Central Question: What is the relationship between the environment and human health and how can we manage that relationship?

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Answer the following questions for each chapter section and then answer the Central Question.

11.1–11.2 Science

  • What chemical hazards are present in the environment and what are their effects?

  • How are pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and parasites spread through the environment?

11.3–11.6 Issues

  • How do bioaccumulation and biomagnification affect the concentration of toxic substances?

  • How do endocrine disruptors affect the health of humans and other organisms?

  • How has resistance to antibiotics and insecticides developed?

  • What are the challenges to controlling malaria?

11.7–11.9 Solutions

  • How do we assess risk?

  • What does risk management involve?

  • How can evolutionary biology help manage antibiotic and insecticide resistance?

Answer the Central Question:

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Environmental Health, Risk, Toxicology, and You

Environmental hazards can seem overwhelming because they come from all directions, and they can change or simply overwhelm us. In the face of such a challenge, what can you do to make a difference?

Keep up to date.

Stay current with developing issues by following news on the WHO website and other global online sources. Keep abreast of local and federal legislation that addresses health issues, for example, the FDA’s requirements for the testing of bottled water.

Apply your knowledge.

Practice good hygiene—20 seconds of hand washing with soap is more effective at removing infectious bacteria and viruses from your skin than sanitizers. Sustain healthy eating habits and take other preventative measures to avoid contracting infectious disease. Get an annual influenza vaccination. Take any antibiotics that might be prescribed by your physician for bacterial infections responsibly; finish the entire prescription and do not share your pills.

Stay involved.

Consider supporting or working with organizations that are concerned about the most pressing environmental health issues around the world. Organize neighborhood water clean-ups to remove any containers or clogged gutters that might harbor mosquito populations.