Annalee Yassi, Tord Kjellström, Theo de Kok, and Tee L. Guidotti
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195135589
- eISBN:
- 9780199864102
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195135589.003.0002
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
This chapter describes the nature of environmental health hazards. Topics discussed include hazards and risk, biological hazards, chemical hazards, physical hazards, and mechanical hazards.
This chapter describes the nature of environmental health hazards. Topics discussed include hazards and risk, biological hazards, chemical hazards, physical hazards, and mechanical hazards.
Ken Geiser
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780262012522
- eISBN:
- 9780262327015
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262012522.003.0010
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
The first step in a safer chemical policy framework is to develop a full chemical information profile much like the European Union chemical dossiers. Chemicals can then be classified into a universal ...
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The first step in a safer chemical policy framework is to develop a full chemical information profile much like the European Union chemical dossiers. Chemicals can then be classified into a universal chemical classification scheme as to their degree of hazard using existing international chemical classification systems. Once chemicals are classified from those of most to those of least concern they can be prioritized for government, industry, consumer and research attention. Government agencies could do this, but a more public and decentralized approach could be more effective by relying on the participation of hundreds of contributors in a manner similar to Internet “crowd sourcing”.Less
The first step in a safer chemical policy framework is to develop a full chemical information profile much like the European Union chemical dossiers. Chemicals can then be classified into a universal chemical classification scheme as to their degree of hazard using existing international chemical classification systems. Once chemicals are classified from those of most to those of least concern they can be prioritized for government, industry, consumer and research attention. Government agencies could do this, but a more public and decentralized approach could be more effective by relying on the participation of hundreds of contributors in a manner similar to Internet “crowd sourcing”.
Clare Bambra
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199588299
- eISBN:
- 9780191731372
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199588299.003.0003
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
This chapter examines the health effects of three traditional dimensions of the physical work environment: chemical hazards including exposure to toxic substances used in industrial processes ...
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This chapter examines the health effects of three traditional dimensions of the physical work environment: chemical hazards including exposure to toxic substances used in industrial processes (asbestos, silica, coal dust, and lead); environmental factors such as noise, vibration, and workplace injuries; as well as ergonomic hazards such as repetitive movements, heavy lifting, and including shift work. It argues that despite changes in the nature of the economy in advanced market democracies, these physical hazards are still an important public health issue for many working age people. It suggests that differences in occupational exposures may well be of significance in terms of explaining socio-economic inequalities in health. It also examines how exposure to physical work environment hazards varies by country and how legislation can reduce the levels to which workers are exposed.Less
This chapter examines the health effects of three traditional dimensions of the physical work environment: chemical hazards including exposure to toxic substances used in industrial processes (asbestos, silica, coal dust, and lead); environmental factors such as noise, vibration, and workplace injuries; as well as ergonomic hazards such as repetitive movements, heavy lifting, and including shift work. It argues that despite changes in the nature of the economy in advanced market democracies, these physical hazards are still an important public health issue for many working age people. It suggests that differences in occupational exposures may well be of significance in terms of explaining socio-economic inequalities in health. It also examines how exposure to physical work environment hazards varies by country and how legislation can reduce the levels to which workers are exposed.
René Mendes
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195380002
- eISBN:
- 9780199893881
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195380002.003.0009
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
This chapter describes common classes of chemical hazards and some specific chemicals that are important in occupational health: 1) the gases that make up the chemical asphyxiants have in common the ...
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This chapter describes common classes of chemical hazards and some specific chemicals that are important in occupational health: 1) the gases that make up the chemical asphyxiants have in common the characteristic that they interfere with oxygen or energy metabolism in cells. Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas that acts by binding to haemoglobin and preventing haemoglobin from delivering oxygen to tissues in the body. It is the most common cause of chemical poisoning because it is produced by combustion in fires where there is insufficient oxygen and in automobile exhaust. 2) Solvents are substances, usually liquids that readily dissolve other substances. In occupational health the term "solvent" usually refers to organic chemicals that dissolve oils. Their vapours may be inhaled or the main exposure may come from skin contact. Their toxic effects depend on the compound but have in common skin effects and effects on the brain, kidney and liver at varying doses. 3) Exposure to metals and the metalloids usually takes the form of inhaling metal-containing dust, inhaling fumes from molten metal or inhaling or ingesting salts of the element. Their toxicity varies. 4) Pesticides are biologically active chemicals designed to control insect, animal, and plant pests. Their toxicity varies widely and depends on the compound, of which the major functional classes are insecticides, including organochlorines, organophosphates, and carbamates, and herbicides.Less
This chapter describes common classes of chemical hazards and some specific chemicals that are important in occupational health: 1) the gases that make up the chemical asphyxiants have in common the characteristic that they interfere with oxygen or energy metabolism in cells. Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas that acts by binding to haemoglobin and preventing haemoglobin from delivering oxygen to tissues in the body. It is the most common cause of chemical poisoning because it is produced by combustion in fires where there is insufficient oxygen and in automobile exhaust. 2) Solvents are substances, usually liquids that readily dissolve other substances. In occupational health the term "solvent" usually refers to organic chemicals that dissolve oils. Their vapours may be inhaled or the main exposure may come from skin contact. Their toxic effects depend on the compound but have in common skin effects and effects on the brain, kidney and liver at varying doses. 3) Exposure to metals and the metalloids usually takes the form of inhaling metal-containing dust, inhaling fumes from molten metal or inhaling or ingesting salts of the element. Their toxicity varies. 4) Pesticides are biologically active chemicals designed to control insect, animal, and plant pests. Their toxicity varies widely and depends on the compound, of which the major functional classes are insecticides, including organochlorines, organophosphates, and carbamates, and herbicides.
Jyrki Liesivuori and Tee L. Guidotti
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195380002
- eISBN:
- 9780199893881
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195380002.003.0021
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
Agricultural workers usually live in rural areas, sometimes isolated and remote from health care. They are required to perform many jobs as they are needed and carry out much of their work outdoors. ...
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Agricultural workers usually live in rural areas, sometimes isolated and remote from health care. They are required to perform many jobs as they are needed and carry out much of their work outdoors. Agricultural workers work very hard and at a very rapid pace at certain times of the year, a pattern that often leads to injuries. Despite these hazards, however, farmers in industrialized countries usually live longer and have fewer health problems than urban residents. This does not apply in developing countries, where the other problems of rural life and isolation from health care make life more difficult for agricultural workers. Traumatic injuries are the most common occupational health problem in agriculture. Respiratory diseases are relatively common in agriculture, due to inhaled agents. Chemical hazards reflect modern farming practices. Pesticides range from very safe to highly toxic to humans, depending on the specific used. Hydrogen sulfide, a very toxic gas, is formed in manure pits and where organic material decomposes. Ammonia vapor, from fertilizer or released from the nitrogen-rich bird manure in poultry sheds, is very irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract. A highly toxic gas, “nitrogen dioxide”, forms over time when some crops are put up in silos. Many biological hazards are found in agriculture, particularly zoonoses, transmitted from animals. Physical hazards are common in agriculture, including noise, ergonomic hazards, heat stress, and ultraviolet radiation from working outdoors. Agricultural work can be very stressful. The farmer or worker has little control over the pacing of the work.Less
Agricultural workers usually live in rural areas, sometimes isolated and remote from health care. They are required to perform many jobs as they are needed and carry out much of their work outdoors. Agricultural workers work very hard and at a very rapid pace at certain times of the year, a pattern that often leads to injuries. Despite these hazards, however, farmers in industrialized countries usually live longer and have fewer health problems than urban residents. This does not apply in developing countries, where the other problems of rural life and isolation from health care make life more difficult for agricultural workers. Traumatic injuries are the most common occupational health problem in agriculture. Respiratory diseases are relatively common in agriculture, due to inhaled agents. Chemical hazards reflect modern farming practices. Pesticides range from very safe to highly toxic to humans, depending on the specific used. Hydrogen sulfide, a very toxic gas, is formed in manure pits and where organic material decomposes. Ammonia vapor, from fertilizer or released from the nitrogen-rich bird manure in poultry sheds, is very irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract. A highly toxic gas, “nitrogen dioxide”, forms over time when some crops are put up in silos. Many biological hazards are found in agriculture, particularly zoonoses, transmitted from animals. Physical hazards are common in agriculture, including noise, ergonomic hazards, heat stress, and ultraviolet radiation from working outdoors. Agricultural work can be very stressful. The farmer or worker has little control over the pacing of the work.
Thomas J. Smith and David Kriebel
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195141566
- eISBN:
- 9780199872145
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195141566.001.0001
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
Environmental chemical hazards are a highly contentious topic in modern life. Nearly every nation on earth has faced its own environmental crises, and also shares perspectives on the possibility of ...
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Environmental chemical hazards are a highly contentious topic in modern life. Nearly every nation on earth has faced its own environmental crises, and also shares perspectives on the possibility of global catastrophes. Of the many global concerns we face, the environmental issue is unique in many ways. The greatest of these is the fundamental scientific nature of the issue, and the extent to which our opinions are formed based on high-level scientific inquiry and assessment. The two key fields of study on this issue, environmental epidemiology and exposure assessment, are still given separate names because of their separate historical roots and scientific traditions, but are seen increasingly as inseparable aspects of the same basic investigation. In this book, the authors assert that important advances in the quantification of environmental risks can only come through a true synthesis of the two fields. They have built a common biologic model of exposure, physiologic response and disease, a synthesis of the various existing models which serves to both simplify and improve the application of environmental epidemiology and exposure assessment to current and future environmental chemical risks. When exposure assessor and epidemiologist agree from the start on the model for their study, the conceptual framework for the study they design and the analyses they carry out are much more likely to yield useful exposure-risk information. An explicit biologic model of the apparent processes linking exposure to disease should form the basis for any study seeking to quantify risk from environmental chemicals.Less
Environmental chemical hazards are a highly contentious topic in modern life. Nearly every nation on earth has faced its own environmental crises, and also shares perspectives on the possibility of global catastrophes. Of the many global concerns we face, the environmental issue is unique in many ways. The greatest of these is the fundamental scientific nature of the issue, and the extent to which our opinions are formed based on high-level scientific inquiry and assessment. The two key fields of study on this issue, environmental epidemiology and exposure assessment, are still given separate names because of their separate historical roots and scientific traditions, but are seen increasingly as inseparable aspects of the same basic investigation. In this book, the authors assert that important advances in the quantification of environmental risks can only come through a true synthesis of the two fields. They have built a common biologic model of exposure, physiologic response and disease, a synthesis of the various existing models which serves to both simplify and improve the application of environmental epidemiology and exposure assessment to current and future environmental chemical risks. When exposure assessor and epidemiologist agree from the start on the model for their study, the conceptual framework for the study they design and the analyses they carry out are much more likely to yield useful exposure-risk information. An explicit biologic model of the apparent processes linking exposure to disease should form the basis for any study seeking to quantify risk from environmental chemicals.
Michael Gochfeld and Robert Laumbach
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- November 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190662677
- eISBN:
- 9780190662707
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190662677.003.0011
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
Building on the principles of toxicology, this chapter describes chemicals by structure, source, use, mechanism of action, environmental properties, and target organ. Major advances in toxic effects ...
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Building on the principles of toxicology, this chapter describes chemicals by structure, source, use, mechanism of action, environmental properties, and target organ. Major advances in toxic effects include more detailed understanding of the mechanisms by which toxic chemicals damage receptors at the subcellular, cellular, and organ level. The chapter describes properties of various types of inorganic and organic chemicals and their adverse health effects. It discusses asphyxiants, such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide; heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium; organic solvents, such as benzene and trichlorethylene; pesticides, including chlorinated hydrocarbons and organophosphates; and a variety of other toxic chemicals to which people are exposed in the home, community, or workplace environment. Several cases are presented to illustrate various concepts concerning chemical hazards in occupational and environmental health.Less
Building on the principles of toxicology, this chapter describes chemicals by structure, source, use, mechanism of action, environmental properties, and target organ. Major advances in toxic effects include more detailed understanding of the mechanisms by which toxic chemicals damage receptors at the subcellular, cellular, and organ level. The chapter describes properties of various types of inorganic and organic chemicals and their adverse health effects. It discusses asphyxiants, such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide; heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium; organic solvents, such as benzene and trichlorethylene; pesticides, including chlorinated hydrocarbons and organophosphates; and a variety of other toxic chemicals to which people are exposed in the home, community, or workplace environment. Several cases are presented to illustrate various concepts concerning chemical hazards in occupational and environmental health.
Jane A. Lipscomb
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- November 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190662677
- eISBN:
- 9780190662707
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190662677.003.0037
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
This chapter describes occupational hazards for healthcare workers. The chapter focuses on biological hazards, chemical hazards, physical hazards, safety and ergonomic hazards, violence, psychosocial ...
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This chapter describes occupational hazards for healthcare workers. The chapter focuses on biological hazards, chemical hazards, physical hazards, safety and ergonomic hazards, violence, psychosocial and organizational factors, and health consequences associated with changes in the organization and financing of healthcare. The nature and magnitude of various problems is described. The chapter includes specific prevention and control measures for addressing biological hazards, chemical hazards, ionizing radiation, safety hazards, ergonomic hazards, musculoskeletal disorders, violence, and psychosocial hazards. Finally, the chapter provides a summary of historical and recent policy initiatives, including federal and state laws, regulations and guidelines, developed and implemented to protect healthcare workers from recognized hazards.Less
This chapter describes occupational hazards for healthcare workers. The chapter focuses on biological hazards, chemical hazards, physical hazards, safety and ergonomic hazards, violence, psychosocial and organizational factors, and health consequences associated with changes in the organization and financing of healthcare. The nature and magnitude of various problems is described. The chapter includes specific prevention and control measures for addressing biological hazards, chemical hazards, ionizing radiation, safety hazards, ergonomic hazards, musculoskeletal disorders, violence, and psychosocial hazards. Finally, the chapter provides a summary of historical and recent policy initiatives, including federal and state laws, regulations and guidelines, developed and implemented to protect healthcare workers from recognized hazards.
