Our Global Environment: A Health Perspective, Eighth Edition

Description

Our Global Environment, regarded for decades as the quintessential introduction to environmental health for its authoritative coverage and cogent prose, provides a richly detailed survey of current environmental issues. In compelling language, Anne Nadakavukaren and new coauthor Jack Caravanos describe the crucial interdependence between humans and their environment, exploring the varied ways in which human activities have impacted, degraded, or altered the environment, and the consequences to both natural ecosystems and human health and well-being. The eighth edition features a new chapter on climate change and the public health impacts of global warming, incorporating the latest assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change with regard to the physical science basis, mitigation efforts, and adaptation strategies. Extensive revisions and updates throughout the volume reflect current topics of concern, including the magnitude of global hunger and malnutrition, outbreaks of the Zika virus, vaping and the incidence of serious lung injury, MTBE contamination of groundwater, recycling of lead-acid batteries in developing countries, mercury exposure among artisanal gold miners, and lead-contaminated drinking water in Flint, Michigan, and other communities. Readers will appreciate the addition of 16 pages of color images as well as the authors' emphasis on opportunities for public participation in the decision-making processes that profoundly influence health and environmental quality. Not-for-sale instructor resource material available to college and university faculty only; contact publisher directly. Title Page Contents Preface Acknowledgments Part 1 - People, Progress, and Nature: Is Conflict Inevitable? Chapter 1 - Introduction to Ecological Principles Ecosystems Biotic Community Ecological Dominants Biomes Tundra Taiga Temperate Deciduous Forest Grasslands Desert Tropical Rain Forest Ecological Niches Limiting Factors Limits of Tolerance Energy Flow through the Biosphere Laws of Thermodynamics Food Chains Ecological Pyramids Biogeochemical Cycling Gaseous Cycles Sedimentary Cycles Change in Ecosystems Succession Chapter 2 - Population Dynamics Population Attributes Limits to Growth Homeostatic Controls Population Growth Forms S-Curve J-Curve Human Population Growth Historical Trends in Human Population Growth Doubling Time Birth Rates, Death Rates, and Fertility Rates Growth Rates Population Explosion Demographic Transition Age Structure Urbanization Population Projections Efforts to Limit Population Growth Early Attempts at Family Limitation Modern Family-Planning Movement Birth Control— Its Health Impact Age of Mother Interval between Births Total Number of Births Family Planning in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Spreading the Word Motivation—The Key to Success Population Policy: Moving Beyond Birth Control Chapter 3 - The People-Food Predicament Food Supply Factors Influencing Food Demand Extent of Hunger Causes of Hunger Health Impact of Hunger Malnutrition Micronutrient Deficiencies Prospects for Reducing World Hunger Expanding the Amount of Land Under Cultivation Increasing World Fish Catch Aquaculture Reducing Post-Harvest Food Losses Eating Lower on the Food Chain Improving Yields per Acre Chapter 4 - Impacts of Growth on Ecosystems Degradation of Land Resources Overgrazing Soil Erosion Deforestation Desertification Wetlands Loss Loss of Biodiversity Direct Killing or Collecting of Wildlife for Food, Pleasure, or Profit Introduction of Invasive Species Pollution of Air and Water with Toxic Chemicals Habitat Destruction Climate Change Protecting Biodiversity: The Endangered Species Act Part 2 - Our Toxic Environment: Does Everything Cause Cancer? Chapter 5 - Environmental Disease Mutation Types of Mutations Cause of Mutations Environmental Epigenetics Birth Defects Cancer What Causes Cancer? How Does Cancer Develop? Environmental Carcinogens Preventing Cancer Chapter 6 - Toxic Substances Assessing Toxicity Assessing Health Risk Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) How Could This Situation Come About? PCB Threat to Health Dioxin (TCDD) Asbestos Asbestos-Related Diseases Asbestos Problems in Public Buildings Asbestos Abatement Legal Status of Asbestos Lead Sources of Lead Route of Entry into Body Biological Effects Lead Poisoning: Treatment and Prevention Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning Mercury Health Effects of Mercury Exposure Regulating Mercury Chapter 7 - Pests and Pesticides What Is a Pest? Problems Caused by Pests Resource Competition Sources of Discomfort Vectors of Disease Pest Control Early Attempts at Pest Control Types of Pesticides Environmental Impact of Pesticide Use Development of Resistance Killing of Nontarget Species Environmental Contamination Hazards to Human Health Alternatives to Chemical Pest Control Natural Enemies Microbial Pesticides (or “Biopesticides”) Sex Attractants Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) Sterile Insect Technique Host Plant Resistance Sanitation Chapter 8 - Food Quality Food Contaminants Aesthetic Contaminants Antibiotics and Growth Hormones Pesticides Organic Foods and Globalization Food Additives Foodborne Disease: Natural Toxins in Food Mushrooms Water Hemlock (Cicuta maculata) Castor Bean (Ricinus communis) Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) Ergot (Claviceps purpurea) Aflatoxin Certain Fish and Shellfish Foodborne Disease: Microbial Contamination Bacteria Viruses Parasites Preventing Foodborne Disease Sanitation Time-Temperature Control Chapter 9 - Radiation Ionizing Radiation Radiation Exposure Health Impacts of Ionizing Radiation Types of Ionizing Radiation Dosage High-Level vs. Low-Level Radiation Exposure Radiation-Induced Mutations Radiation and Birth Defects Radiation-Induced Cancer Ionizing Radiation and Nuclear Power Generation Front-End Power Production Back-End Ultraviolet Radiation Depletion of the Ozone Layer The “Hole in the Sky” Policy Response—The Montreal Protocol Microwaves Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) Part 3 - Environmental Degradation: How We Foul Our Own Nest Chapter 10 - Climate Change, Public Health, and Renewable Energy Introduction Earth History Climate Change Is Unequivocal The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Composition of the Atmosphere Regions of the Atmosphere Radiation Balance Climate Change Science The Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) CO2 Sinks The Albedo Effect Warming Ocean Waters Thermal Expansion Oceans as Sinks Rate of Global Warming The Hockey Stick Controversy Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) Anthropogenic versus Natural Climate Drivers Public Health Impacts of Climate Change Extreme Weather Food Insecurity Emerging Infectious Diseases: Zoonotic Diseases Air Pollution Freshwater Impacts Chemical Exposures National Security Concerns Shifting Ecosystems and Loss of Biodiversity Additional Impacts Prevention, Mitigation, and Adaptation Strategies Policy Mitigation Strategies Adaptation Averting Catastrophe Clean Energy and Climate Change Energy Efficiency Lighting Appliances Home Weatherization Programs “Green” Buildings and Biophilic Design Transportation Smart Grid Alternative Energy Technologies Wind Power Solar Energy Technologies Geothermal Energy Biofuels Other Possibilities Future Outlook Chapter 11 - Air Pollution Sources of Air Pollution Criteria Air Pollutants Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) Impact of Air Pollution on Human Health The Air Pollution-Health Connection Major Health Effects Pollution Control Efforts— The Clean Air Act National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) Emission Limitations for New Stationary Sources of Pollution Strict Emission Standards for Automobiles Regulation of Hazardous Air Pollutants through Technology-Based Controls Acid Deposition Controls Global Air Quality Trends Acid Deposition What Is Acid Deposition? Extent of the Problem Formation of Acid Rain Long-Distance Transport Regional Vulnerability to Acid Rain Environmental Effects of Acid Rain Acid Rain Controls Indoor Air Pollution Radon Gas Products of Combustion Formaldehyde Chemical Fumes and Particles Biological Pollutants Sick Building Syndrome Chapter 12 - Noise Pollution Sources of Noise Noise as a Nuisance Nature of Sound Noise and Hearing Loss Mechanism of Hearing Loss Effects of Hearing Loss Other Effects of Noise Stress and Related Health Effects Teratogenic Effects of Noise Effects of Noise on Learning Ability Safety Aspects of Noise Sleep Disruption Noise Control Efforts Chapter 13 - Water Resources Hydrologic Cycle Water Quantity and Health Water Supply: Our Next Crisis? Impact of Population Growth on Water Demand Groundwater Nature of Groundwater Groundwater Pollution Groundwater Depletion Natural Recharge Water Management: Increasing Supply versus Reducing Demand Water Consumption Water Conservation Chapter 14 - Water Pollution Controlling Water Pollution: The Clean Water Act Sources of Water Pollution Point Sources Nonpoint Sources Point and Nonpoint Control Municipal Sewage Treatment Primary Treatment Secondary Treatment Advanced Wastewater Treatment (Tertiary Treatment) Disinfection Biosolids Management New Approaches to Wastewater Treatment Septic Systems Industrial Discharges Direct Versus Indirect Discharges Need for Pretreatment of Indirect Industrial Discharges Industrial Accidents, Spills, and Stormwater Runoff Water Pollution and Health Microbial Waterborne Disease Water Purification Chemical Contaminants in Drinking Water Safe Drinking Water Act Looking Ahead Chapter 15 - Solid and Hazardous Wastes Waste Disposal—A Brief History Municipal Solid Wastes (MSW) Municipal Waste Collection and Disposal Current Waste Disposal Alternatives Sanitary Landfilling Source Reduction Recycling Composting Waste Combustion Hazardous Wastes The Love Canal Story What Is “Hazardous” Waste? Generation of Hazardous Wastes Threats Posed by Careless Disposal Methods of Hazardous Waste Disposal Siting Problems Hazardous Waste Management Legislation: RCRA “Superfund” Household Hazardous Wastes Appendix - Environmental Agencies of the Federal Government References Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Index