are preventable or can be changed to improve public health and overall health equity .

Most communities in the United States are served by environmental health agencies, whether at the local and state level or through federal authorities. You can help to improve environmental health by working closely with these professionals, local businesses, and other stakeholders.

But there's much you can do personally to make lifestyle changes, like limiting plastic waste and reducing energy use, that can limit environmental health risk both for you and the planet.

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Department of Health and Social Services. Healthy People 2030 .

Lee JT. Review of epidemiological studies on air pollution and health effects in children . Clin Exp Pediatr. 2021 Jan;64(1):3-11. doi:10.3345/cep.2019.00843

Liu Y, Xu J, Chen D, Sun P, Ma X. The association between air pollution and preterm birth and low birth weight in Guangdong, China .  BMC Public Health . 2019;19(1):3. doi:10.1186/s12889-018-6307-7

Environmental Protection Agency. Progress Cleaning the Air and Improving People's Health .

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By Robyn Correll, MPH Correll holds a master of public health degree and has over a decade of experience working in the prevention of infectious diseases.

Environment and Human Health Essay

Life on this planet is interconnected. Nothing is isolated and everything has an impact on everything else. With concerns about climate change looming and becoming more immediate, we need to understand how our environment and health are connected.

Long and Short Essay on Environment and Human Health in English

Below you will find some essays on environment and human health that can help you in your examinations, assignments. Select any environment and human health essay you need from the ones given below.

Short Essay on Environment and Human Health – Essay 1 (200 words)

Introduction

Human health is defined as the state of well-being with regards to the mental, physical and social aspects of the human condition. A person cannot be called healthy merely because of the absence of disease; he or she needs to be doing well in all ways to actually qualify as healthy.

Many factors play a role in determining our health – biological, nutritional, psychological and chemical. These factors can be influenced by internal and external conditions. Externally, the biggest factor that influences our health is our environment.

Environment and Human Health

Our environment isn’t merely the air we breathe, although that is a major component; it ranges from the water we drink to the soil we grow our food in to the sounds and noises in our surroundings. Each part affects us and thereby our health. With emissions from vehicles, factories and fires, our air supply is full of toxic chemicals that present the risk of lung cancer, heart disease and asthma. The food we eat is covered in pesticides that make soil less fertile and can be carcinogenic for us. The human body needs water to survive but our water sources are full of human and industrial wastes that create serious health issues.

We need to remember that we have to live in synergy with our environment. What we put out in it will come back to us. Unless we do something now, the earth will very soon no longer be a habitable planet.

Essay on Health and Environment – Essay 2 (300 words)

Human tendency has always been to subjugate our surroundings. We take pleasure in conquering and reshaping our environment as though it is beneath us and we are supreme. However, the simple truth is that humans are as dependent upon the environment as any other animals on the planet for our continued well-being. Therefore, if we harm our environment, we harm ourselves.

Health and Environment

Our physical, mental and social well-being is dependent upon our surroundings. What we put into the ecosystem is eventually cycled back to us. The pollutants we discard into this ecosystem find their way back through the air we breathe, the food we consume and the water we drink. Since we discard these pollutants because they are harmful to us, it follows that when we inadvertently consume them afterwards, they will still have harmful effects on our health.

Problems with this have been going on for quite some time. We use pesticides on our food crops because the chemicals kill the pests that could destroy the crops. However, those pesticides remain on the food when we consume them causing health problems ranging from skin problems to cancer. The pesticides also reduce the fertility of the soil ensuring that the next crop isn’t as bountiful.

Similarly, we discard human and industrial waste into whatever water body is conveniently close. But we also use the same water bodies for drinking water. Water pollution leads to diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, lead poisoning, polio and arsenicosis amongst others. The air is also polluted by all the gaseous emissions our activities release. Ranging from smoke from fires to emissions from vehicles and industries, these pollutants cause respiratory disorders such as asthma and bronchitis and can even result in lung cancer.

Environmental scientists have been raising the alarm for some time, but things are very critical now. Our unchecked activities have had adverse effects on the ecosystem and some of that damage is now irreversible. If we do not step up to the plate, we will render the earth uninhabitable very soon.

Essay on Environment Affects Humans Health – Essay 3 (400 words)

As per the definition by WHO, “human health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity”. This well-being does not happen in isolation; it is affected by internal as well as external factors. Internal factors include issues inside the human body such as immune deficiencies, hormonal imbalances and genetic or congenital disorders.

External factors generally include three types of health hazards: physical hazards such as ultraviolet and radioactive radiations, noise pollution, carbon monoxide and CFCs; chemical hazards such as industrial effluents, heavy metals, pesticides and fossil fuel combustion; and biological hazards such as parasites, bacteria and viruses.

This clearly means that our health is, to a great extent, dependent upon our environment and the environmental factors that affect human health are mostly created by humans. What we release into our eco-system eventually finds its way back to us.

How Environment Affects Human Health

Since we are completely dependent on the environment to survive, it is safe to say that any changes to the environment will impact human well-being. However, the actual relationship between these two is more complex than we believed and isn’t always easy to assess. The most obvious impacts that we have seen are from deteriorating water quality, air pollution and unsanitary conditions. Radiation poisoning too has deadly consequences for human health.

The response to these issues has been an overall attempt to clean up our ecosystem. While that has worked for some countries, mostly in the developed world, it hasn’t been applied thoroughly in the developing countries of the world. Bilateral and multilateral agreements between countries have managed to address some of the more immediate concerns such as the emission of CFCs into the atmosphere and the damage done to the ozone layer by them.

The corporate world is also trying to lessen its carbon footprint and turning to ‘green’ solutions. However, there are many concerns that have yet to be addressed and are spiralling out of control such as biodiversity; on an average, one species dies out every day. In addition, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a proper supply of food so that the world doesn’t starve.

We are simply too well-woven into our surroundings to be immune to the effects of any changes in those surroundings. The problem is that because the relationship between health and environment is complex, we aren’t motivated to make major changes; we’re waiting for irrefutable evidence. By the time we do get it, it might be too late.

Essay on Healthy Environment Healthy Life – Essay 4 (500 words)

We are aware of the complex strands that bind us to our environment. We have already started noticing the difference in our health and how it is related to what we do to our environment. However, a point to consider is that if a bad environment can cause harm to human health, a good environment can actually nurture it.

Unhealthy Environment Unhealthy Life

A report jointly published by the United Nations Environment Programme, the WHO, the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Stockholm, Rotterdam and Basel conventions states that in the year 2012 alone, approximately 12.6 million people lost their lives due to conditions brought on by environmental pollution. UNEP also estimates that environmental degradation is behind 25 percent of all human diseases.

Environmental Pollution Impact

While environmental pollution may have an impact on everyone, research has shown that there are certain demographics that are more vulnerable to its effects – the young, the poor, women, the migrant workers and the elderly. In addition, diseases such as Ebola, Zika and SARS are emerging every few months and spreading because of overpopulation, too much livestock and the resultant environmental impact.

In order to stop the spread of these diseases, healthy ecosystems are essential. While tackling these diseases, such ecosystems can also bring about economic development, reduction of poverty, fewer risks to human well-being and the security of knowing that resources will not run out.

Mental Health

Increasingly, studies conducted on mental health are relating good mental health with exposure to nature. These studies have linked reduction of the symptoms of anxiety and depression and lowered stress levels to the presence of green space close by. In fact, people who moved to urban areas that are greener were seen to have improved mental health.

Water Contamination Impact

This is another example of environmental pollution affecting those in the lower economic strata. In countries where the income levels are middle to low, unavailability of clean water is responsible for 58 percent of the diarrhoea cases. Contaminated water and poor hygiene and sanitation are responsible for the deaths of around 3.5 million people. They also cause the premature deaths of around 25 percent of children younger than 14 years of age.

Approach to Resolution

There are several areas of immediate concern, based on the connection between poor human health and environmental degradation. Some of them are:

• Ecosystems that have degraded and natural systems on earth that are under pressure, which are more likely to cause disasters such as disease outbreaks, scarcity of food and natural disasters.
• Insufficient sanitation, poor hygiene and unsafe water that are the causes of deadly diseases, poor mental health and even hit economic productivity badly.
• Poor nutrition combined with dropping levels of physical activity, leading to the spread of non-communicable diseases.

Directly or indirectly, a healthy environment means healthy people. This is not to say that disease and malnutrition will be eliminated entirely but the incidences of these occurrences will reduce and millions of human lives will not be lost every year.

Long Essay on Impact of the Environment on Health – Essay 5 (600 words)

Human health or human well-being is affected by two main factors – individual traits or internal factors and ecological well-being or external factors. However, most of the time, when research is conducted on the human health condition, these two factors are investigated in isolation from each other. If one truly wants to answer the question – how does the environment affect individual health – one has to look at both factors in tandem. This becomes especially important now in light of climate change warnings and governmental indifference to them.

Impact of Environment on Health

The drawback with health related environmental studies or environment related health studies being conducted, especially those in the West, have narrowed their focus to concentrate on specific allergenic, infectious or toxic agents. They aren’t focusing on broader issues that cover psychological and social impacts too.

Some researchers agree that when studying human health it is important to take into account the impact of the environment of the people being studied. That impact can be seen in the fact that health inequalities exist as per the geography. In fact, health is impacted by the social and physical environment.

Additional research has also shown that there is a direct relationship between people’s mental health and the prevalence of green spaces; the more proximity to the green space, the better the mental health.

Socio-economic Differences in Environmental Impact

That the environment and human health are intertwined cannot be denied. However, that relationship works out differently in different places. In other words, depending upon where you are in the world, the immediate health concerns and the environmental factors affecting those concerns can be varied.

Developing countries tend to focus more on issues such as infant mortality, malnutrition and infectious diseases. The immediate environmental concerns in these countries are sanitation, hygiene, mining, ore processing, oil production and water quality. However, when one looks at developed nations, health concerns revolve around issues such as cancer, lung disease and heart disease. These countries have economies built around industries and those industries do not dispose off their hazardous wastes responsibly, thereby contaminating nearby water bodies and soil.

Considering these factors, it is no wonder that emphasis is placed more on the diseases than on the causes behind those diseases. The causes vary; the diseases may not necessarily do so.

Examples of Environmental Impact on Health Globally

Unfortunately, there isn’t any part of the globe that is free of environmental damage, not even the Polar Regions. If one goes looking, one will almost always find health concerns related to those environmental issues. It doesn’t help that countries such as China and India are developing very quickly. Their pace is such that environmental concerns aren’t being able to keep up with development.

Untreated human waste, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff and just plain old dumping are playing havoc with the ecology in both countries. Then there are the eastern European countries, many of which are former Soviet Union states. Over the past decades, hazardous waste such as heavy metals and nitrates were dumped without any plan or precaution. The result is badly contaminated ground water and surface water, not to mention the lowered quality of soil.

Some action is being taken finally where in such regions are being identified and efforts have been made to remediate, reclaim and restore the soil and surface water in such places; the effort comes too late, however, for the population that has already been exposed to these contaminants.

If one really wants to know what the environmental impact on health looks like, they need to stop looking at it in terms of discrete bubbles. They must study health disorders from an individual as well as an environmental perspective.

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Environmental and Health Impacts of Air Pollution: A Review

Ioannis manisalidis.

1 Delphis S.A., Kifisia, Greece

2 Laboratory of Hygiene and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece

Elisavet Stavropoulou

3 Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Service de Médicine Interne, Lausanne, Switzerland

Agathangelos Stavropoulos

4 School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Eugenia Bezirtzoglou

One of our era's greatest scourges is air pollution, on account not only of its impact on climate change but also its impact on public and individual health due to increasing morbidity and mortality. There are many pollutants that are major factors in disease in humans. Among them, Particulate Matter (PM), particles of variable but very small diameter, penetrate the respiratory system via inhalation, causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, reproductive and central nervous system dysfunctions, and cancer. Despite the fact that ozone in the stratosphere plays a protective role against ultraviolet irradiation, it is harmful when in high concentration at ground level, also affecting the respiratory and cardiovascular system. Furthermore, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), dioxins, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are all considered air pollutants that are harmful to humans. Carbon monoxide can even provoke direct poisoning when breathed in at high levels. Heavy metals such as lead, when absorbed into the human body, can lead to direct poisoning or chronic intoxication, depending on exposure. Diseases occurring from the aforementioned substances include principally respiratory problems such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, bronchiolitis, and also lung cancer, cardiovascular events, central nervous system dysfunctions, and cutaneous diseases. Last but not least, climate change resulting from environmental pollution affects the geographical distribution of many infectious diseases, as do natural disasters. The only way to tackle this problem is through public awareness coupled with a multidisciplinary approach by scientific experts; national and international organizations must address the emergence of this threat and propose sustainable solutions.

Approach to the Problem

The interactions between humans and their physical surroundings have been extensively studied, as multiple human activities influence the environment. The environment is a coupling of the biotic (living organisms and microorganisms) and the abiotic (hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere).

Pollution is defined as the introduction into the environment of substances harmful to humans and other living organisms. Pollutants are harmful solids, liquids, or gases produced in higher than usual concentrations that reduce the quality of our environment.

Human activities have an adverse effect on the environment by polluting the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the soil in which plants grow. Although the industrial revolution was a great success in terms of technology, society, and the provision of multiple services, it also introduced the production of huge quantities of pollutants emitted into the air that are harmful to human health. Without any doubt, the global environmental pollution is considered an international public health issue with multiple facets. Social, economic, and legislative concerns and lifestyle habits are related to this major problem. Clearly, urbanization and industrialization are reaching unprecedented and upsetting proportions worldwide in our era. Anthropogenic air pollution is one of the biggest public health hazards worldwide, given that it accounts for about 9 million deaths per year ( 1 ).

Without a doubt, all of the aforementioned are closely associated with climate change, and in the event of danger, the consequences can be severe for mankind ( 2 ). Climate changes and the effects of global planetary warming seriously affect multiple ecosystems, causing problems such as food safety issues, ice and iceberg melting, animal extinction, and damage to plants ( 3 , 4 ).

Air pollution has various health effects. The health of susceptible and sensitive individuals can be impacted even on low air pollution days. Short-term exposure to air pollutants is closely related to COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, asthma, respiratory disease, and high rates of hospitalization (a measurement of morbidity).

The long-term effects associated with air pollution are chronic asthma, pulmonary insufficiency, cardiovascular diseases, and cardiovascular mortality. According to a Swedish cohort study, diabetes seems to be induced after long-term air pollution exposure ( 5 ). Moreover, air pollution seems to have various malign health effects in early human life, such as respiratory, cardiovascular, mental, and perinatal disorders ( 3 ), leading to infant mortality or chronic disease in adult age ( 6 ).

National reports have mentioned the increased risk of morbidity and mortality ( 1 ). These studies were conducted in many places around the world and show a correlation between daily ranges of particulate matter (PM) concentration and daily mortality. Climate shifts and global planetary warming ( 3 ) could aggravate the situation. Besides, increased hospitalization (an index of morbidity) has been registered among the elderly and susceptible individuals for specific reasons. Fine and ultrafine particulate matter seems to be associated with more serious illnesses ( 6 ), as it can invade the deepest parts of the airways and more easily reach the bloodstream.

Air pollution mainly affects those living in large urban areas, where road emissions contribute the most to the degradation of air quality. There is also a danger of industrial accidents, where the spread of a toxic fog can be fatal to the populations of the surrounding areas. The dispersion of pollutants is determined by many parameters, most notably atmospheric stability and wind ( 6 ).

In developing countries ( 7 ), the problem is more serious due to overpopulation and uncontrolled urbanization along with the development of industrialization. This leads to poor air quality, especially in countries with social disparities and a lack of information on sustainable management of the environment. The use of fuels such as wood fuel or solid fuel for domestic needs due to low incomes exposes people to bad-quality, polluted air at home. It is of note that three billion people around the world are using the above sources of energy for their daily heating and cooking needs ( 8 ). In developing countries, the women of the household seem to carry the highest risk for disease development due to their longer duration exposure to the indoor air pollution ( 8 , 9 ). Due to its fast industrial development and overpopulation, China is one of the Asian countries confronting serious air pollution problems ( 10 , 11 ). The lung cancer mortality observed in China is associated with fine particles ( 12 ). As stated already, long-term exposure is associated with deleterious effects on the cardiovascular system ( 3 , 5 ). However, it is interesting to note that cardiovascular diseases have mostly been observed in developed and high-income countries rather than in the developing low-income countries exposed highly to air pollution ( 13 ). Extreme air pollution is recorded in India, where the air quality reaches hazardous levels. New Delhi is one of the more polluted cities in India. Flights in and out of New Delhi International Airport are often canceled due to the reduced visibility associated with air pollution. Pollution is occurring both in urban and rural areas in India due to the fast industrialization, urbanization, and rise in use of motorcycle transportation. Nevertheless, biomass combustion associated with heating and cooking needs and practices is a major source of household air pollution in India and in Nepal ( 14 , 15 ). There is spatial heterogeneity in India, as areas with diverse climatological conditions and population and education levels generate different indoor air qualities, with higher PM 2.5 observed in North Indian states (557–601 μg/m 3 ) compared to the Southern States (183–214 μg/m 3 ) ( 16 , 17 ). The cold climate of the North Indian areas may be the main reason for this, as longer periods at home and more heating are necessary compared to in the tropical climate of Southern India. Household air pollution in India is associated with major health effects, especially in women and young children, who stay indoors for longer periods. Chronic obstructive respiratory disease (CORD) and lung cancer are mostly observed in women, while acute lower respiratory disease is seen in young children under 5 years of age ( 18 ).

Accumulation of air pollution, especially sulfur dioxide and smoke, reaching 1,500 mg/m3, resulted in an increase in the number of deaths (4,000 deaths) in December 1952 in London and in 1963 in New York City (400 deaths) ( 19 ). An association of pollution with mortality was reported on the basis of monitoring of outdoor pollution in six US metropolitan cities ( 20 ). In every case, it seems that mortality was closely related to the levels of fine, inhalable, and sulfate particles more than with the levels of total particulate pollution, aerosol acidity, sulfur dioxide, or nitrogen dioxide ( 20 ).

Furthermore, extremely high levels of pollution are reported in Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro, followed by Milan, Ankara, Melbourne, Tokyo, and Moscow ( 19 ).

Based on the magnitude of the public health impact, it is certain that different kinds of interventions should be taken into account. Success and effectiveness in controlling air pollution, specifically at the local level, have been reported. Adequate technological means are applied considering the source and the nature of the emission as well as its impact on health and the environment. The importance of point sources and non-point sources of air pollution control is reported by Schwela and Köth-Jahr ( 21 ). Without a doubt, a detailed emission inventory must record all sources in a given area. Beyond considering the above sources and their nature, topography and meteorology should also be considered, as stated previously. Assessment of the control policies and methods is often extrapolated from the local to the regional and then to the global scale. Air pollution may be dispersed and transported from one region to another area located far away. Air pollution management means the reduction to acceptable levels or possible elimination of air pollutants whose presence in the air affects our health or the environmental ecosystem. Private and governmental entities and authorities implement actions to ensure the air quality ( 22 ). Air quality standards and guidelines were adopted for the different pollutants by the WHO and EPA as a tool for the management of air quality ( 1 , 23 ). These standards have to be compared to the emissions inventory standards by causal analysis and dispersion modeling in order to reveal the problematic areas ( 24 ). Inventories are generally based on a combination of direct measurements and emissions modeling ( 24 ).

As an example, we state here the control measures at the source through the use of catalytic converters in cars. These are devices that turn the pollutants and toxic gases produced from combustion engines into less-toxic pollutants by catalysis through redox reactions ( 25 ). In Greece, the use of private cars was restricted by tracking their license plates in order to reduce traffic congestion during rush hour ( 25 ).

Concerning industrial emissions, collectors and closed systems can keep the air pollution to the minimal standards imposed by legislation ( 26 ).

Current strategies to improve air quality require an estimation of the economic value of the benefits gained from proposed programs. These proposed programs by public authorities, and directives are issued with guidelines to be respected.

In Europe, air quality limit values AQLVs (Air Quality Limit Values) are issued for setting off planning claims ( 27 ). In the USA, the NAAQS (National Ambient Air Quality Standards) establish the national air quality limit values ( 27 ). While both standards and directives are based on different mechanisms, significant success has been achieved in the reduction of overall emissions and associated health and environmental effects ( 27 ). The European Directive identifies geographical areas of risk exposure as monitoring/assessment zones to record the emission sources and levels of air pollution ( 27 ), whereas the USA establishes global geographical air quality criteria according to the severity of their air quality problem and records all sources of the pollutants and their precursors ( 27 ).

In this vein, funds have been financing, directly or indirectly, projects related to air quality along with the technical infrastructure to maintain good air quality. These plans focus on an inventory of databases from air quality environmental planning awareness campaigns. Moreover, pollution measures of air emissions may be taken for vehicles, machines, and industries in urban areas.

Technological innovation can only be successful if it is able to meet the needs of society. In this sense, technology must reflect the decision-making practices and procedures of those involved in risk assessment and evaluation and act as a facilitator in providing information and assessments to enable decision makers to make the best decisions possible. Summarizing the aforementioned in order to design an effective air quality control strategy, several aspects must be considered: environmental factors and ambient air quality conditions, engineering factors and air pollutant characteristics, and finally, economic operating costs for technological improvement and administrative and legal costs. Considering the economic factor, competitiveness through neoliberal concepts is offering a solution to environmental problems ( 22 ).

The development of environmental governance, along with technological progress, has initiated the deployment of a dialogue. Environmental politics has created objections and points of opposition between different political parties, scientists, media, and governmental and non-governmental organizations ( 22 ). Radical environmental activism actions and movements have been created ( 22 ). The rise of the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) are many times examined as to whether and in which way they have influenced means of communication and social movements such as activism ( 28 ). Since the 1990s, the term “digital activism” has been used increasingly and in many different disciplines ( 29 ). Nowadays, multiple digital technologies can be used to produce a digital activism outcome on environmental issues. More specifically, devices with online capabilities such as computers or mobile phones are being used as a way to pursue change in political and social affairs ( 30 ).

In the present paper, we focus on the sources of environmental pollution in relation to public health and propose some solutions and interventions that may be of interest to environmental legislators and decision makers.

Sources of Exposure

It is known that the majority of environmental pollutants are emitted through large-scale human activities such as the use of industrial machinery, power-producing stations, combustion engines, and cars. Because these activities are performed at such a large scale, they are by far the major contributors to air pollution, with cars estimated to be responsible for approximately 80% of today's pollution ( 31 ). Some other human activities are also influencing our environment to a lesser extent, such as field cultivation techniques, gas stations, fuel tanks heaters, and cleaning procedures ( 32 ), as well as several natural sources, such as volcanic and soil eruptions and forest fires.

The classification of air pollutants is based mainly on the sources producing pollution. Therefore, it is worth mentioning the four main sources, following the classification system: Major sources, Area sources, Mobile sources, and Natural sources.

Major sources include the emission of pollutants from power stations, refineries, and petrochemicals, the chemical and fertilizer industries, metallurgical and other industrial plants, and, finally, municipal incineration.

Indoor area sources include domestic cleaning activities, dry cleaners, printing shops, and petrol stations.

Mobile sources include automobiles, cars, railways, airways, and other types of vehicles.

Finally, natural sources include, as stated previously, physical disasters ( 33 ) such as forest fire, volcanic erosion, dust storms, and agricultural burning.

However, many classification systems have been proposed. Another type of classification is a grouping according to the recipient of the pollution, as follows:

Air pollution is determined as the presence of pollutants in the air in large quantities for long periods. Air pollutants are dispersed particles, hydrocarbons, CO, CO 2 , NO, NO 2 , SO 3 , etc.

Water pollution is organic and inorganic charge and biological charge ( 10 ) at high levels that affect the water quality ( 34 , 35 ).

Soil pollution occurs through the release of chemicals or the disposal of wastes, such as heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and pesticides.

Air pollution can influence the quality of soil and water bodies by polluting precipitation, falling into water and soil environments ( 34 , 36 ). Notably, the chemistry of the soil can be amended due to acid precipitation by affecting plants, cultures, and water quality ( 37 ). Moreover, movement of heavy metals is favored by soil acidity, and metals are so then moving into the watery environment. It is known that heavy metals such as aluminum are noxious to wildlife and fishes. Soil quality seems to be of importance, as soils with low calcium carbonate levels are at increased jeopardy from acid rain. Over and above rain, snow and particulate matter drip into watery ' bodies ( 36 , 38 ).

Lastly, pollution is classified following type of origin:

Radioactive and nuclear pollution , releasing radioactive and nuclear pollutants into water, air, and soil during nuclear explosions and accidents, from nuclear weapons, and through handling or disposal of radioactive sewage.

Radioactive materials can contaminate surface water bodies and, being noxious to the environment, plants, animals, and humans. It is known that several radioactive substances such as radium and uranium concentrate in the bones and can cause cancers ( 38 , 39 ).

Noise pollution is produced by machines, vehicles, traffic noises, and musical installations that are harmful to our hearing.

The World Health Organization introduced the term DALYs. The DALYs for a disease or health condition is defined as the sum of the Years of Life Lost (YLL) due to premature mortality in the population and the Years Lost due to Disability (YLD) for people living with the health condition or its consequences ( 39 ). In Europe, air pollution is the main cause of disability-adjusted life years lost (DALYs), followed by noise pollution. The potential relationships of noise and air pollution with health have been studied ( 40 ). The study found that DALYs related to noise were more important than those related to air pollution, as the effects of environmental noise on cardiovascular disease were independent of air pollution ( 40 ). Environmental noise should be counted as an independent public health risk ( 40 ).

Environmental pollution occurs when changes in the physical, chemical, or biological constituents of the environment (air masses, temperature, climate, etc.) are produced.

Pollutants harm our environment either by increasing levels above normal or by introducing harmful toxic substances. Primary pollutants are directly produced from the above sources, and secondary pollutants are emitted as by-products of the primary ones. Pollutants can be biodegradable or non-biodegradable and of natural origin or anthropogenic, as stated previously. Moreover, their origin can be a unique source (point-source) or dispersed sources.

Pollutants have differences in physical and chemical properties, explaining the discrepancy in their capacity for producing toxic effects. As an example, we state here that aerosol compounds ( 41 – 43 ) have a greater toxicity than gaseous compounds due to their tiny size (solid or liquid) in the atmosphere; they have a greater penetration capacity. Gaseous compounds are eliminated more easily by our respiratory system ( 41 ). These particles are able to damage lungs and can even enter the bloodstream ( 41 ), leading to the premature deaths of millions of people yearly. Moreover, the aerosol acidity ([H+]) seems to considerably enhance the production of secondary organic aerosols (SOA), but this last aspect is not supported by other scientific teams ( 38 ).

Climate and Pollution

Air pollution and climate change are closely related. Climate is the other side of the same coin that reduces the quality of our Earth ( 44 ). Pollutants such as black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone, and aerosols affect the amount of incoming sunlight. As a result, the temperature of the Earth is increasing, resulting in the melting of ice, icebergs, and glaciers.

In this vein, climatic changes will affect the incidence and prevalence of both residual and imported infections in Europe. Climate and weather affect the duration, timing, and intensity of outbreaks strongly and change the map of infectious diseases in the globe ( 45 ). Mosquito-transmitted parasitic or viral diseases are extremely climate-sensitive, as warming firstly shortens the pathogen incubation period and secondly shifts the geographic map of the vector. Similarly, water-warming following climate changes leads to a high incidence of waterborne infections. Recently, in Europe, eradicated diseases seem to be emerging due to the migration of population, for example, cholera, poliomyelitis, tick-borne encephalitis, and malaria ( 46 ).

The spread of epidemics is associated with natural climate disasters and storms, which seem to occur more frequently nowadays ( 47 ). Malnutrition and disequilibration of the immune system are also associated with the emerging infections affecting public health ( 48 ).

The Chikungunya virus “took the airplane” from the Indian Ocean to Europe, as outbreaks of the disease were registered in Italy ( 49 ) as well as autochthonous cases in France ( 50 ).

An increase in cryptosporidiosis in the United Kingdom and in the Czech Republic seems to have occurred following flooding ( 36 , 51 ).

As stated previously, aerosols compounds are tiny in size and considerably affect the climate. They are able to dissipate sunlight (the albedo phenomenon) by dispersing a quarter of the sun's rays back to space and have cooled the global temperature over the last 30 years ( 52 ).

Air Pollutants

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports on six major air pollutants, namely particle pollution, ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and lead. Air pollution can have a disastrous effect on all components of the environment, including groundwater, soil, and air. Additionally, it poses a serious threat to living organisms. In this vein, our interest is mainly to focus on these pollutants, as they are related to more extensive and severe problems in human health and environmental impact. Acid rain, global warming, the greenhouse effect, and climate changes have an important ecological impact on air pollution ( 53 ).

Particulate Matter (PM) and Health

Studies have shown a relationship between particulate matter (PM) and adverse health effects, focusing on either short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic) PM exposure.

Particulate matter (PM) is usually formed in the atmosphere as a result of chemical reactions between the different pollutants. The penetration of particles is closely dependent on their size ( 53 ). Particulate Matter (PM) was defined as a term for particles by the United States Environmental Protection Agency ( 54 ). Particulate matter (PM) pollution includes particles with diameters of 10 micrometers (μm) or smaller, called PM 10 , and extremely fine particles with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers (μm) and smaller.

Particulate matter contains tiny liquid or solid droplets that can be inhaled and cause serious health effects ( 55 ). Particles <10 μm in diameter (PM 10 ) after inhalation can invade the lungs and even reach the bloodstream. Fine particles, PM 2.5 , pose a greater risk to health ( 6 , 56 ) ( Table 1 ).

Penetrability according to particle size.

Multiple epidemiological studies have been performed on the health effects of PM. A positive relation was shown between both short-term and long-term exposures of PM 2.5 and acute nasopharyngitis ( 56 ). In addition, long-term exposure to PM for years was found to be related to cardiovascular diseases and infant mortality.

Those studies depend on PM 2.5 monitors and are restricted in terms of study area or city area due to a lack of spatially resolved daily PM 2.5 concentration data and, in this way, are not representative of the entire population. Following a recent epidemiological study by the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard School of Public Health (Boston, MA) ( 57 ), it was reported that, as PM 2.5 concentrations vary spatially, an exposure error (Berkson error) seems to be produced, and the relative magnitudes of the short- and long-term effects are not yet completely elucidated. The team developed a PM 2.5 exposure model based on remote sensing data for assessing short- and long-term human exposures ( 57 ). This model permits spatial resolution in short-term effects plus the assessment of long-term effects in the whole population.

Moreover, respiratory diseases and affection of the immune system are registered as long-term chronic effects ( 58 ). It is worth noting that people with asthma, pneumonia, diabetes, and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases are especially susceptible and vulnerable to the effects of PM. PM 2.5 , followed by PM 10 , are strongly associated with diverse respiratory system diseases ( 59 ), as their size permits them to pierce interior spaces ( 60 ). The particles produce toxic effects according to their chemical and physical properties. The components of PM 10 and PM 2.5 can be organic (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, benzene, 1-3 butadiene) or inorganic (carbon, chlorides, nitrates, sulfates, metals) in nature ( 55 ).

Particulate Matter (PM) is divided into four main categories according to type and size ( 61 ) ( Table 2 ).

Types and sizes of particulate Matter (PM).

Gas contaminants include PM in aerial masses.

Particulate contaminants include contaminants such as smog, soot, tobacco smoke, oil smoke, fly ash, and cement dust.

Biological Contaminants are microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, mold, and bacterial spores), cat allergens, house dust and allergens, and pollen.

Types of Dust include suspended atmospheric dust, settling dust, and heavy dust.

Finally, another fact is that the half-lives of PM 10 and PM 2.5 particles in the atmosphere is extended due to their tiny dimensions; this permits their long-lasting suspension in the atmosphere and even their transfer and spread to distant destinations where people and the environment may be exposed to the same magnitude of pollution ( 53 ). They are able to change the nutrient balance in watery ecosystems, damage forests and crops, and acidify water bodies.

As stated, PM 2.5 , due to their tiny size, are causing more serious health effects. These aforementioned fine particles are the main cause of the “haze” formation in different metropolitan areas ( 12 , 13 , 61 ).

Ozone Impact in the Atmosphere

Ozone (O 3 ) is a gas formed from oxygen under high voltage electric discharge ( 62 ). It is a strong oxidant, 52% stronger than chlorine. It arises in the stratosphere, but it could also arise following chain reactions of photochemical smog in the troposphere ( 63 ).

Ozone can travel to distant areas from its initial source, moving with air masses ( 64 ). It is surprising that ozone levels over cities are low in contrast to the increased amounts occuring in urban areas, which could become harmful for cultures, forests, and vegetation ( 65 ) as it is reducing carbon assimilation ( 66 ). Ozone reduces growth and yield ( 47 , 48 ) and affects the plant microflora due to its antimicrobial capacity ( 67 , 68 ). In this regard, ozone acts upon other natural ecosystems, with microflora ( 69 , 70 ) and animal species changing their species composition ( 71 ). Ozone increases DNA damage in epidermal keratinocytes and leads to impaired cellular function ( 72 ).

Ground-level ozone (GLO) is generated through a chemical reaction between oxides of nitrogen and VOCs emitted from natural sources and/or following anthropogenic activities.

Ozone uptake usually occurs by inhalation. Ozone affects the upper layers of the skin and the tear ducts ( 73 ). A study of short-term exposure of mice to high levels of ozone showed malondialdehyde formation in the upper skin (epidermis) but also depletion in vitamins C and E. It is likely that ozone levels are not interfering with the skin barrier function and integrity to predispose to skin disease ( 74 ).

Due to the low water-solubility of ozone, inhaled ozone has the capacity to penetrate deeply into the lungs ( 75 ).

Toxic effects induced by ozone are registered in urban areas all over the world, causing biochemical, morphologic, functional, and immunological disorders ( 76 ).

The European project (APHEA2) focuses on the acute effects of ambient ozone concentrations on mortality ( 77 ). Daily ozone concentrations compared to the daily number of deaths were reported from different European cities for a 3-year period. During the warm period of the year, an observed increase in ozone concentration was associated with an increase in the daily number of deaths (0.33%), in the number of respiratory deaths (1.13%), and in the number of cardiovascular deaths (0.45%). No effect was observed during wintertime.

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

Carbon monoxide is produced by fossil fuel when combustion is incomplete. The symptoms of poisoning due to inhaling carbon monoxide include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, and, finally, loss of consciousness.

The affinity of carbon monoxide to hemoglobin is much greater than that of oxygen. In this vein, serious poisoning may occur in people exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide for a long period of time. Due to the loss of oxygen as a result of the competitive binding of carbon monoxide, hypoxia, ischemia, and cardiovascular disease are observed.

Carbon monoxide affects the greenhouses gases that are tightly connected to global warming and climate. This should lead to an increase in soil and water temperatures, and extreme weather conditions or storms may occur ( 68 ).

However, in laboratory and field experiments, it has been seen to produce increased plant growth ( 78 ).

Nitrogen Oxide (NO 2 )

Nitrogen oxide is a traffic-related pollutant, as it is emitted from automobile motor engines ( 79 , 80 ). It is an irritant of the respiratory system as it penetrates deep in the lung, inducing respiratory diseases, coughing, wheezing, dyspnea, bronchospasm, and even pulmonary edema when inhaled at high levels. It seems that concentrations over 0.2 ppm produce these adverse effects in humans, while concentrations higher than 2.0 ppm affect T-lymphocytes, particularly the CD8+ cells and NK cells that produce our immune response ( 81 ).It is reported that long-term exposure to high levels of nitrogen dioxide can be responsible for chronic lung disease. Long-term exposure to NO 2 can impair the sense of smell ( 81 ).

However, systems other than respiratory ones can be involved, as symptoms such as eye, throat, and nose irritation have been registered ( 81 ).

High levels of nitrogen dioxide are deleterious to crops and vegetation, as they have been observed to reduce crop yield and plant growth efficiency. Moreover, NO 2 can reduce visibility and discolor fabrics ( 81 ).

Sulfur Dioxide (SO 2 )

Sulfur dioxide is a harmful gas that is emitted mainly from fossil fuel consumption or industrial activities. The annual standard for SO 2 is 0.03 ppm ( 82 ). It affects human, animal, and plant life. Susceptible people as those with lung disease, old people, and children, who present a higher risk of damage. The major health problems associated with sulfur dioxide emissions in industrialized areas are respiratory irritation, bronchitis, mucus production, and bronchospasm, as it is a sensory irritant and penetrates deep into the lung converted into bisulfite and interacting with sensory receptors, causing bronchoconstriction. Moreover, skin redness, damage to the eyes (lacrimation and corneal opacity) and mucous membranes, and worsening of pre-existing cardiovascular disease have been observed ( 81 ).

Environmental adverse effects, such as acidification of soil and acid rain, seem to be associated with sulfur dioxide emissions ( 83 ).

Lead is a heavy metal used in different industrial plants and emitted from some petrol motor engines, batteries, radiators, waste incinerators, and waste waters ( 84 ).

Moreover, major sources of lead pollution in the air are metals, ore, and piston-engine aircraft. Lead poisoning is a threat to public health due to its deleterious effects upon humans, animals, and the environment, especially in the developing countries.

Exposure to lead can occur through inhalation, ingestion, and dermal absorption. Trans- placental transport of lead was also reported, as lead passes through the placenta unencumbered ( 85 ). The younger the fetus is, the more harmful the toxic effects. Lead toxicity affects the fetal nervous system; edema or swelling of the brain is observed ( 86 ). Lead, when inhaled, accumulates in the blood, soft tissue, liver, lung, bones, and cardiovascular, nervous, and reproductive systems. Moreover, loss of concentration and memory, as well as muscle and joint pain, were observed in adults ( 85 , 86 ).

Children and newborns ( 87 ) are extremely susceptible even to minimal doses of lead, as it is a neurotoxicant and causes learning disabilities, impairment of memory, hyperactivity, and even mental retardation.

Elevated amounts of lead in the environment are harmful to plants and crop growth. Neurological effects are observed in vertebrates and animals in association with high lead levels ( 88 ).

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons(PAHs)

The distribution of PAHs is ubiquitous in the environment, as the atmosphere is the most important means of their dispersal. They are found in coal and in tar sediments. Moreover, they are generated through incomplete combustion of organic matter as in the cases of forest fires, incineration, and engines ( 89 ). PAH compounds, such as benzopyrene, acenaphthylene, anthracene, and fluoranthene are recognized as toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic substances. They are an important risk factor for lung cancer ( 89 ).

Volatile Organic Compounds(VOCs)

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as toluene, benzene, ethylbenzene, and xylene ( 90 ), have been found to be associated with cancer in humans ( 91 ). The use of new products and materials has actually resulted in increased concentrations of VOCs. VOCs pollute indoor air ( 90 ) and may have adverse effects on human health ( 91 ). Short-term and long-term adverse effects on human health are observed. VOCs are responsible for indoor air smells. Short-term exposure is found to cause irritation of eyes, nose, throat, and mucosal membranes, while those of long duration exposure include toxic reactions ( 92 ). Predictable assessment of the toxic effects of complex VOC mixtures is difficult to estimate, as these pollutants can have synergic, antagonistic, or indifferent effects ( 91 , 93 ).

Dioxins originate from industrial processes but also come from natural processes, such as forest fires and volcanic eruptions. They accumulate in foods such as meat and dairy products, fish and shellfish, and especially in the fatty tissue of animals ( 94 ).

Short-period exhibition to high dioxin concentrations may result in dark spots and lesions on the skin ( 94 ). Long-term exposure to dioxins can cause developmental problems, impairment of the immune, endocrine and nervous systems, reproductive infertility, and cancer ( 94 ).

Without any doubt, fossil fuel consumption is responsible for a sizeable part of air contamination. This contamination may be anthropogenic, as in agricultural and industrial processes or transportation, while contamination from natural sources is also possible. Interestingly, it is of note that the air quality standards established through the European Air Quality Directive are somewhat looser than the WHO guidelines, which are stricter ( 95 ).

Effect of Air Pollution on Health

The most common air pollutants are ground-level ozone and Particulates Matter (PM). Air pollution is distinguished into two main types:

Outdoor pollution is the ambient air pollution.

Indoor pollution is the pollution generated by household combustion of fuels.

People exposed to high concentrations of air pollutants experience disease symptoms and states of greater and lesser seriousness. These effects are grouped into short- and long-term effects affecting health.

Susceptible populations that need to be aware of health protection measures include old people, children, and people with diabetes and predisposing heart or lung disease, especially asthma.

As extensively stated previously, according to a recent epidemiological study from Harvard School of Public Health, the relative magnitudes of the short- and long-term effects have not been completely clarified ( 57 ) due to the different epidemiological methodologies and to the exposure errors. New models are proposed for assessing short- and long-term human exposure data more successfully ( 57 ). Thus, in the present section, we report the more common short- and long-term health effects but also general concerns for both types of effects, as these effects are often dependent on environmental conditions, dose, and individual susceptibility.

Short-term effects are temporary and range from simple discomfort, such as irritation of the eyes, nose, skin, throat, wheezing, coughing and chest tightness, and breathing difficulties, to more serious states, such as asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, and lung and heart problems. Short-term exposure to air pollution can also cause headaches, nausea, and dizziness.

These problems can be aggravated by extended long-term exposure to the pollutants, which is harmful to the neurological, reproductive, and respiratory systems and causes cancer and even, rarely, deaths.

The long-term effects are chronic, lasting for years or the whole life and can even lead to death. Furthermore, the toxicity of several air pollutants may also induce a variety of cancers in the long term ( 96 ).

As stated already, respiratory disorders are closely associated with the inhalation of air pollutants. These pollutants will invade through the airways and will accumulate at the cells. Damage to target cells should be related to the pollutant component involved and its source and dose. Health effects are also closely dependent on country, area, season, and time. An extended exposure duration to the pollutant should incline to long-term health effects in relation also to the above factors.

Particulate Matter (PMs), dust, benzene, and O 3 cause serious damage to the respiratory system ( 97 ). Moreover, there is a supplementary risk in case of existing respiratory disease such as asthma ( 98 ). Long-term effects are more frequent in people with a predisposing disease state. When the trachea is contaminated by pollutants, voice alterations may be remarked after acute exposure. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be induced following air pollution, increasing morbidity and mortality ( 99 ). Long-term effects from traffic, industrial air pollution, and combustion of fuels are the major factors for COPD risk ( 99 ).

Multiple cardiovascular effects have been observed after exposure to air pollutants ( 100 ). Changes occurred in blood cells after long-term exposure may affect cardiac functionality. Coronary arteriosclerosis was reported following long-term exposure to traffic emissions ( 101 ), while short-term exposure is related to hypertension, stroke, myocardial infracts, and heart insufficiency. Ventricle hypertrophy is reported to occur in humans after long-time exposure to nitrogen oxide (NO 2 ) ( 102 , 103 ).

Neurological effects have been observed in adults and children after extended-term exposure to air pollutants.

Psychological complications, autism, retinopathy, fetal growth, and low birth weight seem to be related to long-term air pollution ( 83 ). The etiologic agent of the neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's and Parkinson's) is not yet known, although it is believed that extended exposure to air pollution seems to be a factor. Specifically, pesticides and metals are cited as etiological factors, together with diet. The mechanisms in the development of neurodegenerative disease include oxidative stress, protein aggregation, inflammation, and mitochondrial impairment in neurons ( 104 ) ( Figure 1 ).

Impact of air pollutants on the brain.

Brain inflammation was observed in dogs living in a highly polluted area in Mexico for a long period ( 105 ). In human adults, markers of systemic inflammation (IL-6 and fibrinogen) were found to be increased as an immediate response to PNC on the IL-6 level, possibly leading to the production of acute-phase proteins ( 106 ). The progression of atherosclerosis and oxidative stress seem to be the mechanisms involved in the neurological disturbances caused by long-term air pollution. Inflammation comes secondary to the oxidative stress and seems to be involved in the impairment of developmental maturation, affecting multiple organs ( 105 , 107 ). Similarly, other factors seem to be involved in the developmental maturation, which define the vulnerability to long-term air pollution. These include birthweight, maternal smoking, genetic background and socioeconomic environment, as well as education level.

However, diet, starting from breast-feeding, is another determinant factor. Diet is the main source of antioxidants, which play a key role in our protection against air pollutants ( 108 ). Antioxidants are free radical scavengers and limit the interaction of free radicals in the brain ( 108 ). Similarly, genetic background may result in a differential susceptibility toward the oxidative stress pathway ( 60 ). For example, antioxidant supplementation with vitamins C and E appears to modulate the effect of ozone in asthmatic children homozygous for the GSTM1 null allele ( 61 ). Inflammatory cytokines released in the periphery (e.g., respiratory epithelia) upregulate the innate immune Toll-like receptor 2. Such activation and the subsequent events leading to neurodegeneration have recently been observed in lung lavage in mice exposed to ambient Los Angeles (CA, USA) particulate matter ( 61 ). In children, neurodevelopmental morbidities were observed after lead exposure. These children developed aggressive and delinquent behavior, reduced intelligence, learning difficulties, and hyperactivity ( 109 ). No level of lead exposure seems to be “safe,” and the scientific community has asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce the current screening guideline of 10 μg/dl ( 109 ).

It is important to state that impact on the immune system, causing dysfunction and neuroinflammation ( 104 ), is related to poor air quality. Yet, increases in serum levels of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM) and the complement component C3 are observed ( 106 ). Another issue is that antigen presentation is affected by air pollutants, as there is an upregulation of costimulatory molecules such as CD80 and CD86 on macrophages ( 110 ).

As is known, skin is our shield against ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and other pollutants, as it is the most exterior layer of our body. Traffic-related pollutants, such as PAHs, VOCs, oxides, and PM, may cause pigmented spots on our skin ( 111 ). On the one hand, as already stated, when pollutants penetrate through the skin or are inhaled, damage to the organs is observed, as some of these pollutants are mutagenic and carcinogenic, and, specifically, they affect the liver and lung. On the other hand, air pollutants (and those in the troposphere) reduce the adverse effects of ultraviolet radiation UVR in polluted urban areas ( 111 ). Air pollutants absorbed by the human skin may contribute to skin aging, psoriasis, acne, urticaria, eczema, and atopic dermatitis ( 111 ), usually caused by exposure to oxides and photochemical smoke ( 111 ). Exposure to PM and cigarette smoking act as skin-aging agents, causing spots, dyschromia, and wrinkles. Lastly, pollutants have been associated with skin cancer ( 111 ).

Higher morbidity is reported to fetuses and children when exposed to the above dangers. Impairment in fetal growth, low birth weight, and autism have been reported ( 112 ).

Another exterior organ that may be affected is the eye. Contamination usually comes from suspended pollutants and may result in asymptomatic eye outcomes, irritation ( 112 ), retinopathy, or dry eye syndrome ( 113 , 114 ).

Environmental Impact of Air Pollution

Air pollution is harming not only human health but also the environment ( 115 ) in which we live. The most important environmental effects are as follows.

Acid rain is wet (rain, fog, snow) or dry (particulates and gas) precipitation containing toxic amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. They are able to acidify the water and soil environments, damage trees and plantations, and even damage buildings and outdoor sculptures, constructions, and statues.

Haze is produced when fine particles are dispersed in the air and reduce the transparency of the atmosphere. It is caused by gas emissions in the air coming from industrial facilities, power plants, automobiles, and trucks.

Ozone , as discussed previously, occurs both at ground level and in the upper level (stratosphere) of the Earth's atmosphere. Stratospheric ozone is protecting us from the Sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. In contrast, ground-level ozone is harmful to human health and is a pollutant. Unfortunately, stratospheric ozone is gradually damaged by ozone-depleting substances (i.e., chemicals, pesticides, and aerosols). If this protecting stratospheric ozone layer is thinned, then UV radiation can reach our Earth, with harmful effects for human life (skin cancer) ( 116 ) and crops ( 117 ). In plants, ozone penetrates through the stomata, inducing them to close, which blocks CO 2 transfer and induces a reduction in photosynthesis ( 118 ).

Global climate change is an important issue that concerns mankind. As is known, the “greenhouse effect” keeps the Earth's temperature stable. Unhappily, anthropogenic activities have destroyed this protecting temperature effect by producing large amounts of greenhouse gases, and global warming is mounting, with harmful effects on human health, animals, forests, wildlife, agriculture, and the water environment. A report states that global warming is adding to the health risks of poor people ( 119 ).

People living in poorly constructed buildings in warm-climate countries are at high risk for heat-related health problems as temperatures mount ( 119 ).

Wildlife is burdened by toxic pollutants coming from the air, soil, or the water ecosystem and, in this way, animals can develop health problems when exposed to high levels of pollutants. Reproductive failure and birth effects have been reported.

Eutrophication is occurring when elevated concentrations of nutrients (especially nitrogen) stimulate the blooming of aquatic algae, which can cause a disequilibration in the diversity of fish and their deaths.

Without a doubt, there is a critical concentration of pollution that an ecosystem can tolerate without being destroyed, which is associated with the ecosystem's capacity to neutralize acidity. The Canada Acid Rain Program established this load at 20 kg/ha/yr ( 120 ).

Hence, air pollution has deleterious effects on both soil and water ( 121 ). Concerning PM as an air pollutant, its impact on crop yield and food productivity has been reported. Its impact on watery bodies is associated with the survival of living organisms and fishes and their productivity potential ( 121 ).

An impairment in photosynthetic rhythm and metabolism is observed in plants exposed to the effects of ozone ( 121 ).

Sulfur and nitrogen oxides are involved in the formation of acid rain and are harmful to plants and marine organisms.

Last but not least, as mentioned above, the toxicity associated with lead and other metals is the main threat to our ecosystems (air, water, and soil) and living creatures ( 121 ).

In 2018, during the first WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health, the WHO's General Director, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called air pollution a “silent public health emergency” and “the new tobacco” ( 122 ).

Undoubtedly, children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution, especially during their development. Air pollution has adverse effects on our lives in many different respects.

Diseases associated with air pollution have not only an important economic impact but also a societal impact due to absences from productive work and school.

Despite the difficulty of eradicating the problem of anthropogenic environmental pollution, a successful solution could be envisaged as a tight collaboration of authorities, bodies, and doctors to regularize the situation. Governments should spread sufficient information and educate people and should involve professionals in these issues so as to control the emergence of the problem successfully.

Technologies to reduce air pollution at the source must be established and should be used in all industries and power plants. The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 set as a major target the reduction of GHG emissions to below 5% by 2012 ( 123 ). This was followed by the Copenhagen summit, 2009 ( 124 ), and then the Durban summit of 2011 ( 125 ), where it was decided to keep to the same line of action. The Kyoto protocol and the subsequent ones were ratified by many countries. Among the pioneers who adopted this important protocol for the world's environmental and climate “health” was China ( 3 ). As is known, China is a fast-developing economy and its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is expected to be very high by 2050, which is defined as the year of dissolution of the protocol for the decrease in gas emissions.

A more recent international agreement of crucial importance for climate change is the Paris Agreement of 2015, issued by the UNFCCC (United Nations Climate Change Committee). This latest agreement was ratified by a plethora of UN (United Nations) countries as well as the countries of the European Union ( 126 ). In this vein, parties should promote actions and measures to enhance numerous aspects around the subject. Boosting education, training, public awareness, and public participation are some of the relevant actions for maximizing the opportunities to achieve the targets and goals on the crucial matter of climate change and environmental pollution ( 126 ). Without any doubt, technological improvements makes our world easier and it seems difficult to reduce the harmful impact caused by gas emissions, we could limit its use by seeking reliable approaches.

Synopsizing, a global prevention policy should be designed in order to combat anthropogenic air pollution as a complement to the correct handling of the adverse health effects associated with air pollution. Sustainable development practices should be applied, together with information coming from research in order to handle the problem effectively.

At this point, international cooperation in terms of research, development, administration policy, monitoring, and politics is vital for effective pollution control. Legislation concerning air pollution must be aligned and updated, and policy makers should propose the design of a powerful tool of environmental and health protection. As a result, the main proposal of this essay is that we should focus on fostering local structures to promote experience and practice and extrapolate these to the international level through developing effective policies for sustainable management of ecosystems.

Author Contributions

All authors listed have made a substantial, direct and intellectual contribution to the work, and approved it for publication.

Conflict of Interest

IM is employed by the company Delphis S.A. The remaining authors declare that the present review paper was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Essay on Environment and Human Health in English for Children and Students

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Life on this planet is interconnected. Nothing is isolated and everything has an impact on everything else. With concerns about climate change looming and becoming more immediate, we need to understand how our environment and health are connected.

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Long and Short Essay on Environment and Human Health in English

Below you will find some essays on environment and human health that can help you in your examinations, assignments. Select any environment and human health essay you need from the ones given below.

Short Essay on Environment and Human Health – Essay 1 (200 words)

Introduction

Human health is defined as the state of well-being with regards to the mental, physical and social aspects of the human condition. A person cannot be called healthy merely because of the absence of disease; he or she needs to be doing well in all ways to actually qualify as healthy.

Many factors play a role in determining our health – biological, nutritional, psychological and chemical. These factors can be influenced by internal and external conditions. Externally, the biggest factor that influences our health is our environment.

Environment and Human Health

Our environment isn’t merely the air we breathe, although that is a major component; it ranges from the water we drink to the soil we grow our food in to the sounds and noises in our surroundings. Each part affects us and thereby our health. With emissions from vehicles, factories and fires, our air supply is full of toxic chemicals that present the risk of lung cancer, heart disease and asthma. The food we eat is covered in pesticides that make soil less fertile and can be carcinogenic for us. The human body needs water to survive but our water sources are full of human and industrial wastes that create serious health issues.

We need to remember that we have to live in synergy with our environment. What we put out in it will come back to us. Unless we do something now, the earth will very soon no longer be a habitable planet.

Essay on Health and Environment – Essay 2 (300 words)

Human tendency has always been to subjugate our surroundings. We take pleasure in conquering and reshaping our environment as though it is beneath us and we are supreme. However, the simple truth is that humans are as dependent upon the environment as any other animals on the planet for our continued well-being. Therefore, if we harm our environment, we harm ourselves.

Health and Environment

Our physical, mental and social well-being is dependent upon our surroundings. What we put into the ecosystem is eventually cycled back to us. The pollutants we discard into this ecosystem find their way back through the air we breathe, the food we consume and the water we drink. Since we discard these pollutants because they are harmful to us, it follows that when we inadvertently consume them afterwards, they will still have harmful effects on our health.

Problems with this have been going on for quite some time. We use pesticides on our food crops because the chemicals kill the pests that could destroy the crops. However, those pesticides remain on the food when we consume them causing health problems ranging from skin problems to cancer. The pesticides also reduce the fertility of the soil ensuring that the next crop isn’t as bountiful.

Similarly, we discard human and industrial waste into whatever water body is conveniently close. But we also use the same water bodies for drinking water. Water pollution leads to diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, lead poisoning, polio and arsenicosis amongst others. The air is also polluted by all the gaseous emissions our activities release. Ranging from smoke from fires to emissions from vehicles and industries, these pollutants cause respiratory disorders such as asthma and bronchitis and can even result in lung cancer.

Environmental scientists have been raising the alarm for some time, but things are very critical now. Our unchecked activities have had adverse effects on the ecosystem and some of that damage is now irreversible. If we do not step up to the plate, we will render the earth uninhabitable very soon.

Essay on Environment Affects Humans Health – Essay 3 (400 words)

As per the definition by WHO, “human health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity”. This well-being does not happen in isolation; it is affected by internal as well as external factors. Internal factors include issues inside the human body such as immune deficiencies, hormonal imbalances and genetic or congenital disorders.

External factors generally include three types of health hazards: physical hazards such as ultraviolet and radioactive radiations, noise pollution, carbon monoxide and CFCs; chemical hazards such as industrial effluents, heavy metals, pesticides and fossil fuel combustion; and biological hazards such as parasites, bacteria and viruses.

This clearly means that our health is, to a great extent, dependent upon our environment and the environmental factors that affect human health are mostly created by humans. What we release into our eco-system eventually finds its way back to us.

How Environment Affects Human Health

Since we are completely dependent on the environment to survive, it is safe to say that any changes to the environment will impact human well-being. However, the actual relationship between these two is more complex than we believed and isn’t always easy to assess. The most obvious impacts that we have seen are from deteriorating water quality, air pollution and unsanitary conditions. Radiation poisoning too has deadly consequences for human health.

The response to these issues has been an overall attempt to clean up our ecosystem. While that has worked for some countries, mostly in the developed world, it hasn’t been applied thoroughly in the developing countries of the world. Bilateral and multilateral agreements between countries have managed to address some of the more immediate concerns such as the emission of CFCs into the atmosphere and the damage done to the ozone layer by them.

The corporate world is also trying to lessen its carbon footprint and turning to ‘green’ solutions. However, there are many concerns that have yet to be addressed and are spiralling out of control such as biodiversity; on an average, one species dies out every day. In addition, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a proper supply of food so that the world doesn’t starve.

We are simply too well-woven into our surroundings to be immune to the effects of any changes in those surroundings. The problem is that because the relationship between health and environment is complex, we aren’t motivated to make major changes; we’re waiting for irrefutable evidence. By the time we do get it, it might be too late.

Essay on Healthy Environment Healthy Life – Essay 4 (500 words)

We are aware of the complex strands that bind us to our environment. We have already started noticing the difference in our health and how it is related to what we do to our environment. However, a point to consider is that if a bad environment can cause harm to human health, a good environment can actually nurture it.

Unhealthy Environment Unhealthy Life

A report jointly published by the United Nations Environment Programme, the WHO, the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Stockholm, Rotterdam and Basel conventions states that in the year 2012 alone, approximately 12.6 million people lost their lives due to conditions brought on by environmental pollution. UNEP also estimates that environmental degradation is behind 25 percent of all human diseases.

Environmental Pollution Impact

While environmental pollution may have an impact on everyone, research has shown that there are certain demographics that are more vulnerable to its effects – the young, the poor, women, the migrant workers and the elderly. In addition, diseases such as Ebola, Zika and SARS are emerging every few months and spreading because of overpopulation, too much livestock and the resultant environmental impact.

In order to stop the spread of these diseases, healthy ecosystems are essential. While tackling these diseases, such ecosystems can also bring about economic development, reduction of poverty, fewer risks to human well-being and the security of knowing that resources will not run out.

Mental Health

Increasingly, studies conducted on mental health are relating good mental health with exposure to nature. These studies have linked reduction of the symptoms of anxiety and depression and lowered stress levels to the presence of green space close by. In fact, people who moved to urban areas that are greener were seen to have improved mental health.

Water Contamination Impact

This is another example of environmental pollution affecting those in the lower economic strata. In countries where the income levels are middle to low, unavailability of clean water is responsible for 58 percent of the diarrhoea cases. Contaminated water and poor hygiene and sanitation are responsible for the deaths of around 3.5 million people. They also cause the premature deaths of around 25 percent of children younger than 14 years of age.

Approach to Resolution

There are several areas of immediate concern, based on the connection between poor human health and environmental degradation. Some of them are:

• Ecosystems that have degraded and natural systems on earth that are under pressure, which are more likely to cause disasters such as disease outbreaks, scarcity of food and natural disasters.
• Insufficient sanitation, poor hygiene and unsafe water that are the causes of deadly diseases, poor mental health and even hit economic productivity badly.
• Poor nutrition combined with dropping levels of physical activity, leading to the spread of non-communicable diseases.

Directly or indirectly, a healthy environment means healthy people. This is not to say that disease and malnutrition will be eliminated entirely but the incidences of these occurrences will reduce and millions of human lives will not be lost every year.

Long Essay on Impact of the Environment on Health – Essay 5 (600 words)

Human health or human well-being is affected by two main factors – individual traits or internal factors and ecological well-being or external factors. However, most of the time, when research is conducted on the human health condition, these two factors are investigated in isolation from each other. If one truly wants to answer the question – how does the environment affect individual health – one has to look at both factors in tandem. This becomes especially important now in light of climate change warnings and governmental indifference to them.

Impact of Environment on Health

The drawback with health related environmental studies or environment related health studies being conducted, especially those in the West, have narrowed their focus to concentrate on specific allergenic, infectious or toxic agents. They aren’t focusing on broader issues that cover psychological and social impacts too.

Some researchers agree that when studying human health it is important to take into account the impact of the environment of the people being studied. That impact can be seen in the fact that health inequalities exist as per the geography. In fact, health is impacted by the social and physical environment.

Additional research has also shown that there is a direct relationship between people’s mental health and the prevalence of green spaces; the more proximity to the green space, the better the mental health.

Socio-economic Differences in Environmental Impact

That the environment and human health are intertwined cannot be denied. However, that relationship works out differently in different places. In other words, depending upon where you are in the world, the immediate health concerns and the environmental factors affecting those concerns can be varied.

Developing countries tend to focus more on issues such as infant mortality, malnutrition and infectious diseases. The immediate environmental concerns in these countries are sanitation, hygiene, mining, ore processing, oil production and water quality. However, when one looks at developed nations, health concerns revolve around issues such as cancer, lung disease and heart disease. These countries have economies built around industries and those industries do not dispose off their hazardous wastes responsibly, thereby contaminating nearby water bodies and soil.

Considering these factors, it is no wonder that emphasis is placed more on the diseases than on the causes behind those diseases. The causes vary; the diseases may not necessarily do so.

Examples of Environmental Impact on Health Globally

Unfortunately, there isn’t any part of the globe that is free of environmental damage, not even the Polar Regions. If one goes looking, one will almost always find health concerns related to those environmental issues. It doesn’t help that countries such as China and India are developing very quickly. Their pace is such that environmental concerns aren’t being able to keep up with development.

Untreated human waste, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff and just plain old dumping are playing havoc with the ecology in both countries. Then there are the eastern European countries, many of which are former Soviet Union states. Over the past decades, hazardous waste such as heavy metals and nitrates were dumped without any plan or precaution. The result is badly contaminated ground water and surface water, not to mention the lowered quality of soil.

Some action is being taken finally where in such regions are being identified and efforts have been made to remediate, reclaim and restore the soil and surface water in such places; the effort comes too late, however, for the population that has already been exposed to these contaminants.

If one really wants to know what the environmental impact on health looks like, they need to stop looking at it in terms of discrete bubbles. They must study health disorders from an individual as well as an environmental perspective.

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Environmental Pollution and Its Effect on Health

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Environmental pollution is one of the fundamental factors directly affecting climate change. Due to the active production and human use of fossil fuel products, industrial enterprises’ activities exert intense pressure on the environment. Air pollution has a direct negative impact not only on the climatic situation but also on people’s health throughout the country. The most vulnerable category of the population to climate change is adults over 65 since external factors most strongly influence their health.

Industrial enterprises for the extraction and processing of fossil fuels are located throughout the United States of America. Moreover, agricultural activities and natural disasters, such as seasonal forest fires, substantially impact the ecological situation. Moreover, given the air masses’ movement and the cyclical nature of many biological processes, it is fair to conclude that air pollution problems are national. First of all, the increased content of heavy particles such as CO2, N2O, and NH3 has a severe impact on the human respiratory system. The lungs receive additional stress due to respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic objective pulmonary illness.

Furthermore, the lack of pure oxygen in the body harms other human organs: the brain, heart, and digestive system. According to new data from the World Health Organization (WHO) (2018), 9 out of 10 people breathe air with an increased concentration of pollutants. The WHO estimates that 7 million people die each year from the effects of inhaling air-containing particulate matter causing diseases such as stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and pneumonia (World Health Organization, 2018). Older people are most vulnerable to environmental pollution, as their level of immunity weakens with age.

The negative impact of human-made pollution sources is actively affecting climate change. First of all, the above factors affect the increase in temperature in the atmosphere. According to the Lancet Countdown, temperature-related deaths in people over 65 have increased by 50% in the past twenty years (Watts et al., 2020). In the southern regions, there is an increased risk associated with an increase in atmospheric temperature, which in the long term will lead to droughts, floods, and, as a result, food crises. In addition, high temperatures increase the rate at which infectious diseases such as malaria spread, which also poses additional risks in some countries (Fairweather, 2020). Thus, the problem of climate change is not only national but also goes to the global level.

To solve this problem, a systematic and comprehensive approach is required, the application of which will take a relatively long period. In climate change, due to air pollution, the main force to prevent environmental disasters need to change the approach to the production of substances from fossil fuels. First of all, increased taxation and legislative acts limiting the number of harmful products will reduce the burden on the environment. Recent technological solutions allow the use of renewable energy sources with increasing efficiency. Large companies gradually lose the need to use coal or petroleum products. Conglomerates continue to use them due to low prices. Therefore, government intervention is needed, aimed not to adjusting the market as a harmful environmental consequence.

Due to the rapid development and massive use of modern technologies by the population, people’s way of life has changed. In the twenty-first century, the world community is ready to actively assist the government by applying the principles of conscious consumption and reducing the emissions of solid and gaseous waste into nature. People are beginning to use public transport, bicycles, and other transportation, emitting several times fewer emissions than cars.

Moreover, the environmental agenda is growing: citizens choose special packaging of products, strive to sort waste into categories, and the state needs to support private initiatives at the federal and local levels (Akhtar & Palagiano, 2018). First of all, it is necessary to create all the conditions to make it easier for people to choose environmentally friendly products, create additional waste sorting centers, and raise citizens’ education in environmental matters. This can be done both by legislative acts, there and by local decisions.

The problem of climate change and air pollution is global. Accordingly, a considerable number of people are subject to changes that affect their daily life. Consequently, there is an additional burden on the health care system. If the current trend continues, the situation runs the risk of spiraling out of control due to medical institutions’ limited capacity. The pandemic of the COVID-19 virus, which has spread worldwide, has demonstrated the existence of vulnerabilities in the healthcare system (Richardson, 2020). In cases where many people need the qualified help, medical institutions may not cope with the load. In the event of critical climate changes, implying global cataclysms, the healthcare system will not be able to cope with the task.

To sum up, climate change is primarily due to the high level of harmful substances emissions into the atmosphere. According to statistics, every year, more and more people over 65 years old directly feel the consequences of the changes. First of all, to reduce environmental change, it is necessary to introduce stringent measures for large industrial enterprises and agricultural centers. Increasing ecological awareness of the population also favorably contributes to curbing global warming and, as a result, reduces people’s vulnerability to disease.

Akhtar, R., & Palagiano, C. (2018). Climate change and air pollution . Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.

Watts, N., Amann, M., Arnell, N., Ayeb-Karlsson, S., Beagley, J., Belesova, K.,… & Capstick, S. (2020). The 2020 report of The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: Responding to converging crises. The Lancet . Web.

World Health Organization. (2018). Air pollution and child health: Prescribing clean air: Summary (WHO Reference Number WHO/CED/PHE/18.01). Web.

Richardson, S. J., et al. (2020). Research with older people in a world with COVID-19: identification of current and future priorities, challenges and opportunities. Age and Ageing, 49 (6), 901-906.

Fairweather, V., Hertig, E., and Traidl‐Hoffmann, C. (2020). A brief introduction to climate change and health. Allergy, 75(9), 2352-2354. Web.

• Global Warming Challenges and Potential Solutions
• Climate Change – Problems and Solutions
• Fossil Energy and Economy
• Pollution and Respiratory Disease in Louisiana
• Will Hydrogen Replace Fossil Fuels for Cars?
• Effects of Global Warming on Marine Life
• “What to Make of a Warming Plateau”
• Impact of Global Climate Change on Malaria
• “Storms of My Grandchildren” by James Hansen
• Global Warming: Separation of CO2
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, September 17). Environmental Pollution and Its Effect on Health. https://ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-pollution-and-its-effect-on-health/

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IvyPanda . 2022. "Environmental Pollution and Its Effect on Health." September 17, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-pollution-and-its-effect-on-health/.

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Essay on Environmental Pollution for Students and Children

500+ words essay on environmental pollution.

Essay on Environmental Pollution – Environment is the surroundings in which we live. But the contamination of our environment by pollutants is environmental pollution. The current stage of the earth that we are seeing is the cause of centuries of exploitation of earth and its resources.

Moreover, the earth cannot restore its balance because of environmental pollution . The human force has created and destroyed life on earth. Human plays a vital role in the degradation of the environment.

Effect of pollution on the health

The environmental pollution, directly and indirectly, affects the lives of humans and other species. These living beings co-existed on the earth with human from centuries.

Effect on Air

Carbon and dust particles string up with the air in the form of smog, damaging respiratory system , haze, and smoke. These are caused by the emission of industrial and manufacturing units by burning of fossil fuels, vehicle combustion of carbon fumes.

Moreover, these factors affect the immune system of birds which become a carrier of viruses and infections.

Besides, it also affects the body system and body organs.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Effects on Land, Soil, and Food

Human’s organic and chemical both waste harm the land and soil with its decomposition. Also, it introduces some chemical in the soil and water. Land and soil pollution mainly caused by the use of pesticides, fertilizers , soil erosion, and crop residues.

Effect on Water

Water gets contaminated easily with any pollutant whether it is human waste or chemical discharge from factories. Also, we use this water for irrigation of crops and drinking. But, because of infection they become contaminated too. Besides, an animal dies because they drink this same contaminated water.

Moreover, around 80% of pollutants of land such as chemical, industrial and agricultural waste end up in the water bodies.

Besides, these water bodies ultimately connect to the sea which means it indirectly pollutes the biodiversity of the sea.

Effect on Food

Because of contaminated soil and water, the crop or agricultural produce also get toxic. Furthermore, this contaminated food effect our health and organs. From the beginning of their life, these crops are laced with chemical components that reach a mass level until the time of harvest.

Effect on Climate

Climate change is also a cause of environmental pollution. Also, it affects the physical and biological components of the ecosystem.

Moreover, ozone depletion, greenhouse gases, global warming all these climate changes are a cause of environmental pollution.

Furthermore, some unstable climate changes are earthquakes, famine, smog, carbon particles, shallow rain or snow, thunderstorms, volcanic eruption, and avalanches are all because of climate change that happens all because of environmental pollution.

In conclusion, man has exploited the wealth of nature at the cost of his and environments health. Also, the effect that is now emerging rapidly is all because of the activities of humans for hundreds or thousands of years.

Above all, if we wish to survive and continue our life on earth then we have to take measures. These measures will help is securing our as well as our next generation future.

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Environmental activists in Latin America face severe mental health challenges from ongoing violence

Environmental defenders in Mexico and across Latin America are grappling with the emotional toll of threats, violence, and loss, prompting the creation of mental health shelters to support those in crisis.

María Paula Rubiano A. reports for Grist .

• Environmental activists experience PTSD, depression, and other mental health issues due to constant threats and violence.
• Local support systems are limited, so NGOs have set up shelters to provide mental health care for those in need.
• The shelters use art, therapy, and collective trauma healing methods, but demand for care outpaces resources.

"It's normalized to live under constant stress with mental health issues. If we start to pay attention, to care for each other, then I think we'll be stronger."

— Adriana Sugey Cadena Salmerón, lawyer with Tskini

Why this matters:

Environmental defenders protect crucial ecosystems but face severe risks in doing so. Without adequate mental health support, their ability to continue this vital work is compromised, endangering both people and the environments they defend.

About the author(s):

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