Encyclopedia of Environmental Science and Engineering, Volume I and II

338 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

and rehabilitation, enforcement of housing

occupancy and maintenance code, effective-

ness of zoning controls, and urban renewal.

Realty subdivision and mobile home park

development and control, also effect of devel-

opment on the regional surroundings and effect

of the region on the subdivision, including the

environmental impact of the subdivision.

g) Recreation facilities and open space planning,

including suitability of water quality and ade-

quacy of sewerage, solid waste disposal, water

supply, food service, rest rooms, safety, and

other facilities.

h) Food protection program—adequacy from

source to point of consumption.

i) Nuclear energy development, radioisotope and

radiation environmental control including fallout,

air, water, food, and land contamination; thermal

energy utilization or dissipation, and waste dis-

posal; naturally occurring radioactive materials;

air, water, plant, and animal surveillance; federal

and state control programs, standards; site selec-

tion and environmental impact, plant design and

operation control; emergency plans.

j) Planning for drainage, flood control, and land

use management.

k) Public health institutions and adequacy of

medical care facilities such as hospitals, nurs-

ing homes, public health centers, clinics,

mental health centers, rehabilitation centers,

service agencies.

l) Noise and vibration abatement and control.

m) Noxious weed, insect, rodent, and other

vermin control, including disease vectors and

nuisance arthropods; regulation, control, and

surveillance including pesticide use for control

of, aquatic and terrestrial plants, and vectors;

federal, state, and local programs; and effects

of water, recreation, housing, and other land

resource development.

n) Natural and manmade hazards including

safety, slides, earthquakes, brush and forest

fires, reservoirs, tides, sand storms, hurricanes,

tornadoes, high rainfall, fog and dampness,

high winds, gas and high tension transmission

lines, storage and disposal of explosive and

flammable substances and other hazardous

materials.

o) Aesthetic considerations, also wooded and

scenic areas, prevailing winds, and sunshine.

p) Laws, codes, ordinances, rules, and regulations.

q) Environmental health and quality protection;

adequacy of organization and administration.

8) The comprehensive regional plan.

a) Alternative solutions and plans.

b) Economic, social, and ecologic evaluation of

alternatives.

c) The recommended regional plan.

d) Site development and reuse plans.

9) Administration and financing.

a) Public information.

b) Administrative arrangements, management,

and costs.

c) Financing methods—general obligation bonds,

revenue bonds, special assessment bonds; taxes,

grants, incentives, federal, and state acid.

d) Cost distribution, service charges, and rates.

Capital costs—property, equipment, structures,

engineering, and legal services; annual costs

to repay capital costs, principal and interest,

taxes. Regular and special charges and rates.

e) Legislation, standards, inspection, and enforce-

ment.

f) Evaluation, research, and re-planning.

10) Appendices

a) Applicable laws.

b) Special data.

c) Charts, tables, illustrations.

11) Glossary.

12) References.

HEALTH ASPECTS

Life Expectancy

The life expectancy at birth has varied with time, geography,

and with the extent to which available knowledge concern-

ing disease prevention and control could be applied. Table 1

shows the trend in life expectancy with time. The gains in

life expectancy between 1900 and 1968 shown in Table 1a

have occurred mostly in the early years, 21 years at birth and

15.5 years at age 5, reducing to 4.8 years at age 45 and 2.4

years at age 70. The life expectancy gains are due to better

sanitation and nutrition and to the conquest of the major epi-

demic and infectious diseases including immunization and

chemotherapy.

The vital statistics in Table 2 are of interest in that

they show the changes in major causes of death in 1900

related to 1960 and the net reduction in total death rate.

Table 2a shows the leading causes of death as of 1967. The

leveling off that is apparent in the United States is due to

our inability thus far to identify the causes and to control the

chronic, non-infectious diseases such as heart disease and

cancer.

Communicable Disease Control

Although the communicable diseases as causes of death have

been largely brought under control in the more advanced

countries, this is not the case in the undeveloped areas of the

world. Even in the so-called advanced countries, illnesses

associated with contaminated drinking water and food are

not uncommon.

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