Environmental and Occupational Health Issues in Public Health

In Daly City, the current water treatment facility is the Daly City Water & Wastewater. It is located at 153 Lake Merced Blvd, Daly City, CA 94015. The closest sewage treatment plants are the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant and the Mel Leong Treatment Plant. The Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant is located at 3500 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA 94132. The Mel Leong Treatment Plant is located at 924 Clearwater Driver, San Francisco, CA 94128.

My campaign slogan would center around reducing plastic and saving money. The Story of Bottled Water makes an interesting point in that while water is a basic human need and we have a right to clean and accessible drinking water, many companies see it as another way to attain more money. They also point out that more and more establishments are serving tap water and more and more customers are able to save money they would otherwise be spending on bottled water. The demand for bottled water takes an bigger toll on the environment than we actually think. That is why the call for my tap water campaign slogan would be to help reduce plastic bottles in the environment while saving money. I think the idea of saving money will be a big catch for people, most notably in places where tap water is safe to drink. While not as big a pull for the campaign, the idea that we can help reduce waste in the environment by drinking tap water can be supported by the idea of saving money. As part of the ca...

The Daly City water system is supplied by the San Francisco Water Department and local Daly City Wells. The former is heavily reliant on the Hetch Hetchy Watershed and supported by local reservoirs. According to data from 2007, substances such as arsenic, chromium-6, cryptosporidium and giardia were detected in the water. While commonly found in surface water, cryptosporidium and giardia can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, upset stomachs, and slight fevers if ingested. Disinfectants were required before being distributed through the system, and these were also found in the water. Trihalomethanes and habacetic acids were at 80 and 60 parts per billion, respectively. I learned that while water systems do their best to provide the cleanest water possible, many contaminants can still be present in the water. We do not use a filter where I stay. However, back in the Philippines, we usually have to boil the water before we can drink it. Even before watching the video on bottled water, I alr...

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 was made to address water pollution. In 1972, several amendments were made and the law became more commonly known as the Clean Water Act. The amendments include setting basic regulations for discharging pollutants into the water of the US, giving the EPA the authority to apply pollution control programs, and retaining present requirements for water quality standards. It also become illegal for any individual to release any pollutant from a point source into navigable waters, unless a permit was given. Under the law's construction grants program, sewage treatment plants could be constructed. It also sees the need to develop solutions to address nonpoint source pollution problems. The act and its amendments were made to assure that equal access to safe and clean drinking water is felt by everyone. It was mentioned in one video that while we cannot run out of water, it is possible that there will be a lack of groundwater for a long perio...

As with any awareness campaign, a big part of it has to be that the information is relevant and easy to understand. The information needed would come from experts in radon and radon-related lung cancer cases. The best way to disseminate this information would be through non-government organizations that deal with health related issues. Government officials and offices would also be helpful in providing information and calling the public's attention to radon related concerns. It is also extremely important to have the residents become involved in these efforts. Helping them become aware of the fact that lung cancer can also be caused by radon exposure and not just first-hand or second-hand smoke can be a powerful way to call their attention and hopefully have them share the same cause. Free radon testing or free radon testing kits can also be utilized to help families become more aware of their radon exposure levels without putting any financial burden on them. Following this up wit...

Urea formaldehyde (found in pressed board, a common building material) A person who has inhaled formaldehyde can develop bronchospasm and pulmonary edema. In can cause eye irritation, upper airway irritation, and lower airway and chronic pulmonary obstruction at various parts per million. A link has also been established between formaldehyde and nasopharyngeal cancer and leukemia. https://hazmap.nlm.nih.gov/category-details?id=271&table=copytblagents Bleach (a cleaning/disinfectant product) While bleach is a commonly used household cleaning product, regular domestic use as a risk factor for asthma was uncertain (Matulonga et al., 2016). It was discovered that bleach use is linked to non-allergic asthma in women (Matulonga et al., 2016). It was linked to broncial hyperresponsiveness, asthma-like symptoms and chronic cough in women without allergic sensitization (Matulonga et al., 2016).  Matulonga, B., Rava, M., Siroux, V., Bernard, A., Dumas, O., & Pin, I...

I learned from the readings how a lot of facilities that contribute to pollution and poor living conditions can be found in areas where many African-Americans live. This puts them at an unfair disadvantage in being exposed to harmful substances than their White counterparts. It's very common to see discrimination and racism through words and actions, but it's very difficult to see these problems occur in things such as living environment and where certain facilities are placed. "As one important pair of environmental justice scholar-activists wrote, the environments we most care about should be 'the places where we live, work, learn, and play,' whether they are natural or built." This was a line from the The Atlantic article that stood out to me. Ideally, it would speak to everyone, regardless of race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion, etc. Everyone has a right and a responsibility to the environment. However, I can see that most of the time, the ...

While watching Rishi Manchanda's video on upstreamists, I remember doing a short post on Rebecca Onie. She is the co-founder and CEO of Health Leads, a company that seeks to help low-income patients address the overlooked causes of their illnesses. Rashi Manchanda spoke about similar things that Health Leads does. He explains that a simple question about a patient's living conditions was able to have a significant, positive impact on her health. Health Leads is attentive to the many barriers people may have when addressing their health, such as food, shelter, and transportation. I agree with Rishi Manchanda that we need to include these other factors that affect one's health in their treatment. It's not just about prescribing medicine so that patients get better. It's also about the need to look into their everyday environments and see what changes can be made there so that they don't sick as often, if at all.

When I lived in the Philippines, I lived close to my then elementary school, high school, and college. Up until my junior year in high school, my parents would drive me to school. In my senior year, they would drive me to a walkway that allowed me to cross the street to my school. We had to leave pretty early due to the traffic that piles up when entering the school grounds. In elementary school, they would pick me up after school. In high school, I would walk home. In college, I would take the numerous other forms of public transportation like the tricycles and jeepneys. It was also in high school and college when I started using public transportation more often to get to places I needed to be. I relied less and less on my parents taking me in the car. I also started to walk more, especially to places nearby like McDonald's or the U.P. Town Center. If I could avoid using public transportation (and had the time to talk), I would walk. I had the mindset that me walking was one less ...

Who and what are the top polluters in your zip code? The top 3 polluters in the San Mateo county are Tyco Thermal Controls L.L.C., South Bay Marble Inc., and Peterson Prods. The top 3 pollutants are styrene, methyl ethyl ketone, and acetonitrile. What percent of the homes in your zipcode have lead-based paint? Only 1% of houses in the San Mateo county have a high risk of lead hazards. Are there Superfund sites in your zip?  (In your BLOG, make sure to tell us what a Superfund Site is) Superfund sites are land areas in the United States that have been contaminated by hazardous waste and have been identified by the EPA as a candidate for cleanup due to the risks it has to human health and/or the environment. Currently, there are no Superfund sites in my county. What did you learn about the air quality in your zipcode? Based on the Air Quality Index, the current air conditions in my zipcode are in the moderate range. Pollutants details show ozone at...

"Just because we find chemicals in the body doesn't mean that it causes disease." "What little we know is just the tip of the iceberg. And (un)fortunately I think that is enough to begin to act and proactively intercede and prevent chemical exposure." I find that these two quotes show the two different sides to the issue on chemical exposure. On one hand, it seems that some people and organizations are okay with being in the dark on potential health risks that chemicals have on the body. On the other hand, there are people that believe that the current understanding of the chemicals' possible effects on the body are already a cause for alarm. After listening to the video and reading my theoretical lab results, it doesn't matter how much of which chemical I have in my body. I am on the side of those who believe that the little knowledge we have on the chemicals and what they can do to our bodies should push us to call for better laws that mandate prop...

The product that I searched for in the database is Comet Disinfectant Powder Cleanser. We keep it in our bathroom and use it to clean the bathtub and sink. I have had the idea that using cleaning products was a bit hazardous. Growing up I was told not to play with them and avoid any areas where cleaning products were used (e.g. bathroom). With this in the back of my mind, it didn't surprise me to find out that Comet Disinfectant Powder Cleanser is slightly hazardous (health rating = 1). One concern I had was the residue that we wash down the drains and how that can affect the water quality. However, it says here that it contains a biodegradable surfactant. Although, it does not say how long or under what conditions this substance will break down. On my part, I should be more conscious of how much of the substance I use when cleaning the bathroom. Lowering the amount that I use while cleaning can help reduce the amount that is washed down the drain and goes into the environment. Ag...

The two products I decided to  look up in the Safe Cosmetics Database were my shampoo (Head & Shoulders Men – Refresh) and my deodorant (Dove Men+ Care – Extra Fresh). I was surprised to see that both products were considered moderate hazards. Both products were notably high in the allergies and immunotoxicity domain. My shampoo even had an old formulation included in the database that way beyond the limit for use restrictions. In what I assume is the new formulation, the use restrictions domain is notably lower, but still at a moderately high level. I think I will make changes to what I use. I am hoping to learn about better options that are available. I also think that people should know about the risks of the care products they use, especially since they use these every day. I think people, myself included, do not know about these risks because there is the assumption that these products are helping us to stay clean and presentable to others. We already frame these products...