Our Global Environment: A Health Perspective

Description

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