Final Blog

In the beginning, I was not looking forward to this class because I took environmental health as an undergraduate for my major and I did not find it interesting at all. I think it was mostly the lecturer was not very good at lecturing and made the topics seem boring. On the other hand, I think Dr. Sattler is a great lecturer and she's very good at storytelling which made the topics very interesting. I think she did a very good job at emphasizing and explaining the public health impacts and implications of the environmental health issues. This definitely helped me make more connections to environmental issues with public health and the overall understanding of environmental health. The small group blogging was a great learning exercise because I get to read my group members' opinions, ideas, and learnings, which then leads me to learn something new as well. My only feedback is that I wish we could've used canvas as our platform to blog. I feel like it will be organized if each module has its own discussion board so all blog entries will be in the same place, which makes replying easier.

M12.9 Climate Change

What I personally find troubling about climate change is that humans are setting up themselves for extinction, but they are not doing anything progressive to address the issue. The government tells us to use less water by taking shorter showers and don't water your lawn, and take public transportation. However, I think these actions are too small to significantly address climate change. As a public health professional, I think we need to push for using renewable energy and decreasing animal livestock. It will be a challenge to convince the public to eat less meat and that eating meat is what greatly contributes to climate change. If I were to define and describe climate change to someone, I would say that it is extreme changes of the weather we normally see throughout the year, for example, warmer regions are experiencing higher rises in temperature, and colder regions are experiencing much lower temperatures than that usually would. Additionally, natural disasters are more extreme and catastrophic. I would also say that human health is also affected because homes are being destroyed, therefore facing displacement, and crops are also destroyed or aren't growing due to extreme weather changes, therefore depletion of food sources. Not only is it just physical health, but the stress and trauma that comes with experiencing natural disasters affect mental health as well.

M11.5 Zero Waste Life

Like the young woman said in her Ted talk, quitting plastic is not an easy thing to do. The past two years I've switched to living a more minimalistic lifestyle and through that, I discovered about zero waste life. As I learned how people live a zero waste life and compared their way of life to my lifestyle, I realized how it can be difficult. Like the speaker mentioned, you have to do a lot of research to build a zero waste lifestyle. Although I cannot see myself living a zero waste lifestyle, I try my best to not produce that much waste. Similar to the speaker, I also get frustrated when people get take-away food and the plastic that comes with it that will be eventually be thrown away in the next hour or so. I always meal-prep and bring my own lunch to work so I don't have to take-away food. I always use a reusable water bottle. Recently, with Starbucks slowly phasing out straws in their stores, had got me to consider using a reusable straw. I rarely buy drinks but on those occasions I do, I don't want to use a plastic straw. I always carry reusable bags with me whenever I go grocery shopping. One thing I want to improve on is to not shop so much on Amazon because of all the plastic it produces from its packaging.

M10.8 Occupational-related disease

Byssinosis is a lung disease caused by prolonged inhalation of textile fiber dust and primarily affects workers in cotton processing, hemp or flax industries. According to Corn (1981), recognition of byssinosis came late. In the late 1960s, medical professionals stated that the disease does not exist within the American textile mills. It is not until the 1970s the science community showed that it does exist. With the mobilization of public opinion, changes in social attitudes, new scientific evidence, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act led to setting standards to control and eradicate byssinosis called the Cotton Dust Standard There is the Task Force for Byssinosis Prevention and they include OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Department of Agriculture, the National Cotton Council, the American Textile Manufacturers Institute and the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees. The last regulatory review of the standard was done in 2000, and the new amendment stated that "textile manufacturers that use an improved method of washing raw cotton to eliminate the risk of 'brown lung' will be exempt from all provisions of the OSHA cotton dust standard."

Citations:
Corn, J. K. (1981). Byssinosis—An historical perspective. American journal of industrial medicine, 2(4), 331-352.
https://www.ehstoday.com/news/ehs_imp_34273

M10.5 Occupational safety and health organization

The organization I chose to explore is CalOSHA and I selected their respirable crystalline silica safety program to read up on. Construction workers have potential exposures to respirable crystalline silica, and since my dad is a construction worker, this program caught my attention. Respirable crystalline silica can cause silicosis (lung fibrosis), lung cancer, and other serious health effects. The program set standards to control employee exposures to respirable crystalline silica. The standards are:

• requires all employers to protect employees from exposures that exceed the "permissible exposure limit" (PEL) for respirable crystalline silica
• applies to occupational exposures in construction, except where exposures will remain below the "action level" under any foreseeable conditions
• applies to all occupational exposures except construction work, agricultural operations, and exposures from the processing of sorptive clays

By learning about this type of exposure among construction workers, I want to ask my dad if he has any knowledge about his occupational health risks. 

M10.1

My dad is a contruction worker and some of the health and safety issues he experinces are:

• pain from physical overexertion or working in uncomfotable positions
• exposure to lead, wood dust, asbestos, paints, solvents, and other toxic chemicals or materials
• working in hot weather and being over exposed UV rays
• working with hand tools, powered tools and heavy powered equipment
• loud noises
• working at heights
• electrical hazards

According to the hierarchy of controls, these issues can be addressed with personal protective equipment. My dad has equipment to protect himself such as wearing hard hats, gloves, masks, and googles. It is unfortunate that these health and safety issues can be addressed by removing or replacing the hazard– my dad need to work with hand and powered tools and use wood, paints, and other solvents in order to build things. A barrier that my dad might or may have experienced in exercising his right to a healthy and safe workplace is a language barrier since he is an immigrant and does not understand and speak English very well. 

M10.2 MSDS and ToxNet

I decided to look up the Material Safety Data Sheet of a nail salon worker and chose to read up about a base coat product. The product contains the hazardous chemicals trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide and hydroxyethylmethacrylate. The health risks associated with these chemicals are potential allergic skin reaction, damage of fertility or the unborn child, and repiratory issues. 
The precautionary statements are:

• Obtain special instructions before use
• Do not handle until all safety precautions have been read and understood
• Avoid breathing vapors
• Contaminated work clothing should not be allowed out of the workplace
• Wear protective gloves, eye protection
• IF ON SKIN: Wash with plenty of Wash off immediately with soap and plenty of water

I believe that the safety data sheet is an adequate tool for nail salon workers to understand about the chemicals they are working with because the data sheet lists out the ingredients and its potential health risks, first aid measure, firefighting measures, accidental release measures, and handling and storage instructions. However, the worker will need to be at a 6th grade reading level to understand. In California, many nail salon workers are Asian immigrants and do not read or speak English, therefore this population are most likely not reading the data sheets and are not educated about their occupational health. 

M9.4 Heavy Metals

I am curious about CDC's thought process of setting the acceptable blood lead level of 60 μg/dl during the 1970s. If there were no significant meta-analysis studies that proved at which blood lead level was dangerous, how did CDC decide on that blood lead level? Then when newer studies were published, and CDC decided to drop that level to 10 μg/dl, I am still confused on why they chose that level. Since there are studies showing the serious health effects lead exposure, I would assume CDC to put out a statement to inform the public that even if there is no safe level established, due to findings of negative health effects, any type of exposure to lead should be taken seriously. I feel that just by lowering the acceptable blood lead level is not a preventative measure to protect public health.

M9.3 Green Chemistry

This is my first time hearing and learning about green chemistry. After learning how we are always surronded and exposed to toxic chemicals, it is relieving to know that there are safer and "greener" alternatives. I am also glad to learn that there is the Green Chemistry initiative to address the issues of toxic chemicals so in the future we can have greener and safer alternatives. The 12 principles of green chemistry take on a preventitative lens so little to no harm can be done when a new chemical product or process is created. I think the principles are great measures that scientists must strictly abide to when innovating a new chemical product because they are safety measures, so if not followed, there will be public health consequences. If the green chemistry principles had been applied when plastic was invented, the Earth would be so much different. We would not have so much landfill and pollution, and animals and sea creatures' life and habitat would not be harmed.

M9.2 Six Chemical Classes

After learning about the six classes of chemicals, I realized humans are always in contact and exposed to those chemicals. We are always surrounded by these harmful chemicals and I feel like it would be a challenge and at times a hassle to avoid all of those six classes of chemicals. I do want to live healthier and I plan on slowly replacing with safer alternatives. It was also shocking to learn that even if some products label themselves as free of certain toxic chemicals, the replacement is just as or more harmful than the previous one. Knowing this, I will not automatically trust labels with these kinds of statements, and I will take matters into my own hands and do my own research.

The chemical I choose to learn more in-depth about is antimicrobials because I always thought it was a good chemical. I was surprised to learn that this class of chemicals is hurting our health by killing beneficial microorganisms on our bodies. I understand why antimicrobials would be used in soaps and items we touch a lot like yoga mats and kitchenware, but I was surprised antimicrobials are in toothpaste and cosmetics as well.

M8.5 An Ideal Chemical Policy

I think the Lousiville Charter for Safer Chemicals outlined the essential elements for an effective chemical safety policy. Those essential elements are: 

1. Require safer substitutes and solutions
2. Phase out persistent, bioaccumulative, or highly toxic chemicals
3. Give the public and workers the full right-to-know and participate
4. Act on early warnings
5. Require comprehensive safety data for all chemicals
6. Take immediate action to protect communities and workers

Other elements outlined in the Lautenberg Act are:

1. Requires safety finding for new chemicals
2. Health-based safety standard
3. Give EPA authority to require testing of chemicals

One of the flaws of the Toxic Substance Control Act is that it mandates there needs to be evidence that a chemical posed a risk before it could require testing. Waiting for evidence wastes time and more people can be exposed during the wait. Effective public health protection starts with acting on early warning signs. Prevention is a key service of public health, and prevent means that health professionals cannot ignore warning signs, even if there is no significant evidence. Health professionals need to act on early warning signs in order to produce significant evidence. 

M8.4 Chemical Policy Reform

The background paper I have chosen to read is "Give the Public and Workers the Full Right-to-Know and Participate." The paper talks about how the public has the right-to-know because they are the ones who are constantly exposed to toxic chemicals through the air, water, land, food,  and consumer products in every setting of their lives. I agree with the paper that if there is full disclosure of toxic chemicals, there will be more meaningful discussions about policy changes. In order to have persuasive policy briefs, relevant data is essential to convince those who are in power to make changes. The paper also stated that advocating right-to-know helps people communicate simple ideas to overcome polluters' money and influence. Polluters' may have the power now through their money and influence, but that power and influence can be shifted onto the public if they are given the information about the toxic chemicals they are exposed to. By knowing the harms, the public will be able to make informed decisions, and if a whole mass of people does not support companies that have toxic chemicals in their products, those companies lose money and eventually their influences. Supporting the right-to-know can lead to industries put human health first rather than profits. 

M8.3 Pesticides

My last meal was pasta with vegan sausage. The spaghetti product was made from whole grains, the tomato sauce was made from organic tomatoes, and the vegan sausage was made from wheat gluten. From the website, it stated that wheat grain has 4 pesticide residues, which are deltamethrin, azoxystrobin, boscalid, and metconazole. Conventional tomatoes contain an astounding 35 pesticides residues! Of these pesticides, 3 are known or probable carcinogens, 12 are suspected hormone disruptors, 6 are neurotoxins, and 3 are developmental and reproductive toxins. Tomatoes are on the list of EWG's dirty dozen, so I am glad I have chosen an organic tomato product. The public health implications are that the government needs to ban these chemicals being used on the foods that we consume and the government needs to incentive growers to grow foods organically. 

M7.8 Topic of Interest of Literature Review

My topic for my literature review is octinoxate and its health effects. Octinoxate is one of the most widely used ultraviolet radiation filter in personal care products, specifically in sunscreens. The federal agency that provides information about and have authority over cosmetics is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The agency has a voluntary Cosmetic Registration Program where manufacturers can register their products that are being sold in the market. The law does not require cosmetics to be FDA-approved in order to go on the market, however, the agency can regulate them. The two major laws relevant to cosmetics sold in America is the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act (gives FDA the power to oversee the safety of food, drug, and cosmetics) and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (requires all consumer products to be label what they are, their contents, and where they were manufactured). Since FDA does not require safety testing of ingredients in personal care products, people are exposed to potentially harmful chemicals. In May 2017, the Personal Care Products Safety Act was introduced by California Senator Dianne Feinstein to the Senate, and it is cosponsored by California Senator Kamala Harris. The act "amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require cosmetics companies to register their facilities with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and to submit to the FDA cosmetic ingredient statements that include the amounts of a cosmetic's ingredients." 

M7.7 Agency's Role

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) protects and promotes agricultural health, regulates genetically engineered organisms, administers the Animal Welfare Act and carries out wildlife damage management activities. APHIS established in 1972 and is a relatively new agency. Their mission is "to protect the health and value of American agriculture and natural resources." This agency works 24/7 to protect the nation's animal and plant resources from agricultural pests and diseases. If there is a detected pest or disease, the agency implements emergency protocols and partners with affected States to quickly manage or eradicate the outbreak. This agency has a great impact on environmental quality. Its immediate impact is to make sure that the foods are safe to be consumed. Its other impact is to protect wildlife, which plays an important role in keeping the ecosystem healthy and balanced. If the ecosystem is not healthy, it will consequently impact climate change, which then harms human health. 

M7.4 Local environmental services

Below is a list of SF Department of Health environmental health services. Their breadth of services is very comprehensive as the department addresses all types of environmental issues. The programs that surprised me were the Tattoo, Body Piercing, and Permanent Cosmetics and Massage program because these services do not have to do with the environment, but arguably they are so since they are people's built environment.  

1. Hazardous Materials Waste Program:
• Review soil sampling
• Provide oversight and cleanup 
• Regulate petroleum storage, chlorofluorocarbon recycling, and medical waste
• Prevent accidental releases
2. Childhood Lead Prevention Program:
• Provide education and outreach on lead exposure prevention and lead health effects
• Inspect locations where children live and spend time to enforce Health Code requirements for lead hazard prevention
• Provide case management support to families of children with lead exposure
• Collect and analyze all blood lead testing data in San Francisco
3. Noise Enforcement Program– enforces local regulations regarding fixed-equipment noise, such as ventilation equipment, generators, and compressors
4. Vector Control Program– provides services and education to eliminate rodents, mosquitoes and other insects and animals that contribute to the spread of diseases such as West Nile Virus
5. Apartment Inspection Program–conducts routine inspections to ensure that minimum levels of sanitation are being maintained by property owners
6. Agriculture Program–provide services such as monitoring pest conditions and pesticide use in nurseries, and enforcement relevant to growing plants, including cannabis
7. Water Programs– protect the potable water supply from cross connections, ensure safe construction and destruction of wells and soil borings, and oversees swimming pools, spas, and on-site nonpotable water systems
8. Air Quality, Smoking, and Tobacco Program– implement local laws relevant to pollutants in the air, including tobacco and tobacco-derived products
9. Weights and Measures Program–protect consumers by inspecting and testing commercial scales, gasoline pumps, taximeters, liquefied petroleum gas dispensers, and electric meters
10. Tattoo, Body Piercing, and Permanent Cosmetics Program– ensure that tattoo, piercing and permanent cosmetic facilities are clean and practice sterilization 
11. Massage Program–  issues permits to massage practioners and businesses in the city and ensures their compliance with San Francisco Health Code Article 29

M6.7 Obesogens

According to the Seasonal Food Guide, as of late September in California, these are some of my favorite foods in season:

• apples
• Asian pears
• Avocados
• broccoli
• bok choy
• cantaloupe
• mushrooms
• persimmons 
• potatoes
• winter squash
• watermelon

I am surprised watermelon is on the list because I thought it was a summer fruit and my family mostly eat them during the summer. My family likes to eat seasonally, so in my household, I usually have Asian pears, persimmons, and apples around this time. I think it is a great idea for hospitals to serve seasonal and locally grown foods because similar to what the article is stating, this can model healthy eating behaviors. It is ironic for hospitals to serve unhealthy foods to patients who are ill.

I have never heard of obesogens until this class. And until reading this article, I always thought obesity was caused by poor diet, not from a chemical compound. Learning that obesogens can alter people's metabolism and predispose them to weight gain suggest that there are other interventions to address obesity other than pushing people to eat healthier and exercise more. 

One of the obesogens I searched up on Toxnet is perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). It is used in fire-fighting application, cosmetics, greases and lubricants, paints, polishes, and adhesives. Workers who produce or use PFOA can breathe it in or have direct skin contact. With the general population, they can breathe it in, consume it through food and water, and have direct skin contact. PFOA is found in small amounts of blood and is extremely persistent. In some human studies, exposure to PFOA was associated with increased cholesterol levels, increased risk of high blood pressure, thyroid disease, and liver damage. 

M6.6 Use of Antibiotics

1. Antibiotics Resistant 101: How Antibiotic Misuse on Factory Farms Can Make You Sick

• I have learned about the human health risks from using antibiotics in food animals by watching a documentary from Frontline called "The Trouble with Antibiotics". It is frustrating to know that Congress and FDA has not done much to address this growing publc health threat. It is also concerning that humans would do anything to grow food animals faster at the risk of human health, directly and indirectly. It is scary to think that we will one day live in a world where antibiotics will not work anymore and there are superbugs flourishing around us. 

2. Nearby Livestock May Raise 'Superbug' Risk

• The government should really take this as a sign to regulate antibiotic use in livestock. Like Dr. Kluytmans said, public health officals need to figure out the routes of transmission so they know how to contain MRSA. Without proper procedures, MRSA will continuosly spread and will become difficult to contain. If an epidemic arises, it is a clear sign that public ehalth officials aren't doing their jobs since there is evidence available about the increasing prevalence of MRSA present among individuals. 

3. Scientist Discover That Antimicrobial Wipes and Soaps Maybe Making You (and Society) Sick

• This article reminded me in college where I would see this one guy in class who would always wipe his individual desk with what might be an antimicrobial wipe before he sat down. And I'm just there thinking, what does it really do if he's just going to sit down on the seat that he didn't wipe? I always carry hand sanitizer with me to use after I get off the bus and before I eat. Since this article is citing that there is no evidence that antimicrobial products are effective and it may be making us sick, I am thinking I should stop using hand sanitizer and just go to the bathroom and wash my hands with regular soap instead. 

4. Antimicrobials in Hospital Furnishings: Do they help reduce healthcare-associated infections?

• I am shocked to learn that there is little data on the safety and efficacy of using antimicrobial in furnishings and its potential unintended consequnces, and yet hospitals, of all industries, are using this practice to reduce the spread of infections. Like the report has stated, the research community needs to implement more studies to establish safety and efficacy of antimicrobial usage. I don't think it is right for some hospitals to use non-evidence-based practices because it goes against how health professionals operate their work. 

M6.4 Industrial Farming

The first time I heard that the bees are vanishing was due to the spraying of pesticides. That is when I learned that bees are important pollinators and without them, a lot of plants and fruits would not grow. I thought it was only happening in America because of our use of pesticides, but I shockingly learned from "Vanishing of the Bees" that it is happening all around the world. I was also shocked to learn that some companies are inhumanely maintaining the beehives by killing queen bees to insert an artificially-made queen bee and also through artificial insemination.

The closet factory farm near SF is in the Marin County for dairy and the Santa Cruz County for layer chickens. I was not aware that those farms were near me, and now that I am aware, I will choose to not buy my eggs that are from Santa Cruz. I think factory farming is not humane and I don't want to support that.

I currently do not compost, nor have I done so in the past. My grandma does and therefore seen how composting can help with growing vegetables. The vegetables that my grandma grew with compost were really good quality and delicious. I would consider using compost to someday grow some of my vegetables when I have the time.

M5.7 Your Sewage Facilities

The 3 sewage facilities in San Francisco are:
1. North Point Wet Weather Facility
2. Oceanside Treatment Plant
3. Southeast Treatment Plant

M5.5 Campaign for Tap Water

If I were to develop a nationwide campaign to get people to drink tap water instead of bottle water, the campaign slogan would be "Ditch the bottle, drink from tap." My message to the public is to not produce any more waste from drinking packaged water, instead drink fron the tap where no plastic is being used, which will then end up in a landfill that will take thousands of years to decompose.

M5.4 Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) and Water Quality

This is the link to San Francisco's annual water quality report 2017 https://sfwater.org/index.aspx?page=634

The city's major water come from the Tuolumne River, which flows through Central California, from the Sierra Nevada to San Joaquin River. Additionally, the city's water source is supplemented with surface water from the Alameda Watershed and Peninsula Watershed. The report states that the Sierra water is well protected, therefore they are exempt from filtration requirements by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water. The city's water receives the following treatment to meet all appropriate drinking water standards for consumption: ultraviolet light and chlorine disinfection, pH adjustment for optimum corrosion control, fluoridation for dental health protection, and chloramination for maintaining disinfectant residual and minimizing the formation of disinfection byproducts. These were no detected contaminants high enough for required action. It is said that SF's water is really clean, so my family do not filter our water. However, we always boil our water before we drink it. I do not drink bottled water because the packaging from it produces waste, it does not taste too great, and it is more expensive than the tap water I can get from home. My reasons for not drinking bottled water are the same reasons presented from the Story of Bottled Water video. 

M5.2 The Public Health Importance of the Clean Water Act

Without the Clean Water Act, industries will be free to discharge pollution into the waters whenever and however they please and people will be drinking and using low-quality water. The Act set regulations for discharging pollutants into the waters and these standards protect the health of the public, as well as the environment. Exposure to pollutants poses a great health threat to the communities who come in contact with the polluted waters, therefore because of the Act, it prevented pollution-related health issues from occurring. Additionally, it lessened the number of pollutants into the environment which, as a result, destroy natural habitats and negatively affect the ecosystem. I think the most important public health significance is that the Act set the standards for water quality so people are able to drink and use high-quality water.

M4.6 Radon

If I were to create a national awareness campaign about exposure to radon it will consist of educating the public about what is radon, where it is commonly found, why it is important to know if they are exposed to radon, how to test for radon, and if tested for radon, what steps can be done to address exposure. The campaign will be implemented on television and social media to reach all ages. The campaign should also be in multiple languages to reach the populations with limited English proficiency. If the campaign has enough grant money, free radon tests will be mailed out to residents who need it. Possible stakeholders would be EPA and local/regional environmental health and lung cancer organizations.

M4.5 Think about it / Group Exercise

I have a sensitive nose and have a slight case of asthma so a fragrance-free policy at a workplace would be beneficial for me. An ideal fragrance-free policy in a workplace will consist of educating the employees about how scents can cause health problems, a list of all banned scented items, and a list of alternative fragrance-free items they can use instead. Just like how there are 'no-smoking' signs, having 'fragrance/scent-free' signs posted at the workplace can remind everyone to not have on or use items with fragrance. The policy should also state what a person may be asked to do if they are wearing scents, such as remain in a separate room, change clothes, removing the scent etc. Since we spent a lot of time a workplace, having a fragrance-free policy decrease our time exposed to harmful fragrances. People sometimes also do not know that fragrances bother them because they think their health problems are caused by something else. Eliminating these scents at work might alleviate or even solve their health issues caused by scents and they will concentrate better at work.

M4.2 Blog Assignment: National Library ToxNet

Chlorine is a yellowish green gas and it is an irritating, pungent odor from concentrated bleach. Exposure routes are from breathing in the vapor and  through direct skin contact. High vapor levels causes irritation and burns to the skin, eyes, nose, and throat, and really high levels of exposure can cause loss to oxygen which can lead to cardiac arrest or respiratory arrest or even death. Increased asthma symptoms have been associated with exposure to chlorinated water in swimming pools. I don't really use bleach to clean a lot, but whenever I do, the smell really stings my nose and I get shortness of breath from breathing in the fumes. I have a slight case of asthma which is why I am more sensitive to the fumes. 

M3.5 Transportation

Growing up and living in San Francisco, public transportation was and still is my main form of transportation. I am very grateful that my city has such a great public transportation system because I can do anywhere in the bay area without a car. Muni and Bart are very accessible, connecting you to anywhere in the city and other bay area communities. I like how they provide two different price points for people with different incomes so lower-income people can afford public transportation. In a non-traditional sense of how it contributes to my health, affordable and accessible public transportation makes my life easier to travel to school, work, grocery stores, and other areas in the city. I don't have to stress out about buying a car, maintaining my car, paying for car insurance, and buying gas, in which they also affect my financial health. In how public transportation affects my physical health, it encourages me to walk more and I get my daily number of steps in. According to the American Public Health Association, public transportation produces 95% less carbon monoxide, 92% fewer volatile organic compounds, and 45% less carbon dioxide compared to private automobiles. SF is very populated, so if everyone drives a car, our air quality will be very poor, harming my community's and my own physical health.

M3.4 Air Pollution

 My zip code is 94112, which is in San Francisco.
The top polluters in my area are:

The top pollutants in my area are:

About 7% of the house in my area have lead-based paint.

Superfund sites are toxic waste sites identified by EPA as a priority for cleanup because they pose dangerous risks for human and environmental health. There is one Superfund site in my area which is the Treasure Island Naval Station-Hunter's Point Annex located at the Hunter's Point Shipyard. From 1945 to 1974, the site was a shipyard and from 1948 to 1960 it was the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory (NRDL). NRDL activities contaminated soil, dust, sediments, surface water and groundwater with petroleum fuels, pesticides, heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls, volatile organic compounds, and radionuclides. The soil at the site contains naturally occurring asbestos and metals. Cleanup, maintenance, and monitoring are still on-going. 

In my area, 88% of the days the air quality is good, and 12% are moderate. The Air Quality Index score is 31 (good). 

Pertaining to water quality, the percentage of surface waters with impaired or threatened uses is at the 90 percentile, and the number of impaired waterbodies is at the 70 percentile. 

According to the environmental justice tracker, the difference gap that stands out the most is the distribution of burdens by income for the releases of toxic chemicals variable. Low-income families are more affected compared to higher-income families with a ratio of 2.59 (159% more likely). Similar to the categories of families below poverty (2.63 ratio) and kids below poverty (2.60 ratio).

M3.3 Environmental Justice

If 3 out of the 4 commercial hazardous waste landfills were located in predominately black communities, I find it hard to believe that it is a coincidence. To me, it seems like there is a discriminatory intent to locate those facilities at those communities. It sends out a loud message that 'black lives don't matter, so let's build the hazardous landfills in their communities and they can hold the burden of suffering from those toxins'. In relation to social determinants of health, if a baby is born into one of those communities with those hazardous waste landfills, they are predetermined to be exposed to environmental health hazards. Being born black into a predominately black neighborhood sets the stage for being exposed to the kinds of health issues that are associated with race and income levels.

M3.2 Vulnerable Populations

I really like Dr. Rishi Manchanda's idea of training physicians and clinicians to think upstream when diagnosing a patient's condition. Thinking upstream can help physicians and clinicians identify the patient's vulnerabilities of their health condition. If physicians and clinicians asked broader questions about the patient's home and work environment, they can sooner recognize if the patient is from a vulnerable population, where these group of people are linked to more adverse health outcomes. Knowing that critical information opens up a lot of opportunities to pinpoint the root issues of the health condition. Addressing root issues, similar to what Dr. Manchanda was speaking about in his TED talk, is a more effective solution because it solves the health issue almost complete. Compared to just prescribing medication, pills can only remedy the issue for a short while. Like what Dr. Tyrone B. Hayes said, finding the cure is important but finding the cause is more necessary.

M3.1 Biomonitoring

If I were given these hypothetical lab results, I would not be too shocked by the results because I am well aware that I use a lot of different kinds of personal care products and makeup products where some of these chemicals are found. The lab results are a confirmation that the harmful chemicals really are present in my body because although I know our bodies can absorb chemicals from personal care products, the full realization wouldn't hit me until I see actual evidence taken from my own body. My first thought would be how do I rid those chemicals from my body and how do I avoid them. The lab results would be a loud wakeup call for me to get myself to be more educated about the chemicals I expose myself too.

M2.4 Ken Cook and Advocacy Organizations on Toxics in Personal Care Products

The phrase "silent pandemic" from Ken Cook's presentation stood out to me. Symptoms do not occur right away when the toxic chemicals from our personal care products enter into our bodies, which is why most people, including myself, don't think much about the hazards of using personal care products. Like Cook mentioned, women buy and use the most personal care products, therefore having the most exposures to toxic chemicals from personal care products. It is shocking to know that I am exposing myself to more than 160 chemicals every day! Cook proposed and outlined amazing policies to protect consumer and children's health. It is frustrating to know that the government does not have those policies in place because they seem like a "no-brainer." The government should already have policies that prevent the use and selling of chemicals that have not been tested positive for safe use.

M2.3 National Library of Medicine's Household Products Database

The two cleaning products I looked up in the National Library of Medicine's Household Products Database are Amway Legacy of Clean Dish Drops Dishwashing Liquid and Clorox All-Purpose Cleaning Wipes. From the site I found that the dish detergent has no toxicity score, however it has potential health risks. This product can irritate the eyes and respiratory tract, and aggravate pre-existing skin, eye, and respiratory disorders. Additionally, this product produce ethanol vapors, a carcinogen identified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. These findings were surprising to me because my mom bought this product from a recommendation of a family member who said it was a safer alternative than other commercial brands. Another surprise is that the Clorox wipes are not considered hazardous with a toxicity score of 0. I thought this product would contain a few toxic chemicals because it is such a big commercial brand and widely used. Similar to the personal care products exercise, this exercise was another cue for me to make a health behavior change. From now on, I will research about cleaning products before I make the decision to buy and use the products. To reiterate from my previous blog post, I think the public have the absolute right to know about these hazards. I think companies should be transparent about the toxic chemicals in their products and that the government should hold those companies accountable.  I think a lot of consumers, including me, do not know about these risks because we expect the government to regulate these products and make sure they are safe before companies are allowed to sell them, just how they would with drugs.

M2.2 Personal Care Products

The two skincare products I chose to look up in the Safe Cosmetics Database are Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 and OGX Conditioner Nourishing Coconut Milk. The lip balm had a hazardous score of 3 and the conditioner had a hazardous score of 5. I am very shocked that my conditioner received a moderate score because the product is advertised as free of any harsh chemicals and are made from sustainable ingredients. I also did not think lip balm products would be an area of concern because I always thought it was a simple product with only a few ingredients to make. Doing this exercise was a huge cue for me to start changing my consumer behaviors because the hazardous ingredients in the cosmetic products can really damage my health. I think a lot of consumers, including me, do not know about these risks because we expect the government to regulate these products and make sure they are safe before companies are allowed to sell them, just how they would with drugs. I had that expectation and that had led me to stay uninformed about harmful personal care products. I think everyone has the right to know about these risks because like Rachel Carson stated in her book, Silent Spring, since we are the consumers who endure and suffer from these risks, the public has the right to know. When the public is ignorant about these risks, we are unable to make informed decisions.

M1.5 Environmental Health Home Assessment

This is my first time completing an environmental health home assessment. Many of the categories I have not thought or worried about in the past 17 years that I have been living in my house. When going through this assessment, I had to ask my parents– who are the owners of the house– when the house was built and if the house was inspected for lead and radon. To answer most of the questions of this assessment, I had to inspect my house to get the answers. This exercise made me realize that I am not particularly aware of the possible harmful environmental hazards that my family and I are exposed too. I am now more aware of these exposures and know where they might stem from. The one environmental exposure that I am highly aware of is smoke from tobacco. I have a slight case of asthma and my parents are strict on no smoking in the house for the tenants that live below us. Our family does have an attached garage, but my family does not use it for parking space, but rather a storage space, and we park our cars outside.  

M1.4 List of Environmental Exposures

This activity made me realize I am always surrounded by chemical, biological, and radiological exposures wherever I go. I feel like it is near impossible to avoid all these exposures because I can encounter these exposures by doing my daily activities, such as cleaning where I am exposed to harmful chemicals from the cleaning supplies. Looking at the list that my group created, there are many exposures that appear in all the four categories, indicating that they are very common exposures that everyone may have been exposed too at least once in their life. My group did not have much listed for school and so I decided to do a bit of research about the possible environmental exposures in a school setting. One thing I want to add to the list is the toxic chemicals from art supplies.