Environmental Effects Of Environmental Quality

Environmental quality can directly affect health and plays a major role in quality of life. Poor air quality is linked to long-term damage to respiratory and cardiovascular systems as well as other diseases like lung cancers (Healthy People, 2020, 2016). Safe air, land and water are fundamental human rights that contribute to a healthy community environment. A harm free environment helps prevent disease and other heath problems. A major area of concern in threatened environmental quality is indoor and outdoor air pollution. The enforcement of environmental standards and regulations to monitor pollution, human exposures and building healthy environments can improve the health and quality of life for Americans at risk (Healthy People, 2020, 2016).

In 2012, 81,000 of these deaths occurred in the Americas (World Health Organization, 2014). Though 25% of global deaths are associated with poor environmental quality the burden of air pollution is not shared evenly. Poorer people and some racial and ethnic groups are among those who often face higher exposure to pollutants (American Lung Association 2, 2015). Socioeconomic position has been more consistently associated with greater harm from air pollution; therefore low socioeconomic status consistently increased the risk of premature mortality in 13.2 million Medicare recipients due to particle pollution nationwide (American Lung Association 2, 2015). This racial disparity can be seen as both a public health and environmental justice issue, as the environment disproportionately affects people in minority communities. The greater the concentration of Hispanics, Asians, African Americans or poor residents in an area, the more likely that there are potentially dangerous compounds in the air they breathe (Katz,

By reducing air pollution levels, countries can reduce the burden of disease from stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases including asthma (World Health Organization, March 2014). These regulations can be seen in the “WHO Air Quality Guideline”, which provides an assessment of the health effects of air pollution and thresholds for health-harmful pollution levels (World Health Organization, March 2014). Policies and investments supporting cleaner transport, energy-efficient housing, power generation and better waste management could reduce key sources of urban outdoor air pollution (World Health Organization, March 2014). These interventions may also help combat socioeconomic inequalities as well as promote development. When societies are given opportunities to improve environmental quality their overall health has the opportunity to improve. While environmental quality may be overlooked at times, it is a very important public health issue. Living in an environment with mold, poor air quality, and other pollutants can put the population at high risk for chronic medical conditions. At each level of the SEM model there is possibility for negative effects from poor environmental quality, but there are possible interventions that can improve these issues. In theory a societal intervention would best