PERSPECTIVES
OF
ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH
Modern Times
A number of discoveries in the 19th century were important
events for the understanding of communicable diseases.
For example, the link between contaminated water and
cholera was discovered by John Snow in 1854;
The importance of hygienic handwashing before attending
delivery of a baby was noted by Dr. Semmelweis in 1845;
and the discovery that microorganisms (very small
organisms only visible under a microscope) cause disease
was made by Louis Pasteur around this time.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Characteriza*on:
1. No
public
health
science
to
address
chemical
pollu.on
although
there
was
an
understanding
of
health
eects
of
toxic
chemical
exposures
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
2.
Government Initiative:
n Public Health Act (1848);
environmental problems water and
health hazards related to infectious
diseases
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Characteriza;on:
n Dominated
by
2
broad
movements
together
called
the
Environmental
or
Ecology
Movement
First
Movement
n Priori.es:
conserva.on
of
natural
resources
and
preserva.on
of
special
sites
of
natural
or
historic
signicance
Second
Movement:
n
Focus:
substances
toxic
to
humans
or
damaging
to
the
environment
(but
le\
out
carbon
dioxide
&
other
rela.vely
nontoxic
chemicals
such
as
CFC)
n
Ini.a.ves:
1.
Pure
food
and
drug
movement
adopted
as
their
central
issue
environmental
pollutants
2.
Public
movements
and
UN
Conference
on
the
Human
Environment
(1972):
legisla.ons
to
curb
industrial
pollu.on
by
limi.ng
emissions
or
euents
of
pollu.on
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
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