EnvironAndOccupHealth

The only sewage facility in Sacramento is called the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. It is located near Elk Grove, which is a city about 15 miles south of Sacramento. There are 4 local sewer agencies that operate the 169 miles of pipes that flow to the regional treatment plant. The company that owns and operates the services, Regional Sans, serves about 1.4 million residents, treating 130 million gallons of wastewater each day.

"Give tap a try, before you buy." I think increasing awareness about tap water, such as that it is very regulated, even more so than bottled water, can help change preconceptions about tap water. Also, being transparent about the possibility of it being dirty from pipes, etc. and offering possible solutions would be informative. For example, putting a filter on the sink faucet or filtering water through something like a filtration container are options. And showing the process of bottled water and how much impact it has on the environment could also be a way to curb bottled water consumption. 

Sacramento gets 72% of their water from the American and Sacramento Rivers, and the remaining 28% from groundwater. The report stated that our water passed all state and federal drinking water regulations. But it also stated that it was reasonable to expect some small amounts of contaminants including things such as viruses, bacteria, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds. It was somewhat challenging to decipher the meaning of some of the numbers.  But it appeared there there were chemicals present in the water in levels higher than normal, such as flouride and arsenic.  I was not expecting to see that levels of arsenic are higher than state or federal goals. The highest allowed amount in drinking water is 10 units and the range in our groundwater is at 7 with an average of 2.7. This is a lot higher than the 0.004 state and federal goal, which is a little concerning since arsenic has been shown to cause cancer in humans at high concentrations and is associated wi...

Safe drinking water is very important considering we are made up of mostly water and cannot survive more than a few days without it. Although, more than a billion people do not have access to this resource, many more people use more than needed in their daily lives. It was concerning to see that Americans consume twice the daily amount of water compared to another industrial nation, the UK. Additionally, the pollution of water is also creating problems. Legislation like The Clean Water Act of 1972 is important for public health reasons because it helped curb pollution from entering our waterways used for daily living. Drinking contaminated water can spread disease and create other health issues. Since water is used from our underground aquifers to water farmland, contaminated water can also affect our crops. If other bodies of water, like lakes and streams are dirty in areas where humans and animals live, it can create hazardous conditions in the surrounding environment.

Before this class, I had never heard of radon and the threat it poses. I think it is amazing that it is not talked about more, as it kills more people than carbon monoxide gas, which has similar properties in that it can’t be detected by our senses. Building a national awareness campaign could look similar to how it has been done with other health issues, specifically looking at the success for increasing carbon monoxide awareness. Now, most people are aware of its dangers, and have carbon monoxide detectors in their homes. For example, a public service announcement can be released by an organization like Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and shared by media outlets and in other health-related service areas. A campaign flyer and educational materials could also be helpful to spread the message. Some important stakeholders would be the American Lung Association, the CDC, state health departments, emergency management and consumer safety, and state and local level...

Urea formaldehyde presents hazardous effects to humans. It has been shown to cause cancer of the nasopharynx and leukemia. It is also an irritant to the skin and eyes, along with causing adverse reactions such as vomiting, nausea, headache and other side effects of there is high exposure. Bleach is another chemical that can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, nose and throat. It can lead to coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest pain at high inhalation levels. Extreme levels can cause loss of oxygen, which may lead to cardiac arrest or even death. If there is direct contact with bleach, it may burn the skin and eyes. Bleach has not been assessed for its association with cancer. Both of these chemicals are common and used in everyday products. It is a little alarming that urea formaldehyde is present in things that I am unaware of and with such negative health impacts, and I don't think it is labeled in those products. At least with bleach, I can chose whether or no...

In my everyday life, I use my car often. I live in Sacramento County, where the public transportation is not the best and places can be spread out. Almost everyone I know owns and uses a car on a daily basis. Fortunately, where I live and work are not far from each other. My commute consists of about a 5-10 min drive one way. But if I need to run errands or meet up with someone, I almost always take my car. Although, I have moved to a more urban part of the city, I have yet to start riding my bike places. There are not always bike paths and the reality that most people are in cars, makes it not the most bike friendly city. But recently, the city has been pushing more ways of transportation. A new motorized bike company has put bikes around our downtown area, which can be borrowed using your credit card, which can be inserted directly on the bike. They can be left/locked to a pole anywhere, and they seems to be gaining in popularity. I would imagine in more rural areas or spread out...

I couldn't find zip code specific information but instead was based on County data. The top polluter in my community, Sacramento County, was Procter & Gamble, who released 59,611 pounds of pollutants into the air in 2002. There are approximately 5,800 housing units, or 1%, that have a high risk of lead-based paint hazards. But the number of units with lead could possibly be higher because 52,000 units were built prior to 1950. In my county, there are also 4 superfund sites, which are areas of land contaminated by hazardous waste and pose serious health risks. These include: 1 AEROJET GENERAL CORP. 2 MATHER AIR FORCE BASE 3 MCCLELLAN AIR FORCE BASE (GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION) 4 SACRAMENTO ARMY DEPOT One of these contributors, Aerojet has been releasing hazardous waste on their site since 1953. The northeast part of their site lies a half mile away from the American River. In addition, an aquifer located 80 feet beneath the surface, is used for ground water that supp...

Environmental justice is more of a newer term for me, although not a new concept. My initial thoughts reading about the inequalities of neighborhoods disproportionately affecting people of color are that these are rooted in our nation's beginnings.  There has been a devaluing of certain races and ethnicities, especially demonstrated against African Americans and also Native Americans. Housing segregation was created by governmental policies, such as mortgage discrimination in which banks could deny loans to areas that were redlined as "high risk." Other legislation like the GI bill of 1944 furthered segregation practices, as African Americans would face discrimination when buying homes. I think these issues surrounding environmental justice should be talked about more, but it will take people to stand up. Similarly, to the hazardous chemicals present in our lives, big companies and sometimes the government will keep people in the dark about things because it can be b...

After watching these videos and readings, the primary point I got from it was that we have all been highly exposed to chemicals and that certain areas/populations are more susceptible. Throughout my courses in this public health program, we have talked a lot about social health determinants and how where you grow up plays a major role in health outcomes. Factors like neighborhood safety, food access, pollution, and education have all been mentioned, but the exposure to chemicals was not brought up as much. In the video, "Little Things Matter," they found that out of the 100 kids tested, all of them had levels of lead, PCBs and PDBEs in their bodies. Seeing how everyone of us has been exposed to chemicals, it seems that the topic would be more highly recognized and addressed. Rises in disease, such as the 1000 percent increase in autism over 30 years and 40 percent increase in women infertility rates as stated in the UC Davis Mind Institute video about neurodevelopment d...

After getting those results, I think I would initially feel surprised and somewhat shocked. I would have expected some chemicals in my body but maybe not at those levels. And, because of taking this course, I would begin to feel worried at the effects that it would have later on my long-term health. It would definitely push me to change some of my lifestyle and I'd probably become hyperaware of what I was consuming or being exposed to. Would these levels already be high enough to be affecting me currently? What exposed me to such high levels of these chemicals? I would probably also have thoughts about how the government's regulation on these hazards is really poor and how more needs to be done to prevent such chemicals from accumulating in our bodies, especially in babies and kids.

The two products I reviewed included:  - Lysol Disinfecting Wipes: Citrus  - Arm and Hammer Deodorizing Powder Both products were listed as a "1" on the health rating scale, with relatively low hazard concern. I was not expecting the Arm and Hammer powder to be a problem since it seemed mostly comprised of baking soda. But I was surprised that the wipes did not have more chemicals that were dangerous. Even the scent from the wipes smells like chemicals, but it is relieving to know it is not bad to use. I am also relieved I won't have to change the deodorizer for my cat litter. The actual litter I use was not available on the list to review, but there were some on the list that mentioned cancer hazards and respiratory effects by inhalation. It is disturbing to think that you can be exposing yourself to cancer just by breathing when changing your cat's litter. It is something that everyone who owns a cat should be aware of. But of course, companies will not nece...

I reviewed the following products:  - Avalon Organics nourishing lavender shampoo  - Shea Moisture raw shea butter body lotion I was somewhat surprised that my shampoo had some chemicals in it that had developmental and reproductive toxicity and also a moderate amount that affected allergies and immunotoxicity. But what I did not expect was to see ingredients that I thought were healthy, listed as concerns. For example aloe barbadensis leaf juice, also known as aloe vera gel, had developmental and reproductivity, and cancer concerns. I clicked on the link and found that it had these potential effects only if it was non-decolorized. As I was not exactly sure what that meant, I looked at a few other sites and found that it was considered safe. Also, in the body lotion there was an ingredient called "essential oil blend" that I never would have thought would be of concern, but the site gave it a moderate hazard score. The two products reviewed both seem relatively safe b...