M15.5 Final Post

I was not really looking forward to this causer at the beginning of the semester. I really did not find an interest in environmental health coming in. But this course changed my way of thinking completely. I truly enjoyed this course. Every module examined a different environmental health issue, in which many I found personally connected to. The two required readings; Silent Spring and Our stolen future (book review) presented issues that I was not aware about and that I have great interest now. Personally, the topics presented in the course made me more aware of my contribution to the environment. I definitely stared becoming more conscious about the consumer products I purchased, I have also attempted to buy more locally grown products at my local farmers market.

Looking forward, I plan to continue to learn more about the issues in environmental health. More specifically I want to learn more about the health effects of pesticide exposure on women and children. I hope to work with an organization that focus on this issue. There is a lot more that needs to be done to protect the individuals in our communities. I can truly say that I gained a lot of knowledge that I hope to use in order to fight the environmental injustices that exist in vulnerable communities.

The blogging experience was great. I was able to learn from my teammates. Each of us had different and similar ideas that we discussed in our blogs. Though, I was not able to contribute as much the second part of the semester, I learned a lot form my teammates posts and feedback.

Thank you Professor Sattler, Erin, and Lucia for the great experience.The assignments in this course and the feedback I received allowed me to think outside the box and guidance thought out the semester.

Ana and Alvin...it was great working with you both!

M14.4 Website Exploration

I have lived in California my whole life; which means that I have had several earthquake experiences. I have lived in Los Angeles, which is very likely for an earthquake to occur. Throughout grade school, our teachers would always give us information on how to prepare for an earthquake. But no one really mentioned what to do or expect after an earthquake occurred. The Red Cross explains the steps we need to take after an earthquake to ensure we are safe.

Below are some guideline taken directly from the Red Cross Website. It’s important to be informed about the various steps we need to take in case of emergency. Educating our selves and others will decrease the impacts caused by natural disasters. 

·         Check the outside of your home before you enter. Look for loose power lines, broken or damaged gas lines, foundation cracks, missing support beams or other damage. Damage on the outside can indicate a serious problem inside. Ask a building inspector or contractor to check the structure before you enter.

·         If the door is jammed, don’t force it open – it may be providing support to the rest of your home. Find another way to get inside.

·         Sniff for gas. If you detect natural or propane gas, or hear a hissing noise, leave the property immediately and get far away from it. Call the fire department after you reach safety.

·         If you have a propane tank system, turn off all valves and contact a propane supplier to check the system out before you use it again.

·         Beware of animals, such as rodents, snakes, spiders and insects, that may have entered your home. As you inspect your home, tap loudly and often on the floor with a stick to give notice that you are there.

·         Damaged objects, such as furniture or stairs, may be unstable. Be very cautious when moving near them. Avoid holding, pushing or leaning against damaged building parts.

·         Is your ceiling sagging? That means it got wet – which makes it heavy and dangerous. It will have to be replaced, so you can try to knock it down. Be careful: wear eye protection and a hard hat, use a long stick, and stand away from the damaged area. Poke holes in the ceiling starting from the outside of the bulge to let any water drain out slowly. Striking the center of the damaged area may cause the whole ceiling to collapse.

·         Is the floor sagging? It could collapse under your weight, so don’t walk there! Small sections that are sagging can be bridged by thick plywood panels or thick, strong boards that extend at least 8–12 inches on each side of the sagging area.

·         If the weather is dry, open windows and doors to ventilate and/or dry your home.

·         If power is out, use a flashlight. Do not use any open flame, including candles, to inspect for damage or serve as alternate lighting.

·         Make temporary repairs such as covering holes, bracing walls, and removing debris. Save all receipts.

·         Take photographs of the damage. You may need these to substantiate insurance claims later.

One of the things i found very interesting was that poorer communities are hit the worse when a natural disaster hits. This is due to lack of resources and poor infrastructure. 

http://www.redcross.org/find-help/disaster-recovery/safety-immediate-aftermath

I have always been interested in volunteering in event of an emergency. As a future physician, I plan to volunteer in events of natural disasters. There are several organizations in the Sacramento Area that trains volunteers for help those in need when a natural disaster occurs.  The Citizen Corps in Sacramento provides opportunities for citizens to get emergency response training; participate in community exercises; and volunteer to support local first responders. Citizen corps educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations giving members the skills to assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help.

M3.3 Environmental Justice

The various disparities in health that exist in the Unites States seem to be separated by ethnicity and race. Social determinants of health defined those factors such as income, education, and community resources that affect an individual’s health outcome. These social determinants exist within all commutes. The greater health disparities are seen among those individuals in low-income communities, who lack a proper education, or lack appropriate health care resources. Many times, health disparities are seen among communities of color. Minorities in the U.S suffer from poorer health compare to those of whites. The articles point out that African-Americans have lower health outcomes compare to all racial/ethnic groups in the U.S., even after taking into consideration income and education.

There is various reasons why many minorities in the U.S suffer from lower health outcomes. One of the reasons as stated in the articles is due to institutional racism. Institutional racism as a system that is designed to benefit certain races over others. We can see such system in place when we analyze the events in Flint, Michigan. Lead contamination in water in a predominantly African-American community has caused various health concerns. There is a lack of response from our government in all levels. If such incident were to occur in a pre-dominantly white community, the response to the incident would have had been different.

The incidents in Flint, Michigan and others like in Richmond, California, also brings about the issue of environmental justice. Many communities of color are surrounded by industrial areas that pose a great risk to their health. Such industrial areas are commonly seen among low-income communities, especially those of minorities.   

The Black Lives Matter movement focuses of the injustices Africa-American communities have faced over the years. The movement has brought forth the many injustices that the government has over African-Americans. The movement not only focuses on the social injustices, but also focuses on the injustices relating to education and health. 

M12.9 Climate Change

1) What do you personally find most troubling about climate change?

I find the health effects of climate change most troubling. Im very concern on the harms that climate change can cause pregnant women and children. With the increase in temperature, can lead pregnant women to be dehydrated. Dehydration early on in pregnancy can cause low birth weight and can cause pre-term labor. With the increase in air pollution, pregnant women are exposed to air pollutants that can lead to respiratory illness. This can also lead to low birth weight and pre-term labor. When infants are born at a low weight, this can cause various health effects later in life. When infants are born pre-maturality, they may not be fully developed and can lead to various issues like RDS. The increase in air pollutants, children also have higher risks of developing respiratory diseases like asthma.Learning about the various health effects that climate change causes, we can inform individuals about the risk they face. Educating individuals about the effects of climate change can decrease the adverse health effects that climate change causes. 

2) As a public health professional, what do you think needs the greatest attention right now?

I believe that the decrease of CO2 needs more attention right now. As we saw, there has been an increase in CO2 in the atmosphere and this is causing various environmental effects. First, CO2 causes an increase in temperature, this then causes for ice glaciers to melt. Melting of Ince glaciers in leading to an increase in sea levels. The increase in CO2 is also causing for various chemicals to be trapped in the ozone layer, this increase the air pollutants we are exposed to. In recent years there has been a fight to decrease the burning of fossil fuels, the main contribution to increase levels of CO2. We know that there is alternatives for fossil fuels, alternatives that does increase CO2 levels. We should be advocating for policy making that decrease the use of fossil fuels. Though this is challenge, as we know our government is currently in opposition to many environmental protections. 

3) If you were visiting with a long-lost relative who had never heard about climate change, how would you describe it and its attendant human health and ecological threats?

I would describe climate change in very simple words. I would describe what is contributing to climate change and how this is affecting our Planet. I would also describe it in ways they can relate. For example, describing how driving a car is contributing to green gasses. How the increase in energy use at home can also increase the emission of green gasses. I would also explain to them way then can help and fight climate change. For example, walking more or using a bike to travel short distances. I would also explain to them how buying local grown food if available can help fight climate change. I would explain things they can do at home to reduce emissions. 

M10.1 Occupational Health and Safety

For the past few years I have worked in a clinic and I have see various occupational issues. While working here many of the chemical and biological issues were addressed by our managers; we are properly trained at the time of our employment and during the year, various trainings are held regarding appropriate use of instruments. The biggest control wast the use of PPE. When we handled any type of body specimens, we were always required to wear some type of protection. There are chemicals and equipment used in the lab that are necessary, and using the hierarchy of control, it will be hard to eliminate them or replace them with a safer alternative if any exist. Working long hours in a clinical setting also requires a lot of sitting down and standing up. Our administration has accommodated all of our ergonomic needs. The clinic provide high standing work stations as well as your typical desk; this prevents us from being in one position thorough out the day. 

One barrier could be the lack of understating the language. For example, many agricultural workers in California are immigrants from Mexico and South America, and their primary language is usually Spanish. Many of the safety labels in pesticides that are used in the farms are in English. Unable to read them, workers are unaware of the health risks they are facing when  exposed to such chemicals. I also believe that in the same population, the immigration status of the worker is a barrier to a healthy and safe workplace. Many workers who are illegally living in the U.S tend speak up about the health and safety issue they come across. Many are afraid that if they speak up they might loose their jobs or be deported. For this reason, many illegal immigrant workers overlook the unsafe working conditions they are in. 

M11.5 Zero Waste Life

I was extremely surprise about the amount of food waste we create in the U.S. I knew that this was an issue, but when it's put into perspective and numbers are given, this is a huge problem! We really do take advantage of what we have here in the U.S. One of the biggest issues I have with food waste is the amount of food that is thrown away by restaurants and super markets. These business throw away good quality food rather than giving it away to those who need it. A lot of the time I do look ash expiration dates in food, and if the food is marked as expired I'll take ti as longest it does not look spoil. I feel that one of the objective of putting expiration dates on food is to make more money, if we buy something and it expires later, we will throw it away, even if the food is still edible. We then go and buy the same kind of food, and the cycle continues.

Plastic is another waste that has harmed our planet. We saw in the videos how not only is plastic being accumulated in various parts of the world, but this plastic is also killing marine life. All these products that we consume are causing a great harm to our environment. We need to find alternatives to reduce our consumption in order to reduce the waste that we are putting on our environment.

Living a Zero Waste Life, is a great alternative to reduce our waste. Though I think that is very radical to live without any waste. I think realistically, the way we can reduce our waste is by changing the types of products we use. For example, not buying water bottles or foods that are packaged. Using containers that we can use over a long period of time compare to packaging our foods in zip-ploc bags. Buying from our local farmers market to reduce packaging of fruits and vegetables. Overall, living a zero waste life is really great idea, but for me personally, it will be heard to make a complete change.

M10.5 Occupational Safety and Health Organization

The WHO has a problem that focuses on Tuberculosis and HIV. The WHO identifies that Tuberculosis has 26 to 31 more times of a risk to be developed in an individual with HIV. The WHO works with various community groups on increase advocacy for Tubicolous and HIV, policy development, and implementation of their activities in various countries. The WHO has developed various tools to assist countries in improving TB/HIV collaborative action to achieve access to HIV and TB prevention. The WHO has different of focus, which include;

Promoting the collaboration of TB and HIV services at all levels 

Universal antiretroviral therapy for HIV-infected TB patientsWHO recommends that all HIV-infected TB patients should be commenced on ART irrespective of their CD4 count. Increased access to antiretroviral therapy can be achieved through national policies and guidelines. 

Scaling up there Three I's for TB/HIVThe Three I's include; intensified case finding, with the goal of identifying and treating those individuals with HIV/TB. Isoniazid preventive therapy for those individuals with HIV/TB infection Control for TB that includes environmental control, control for health workers and control for those individuals with TB/HIV

Improving TB/HIV data

Antiretroviral therapy for prevention 

Partnership with civil society to cal up TB/HIV activities- The WHO aims to create partnerships with health practitioners, advocates, and patient groups in order for the WHO's policy is translated into action. 

M10.2 MSDS and ToxNet

The product I decided to use is United 143 Spot Blotter, which is a carpet cleaner used in the classroom. 

The common chemicals found in the product include; butoxyethanol, isobutane, isopropyl alcohol, and propane. 

What are the health risks associated with this chemical?

Acute exposure to these chemicals can use eye and/or skin irritation, it can be harmful if inhaled or swallowed. Individuals with previous skin or lung conditions who are exposed to the chemicals in this product can have their symptoms be aggravated. 

The MSDS does not categorize any of these products as a carcinogen. Though, ToxNet classifies Butoxyethanol as a possible carcinogen. In various experiments, rats who had chronic exposure of butoxyethanol developed various tumors.

This product is only handled by the janitors on campus. This is not stored in the classroom, therefore students or myself do not have access to this. When this product is needed, it's only applied in the classroom when students are not inside, usually in the afterschool hours. Janitors are instructed to leave the doors and window open for a period of time to allow ventilation. When handling this product, janitors are to use gloves to protect from any skin exposure and safety glasses to avoid eye exposure. Since I do not handle this product personally, I was given no training or education about any risks associated with its use. 

M9.4 Heavy Metals

Lead Poisoning

The article on Lead poisoning describes the health effects of lead poisoning on adults and children. The author explains the molecular mechanism cause by lead. Lead binds strongly to sulfhydryl groups on proteins, which leads to many organs being affected. The nervous system is mainly affected by lead poisoning. Lead in the body leads to destruction of specific enzymes and structural proteins. Various research has shown the adverse effects of lead in human health. Lead interferes with myelin formation and the blood-brain barrier, synthesis of collagen, affects vascular permeability, can result in brain edema and hemorrhage. The way lead affects children and adults is very different. In adults lead can affect the PNS, CNS, kidneys, and blood pressure. Different levels of lead exposure also have different effects. For example at high doses, lead poisoning can cause intractable colic, motor clumsiness, clouded consciousness, weakness, and paralysis. A study that analysed British factory inspectors found that lead poisoning has different effects in both males and females. Lead poisoning in these workers lead to higher neonatal deaths, a decrease fertility rate in women and males had lower sperm counts. Children are at a higher risk for lead exposure due to the hand-to-mouth activity, the ability of their gut to absorb lead better than adults, and due to their developing CNS. Lead exposure in children have show to drastically affects their cognitive functions. Children exposed to lead have shown to have lower reading levels, lover IQ's, higher attention deficits, and higher aggressive behaviors.


An environmental health response to a severe outbreak of childhood lead poisoning in Nigeria

In 2010, over 400 deaths among children younger than 5 was attributed to lead poising in remote villages in Nigeria. Investigators identified the soil from artisanal gold ore processing as the main source of lead contamination. After intervention from international agencies, contaminated materials were removed and various campaign were implemented to decrease lead in the environment. After a 4 year intervention, the lead levels in children were reduced.

As I learned about the various effects of lead in children, I was very concern in the potential exposure we have from other products. The outbreak in Nigeria was due to a need of gold found in local mines. The global demand of many products coming from remote parts of the world are causing various health problems. We, the consumers, might not realize the great effects we have on other individuals, but in reality, our needs of certain products are causing a devastating health effect on individuals who provide us with these products.

M9.2 Six Chemical Classes

Highly Fluorinated Chemicals

There are two different types of fluorochemicals discussed, PFOS and PFOA. Fluorinated chemicals are found in material that are used for oil and water repellency. Like many chemicals, highly fluorinated chemicals are found in products that we typically use like cookware, clothing, carpeting, and food packaging materials. These chemicals are not found in nature, but are rather manufactured, therefore they are hard to be broken down by the environment and by harsh conditions. There has been limited research on fluorinated chemicals, but they have been found in human blood, polar bears, and oceans. Due to human use, these chemicals are being found in remote areas in the world. There’s different ways in which these chemicals end up in the environment, such as movement through air, industrial discharge to surface and ground water, and treated materials that are sent to landfills. In the environment, they have been found in surface water, sediments & soils, groundwater, air, rain, snow, and marine and land-based wildlife. Various health effects are caused by PFOS and PFOA such as; kidney, prostate, ovarian, and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, and cause early menopause.

Antimicrobials

Antimicrobials are used to prevent growth in bacteria in different environments. Triclosan and Triclocarban (TCC) were originally used in hospital settings, but now are used in a lot of consumer products such as detergents, soaps, shampoos, sports equipment, furniture. Surprisingly, Triclosan has a positive effect when used in toothpaste specially to individuals with gum disease. I found it very interesting that these chemicals have been found in 75% of individuals tested for the chemicals. These chemicals can disrupt estrogenic, androgenic, and thyroid hormones, and it’s also known to be a carcinogen, even though their actual effects are not well known. Surprisingly, a study has shown that triclosan has been associated with increase allergies in children. Possible reasons why triclosan increase allergy in children is that antibacterial remove healthy bacteria and it has shown to produce an allergic response in mice.

Flame retardants

Flame retardants are commonly used in electronics, polyurethane foam, building insulation, wires and cables. The main purpose of flame retardants is to prevent spread of fire but they are known to be toxic to humans and the environment. Flame retardants were known to be present in children’s pajamas, but they were banned when the effects of flame retardants were known. Individuals are exposed to flame retardants daily. Flame retardants have shown to have effects on reduced IW, fertility, birth defects, and hormonal changes.

Bisphenols and Phthalates,

Bisphenols and Phthalates are known to be endocrine disruptors. These are found in plastic products. They can be found in food, water, soil, and air. Individuals are exposed to these chemicals daily, but levels are usually higher in babies. Various health effects have been shown to be caused by BPA, these include reproductive, thyroid, immune, and metabolic effects. Levels of GPA found in the womb have shown to increase the risk for spontaneous abortions and childhood obesity. Some regulations prohibit BPA use in certain products like baby bottles, sippy cups, food packaging, and receipt bans. Internationally some countries like Canada have found BPA to be toxic to humans and the environment, leading to a ban of BPA. Phthalates have been known to make plastics softer and more flexible and are virtually everywhere. There are also various adverse health effects cause by Phthalates, these include; incomplete testicular descent, and increase risk of hypospadias, increase obesity in males, reduce sperm viability, earlier breast development, and led to asthma. 

Organic Solvents

Organic Solvents, are chemicals that are based on carbon. These chemicals are used to dissolve materials, as carrier solvents, cleaning, and stripping, and as a mixing medium. Organic solvents are used in various consumer products such as, printing, adhesives, paints, coatings, inks,and cleaning products. These products are known to be harmful to human health; it can lead to neurotoxicity, liver and kidney damage, and have carcinogenic and reproductive effects. 

Heavy Metals

Heavy metals have a harmful effects to human health include. These include; mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, and chromium. These chemicals are naturally made and found on earth. When these metals are in their ionic form, they become more bio available. These metals can have acute and chronic effects to our health. They can cause nervous system disorders. Memory loss, blindness, hearing loss, and decrease cognitive functions. Many of these metals are also known to be carcinogens. Heavy metals can be found in makeup, jewelry, and household furniture. 

M9.3 Green Chemistry

After watching the video Digging into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch I was in disbelief in the damage we are doing to our planet. Plastic has created a lot of waste and as we have seen throughout the semester, various chemicals like those that make up plastic, are endangering animals, humans, and our planet. I have never heard about Green Chemistry or its benefits, but reading about it made me interested to see the products made by green chemistry. The goal of green chemistry is to create products that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous chemicals. With this, Green Chemistry is able to reduce pollution and provide solutions to the environmental problems we have today. The thing that I find most amazing about green chemistry is that all this occurs at the molecular levels. Scientists are creating new molecular process to create products that will not have a long-lasting effect on our planet. From the 12 principles of the Green Chemistry, the principle of creating products that can degrade after use will eliminate the amount of waste that is collected. Learning about Green Chemistry has made me more considerate about the products I purchase and I hope to be able to adapt new behaviors to decrease the waste I contribute to the earth.

M8.5 Ideal Chemical Policy

My ideal chemical policy will be one that addresses issues dealing with individuals, our community, and our environment. When dealing individuals, policy should include regulations that decrease or limits individuals, especially children and workers, from exposure to hazardous chemicals. This would include policy that makes education of chemicals accessible to everyone. Policy should include restrictions on companies to halt their chemicals use, at least those used on food products, until the effects on human health is known. Policy would also include increase funding for researchers to be conducted on the effects of these chemicals on our health. Finally, policy should include protections to our environment. For example, creating laws the prohibit companies from dumping chemicals into our water streams and land.

M8.4 Chemical Policy Reform

The videos we watched in this module informed us about the harms that various chemicals has in our bodies. For example, we saw that harmful effects pesticides has on those individuals that spray their crops with any kind of protection. We learned about the effects of chemicals like DDT has on the vulnerable members of our society; children. This information should be enough to further invest in research to understand the effects of these chemicals on our health. But until then, governments should to implement law that regulate the use of these chemicals.

I agree with the platform created by The Louisville Charter for Safer Chemicals. Various steps are needed in order to protect children, workers, our communities, and the environment. Companies need to invest in finding alternatives to the chemicals used in their products. the alternative chemicals need to have been proven to be safe for our health and the environment. Taking Europe as an example, the U.S should work together with the various agencies to make sure pesticides we use are safe. The government should also take the necessary steps to make sure workers are protected from the harm of chemicals. Whether individuals work in factories or farm fields, these individuals should be protective equipment to reduce their exposure to these chemicals.

M8.3 Pesticides

Dinner Included Chicken breast, rice, and spinach.

I was very surprised at what I found about the pesticide residues in my food. I included the pesticide residues that are found in the foods bellow. I was even more surprised in the amount of pesticide residues found in Spinach. Its a very long list!!What is more alarming is that some of the pesticides found in spinach are found at rates of at least 50%, where as other foods like chicken breast and rice, pesticide residues are found at lower rates. Knowing that there is limited amount of information on how these pesticides affect our bodies, I'm very concern of what I'm feeding my body.

For example the insecticide Permethrin is also use as a medication to treat scabies and lice, this is very alarming and I can only imagine I can not be safe. In terms of public health, we should invest in research to understand the effects of these pesticides in our bodies. For example, in the video "The Pesticide Trap" the cotton farm worker who sprayed his crops with pesticides and without any kind of protection had various immediate health outcomes. We can only imagine that prolonged exposure can cause adverse health outcomes. We should also be educating individuals about the foods they eat. I know that it's beneficial to eat organic foods, but without taking this class I wouldn't know about the levels of pesticides found in our foods and other outcomes to various environmental exposures. Maybe having every member in the community take an environmental health class is not ideal, but those organizations and individuals that are capable of reaching individuals should educate them about pesticides and other chemicals in our foods.

Chicken breast

Rice



























Spinach

 

M7.8 Topic of Interest

My topic of interest is the effects of chemical exposure on our reproductive health. For example, Diethylstilbestrol (DES), a synthetic estrogen that was widely used in the 1930’s  to prevent miscarriages has shown to have adverse health effects. In mice for example, it has shown to increase the rates of cancer in breast, uterus, vaginal, and ovarian tissue. that the offspring of mice exposed to DES had increased rates of cancer in breast, uterus, vaginal, and ovarian tissue. In humans, a similar pattern has also been shown. Females exposed to DES in utero had abnormal reproductive organs, and had increase rates of breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers. Males who were exposed to DES had increased rates of testicular cancer and fertility problems.

Another example, Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) is another common chemical that is still being manufactured today. High levels of PCB in fat tissue of mice are known to suppressed immune system and cause deformities of the uterus and of the fallopian tubes. The production of different consumer products has exposed Humans to different levels of PCBs which accumulate in breast  tissue and is present in breast milk.

My literature review focuses on the exposure of pesticides and its reproductive health effects on individuals working in farm fields. 

M7.7 Agency's Role

US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)  The USACE is a federal agency under the Department of Defense and is made up of at least 37,000 civilian and military personnel. The mission of the USACE is to deliver public and military engineer services to energize the economy and reduce risks from disasters. The agency's role include; planning, designing, building and operating locks and dams. Projects include flood control and dredging for water navigation. It's mission areas include; civil works, military missions, environmental, emergency operations, research & development, and sustainability. 

The USACE manages various environmental programs that focus on restoration and stewardship. The USACE oversees full protection and cleanup activities such as; 

• Cleaning up sites contaminated with hazardous, toxic or radioactive waste or ordnance through the Formerly Used Defense Sites program
• Cleaning up low-level radioactive waste from the nation’s early atomic weapons program through the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program
• Supporting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by cleaning up Superfund sites and working with its Brownfields and Urban Waters programs
• Supporting the Army with the Base Realignment and Closure Act program
• Ensuring that facilities comply with federal, state and local environmental laws
• Conserving cultural and natural resource

In recent news, the USACE has been involve with the building of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Before leaving office, President Obama ordered the USACE to access the implications of the Dakota Access Pipeline on the propose land use. Pipelines are known to damage the environment by contaminating water and land. The conclusions made by the USACE was that information was needed in ordered for the pipeline to be rerouted and the construction of the pipeline was halted. Recently, President Trump signed an executive order pushing the USACE to grant easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline. 

The USACE has an influence on the infrastructure built that can ultimately be a harm to the environment. 

M7.4 Local Environmental Services

One of the various departments in Yolo County is the Yolo County Environmental Health Division (EHD). The goal of the EHD in Yolo County is "to protect and enhance the quality of life of the Yolo County resident by identifying, assessing, mitigating, and preventing environmental hazards. The EHD focuses of three different ares; consumer protection, hazardous materials, and land & environmental protection. 

Under Consumer Protection, several programs exist that help to prevent the spread of diseases. For example the Body Art Program, helps prevent the spread of diseases by inspecting body art facilities for compliance. The Food Protection Program helps prevent the spread of food borne illnesses. This program is in charge of processing food permits and inspecting food facilities. The housing Program helps protect occupational health by inspecting housing conditions that may harm individuals. 

The Hazardous Materials branch focuses on the safe disposal of hazardous materials, responding to hazardous materials emergencies, monitors wells and soils borings, and protects the public health and environment through the regulation of facilities that store hazardous materials underground. 

The Land & Environmental Protection division oversees sewage disposal, use and disposal of biosolids, protect residents drinking water by inspecting water system in the area. This division is also in charge of solid waste disposal which oversees that facilities and operations comply with the rules and regulations of disposing solid waste. 

One of the programs that I found very interesting was under the Health and Human Services Department. The Maternal, Child, Adolescent Health Program in Yolo County focuses on the well being of pregnant women and children. One of the many programs they have works with the various organizations (health centers, farms) to protect women from environmental risks such as prolong exposure to pesticides. 

6.7 Obesogenes

Utilizing the first article, discuss what is locally grown and what is currently in season in your area.
Various products are grown in the Woodland area. These include: broccoli, cabbage, collards, kale, radishes, swiss chard, winter squash, sweet corn, cucumber, edamame soybeans, eggplant, green beans, hot peppers, okra, peas, radishes, summer squash, sweet peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, cantaloupes, figs, watermelons, artichokes, garlic, potatoes, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, blackberries, melons, marionberries, ollalieberries, strawberries, swiss, chard, lettuce, leeks, kohlrabi, beets, and asparagus. 
Various products are in season during the Spring, these include; artichokes, arugula, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage, greens, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, peas, radishes, spinach, blackberries, boysenberries, marionberries, ollalieberries, strawberries, spinach, and swiss chard. 
There are about 9 different farms that grow these products throughout the year. 

Discuss your thoughts on seasonal/local foods and hospital menus. 
The use of seasonal/local foods in hospital menus improves individuals health and at the same time it helps the environment. When hospitals use seasonal/local foods, the foods do not travel long distances, reducing the climate change footprint caused by the transportation of foods. Also, since foods do not travel long distances, the foods patients receive are fresh, improving their taste. Hospitals are also able to help the local economy by purchasing foods from local farmers. A good way to hospitals to do this is to create a seasonal menu that uses foods that are in season in a particular area. This allows for hospitals to plan ahead and ensure their patients needs are met. Hospitals should be setting an example and modeling behavior in order for patients to keep adapt to those behaviors once discharged. By modeling positive behaviors and promoting the benefits of using seasonal/local foods, the overall health of communities would improve. 

Harvest Calendar for Northern CA
CROP

MONTH
Asparagus	March -April
Strawberries	Apr.10 - June 30
Blackberries	June 1 - July 30
Blueberries	May 15 - June 30
Boysenberries	May 10 - July 5
Cherries	May 5 - June 30
Apricots	May 10 to August 15
Peaches	May 20 - September 5
Nectarines	May 20 - September 15
Olallieberries	June 1 to July 31
Plums	June 1 - September 5
Pears	August 10 - September 10
Green Beans	June 15 - September 15
Peas	June 15 - September 15
Corn	June 25 - September 30
Raspberries	July 1 - September 15
Grapes	July 10 - October 15
Apples	July 15 (early apples) - September 25
Tomatoes	July 15 - September 15
Okra	July 15 - September 15
Almonds	August 20 - December. 13
Figs	September 05 - October 31
Persimmons	September 20 - October 31
Walnuts	September 25 - Jan. 10
Oranges	All year round, depends on the variety.

What are your thoughts on the second article? Have you heard of obesogens before?
This is the first time I hear about obesogens. This article was an eye opener. In this semester we have studied how different chemicals have various effects on human health and knowing that these chemicals also play a role in obesity is very alarming. The article describes how the study by Paula Baillie-Hamilton showed that chemicals at low-doses were correlated to weight gain in experimental animals. A lot of the research done on the harm of chemicals are through animal exposure. When pregnant mice were exposed to TBT, their offspring were born heavier than expected. This shows that such chemicals can have a lasting event on animals. Even though mice and humans are two different species, research has shown that similar chemical exposures are seen in humans as well. We are exposed to various chemicals in our environment, and knowing that these chemicals are contributing to the obesity epidemic, is up to those federal agencies to start posing more regulations on the chemicals used in our enviroment. 


Pick one of the potential obesogens discussed in the article and using your resources from earlier modules (such as toxnet), do some research on this potential obesogen. Share what you found!

M6.6 Use of Antibiotics

ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE 101: HOW ANTIBIOTIC MISUSE ON FACTORY FARMS CAN MAKE YOU SICK

Reading this article was an eye opener. Every time I have purchased meat and I noticed that some have labels that no antibiotics are used, but I never really stopped and thought about the implications of using antibiotics in meats. This article discusses the use of antibiotics for nontherapeutic purposes in livestock. Surprisingly, 80% of antibiotics in the U.S are sold for this sole purpose. With the increase use of nontherapeutic antibiotic, there has been an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, causing a public health threat to human health. With the use of antibiotics in livestock, the antibiotics are losing its effectiveness in treating illness in humans. For example, when antibiotics are used, some bacteria are killed but some survive. Those that survive become resistant to the antibiotic and replicate themselves. Not only do they create more copies of themselves, but they are able to transfer part of their DNA to neighbouring bacteria, creating even more antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In 2011, Food & Water watch analyzed retail meat samples. In the samples collected, they found antibiotic-resistant E.coli in 66% of ground turkey, 53% of chicken breasts, 15% of pork chops, and 9% of ground beef; these numbers are alarming. If bacteria is been found in retail meat products, humans are being contaminated at high levels. If individuals are being contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the use of antibiotics to treat that individual becomes harder to do so. Little has been done to address the issue. The FDA has placed limited regulations on the use of antibiotics in livestock. In order to solve the issue of antibiotic-resistant bacteria being found in meat products, the use of antibiotics for nontherapeutic used should be stopped. Congress needs to be involved and advocate for  the well-being of all individuals. Since 2003, legislation has been introduced in Congress to limit the use of antibiotics in livestock, like the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA). But like many legislation introduced to Congress, the side that benefits the corporations that will be affected, always wins. Without any proper laws created by the U.S to limit the use of antibiotics, the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria will continue to be a threat to human health. 

NEARBY LIVESTOCK MAY RAISE 'SUPERBUG' RISK

Methicilin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA, is a specific bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics. Livestock related MRSA has increasingly been found in individuals who have no contact with livestock. This raises a concern to identify the route of contamination as this type of bacteria is hard to treat. The article describes that those individuals that lived in areas that had livestock had and increase risk of carrying MRSA. Even though the article does not state the explanation for such an increase risk, it's very important to be able to inform individuals of such risks, especially those that live nearby livestock. This is personally very alarming. I live in an area surrounded by farms and livestock and such risks are not heard of. 

SCIENTISTS DISCOVER THAT ANTIMICROBIAL WIPES AND SOAPS MAY BE MAKING YOU (AND SOCIETY) SICK

One of the biggest reasons why we use antimicrobial wipes and disinfectants is for that reason, they are antimicrobial, or at least I thought they were. This article discusses the antimicrobial products beeing advertised as "better" are actually causing more harm. These products contain the product triclosan, which has increasingly been used in other products to decrease microbial load. In a study conducted at Columbia University, researchers found that the use of antibiotic soaps by chronically sick patients was associated with an increase in infections compared to those sick patients that used nonbacterial soap. This study brings up the question whether the use of antibacterial soap is actually better than regular soap. I believe that the use of chemicals like triclosan in these products are actually causing products to loose their effects. 

M6.4 Industrial Farming

Bee The Movie

I'm going to be honest, I never really understood why bees were so important until know. Even though it appears to be common sense of why bees are needed, I did not know that their role in our environment. The movie discusses the basic role bees have in our environment which is vital for agriculture. The video also discusses the disappearances of bees in recent years. Bees have been disappearing for unknown reasons which has started to create a problem for agriculture. Farmers hypothesized that the pesticides and other chemicals used in agriculture are driving the bees away. But yet, there is not clear explanation of why bees are disappearing. Bees are pollinators which is important for the production of foods. The article The Pollinator’s Decline Could Harm Health of Millions, explains that pollinators are responsible for 35% of food production and are 40% of the worlds supply of important nutrients. Pollinators help produce foods rich in Vitamin A and folate, which are important for children and women. What I found more interesting it that researchers discovered that a complete loss of pollinators would lead to 71 million people into vitamin A deficiency and 173 million people into folate deficiency, and would lead to about 1.42 million more deaths due to non-communicable diseases. A decrease in pollinators has been seen in the past decade, but researches have not been able to identify why these pollinators are disappearing. 


Dirt!
Factory Farm 
Composting

Dirt, the movie was an eyeopener, I found this documentary very interesting. Let me start off with saying that I did not know the importance of dirt. Like many, I have always though that dirt was just dirt, and it had no significance. I was wrong!. Dirt plays a very important role in our environment as well. Dirt is described as having various organisms and makes up the living "skin" of Earth. Dirt provides an environment in which plants can grow, which provides food for other organisms. Dirt composes 5 cm of superficial layer on the surface of earth, and in the past decades humans have taken dirt for granted. With the creation of cities, production of agriculture using various chemicals, and other uses, dirt has been destroyed. Without dirt, animals and humans can not live. Dirt plays an important role in our environment, and for many years humans have been using chemicals in agriculture that destroy dirt. For example, farmers use Nitrogen as a pesticide. While nitrogen kills pests, it contaminates the dirt and water resources and contributes to air pollution. In recent years, individuals have been involvement in a movement that uses protects dirt. For example, community gardens have been created to promote sustainable farming practices. 

I live in the City of Woodland, north of Sacramento, farm land surrounds Woodland in all directions. I was not surprise with the amount of animals in these farmlands. But I was surprised to know that there is an average of 2,188 animals per site. This raises many questions on the conditions these animals are raised in. The use of antibiotics on these animals that humans eventually consume can make humans less responsive to antibiotics. The waste product produce by these farms also add to the contamination of water resources in the area. 

No I do not compose and I do not know anyone that does. During undergrad at UC Davis, we were required to compose certain waste. I understand the benefits of composting and how to approach the idea. We are currently renting and to be honest, at the moment it seems like a hassle to be able to compose. I know that is something that we can easily do, and it's definitely something we are open to doing once we have our own home. 

M5.7 Sewage Facilities

The City of Woodland has two waste water treatment facilities. These include, Treatment Ponds at Beamer & Rd 102 built in 1950 and North Ponds built in 1970. In 1988, due to the increase in population the Woodland's Water Pollution Control Facility was built.

M5.5 Campaign for Tap Water

After learning about the harm that plastic bottles do to our environment, I believe everyone should be informed about these issues. After watching the videos on "The Story of Bottled Water" and "The Story of Stuff", companies have made us believe that we must have their various water products. When in reality, we are all purchasing the same water, but just at a different cost. I do have to agree, tap water may sometimes may not be as tasteful, but at water will always be water, it does not matter what kind of fancy bottle is stored in.

If I were to create a tap water campaign I would use the following slogan:

Think outside the bottle

Think TAP!

My campaign will focus on informing individuals about the harm of water bottles has on our environment and the various things they can do to reduce plastic bottle waste.  I will not only take my campaign to social media, but I would also take it to college campuses, public schools, and community centers, in order to educate various members of our community. I would also give out re-usable water bottles to encourage individuals to use less bottles water. 

M5.4 Consumer Confidence Reports

• What is the source of your drinking water?  Where does your water ORIGINATE?  (It is treated at a water treatment plant, but what watershed or aquifer is the sources of the water?)
• Eighteen operational groundwater wells are used to pump water thought the city. By the summer of 2016, Woodland was receiving most of it's water from the Sacramento River. Like any other water system in the country. Woodland's water goes to a treatment process for disinfection. 
• What chemicals were found in your water that were higher than expected?  
• Though, the Water Quality Report does not show any chemicals being out of range, several chemicals were close to the high range. These chemical included Radium, and Uranium. Radium had an average of 1.9 pCI/L, wich a range of 1.3-2 pCi/L. Uranium had an average of 0.6 pCi/L with as high range of .08 pCi/L
• What chemicals did you NOT expect to find in your water?
• I did not expect for the water to contain levels of Barium. According to the WQR, Barium comes from discharges of oil drilling wastes and from metal refineries. 
• Are there associated health risks with the chemicals found in your water?  (sources for this last question include the EPA, CDC, ATSDR and the National Library of Medicine's ToxNet program.

• What did you discover about your water quality?
• I was not surprised with the chemicals that I found in our water. The city does a good job at informing us about the quality of water through tv commercials and/or ads. Before moving to Woodland, I knew that the water contained various chemicals due to the surrounding agricultural fields. 
• Do you use a filter for your water?
• No, I do not use a filter for our water at home. Though we do not use tap water to drink at home, we go and fill 5-gallon bottles with water at our local store. 
• What are you trying to filter out?
• We decided not to drink water from the tap due to the taste of the water. After attempting to use a filter, we liked the water taste from the water we are able to get at our local store. 
• Do you drink bottled water? 
• No, we are 100% against the use of bottled water. We have various reusable water bottles that we use on a daily basis. For example I carry 1 1/2 gallon water bottle with me that I refill at least twice a day. 

http://www.cityofwoodland.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=14615

M5.2 Safe Drinking Water

Water is the basic unit of life; 70% of the human body is made up of water, this just tell you how important water is. Before any kind of regulation was created in the U.S, only 1/3 of the water was safe to drink and for fishing. In 1970, the population of the U.S was 205 million, but only 80 million people had access to ware that was treated by a water treatment facility. The role of any government should be to protect the water that is available and to ensure all it's citizen have access to clean water. Though, in recent says, the current administration has rolled back the water rule that prohibited companies to dump waste in water streams.

In 1972, with the opposition form President Nixon, the Clean water Act was sign into law by Congress. The purpose of the law was to restore and maintain the nations water, provide assistance to treatment facilities to assure that the water was properly treated and to maintain the wetland in the U.S. The law had several goals that have not been met. The act was to make all U.S waters fishable and swimmable by 1983, have zero water pollution discharge by 1985, and to prohibit the discharge of toxic amounts of pollutants. As of today, these goals have not been met, and it seems the the U.S is going backwards on its protection of water. The Safe drinking water Act which made made into law in 1974 ensures that public drinking water meets specific safety standards. Both acts work together to allow the EPA to pose regulations on water facilities to provide clean and safe water. These laws need to be strictly enforced to avoid dangerous chemicals in our water, the  and government should take full responsibility when citizens are not provided by clean and safe water.

M4.2 National Library ToxNet

Urea formaldehyde was used as a foam to insulate homes. Maximum exposure to formaldehyde usually occurs right after installation at 1.0 ppm but the gas can be smell year after the installation. Formaldehyde was banned due to the various health effects it had on individuals. Individuals reported having headaches, insomnia, and loss of libido. Formaldehyde is also known to irritate the eyes, nose and throat and levels that are found in living and work environments.


The bleach that we typically use for cleaning purposes is composed of sodium hypochlorite. Various risks to exposures exist that affect different populations. For example, research has shown that women who use bleach for home cleaning are at risk for non-allergic asthma and elevated neutrophil counts. In a separate study, school-aged children exposed to bleach are at higher risk for respiratory infections. Finally, bleach products such as disinfecting wipes, are commonly used in the workplace. In a study among healthcare professionals, there was an association among cleaning related chemicals (including bleach) and an increase in adult asthma. 

M.4.4 Radon

The second leading cause of lung cancer is exposure to radon gas. Radon is a radioactive gas that can not be seen or smelled. In my opinion, the general population is not informed about radon, since it's not talked about. We understand that various health risks exist due to radon exposure. In order for the population to understand the risks and learn ways to better their environment, a national campaign would work with state and local stakeholders to bring awareness to this issue. At the national level, I would work with the EPA to improve the information already available and to improve the access to that information. I would also work agencies such as the EPA and U.S Department of Health and Human Services and local Health Departments to provide radon tests to those individuals unable to afford it. I would work with various national health organizations like the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, and the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists to create educational programs at the state level to help individuals understand the risks of radon. I would also work with the department of Education, at all levels of government to incorporate Environmental and Occupational health education as part of their curriculum. Social media would take a big role in publicizing all available information and resources regarding the effects of radon.  
Using different social media and news networks, I would work with various national, state, and local organizations to promote awareness. Finally, during the Lung Cancer Awareness Month in November,  I would work with various community organizations, student groups, and local agencies to promote create events or participate in events that promote various environmental hazard that lead to lung cancer. 

M3.5 Transportation

Living in a city like Los Angeles my whole life, I have always seen transportation as an environmental and health issue. In large cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, the amount of people commuting every day makes it difficult for individuals to easily commute by foot or use bicycles. Even though, Los Angeles has become a more bike-friendly city, the amount of automobiles every day makes you question the risks of biking. In the past years, Los Angeles has improved their metro system by creating more accessible bus lines and extending their metro rail system. Even with the increased access to public transportation, the air quality in Los Angeles is very poor. Different pollutants in the air create various health problems in the population.

I now live in the City of Davis, which is extremely different than Los Angeles. Every morning, I used to feel the fresh air on my face as I rode my bike to school. Compare to Davis, the main mode of transportation is a bicycle. Davis, being a college town, most of its habitats either use public transportation, a bicycle, or they walk. This affects the air quality in the City, as its pollutants are not mainly from automobiles.

The Transportation Health Tool gave the city of Davis a high score. The number of transit trips per capita was 49.2, scoring in the 95th percentile. The number of vehicle miles per capita was 14, scoring in the 90th percentile. Using public transportation, walking, or using a bike to commute to places, increase one's physical activity. In order to address health issues, cities should create more access to public transportation and make streets safer for individuals to walk or bike as part of their commute.

M3.4 Air Pollution

I found the article Air pollution alters function, worsens asthma symptoms most interesting. The author describes a study conducted by researchers at Stanford University and UC Berkeley. The study  compared 181 children with and without asthma from Fresno and Palo Alto. Fresno, which is located in Central California is known to have one of the highest levels of air pollution.  The researchers found that chemicals in the air suppresses regulatory T cells. Regulatory T cells maintain a tolerance to non-pathogenic substances and prevent autoimmune disease. When these cells are suppressed they fail to block the inflammatory responses, similar to those responses caused by asthma. The researchers found that children in Fresno had lower levels of Treg cells compared to those children in Palo Alto. They concluded that air pollutants alter T cell functions which explains the high number of children with asthma is cities like Fresno.

I live in the City of Woodland which is part of Yolo County. 

Who and what are the top polluters in your zip code?

In 2002, Yolo county ranked among the dirtier 30% of all counties in the U.S. The top three polluters were Truck Accessories Group, releasing 112,864 pounds of pollutants, Farmers Rice Co-op with 13,909 pounds, and Equilon West Sacramento Terminal with 10,000 pounds.  The major pollutants included styrene (carcinogen, organ toxicant, reproductive toxicant), toluene (developmental toxicant), and p-xylene (developmental, organ & reproductive toxicant). 

What percent of the homes in your zipcode have lead-based paint?
In Yolo county, 2% of the houses have a high risk for lead. 

Are there Superfund sites in your zip?  (In your BLOG, make sure to tell us what a Superfund Site is)
A Superfund site is a specific location in the U.S that are polluted with hazardous materials. Yolo county has 2 Superfund sites located in the city of Davis; Frontier Fertilizer and Old Campus landfill. 

What can you tell us about the Superfund sites that are near where you live?
These sites have been known to contaminate the water in the surrounding area. For example, ground water has been contaminated with DBCP (carcinogen and reproductive toxicant), 1,2-dibromomethane (carcinogen and developmental toxicant), 1,2-dichloropropane (carcinogen), and disulfoton (developmental toxicant). 


What did you learn about the air quality in your zipcode?
In 1999, Yolo County ranked among the dirtiest 10% of all counties in the U.S. The top pollutants contributing the quality of air include; carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, PM, and sulfur dioxide emissions. In Yolo County, 83% of the days are considered to have good air quality and 17% of the days are considered to have moderate air quality. 

How about the water quality?
Yolo County contains a portion of 3 watersheds; 19% have been reported to have problems. The top pollutants of ground water include; pesticides, mercury, metals, and salinity/TDS/chlorides. Agriculture is the leading source of pollutants. 


How did your zipcode fair on a social justice / environmental justice basis?
The distribution of burden based on race/ethnicity is set to be equal among people of color and whites. A discrepancy of superfund sites exist among low income and high-income families; .071 sites per square milelow-incomencome familieis compare to .016 sites per square mile among high income families.