View source for Environmental hazard

{{short description|Harmful substance, a condition or an event}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2020}}
[[File:GHS-pictogram-pollu.svg|thumb|The [[Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals|international]] [[GHS hazard pictograms|pictogram]] for environmental hazards.]]

'''Environmental hazards''' are those [[hazard]]s that affect [[biome]]s or [[ecosystem]]s.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Environmental Hazards & Health Effects|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehhe/pdfs/about.pdf|access-date=October 15, 2021|website=[[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]]}}</ref> Well known examples include [[oil spill]]s, [[water pollution]], slash and burn deforestation, [[air pollution]], [[ground fissure]]s,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://definedterm.com/environmental_hazard |title=Environmental hazard |work=Defined Term - A dictionary of legal, industry-specific, and uncommon terms. |access-date=23 August 2017 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803120002/https://definedterm.com/environmental_hazard |url-status=dead }} quoted from Code of Maryland, January 1, 2014</ref> and [[Carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere|build-up of atmospheric carbon dioxide]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Keith |title=Environmental hazards: assessing risk and reducing disaster |date=1993 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-01217-1 |edition=Reprint |series=Routledge physical environment series |location=London}}</ref> Physical exposure to environmental hazards is usually involuntary<ref name=":02" />

==Types==
Environmental hazards can be categorized in many different ways. One of them is — chemical, physical, biological, and psychological.

[[Chemical hazard]]s are substances that can cause harm or damage to humans, animals, or the environment. They can be in the form of solids, liquids, gases, mists, dusts, fumes, and vapors. Exposure can occur through inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion, or direct contact. Chemical hazards include substances such as pesticides, solvents, acids, bases, reactive metals, and poisonous gases. Exposure to these substances can result in health effects such as skin irritation, respiratory problems, organ damage, neurological effects, and cancer.<ref name=":3" />

[[Physical hazard]]s are factors within the environment that can harm the body without necessarily touching it. They include a wide range of environmental factors such as noise, vibration, extreme temperatures, radiation, and ergonomic hazards. Physical hazards may lead to injuries like burns, fractures, hearing loss, vision impairment, or other physical harm. They can be present in many work settings such as construction sites, manufacturing plants, and even office spaces.<ref name=":3">{{Citation |last=Shi |first=Peijun |title=Hazards, Disasters, and Risks |date=2019 |journal=Disaster Risk Science |series=IHDP/Future Earth-Integrated Risk Governance Project Series |pages=1–48 |place=Singapore |publisher=Springer Singapore |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-981-13-6689-5_1 |pmc=7123175 |isbn=978-981-13-6688-8}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Wisner |first1=Ben |title=The Handbook of Hazards and Disaster Risk Reduction |last2=Gaillard |first2=J.C. |last3=Kelman |first3=Ilan |publisher=Routledge |year=2011 |language=en}}</ref>

[[Biological hazard]]s, also known as biohazards, are organic substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This can include medical waste, samples of a microorganism, virus, or toxin (from a biological source) that can impact human health. Biological hazards can also include substances harmful to animals. Examples of biological hazards include bacteria, viruses, fungi, other microorganisms and their associated toxins. They may cause a myriad of diseases, from flu to more serious and potentially fatal diseases.<ref name=":3" />

Psychological hazards are aspects of work and work environments that can cause psychological harm or mental ill-health. These include factors such as stress, [[workplace bullying]], fatigue, burnout, and violence, among others. These hazards can lead to psychological issues like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Psychological hazards can exist in any type of workplace, and their management is a crucial aspect of occupational health and safety.<ref name=":3" />

== Environmental hazard identification ==
[[File:Risk assessment process.png|alt=An illustration of the four steps in the risk assessment process: hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization.|thumb|The four-step risk assessment process|370x370px]]
Environmental hazard identification is the first step in [[environmental impact assessment|environmental risk assessment]], which is the process of assessing the likelihood, or [[risk]], of adverse effects resulting from a given environmental [[stressor]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=US EPA|first=ORD|date=2013-09-26|title=Risk Assessment|url=https://www.epa.gov/risk|access-date=2020-11-03|website=US EPA|language=en}}</ref> Hazard identification is the determination of whether, and under what conditions, a given environmental stressor has the potential to cause harm.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}

In hazard identification, sources of data on the risks associated with prospective hazards are identified. For instance, if a site is known to be contaminated with a variety of industrial [[pollutant]]s, hazard identification will determine which of these chemicals could result in adverse human health effects, and what effects they could cause. Risk assessors rely on both laboratory (e.g., toxicological) and epidemiological data to make these determinations.<ref>{{Cite web|last=US EPA|first=ORD|date=2014-07-21|title=Conducting a Human Health Risk Assessment|url=https://www.epa.gov/risk/conducting-human-health-risk-assessment|access-date=2020-11-03|website=US EPA|language=en}}</ref>[[File:Environmental risk conceptual model.png|alt=Illustration of a site conceptual model for environmental exposure. Illustrates a hazard source, environmental fate and transport, exposure point, exposure route, and potentially exposed populations.|thumb|Illustration of a site conceptual model for environmental exposure|366x366px]]'''Conceptual model of exposure'''
Hazards have the potential to cause adverse effects only if they come into contact with populations that may be harmed. For this reason, hazard identification includes the development of a conceptual model of exposure.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2019-04-02|title=Chapter 6: Exposure Evaluation: Evaluating Exposure Pathways {{!}} PHA Guidance Manual {{!}} ATSDR|url=https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hac/phamanual/ch6.html|access-date=2020-11-03|website=www.atsdr.cdc.gov|language=en-us}}</ref> Conceptual models communicate the pathway connecting sources of a given hazard to the potentially exposed population(s). The U.S. Agency for [[Toxic heavy metal|Toxic]] Substances and Disease Registry establishes five elements that should be included in a conceptual model of exposure:

* The source of the hazard in question
* Environmental fate and transport, or how the hazard moves and changes in the environment after its release
* Exposure point or area, or the place at which an exposed person comes into contact with the hazard
* Exposure route, or the manner by which an exposed person comes into contact with the hazard (e.g., orally, dermally, or by inhalation)
* Potentially exposed populations.<ref name=":0" />

'''Evaluating hazard data'''

Once a conceptual model of exposure is developed for a given hazard, measurements should be taken to determine the presence and quantity of the hazard.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2019-04-02|title=Chapter 3: Obtaining Site Information {{!}} PHA Guidance Manual {{!}} ATSDR|url=https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hac/phamanual/ch3.html|access-date=2020-11-03|website=www.atsdr.cdc.gov|language=en-us}}</ref> These measurements should be compared to appropriate reference levels to determine whether a hazard exists. For instance, if arsenic is detected in tap water from a given well, the detected concentrations should be compared with regulatory thresholds for allowable levels of arsenic in drinking water. If the detected levels are consistently lower than these limits, arsenic may not be a chemical of potential concern for the purposes of this risk assessment. When interpreting hazard data, risk assessors must consider the sensitivity of the instrument and method used to take these measurements, including any relevant detection limits (i.e., the lowest level of a given substance that an instrument or method is capable of detecting).<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

== Chemical ==
[[Chemical hazard]]s are defined in the [[Globally Harmonized System]] and in the [[European Union]] chemical regulations. They are caused by chemical substances causing significant [[environmental damage|damage to the environment]]. The label is particularly applicable towards substances with [[aquatic toxicity]]. An example is [[zinc oxide]], a common paint pigment, which is extremely toxic to aquatic life.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

Toxicity or other hazards do not imply an environmental hazard, because elimination by sunlight ([[photolysis]]), water ([[hydrolysis]]) or organisms (biological elimination) neutralizes many reactive or poisonous substances. Persistence towards these elimination mechanisms combined with toxicity gives the substance the ability to do damage in the long term. Also, the lack of immediate human toxicity does not mean the substance is environmentally nonhazardous. For example, tanker truck-sized spills of substances such as [[milk]] can cause a lot of damage in the local aquatic ecosystems: the added [[biological oxygen demand]] causes rapid [[eutrophication]], leading to [[Anoxic waters|anoxic conditions]] in the water body.

All hazards in this category are mainly [[Human impact on the environment|anthropogenic]] although there exist a number of natural carcinogens and chemical elements like radon and lead may turn up in health-critical concentrations in the natural environment:
==temp break==
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*{{annotated link|Anthrax}}
*{{annotated link|Antibiotic}} agents in animals destined for human consumption
*{{annotated link|Arsenic}} - a contaminant of fresh water sources (water wells)
*{{annotated link|Asbestos}} - carcinogenic
*{{annotated link|Carcinogen}}s
*{{annotated link|DDT}}
*{{annotated link|Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins|Dioxins}}
*{{annotated link|Endocrine disruptor}}s
*{{annotated link|Explosive|Explosive material}}
*{{annotated link|Fungicide}}s
*{{annotated link|Furan}}s
*{{annotated link|Haloalkane}}s
*{{annotated link|Heavy metals}}
*{{annotated link|Herbicide}}s
*{{annotated link|Hormone}}s in animals destined for human consumption
*{{annotated link|Lead}} in paint
*{{annotated link|Marine debris}}
*{{annotated link|Mercury (element)|mercury}}
*{{annotated link|Mutagen}}s
*{{annotated link|Pesticide}}s
*{{annotated link|Polychlorinated biphenyl}}s
*{{annotated link|Radon}} and other natural sources of [[radioactivity]]
*{{annotated link|Soil pollution}}
*{{annotated link|Tobacco smoking}}
*{{annotated link|Toxic waste}}
{{colend}}

==Physical==
A physical hazard is a type of occupational hazard that involves environmental hazards that can cause harm with or without contact.<ref name=":2" /> Below is a list of examples: 
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*{{annotated link|Cosmic ray}}
*{{annotated link|Drought}}
*{{annotated link|Earthquake}}
*{{annotated link|Electromagnetic field}}
*{{annotated link|Electronic waste}}
*{{annotated link|Flood}}s
*{{annotated link|Fog}}
*{{annotated link|Light pollution}}
*{{annotated link|Lighting}}
*{{annotated link|Noise pollution}}
*{{annotated link|Quicksand}}
*{{annotated link|Ultraviolet}}
*{{annotated link|Oscillation|Vibration}}
*{{annotated link|X-ray}}
{{colend}}

==Biological==
{{see also|Toxicology|List of allergies}}
Biological hazards, also known as biohazards, refer to biological substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily that of humans. This can include medical waste or samples of a microorganism, virus or toxin (from a biological source) that can affect human health. Examples include: 
{{colbegin}}
*{{annotated link|Allergen}}
**{{annotated link|Pollen}}, a common allergen
*{{annotated link|Arbovirus}}
*{{annotated link|Avian influenza}}
*{{annotated link|Bovine spongiform encephalopathy}} (BSE)
*{{annotated link|Cholera}}
*{{annotated link|Ebola}}
*{{annotated link|Epidemic}}s
*{{annotated link|Food poisoning}}
*{{annotated link|Malaria}}
*{{annotated link|Mold}}s
*{{annotated link|Onchocerciasis}} (river blindness)
*{{annotated link|Pandemic}}s
*{{annotated link|Pathogen}}s
*{{annotated link|Rabies}}
*{{annotated link|Severe acute respiratory syndrome}} (SARS)
*{{annotated link|Sick building syndrome}}
{{colend}}

== Psychological ==

Psychological hazards include but are not limited to stress, violence and other [[workplace stress]]ors. Work is generally beneficial to mental health and personal wellbeing. It provides people with structure and purpose and a sense of identity.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}

== See also ==
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* {{annotated link|Hazard analysis}}
* {{annotated link|Hazardous material}}
* {{annotated link|Natural hazard}}
* {{annotated link|Occupational hazard}}
* {{annotated link|Hazardous waste}}
{{colend}}

==References==
{{Reflist|refs

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{{HealthIssuesOfPlastics}}
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[[Category:Environmental health]]
[[Category:Hazards]]
[[Category:Public health]]