"Understanding the Connections Between Coastal Waters and Ocean Ecosystem Services and Human Health" discusses the connection of ecosystem services and human health. This report looks at the state of the science of the role of oceans in ensuring human health and identifies gaps and opportunities for future research. The report summarizes a workshop convened by the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine. Participants discussed coastal waters and ocean ecosystem services in the United States in an effort to understand impacts on human health. "Understanding the Connections Between Coastal Waters and Ocean Ecosystem Services and Human Health" focuses on key linkages by discussing the ecosystem services provided by coastal waterways and oceans that are essential for human health and well-being; examining the major stressors that affect the ability of coastal waterways and ocean systems to provide essential services; and considering key factors that can enhance the resiliency of these systems.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for assessing the extent of environmental contamination and human health consequences in the event of a radiological incident such as a terrorist incident involving radioactive materials. Although the EPA will be mainly involved in the intermediate and recovery phases of an incident response, there also may be involvement in some activities in the early phase. This book describes project method validation guidance that a radioanalytical laboratory should comply with in order to validate methods used to process samples submitted during a radiological or nuclear incident, such as that caused by a terrorist attack. These responsibilities include response and recovery actions to detect and identify radioactive substances, and to co-ordinate federal radiological monitoring and assessment activities.

Why the news about the global decline of infectious diseases is not all good. Plagues and parasites have played a central role in world affairs, shaping the evolution of the modern state, the growth of cities, and the disparate fortunes of national economies. This book tells that story, but it is not about the resurgence of pestilence. It is the story of its decline. For the first time in recorded history, virus, bacteria, and other infectious diseases are not the leading cause of death or disability in any region of the world. People are living longer, and fewer mothers are giving birth to many children in the hopes that some might survive. And yet, the news is not all good. Recent reductions in infectious disease have not been accompanied by the same improvements in income, job opportunities, and governance that occurred with these changes in wealthier countries decades ago. There have also been unintended consequences. In this book, Thomas Bollyky explores the paradox in our fight against infectious disease: the world is getting healthier in ways that should make us worry. Bollyky interweaves a grand historical narrative about the rise and fall of plagues in human societies with contemporary case studies of the consequences. Bollyky visits Dhaka-one of the most densely populated places on the planet-to show how low-cost health tools helped enable the phenomenon of poor world megacities. He visits China and Kenya to illustrate how dramatic declines in plagues have affected national economies. Bollyky traces the role of infectious disease in the migrations from Ireland before the potato famine and to Europe from Africa and elsewhere today. Historic health achievements are remaking a world that is both worrisome and full of opportunities. Whether the peril or promise of that progress prevails, Bollyky explains, depends on what we do next. A Council on Foreign Relations Book

Emissions from mobile sources contribute significantly to air pollution in the United States. Such sources include cars and light- and heavy-duty trucks; diesel-powered cranes, bulldozers, and tractors; and equipment such as lawnmowers that run on small gasoline engines. The role of state versus federal government in establishing mobile-source emissions standards is an important environmental management issue. With this in mind, Congress called on EPA to arrange an independent study of the practices and procedures by which California develops separate emissions standards from the federal government and other states choose to adopt the California standards. The report provides an assessment of the scientific and technical procedures used by states to develop or adopt different emissions standards and a comparison of those policies and practices with those used by EPA. It also considers the impacts of state emissions standards on various factors including compliance costs and emissions. The report concludes that, despite the substantial progress in reducing emissions from mobile sources nationwide, more needs to be done to attain federal air-quality standards in many parts of the country. Additionally, California should continue its pioneering role in setting emissions standards for cars, trucks, and off-road equipment. Table of Contents Front Matter Summary 1 Introduction 2 Air Quality, Emissions, and Health Impacts Overview 3 Regulation of Emissions from New Mobile Sources 4 Co-evolution of Technology and Emissions Standards 5 Assessment of Different Approaches to Setting Mobile-Source Standards 6 Light-Duty-Vehicle Emissions Standards 7 Other Case Studies 8 Recommendations References Glossary Abbreviations Appendix A Biographical Information on the Committee on State Practices in Setting Mobile Source Emissions Standards Appendix B Acronyms and Names Used for Classifying Organic Compounds Appendix C Summary of Milestones in CARB Mobile Source Emissions Regulations and Comparison with EPA Appendix D Statutory Sections Relevant to the Regulation of New Mobile Source Emissions Appendix E Public Workshop Presentations

This textbook covers the entire spectrum of topics required to completely understand air pollution. It emphasizes the atmospheric processes governing air pollution (emissions, atmospheric dispersion, chemical transformations, deposition on surfaces and ecosystems). Other areas of focus include air pollutant emission control technologies, health and environmental impacts, regulations and public policies, and interactions between climate change and air pollution. Topics are first presented conceptually, and then in terms of their fundamental aspects. Actual case studies are incorporated throughout to illustrate major air pollution phenomena, such as the dispersion of pollutants in the atmosphere, and the development of strategies to reduce urban air pollution, mitigate acid rain, and improve atmospheric visibility. Graduate students, researchers, and air quality professionals will find the full coverage of these important matters to be well suited to their needs.

"Food's Frontier" provides a survey of pioneering agricultural research projects underway in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, India, China, Chile, Brazil, Mexico, and Peru by a writer both well-grounded technically and sensitive to social and cultural issues. The book starts from the premise that the 'Green Revolution' which averted mass starvation a generation ago is not a long-term solution to global food needs and has created its own very serious problems. Based on increasing yields by extensive use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and monoculture - agribusiness-style production of single crops - this approach has poisoned both land and farm workers, encouraged new strains of pests that are resistant to ever-increasing amounts of pesticides, and killed the fertility of land by growing single crops rather than rotating crops that can replenish nutrients in the soil. Solutions to these problems are coming from a reexamination of ancient methods of agriculture that have allowed small-scale productivity over many generations. Research in the developing world, based on alternative methods and philosophies, indigenous knowledge, and native crops, joined with cutting edge technology, offer hope for a more lasting solution to the world's increasing food needs.

Latin America is one of the most diverse but also vulnerable regions in the world that is under continuous anthropogenic pressure due to increasing urban, industrial and agricultural developments. Although there are many research groups studying the impacts caused by those pressures, the results and conclusions obtained by many of them are largely unknown because their studies are mostly published at the local or regional scale. Ecotoxicology in Latin America represents an effort to collect and share research performed in Latin America in the area of ecotoxicology and environmental risk assessment, presenting a collection of relevant and innovative studies focused on the following topics: (i) Contaminant entrance, transportation, distribution and fate; (ii) Environmental risk in freshwater ecosystems; (iii) Ecological risk in coastal zones; (iv) Biomonitoring programs: water, sediment and air; (v) Physiological effects and biomarkers; (vi) Soil ecotoxicology; (vii) Bioaccumulation and human risk; (viii) Toxicity of emerging contaminants; and (ix) Frontiers in Ecotoxicology. This selection of topics aims at covering the most important subjects and applications of ecotoxicology, including classical and novel subjects. Therefore, this book contains chapters related to different environmental compartments prone to contamination (water, sediment, soil and air), to different contamination sources (agriculture, industry, urban discharges and natural emissions), and to multiple biological responses at different organizational levels (individual to ecosystems, including human beings). It is envisioned to have an international projection within and beyond Latin American countries, as it is a great opportunity to increase the networks not only among Latin American research teams working on similar subjects, but also with teams from other regions. The idea of this book was to favor the connection among groups to quickly improve the development of methods and their application in ecotoxicological and environmental risk studies in Latin America. This book will be useful to important sectors of environmental sciences and related areas, and to specific target demographics such as students and researchers acting in environmental studies, and decision-makers (i.e., politicians and environmental organizations). Ecotoxicology in Latin America presents 34 chapters authored by 111 researchers from 12 Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela) and from 6 non-Latin American countries (Austria, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and USA).

In October 2010, nine months after the massive earthquake that devastated Haiti, a second disaster began to unfold-soon to become the world's largest cholera epidemic in modern times. In a country that had never before reported cholera, the epidemic mysteriously and simultaneously appeared in river communities of central Haiti, eventually triggering nearly 800,000 cases and 9,000 deaths. What had caused the first cases of cholera in Haiti in recorded history? Who or what was the deadly agent of origin? Why did it explode in the agricultural-rich delta of the Artibonite River? When answers were few, rumors spread, causing social and political consequences of their own. Wanting insight, the Haitian government and French embassy requested epidemiological assistance from France. A few weeks into the epidemic, physician and infectious disease specialist Renaud Piarroux arrived in Haiti.In Deadly River, Ralph R. Frerichs tells the story of the epidemic-of a French disease detective determined to trace its origins so that he could help contain the spread and possibly eliminate the disease-and the political intrigue that has made that effort so difficult. The story involves political maneuvering by powerful organizations such as the United Nations and its peacekeeping troops in Haiti, as well as by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Frerichs explores a quest for scientific truth and dissects a scientific disagreement involving world-renowned cholera experts who find themselves embroiled in intellectual and political turmoil in a poverty-stricken country.Frerichs's narrative highlights how the world's wealthy nations, nongovernmental agencies, and international institutions respond when their interests clash with the needs of the world's most vulnerable people. The story poses big social questions and offers insights not only on how to eliminate cholera in Haiti but also how nations, NGOs, and international organizations such as the UN and CDC deal with catastrophic infectious disease epidemics.

Damage from hurricanes is expected to increase significantly in the coming decades because of the effects of climate change and coastal development. In turn, potential requests for federal relief and recovery efforts will increase as well. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated the magnitude of the increases in hurricane damage and the associated amounts of federal aid if historical patterns hold. This book provides a detailed discussion on the implications of increased risk on the federal budget of hurricane damage in the upcoming years.

Recent expansion in natural gas production has made the resource an increasingly significant component in the U.S. energy market. Further, a number of policies recently proposed and/or promulgated at the federal, state, and local levels may serve to accelerate this development. Examples of federal policies include U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air standards for power plants and vehicles, as well as bills introduced in the 114th Congress to promote increased natural gas production on federal lands, amend provisions in the tax code to incentivize natural gas production and use, and streamline the approval, permitting, and/or construction of natural gas infrastructure. Many of these proposals promote technology and infrastructure investments that could be significant and long lasting. For this reason, some stakeholders recommend a thorough analysis of the costs and benefits of these proposals as well as a full assessment of the economic and environmental impacts of increased natural gas development. Fuel-switching strategies from other fossil fuels to natural gas have the potential to impact many segments of the general economy, including jobs, investments, infrastructure, national security, human health, safety, and the environment. The net climate impact of replacing other fossil fuels with natural gas depends upon a number of analytic assumptions, including the choice of fuel, end-use sector, equipment, and processes modeled. This book presents a comparative analysis of the potential climate implications of switching from coal to natural gas in the domestic electric power generating sector. Furthermore, this book provides information on the natural gas industry and the types and sources of air pollutants in the sector. It examines the role of the federal government in regulating these emissions, including the provisions in the Clean Air Act and EPAs regulatory activities. It concludes with a brief discussion of the aforementioned outstanding issues.

Air pollution has been associated with significant adverse health effects, including increased morbidity and mortality. The global increase in the prevalence of diseases that are associated with exposure to air pollution is of great concern. In particular, severe PM2.5 pollution occurs in Asian countries due to increasing emissions of air pollutants caused by the countries' rapid economic growth. A number of studies have been performed to clarify the association between PM2.5 and disorders such as asthma, ischemic cardiovascular diseases, arteriosclerosis, cancer, and neurological disorders. It is important to protect populations that are susceptible to such pollution. While the characterisation and monitoring of pollutant components currently dictates pollution control policies, it will be necessary to identify susceptible populations in order to adequately target prevention strategies for the health effects of air pollution. This book offers a comprehensive review of the recent advances in our understanding of the health effects of PM2.5, the role of oxidative stress in these effects, the contribution of ultrafine fractions of PM2.5 to the health effects, and discusses prevention strategies for these health effects. It also suggests further risk assessment, risk management, and novel policies for PM2.5 pollution, required to protect public health.

This book, named one of Booklist's Top 10 books on sustainability in 2014, is the first to offer a comprehensive examination of the environmental health movement, which unlike many parts of the environmental movement, focuses on ways toxic chemicals and other hazardous agents in the environment effect human health and well-being. Born in 1978 when Lois Gibbs organized her neighbors to protest the health effects of a toxic waste dump in Love Canal, New York, the movement has spread across the United States and throughout the world. By placing human health at the center of its environmental argument, this movement has achieved many victories in community mobilization and legislative reform. In The Rise of the U.S. Environmental Health Movement, environmental health expert Kate Davies describes the movement's historical, ideological, and cultural roots and analyzes its strategies and successes.

Carbon, a major constituent of structural and energy-releasing organic molecules, is essential to life. A substantial amount of C found in soils is available as soluble organic molecules (SOM) or particulate organic matter (POM) derived from plant primary production. Available atmospheric C as CO2, used by plants during photosynthesis, is part of a larger biogeochemical cycle, including the cyclic release of CO2 by respiration in living organisms and its fixation through photosynthesis. Carbon also is fixed through biological calcification and is eventually bound in carbonate-containing rocks, especially in aquatic and marine environments. This book focuses mainly on soil carbon and its environmental benefits.

The book offers a comprehensive review of current research regarding the influences of environmental factors involved in human health and ageing. Many environmental compounds promote excessive oxidative stress, which is the primary cause of accelerated ageing and which also contributes to the development of human diseases. The basic concepts of ageing theories are discussed, as is the promotion of oxidative stress which has been identified as one of the most important mechanisms responsible for the toxic effects of the majority of environmental pollutants. Antioxidants play an important role in the defence against pollutant-induced toxicity.

Formaldehyde, one of the most widely produced chemicals in the world, is used in many products, including disinfectants, pressed wood and clothing and other textiles. Exposure to this chemical, which has been linked to adverse health effects for more than 30 years, typically occurs through inhalation and dermal contact. Formaldehyde can be used to enhance wrinkle resistance in some clothing and textiles, especially those made of cotton. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reviewed formaldehyde in clothing in the 1980s and determined that the levels found did not pose a public health concern. At that time, most clothing sold in the U.S. was made here, but the market has changed such that most U.S. clothing is now made in other countries. This book examines this market change which has raised new questions about the levels and dangers of formaldehyde in apparel, textiles and other consumer products.

Bangladesh is endowed with a vast expanse of inland openwaters characterised by rivers, canals, natural and man-made lakes, freshwater marshes, estuaries, brackish water impoundments and floodplains. The potential fish resources resulting from these are among the richest in the world; in production, only China and India outrank Bangladesh. The inland openwater fin-fish fauna is an assemblage of ~267 species, the diversity of which is attributed to the habitats created by the Bengal Delta wetlands and the confluence of the Brahmaputra, Ganges and Jamuna rivers that flow from the Himalayan Mountains into the Bay of Bengal. This book discusses the diversity of cypriniforms throughout Bangladesh.

In this book the authors examine the contribution of social scientists to the topics of health and environment. They present diverse perspectives on classical and contemporary debates by focusing on social scientific framing of environment and health, as well as on the potential contribution of social science to problem solving strategies in these fields. They trace environment and health debates to the classical scholars and examine the evolution of contemporary academic disciplines concerned with health and environment. Finally, they address current complex relationships between human health and environmental problems, and between human and non-human interests.

This book discusses and analyses how ecological models and approaches could contribute to improve human health. In the first section of the book, the evolution of human thought will be redrawn, from ancient conceptions of the world up to the most recent ecological models. The second section of the book presents a review of ecological theories, models, and approaches relevant to the field of health. The text proceeds in an historical perspective and from general to specific: generic theoretical referents followed by referents specific to a field of practice, a discipline, a population, or a situation. Numerous examples are provided. In the third section, common characteristics of ecological theories, models and approaches are described: 1) the consideration of personal, environmental, and occupational components, and the consideration of interactions between them; 2) the positive vision of health; 3) the focus on empowerment, self-determination, and self-regulation of individuals, and finally, 4) the fact that ecological interventions occur mostly in natural environments, where the person interacts with his or her environment and performs his or her occupations, rather than in institutions or hospitals. The fourth section deepens the concepts of environment and interactions, since these concepts were to date less defined in previous publications. New theoretical referents are proposed for these two elements. The fifth section presents the results of numerous studies with the aim of providing scientific evidence in support of ecological models and approaches. These studies are grouped according to the targeted components, which are the person, environment or occupation, as well as the interactions between these components. Finally, the sixth section brings a different perspective. Some fundamental ecological mechanisms of interaction are analysed according to human health and to the current context: demographic changes, climate change, depletion of resources, new diseases, pandemic risks and others. These events will, without a doubt, provoke a budgetary crisis which governments and health care systems will have to face; thus supporting the urgency to adopt ecological approaches. Many research questions are proposed to improve knowledge in the field of human ecology in this section. Concrete suggestions are also identified in order to improve population health. The conclusion presents a lucid and global synthesis of the situation. Humanity is at a stage never reached before, notably because of the presence of so many individuals on earth. Furthermore, human beings possess powerful abilities and technological possibilities but also the awareness and the responsibility which these elements confer to us. All health professionals are called to contribute to necessary efforts in favour of population health, now and for future generations, in a sustainable development perspective.

Pain management (also called pain medicine) is the discipline concerned with the relief of pain. Acute pain, such as occurs with trauma, often has a reversible cause and may require only transient measures and correction of the underlying problem. In contrast, chronic pain often results from conditions that are difficult to diagnose and treat, and that may take a long time to reverse. Some examples include cancer, neuropathy, and referred pain. Often, pain pathways (nociceptors) are set up that continue to transmit the sensation of pain even though the underlying condition or injury that originally caused pain has been healed. In such situations, the pain itself is frequently managed separately from the underlying condition of which it is a symptom, or the goal of treatment is to manage the pain with no treatment of any underlying condition (e.g. if the underlying condition has resolved or if no identifiable source of the pain can be found.Pain management generally benefits from a multidisciplinary approach that includes pharmacologic measures (analgesics such as narcotics or NSAIDs and pain modifiers such as tricyclic antidepressants or anticonvulsants), non-pharmacologic measures (such as interventional procedures, physical therapy and physical exercise, application of ice and/or heat), and psychological measures (such as biofeedback and cognitive therapy). This new book presents the latest research in this growing field.

This volume presents the recent developments in the field of arsenic in soil and groundwater. Arranged into nine sections, the text emphasizes the global occurrences of arsenic in the environment, particularly on its source, pathways, behavior, and effects it has on soils, plants, water, animals, and humans. It also covers the diverse issues of arsenic in the mining environment, arsenic emanating from hydrothermal springs, and the geochemical modeling of arsenic adsorption to oxide surfaces. Finally, the text includes different cost effective removal mechanisms of arsenic from drinking water using natural red earth, solar oxidation, and arsenic oxidation by ferrrate.
Written in simple English, and few technical terms, the book is designed to create interest within the countries with occurrences of arsenic in drinking water with
-an update the current status of knowledge on the dynamics of natural arsenic from the aquifers through groundwater to food chain and efficient techniques for arsenic removal.
-serve as a standard text book for graduate, postgraduate students and researchers in the field of Environmental Sciences and Hydrogeochemistry as well as researchers, environmental scientists and chemists, toxicologists, medical scientists and even for general public seeking an in-depth view of arsenic which had been classed as a carcinogen.
-bring awareness, among administrators, policy makers and company executives, on the problem and to improve the international cooperation