Impact of the environment on public health
Large-scale studies confirm serious changes in the state of the biosphere, which has a direct impact on human health. Several basic categories of environmental problems are distinguished:
- Changes in the chemical composition of the atmosphere
The proportion of carbon dioxide in the air is continuously increasing, and the ozone content is decreasing. Additionally, the atmosphere is polluted with harmful impurities: dust, carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur oxides.
- Chemical pollution of soil and water
Technogenic activity leads to the emission of a huge number of toxins. The main pollutants are heavy metal salts (mercury, cadmium, lead, arsenic, zinc, copper, manganese), pesticides, fertilizers, dioxins, and synthetic surfactants. Of particular danger to medicine are xenobiotics — foreign synthetic substances that did not previously exist in nature. They are extremely toxic, completely excluded from the natural cycle of substances, and steadily accumulate in the biosphere.
- Biological pollution
The main sources are human and animal waste. A significant contribution is made by industrial factors—waste from biotechnological and petrochemical enterprises, which are often located close to each other geographically.
- Changes in background radiation
Over forty years of active nuclear testing, the Earth's natural background radiation has increased by 2%. The situation is also aggravated by the consequences of accidents on nuclear submarines and nuclear power plants.
Evolution of ecological knowledge
Humanity's attitude toward nature has changed over millennia. Even in antiquity (in Ancient Greece, Egypt, India, and China), the concept of careful interaction with the environment was being formed. The philosopher Epicurus in the 4th century BC proclaimed the principle of harmony: «One should not violate nature, one should obey it».
Later, the concept of complete dominance over nature emerged. F. Engels is considered its founder, but his true thesis was that human advantage is the ability to understand the laws of nature and apply them competently, rather than destroy the environment. Nevertheless, in the 1950s this approach was distorted: the Michurin-Lysenko slogan of «conquering nature» appeared.
Until the 1960s and 1970s, ecology was a purely biological term. Only with the intensification of anthropogenic pressure did its meaning expand. In 1972, at a UN meeting in Stockholm, modern human ecology originated. Today, its key tasks in the Russian Federation are rational nature management, pollution prevention, and environmental education.
Emergence of science and the contribution of scientists
The foundations of ecology were laid by prominent researchers:
- Ernst Haeckel (1866) — published the work «General Morphology of Organisms» and defined ecology.
- Karl Möbius — introduced the concept of «biocenosis».
- Joseph Grinnell — substantiated the concept of the «ecological niche».
- Vladimir Sukachev — proposed the term «biogeocenosis».
- Vladimir Vernadsky — created a comprehensive doctrine of the biosphere in his works «The Biosphere» and «Chemical Structure of the Earth's Crust and Its Environment».
In parallel, domestic hygiene science developed, aimed at protecting health from environmental factors. A huge contribution was made by:
- In communal hygiene — A.N. Sysin, A.N. Marzeyev, V.A. Ryazanov, S.I. Kaplun, G.I. Sidorenko.
- In occupational hygiene — V.A. Levitsky, A.A. Letavet, L.K. Khotsyanov.
- In nutrition hygiene — M.N. Shaternikov, O.P. Molchanova, A.A. Pokrovsky, et al.
- In military hygiene — F.G. Krotkov.
- In hygiene of children and adolescents (formerly school hygiene) — A.V. Molkov.
Environmental protection and the state sanitary and epidemiological service
The first attempts at legal protection of nature date back to the 13th century in England (Edward I's edict banning the use of coal for heating in London). In Russia in the 18th century, Peter I issued decrees on forest protection. After 1917, decrees on land, forests, and mineral resources were adopted in the country.
Today in the Russian Federation, the basic document is the Federal Law «On the Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare of the Population» (1999). The main authority is Rospotrebnadzor. The service has a strict hierarchy headed by the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation, who is subordinated by the doctors of constituent entities, territories, and specialized areas. Their common task is to prevent and eliminate the harmful impact of environmental factors on humans.
Briefly: answers to topical questions
What specific diseases does chronic exposure to heavy metal salts (mercury, cadmium, lead) cause in the human body?
Chronic exposure to heavy metal salts causes chronic poisonings (intoxications) in the population.
- Saturnism — a specific lead poisoning, manifested by Burton's line (the appearance of a delicate grey border along the gingival margin of the lower jaw teeth).
- Pathologies from excess lead — in adults and children, cause damage to the nervous and respiratory systems, and in children additionally lead to developmental defects.
Specific nosological forms for mercury and cadmium are not described in the sources; only their general ability to cause severe intoxications is mentioned.
What is the complete organizational structure and subordination levels of Rospotrebnadzor institutions in the Russian Federation?
The organizational structure of Rospotrebnadzor includes the federal authority and its territorial representations. The management hierarchy and subordination levels are structured as follows:
- Federal level — Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation.
- Territorial level — Chief State Sanitary Doctors of constituent entities and territories (republics, autonomous oblasts and okrugs, krais, oblasts, cities).
- Specialized level — Chief State Sanitary Doctors of specialized areas (basins and linear sections in water and air transport, railway transport facilities, defense, and other special purposes).
What types of regulatory legal documents, in addition to the 1999 Federal Law, regulate the sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population?
In addition to the 1999 Federal Law, the sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population is regulated by a number of other regulatory legal documents.
- Sanitary rules and norms (SanPiN) — establish hygienic requirements for the quality of water, soil, air, residential buildings, clothing, and radiation safety.
- State standards (GOST) — determine measurement methods and compliance assessment against hygienic standards.
- Federal laws — regulate specific areas (for example, the Law «On Radiation Safety of the Population» and «Fundamentals of Water Legislation»).
- Technical regulations — for example, the draft regulation on drinking water.
Which chemical substances and impurities make the main contribution to the anthropogenic change in the composition of the atmosphere?
The sources indicate the following substances and impurities associated with anthropogenic changes in the composition of the atmosphere:
- Carbon dioxide — its concentration increases due to the operation of industrial enterprises and motor transport; the growth in concentration is associated with the development of the greenhouse effect.
- Methane — refers to the main greenhouse gases.
- Sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon oxides, as well as dust — refer to harmful atmospheric air impurities.
- Sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid aerosol — under certain meteorological conditions accumulate to toxic concentrations and participate in the formation of toxic smog.
- Motor vehicle exhaust gases — a source of pollution during the formation of photochemical smog.
Class and exam questions
What is the main danger of xenobiotics?
These human-synthesized substances have high toxicity, are not included in the natural cycle of substances, and constantly accumulate in the biosphere.
When and where did the term "human ecology" appear?
The term was proposed in 1972 in Stockholm at the First UN International Conference on the Human Environment.
What are the main tasks of Rospotrebnadzor in the field of ecology?
Prevention, timely detection, and elimination of the hazardous impact of various environmental factors on public health.
What else to study on this topic
- Mechanisms of toxic action of heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium)
- Features of dioxin accumulation in food chains
- History of the development of occupational health and communal hygiene in the USSR
- V.I. Vernadsky's doctrine of the noosphere and biosphere
- Structure and powers of the institutions of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service of the Russian Federation
Master the entire topic in the "Hygiene" course
This is a summary. The course covers everything tested in classes and exams.
- Complete study guide on "Contemporary Environmental Problems" and 530 more pages of the subject
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- 95 video lessons for the subject
Other topics in the section "Introduction. Subject, History, Modern Environment"
Prepared by WhiteCoat Pro faculty in accordance with the medical school curriculum. For educational purposes only.