Loren Santiago - MPH 632: Environmental Health

This article provides information on how to recycle e-waste materials. These materials include mostly technology, like cell phones, laptops, tablets, televisions, and batteries. I found this article interesting because I myself, like many others in the world, have many products that I have no idea what to do with, once I "upgrade" them. Like the iPhone or a laptop... as a student, I tend to upgrade these things. I'm also a photographer, and I have three DSLR cameras... so this article caught my eye because I was interesting in knowing how to recycle these items I do not use anymore. We are unable to throw e-waste into the regular garbage (aka landfills) because they have hazardous materials which can be released into the environment and be a problem for the planet as well as for our health. Sometimes, some places or organizations have recycling drives, but the recycler they may be contracted with do not dispose of the items in an environmentally friendly way. This is ev...

a.) As we begin to think about being active and prepared,  explore this website  (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site.  and the links that are specific to your region or area of interest to learn more about health (physical and psychosocial) and environmental impacts or preparedness needs for these disaster precipitators. This website from the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health is a great resource for those looking for increase their knowledge about disaster prevention and awareness. On this website, there are curriculum plans for all ages from pediatrics to geriatrics. There are resources provided for those who educate the community on various topics including influenza, earthquakes, tornadoes, winter weather, wildfires, and more. There are also competencies available, research and reports, and current news and events. Having all of this information available will be that much more helpful in preparing the community for a disaste...

There is a small environmental organization, called Deutsche Umwelt Hilfe (DUH) or Environmental Action Germany, that is advocating for reducing air pollution in the European Union. In February, the German Federal Administrative Court banned older diesel fueled cars in certain cities and areas in Germany. This is a big step for the EU as diesel powered cars are used more than gasoline cars. According to the article, diesel cars are a major contributor to air pollution: 60% of nitrogen dioxide in Germany comes from motor vehicles, with three-quarters of that from diesel. Nitrogen dioxide levels and particulate matter levels are almost double the EU limits in cities like Munich. This pollution creates carcinogens and is associated with premature deaths, cardio-pulmonary diseases. Some say that this is the beginning of the end of diesel in the EU. "Paris, Copenhagen, London, and Madrid had already announced they are considering bans on some diesel cars beginning in 2020. " Whi...

1) Consider your workplace or a workplace of one of your family members. Are there chemical, biological, radiological or ergonomic issues? Using the industrial hygiene hierarchy of controls, how might you address the issues? How are they being addressed in reality? Working in the hospital, there are multiple chemical, biological, radiological or ergonomic issues present. The industrial hygiene hierarchy of controls is as pictured:  Here are some examples of how the hierarchy of controls is used to address some issues that may be present in a hospital. Chemical - working with chemotherapy medications or other hazardous medications require the use of PPE. Administrative controls also play a part, as nurses learn how to handle, administer, and dispose of these meds. Biological - working with bodily fluids such as blood requires using PPE and training on how to handle these products. PPE is also used when patients are isolated with certain infectious diseases, such as ...

In northern Minnesota, a company called American Peat Technology has reported a new way to potentially clean up polluted water, specifically water polluted with heavy metals. This is all done with something called peat. Peat is a type of decomposing plant material. There is a large amount in Minnesota, and the process to clean water is cheap and does not require any fancy technology. Minnesota has been using this method to extract mercury and sulfates from their water. American Peat says that peat is reusable and the University of Minnesota Duluth has worked to refine the process. Urban Accessories in Washington state purchased the peat to clean up copper polluted run-off -- according to Dan Jones, the company's safety and environmental compliance manager, they simply stuffed women's tights with peat and the copper was absorbed from the water into the peat. The cost was $400. The use of peat sounds promising. If it truly can help clean polluted water, then we should utilize t...

1) What do you personally find most troubling about climate change?  Climate change is real, and it is a huge problem. Personally, what I find extremely troublesome is the fact that greenhouse gas emissions are continuing to increase, and we aren't doing as much as we can to stop that. It took so long for everyone - all countries - to get on board and recognize climate change as a real problem. This has led to multiple issues that only continue to grow if we do not take action. While it may not be possible to completely stop the effects of global warming, it is possible to reduce them. What is even more worrisome is that if we do not extensively work together and fight this issue, then there will be no solution in the future. More and more countries have recognized that in order to reduce climate change and adapt to current changes in climate and health as a result, interventions must occur now. As noted in the multiple resources provided for this module, one of the most concernin...

Copenhagenize is a new design studio that specializes in bike infrastructure. Mikael Colville-Anderson is the creator of this innovative studio, and his mission is to "renormalize the bicycle." Inspired by using his bicycle as the primary mode of transportation in Copenhagen, Denmark, he aims to encourage other people and create more ways to incorporate bikes into cities. There are also multiple benefits to using bicycles stated. Cities with established bicyclists and bicycle infrastructure  have reduced carbon emissions because less cars are used. Bikes also improve physical and mental health. According to the article, studies have showed that riding bikes lessens the feelings of loneliness. In addition, bikes are safer than cars -- death from motor vehicle accidents are much more common than death from bicycle accidents. Copenhagenize is looking to make more bike-friendly cities. I think the idea of incorporating more bicycle riding into society is a great idea. It clearl...

A Zero Waste Life... This module was a great eye-opener. We are a wasteful people. From plastic to food to hazardous waste, we literally produce  endless amounts of trash. It's terrible that in the US, specifically, we carelessly throw away food. I too, produce a good amount of waste. I do the easy things to help - use my reusable grocery bags, avoid plastic water bottles, use tupperware and reusable containers, and try my hardest not to waste food. I was raised to always eat my all of my food and told that food waste is not good. So I am proud that I am pretty good about not wasting food. It's very unfortunate that some people will not think twice about throwing away food, even if it's still good. I do however, produce a lot of waste with products I buy, like toiletries, cosmetics, cleaning supplies, school supplies, etc. I think that the Zero Waste Lifestyle mentioned in the TedTalk was inspirational, but would be difficult. I would be willing to try making my own produ...