E– F

environmental hazard exposure Numerous sub-
stances in the environment create risk for a vari-
ety of health problems and conditions. They
include pesticides, herbicides, industrial pollu-
tants, minerals and metals, molds and fungi, BAC-
TERIA, viruses, radiation, sewage, garbage,
biological waste, and electromagnetic fields. These
substances may be naturally occurring or the con-
sequence of human actions, such as manufactur-
ing and agricultural processes. They may cause a
wide spectrum of health conditions ranging from
hypersensitivity reactions to CANCER.

HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT MAY ARISE

FROM ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD EXPOSURE

ALLERGIC RHINITIS ALZHEIMER DISEASE
ASTHMA AUTISM
brain cancer chronicBRONCHITIS
CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DERMATITIS
DISEASE(COPD) EMPHYSEMA
FIBROMYALGIA GASTROENTERITIS
HEARING LOSS HEAVY-METAL POISONING
INFECTION LIVER CANCER
LUNG CANCER MALIGNANT MELANOMA
METHEMOGLOBINEMIA MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
PNEUMONIA poisoning
thyroid disease

Often, environmental hazards may not directly
cause disease but rather become added risk factors
that, in aggregate with other factors or circum-
stances relevant to certain individuals or popula-
tion groups, increase the likelihood of disease. For
example, environmental chemicals may present
little risk to the public overall yet confer signifi-
cant risk on pregnant women. Young children are
more likely than adults to experience lead poison-

ing due to water contamination, not only because

of their smaller size but also because their bodies

are still developing and cannot yet efficiently clear

toxins. People who are IMMUNOCOMPROMISED are

highly vulnerable to INFECTIONresulting from food-

borne or waterborne viruses and bacteria, whereas

infection fails to gain a stronghold in people

whose immune systems are healthy.

Federal, state, and local agencies oversee

administration and enforcement of environmental

health laws, regulations, and standards in the

United States. Key among them are the US Cen-

ters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),

the National Center for Environmental Health, the

US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Col-

lectively, these agencies operate programs to pre-

vent, detect, mitigate, and remedy health

conditions arising from exposure to environmen-

tal hazards.

See also BUILDING-RELATED ILLNESS; DRINKING

WATER STANDARDS; FOODBORNE ILLNESSES; INDOOR AIR

QUALITY; RADIATION EXPOSURE; SICK BUILDING SYN-

DROME; WATERBORNE ILLNESSES.

environmental cigarette smoke People who do

not smoke but who live or work among people

who smoke in their presence are at risk for the

same health conditions that affect smokers,

including LUNG CANCER, CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PUL-

MONARY DISEASE(COPD), EMPHYSEMA, CARDIOVASCULAR

DISEASE (CVD), and chronic BRONCHITIS. Children

who regularly breathe cigarette smoke from

smokers in the home, also called secondhand

smoke or passive smoking, have a much higher

rate of chronic OTITISmedia (middle EAR INFECTION),

ASTHMA, allergies, and chronic bronchitis. Most

schools, workplaces, government offices, and

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