Our Global Environment: A Health Perspective, Eighth Edition

✍ Scribed by Anne Nadakavukaren, Jack Caravanos

• Publisher: Waveland Press, Inc.
• Year: 2020
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 532
• Edition: 8
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Our Global Environment, regarded for decades as the quintessential introduction to environmental health for its authoritative coverage and cogent prose, provides a richly detailed survey of current environmental issues. In compelling language, Anne Nadakavukaren and new coauthor Jack Caravanos describe the crucial interdependence between humans and their environment, exploring the varied ways in which human activities have impacted, degraded, or altered the environment, and the consequences to both natural ecosystems and human health and well-being.

The eighth edition features a new chapter on climate change and the public health impacts of global warming, incorporating the latest assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change with regard to the physical science basis, mitigation efforts, and adaptation strategies. Extensive revisions and updates throughout the volume reflect current topics of concern, including the magnitude of global hunger and malnutrition, outbreaks of the Zika virus, vaping and the incidence of serious lung injury, MTBE contamination of groundwater, recycling of lead-acid batteries in developing countries, mercury exposure among artisanal gold miners, and lead-contaminated drinking water in Flint, Michigan, and other communities.

Readers will appreciate the addition of 16 pages of color images as well as the authors' emphasis on opportunities for public participation in the decision-making processes that profoundly influence health and environmental quality.

Not-for-sale instructor resource material available to college and university faculty only; contact publisher directly.

✦ Table of Contents

Title Page
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part 1 - People, Progress, and Nature: Is Conflict Inevitable?
Chapter 1 - Introduction to Ecological Principles
Ecosystems
Biotic Community
Ecological Dominants
Biomes
Tundra
Taiga
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Grasslands
Desert
Tropical Rain Forest
Ecological Niches
Limiting Factors
Limits of Tolerance
Energy Flow through the Biosphere
Laws of Thermodynamics
Food Chains
Ecological Pyramids
Biogeochemical Cycling
Gaseous Cycles
Sedimentary Cycles
Change in Ecosystems
Succession
Chapter 2 - Population Dynamics
Population Attributes
Limits to Growth
Homeostatic Controls
Population Growth Forms
S-Curve
J-Curve
Human Population Growth
Historical Trends in Human Population Growth
Doubling Time
Birth Rates, Death Rates, and Fertility Rates
Growth Rates
Population Explosion
Demographic Transition
Age Structure
Urbanization
Population Projections
Efforts to Limit Population Growth
Early Attempts at Family Limitation
Modern Family-Planning Movement
Birth Control— Its Health Impact
Age of Mother
Interval between Births
Total Number of Births
Family Planning in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Spreading the Word
Motivation—The Key to Success
Population Policy: Moving Beyond Birth Control
Chapter 3 - The People-Food Predicament
Food Supply
Factors Influencing Food Demand
Extent of Hunger
Causes of Hunger
Health Impact of Hunger
Malnutrition
Micronutrient Deficiencies
Prospects for Reducing World Hunger
Expanding the Amount of Land Under Cultivation
Increasing World Fish Catch
Aquaculture
Reducing Post-Harvest Food Losses
Eating Lower on the Food Chain
Improving Yields per Acre
Chapter 4 - Impacts of Growth on Ecosystems
Degradation of Land Resources
Overgrazing
Soil Erosion
Deforestation
Desertification
Wetlands Loss
Loss of Biodiversity
Direct Killing or Collecting of Wildlife for Food, Pleasure, or Profit
Introduction of Invasive Species
Pollution of Air and Water with Toxic Chemicals
Habitat Destruction
Climate Change
Protecting Biodiversity: The Endangered Species Act
Part 2 - Our Toxic Environment: Does Everything Cause Cancer?
Chapter 5 - Environmental Disease
Mutation
Types of Mutations
Cause of Mutations
Environmental Epigenetics
Birth Defects
Cancer
What Causes Cancer?
How Does Cancer Develop?
Environmental Carcinogens
Preventing Cancer
Chapter 6 - Toxic Substances
Assessing Toxicity
Assessing Health Risk
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
How Could This Situation Come About?
PCB Threat to Health
Dioxin (TCDD)
Asbestos
Asbestos-Related Diseases
Asbestos Problems in Public Buildings
Asbestos Abatement
Legal Status of Asbestos
Lead
Sources of Lead
Route of Entry into Body
Biological Effects
Lead Poisoning: Treatment and Prevention
Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning
Mercury
Health Effects of Mercury Exposure
Regulating Mercury
Chapter 7 - Pests and Pesticides
What Is a Pest?
Problems Caused by Pests
Resource Competition
Sources of Discomfort
Vectors of Disease
Pest Control
Early Attempts at Pest Control
Types of Pesticides
Environmental Impact of Pesticide Use
Development of Resistance
Killing of Nontarget Species
Environmental Contamination
Hazards to Human Health
Alternatives to Chemical Pest Control
Natural Enemies
Microbial Pesticides (or “Biopesticides”)
Sex Attractants
Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs)
Sterile Insect Technique
Host Plant Resistance
Sanitation
Chapter 8 - Food Quality
Food Contaminants
Aesthetic Contaminants
Antibiotics and Growth Hormones
Pesticides
Organic Foods and Globalization
Food Additives
Foodborne Disease: Natural Toxins in Food
Mushrooms
Water Hemlock (Cicuta maculata)
Castor Bean (Ricinus communis)
Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium)
Ergot (Claviceps purpurea)
Aflatoxin
Certain Fish and Shellfish
Foodborne Disease: Microbial Contamination
Bacteria
Viruses
Parasites
Preventing Foodborne Disease
Sanitation
Time-Temperature Control
Chapter 9 - Radiation
Ionizing Radiation
Radiation Exposure
Health Impacts of Ionizing Radiation
Types of Ionizing Radiation
Dosage
High-Level vs. Low-Level Radiation Exposure
Radiation-Induced Mutations
Radiation and Birth Defects
Radiation-Induced Cancer
Ionizing Radiation and Nuclear Power Generation
Front-End
Power Production
Back-End
Ultraviolet Radiation
Depletion of the Ozone Layer
The “Hole in the Sky”
Policy Response—The Montreal Protocol
Microwaves
Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs)
Part 3 - Environmental Degradation: How We Foul Our Own Nest
Chapter 10 - Climate Change, Public Health, and Renewable Energy
Introduction
Earth History
Climate Change Is Unequivocal
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Composition of the Atmosphere
Regions of the Atmosphere
Radiation Balance
Climate Change Science
The Greenhouse Effect
Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)
CO2 Sinks
The Albedo Effect
Warming Ocean Waters
Thermal Expansion
Oceans as Sinks
Rate of Global Warming
The Hockey Stick Controversy
Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs)
Anthropogenic versus Natural Climate Drivers
Public Health Impacts of Climate Change
Extreme Weather
Food Insecurity
Emerging Infectious Diseases: Zoonotic Diseases
Air Pollution
Freshwater Impacts
Chemical Exposures
National Security Concerns
Shifting Ecosystems and Loss of Biodiversity
Additional Impacts
Prevention, Mitigation, and Adaptation Strategies
Policy
Mitigation Strategies
Adaptation
Averting Catastrophe
Clean Energy and Climate Change
Energy Efficiency
Lighting
Appliances
Home Weatherization Programs
“Green” Buildings and Biophilic Design
Transportation
Smart Grid
Alternative Energy Technologies
Wind Power
Solar Energy Technologies
Geothermal Energy
Biofuels
Other Possibilities
Future Outlook
Chapter 11 - Air Pollution
Sources of Air Pollution
Criteria Air Pollutants
Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs)
Impact of Air Pollution on Human Health
The Air Pollution-Health Connection
Major Health Effects
Pollution Control Efforts— The Clean Air Act
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
Emission Limitations for New Stationary Sources of Pollution
Strict Emission Standards for Automobiles
Regulation of Hazardous Air Pollutants through Technology-Based Controls
Acid Deposition Controls
Global Air Quality Trends
Acid Deposition
What Is Acid Deposition?
Extent of the Problem
Formation of Acid Rain
Long-Distance Transport
Regional Vulnerability to Acid Rain
Environmental Effects of Acid Rain
Acid Rain Controls
Indoor Air Pollution
Radon Gas
Products of Combustion
Formaldehyde
Chemical Fumes and Particles
Biological Pollutants
Sick Building Syndrome
Chapter 12 - Noise Pollution
Sources of Noise
Noise as a Nuisance
Nature of Sound
Noise and Hearing Loss
Mechanism of Hearing Loss
Effects of Hearing Loss
Other Effects of Noise
Stress and Related Health Effects
Teratogenic Effects of Noise
Effects of Noise on Learning Ability
Safety Aspects of Noise
Sleep Disruption
Noise Control Efforts
Chapter 13 - Water Resources
Hydrologic Cycle
Water Quantity and Health
Water Supply: Our Next Crisis?
Impact of Population Growth on Water Demand
Groundwater
Nature of Groundwater
Groundwater Pollution
Groundwater Depletion
Natural Recharge
Water Management: Increasing Supply versus Reducing Demand
Water Consumption
Water Conservation
Chapter 14 - Water Pollution
Controlling Water Pollution: The Clean Water Act
Sources of Water Pollution
Point Sources
Nonpoint Sources
Point and Nonpoint Control
Municipal Sewage Treatment
Primary Treatment
Secondary Treatment
Advanced Wastewater Treatment (Tertiary Treatment)
Disinfection
Biosolids Management
New Approaches to Wastewater Treatment
Septic Systems
Industrial Discharges
Direct Versus Indirect Discharges
Need for Pretreatment of Indirect Industrial Discharges
Industrial Accidents, Spills, and Stormwater Runoff
Water Pollution and Health
Microbial Waterborne Disease
Water Purification
Chemical Contaminants in Drinking Water
Safe Drinking Water Act
Looking Ahead
Chapter 15 - Solid and Hazardous Wastes
Waste Disposal—A Brief History
Municipal Solid Wastes (MSW)
Municipal Waste Collection and Disposal
Current Waste Disposal Alternatives
Sanitary Landfilling
Source Reduction
Recycling
Composting
Waste Combustion
Hazardous Wastes
The Love Canal Story
What Is “Hazardous” Waste?
Generation of Hazardous Wastes
Threats Posed by Careless Disposal
Methods of Hazardous Waste Disposal
Siting Problems
Hazardous Waste Management Legislation: RCRA
“Superfund”
Household Hazardous Wastes
Appendix - Environmental Agencies of the Federal Government
References
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Index