M1.5: Environmental Health Home Assessment

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All the questions on the assessment tool point to environmental health risks. I understand why the questions are directed towards environment because there can be exposures present in our living quarters which can impact our health. As there has been more research studying the effects of exposures, public health policies have been updated to reflect the necessary changes to limit adverse health outcomes that result from harmful exposures. 
After completing the home assessment, I found my environment to be a lot safer than I initially thought. The areas where I faced more environmental risks were in areas where I have to make decisions such as the solids & liquids I ingest, in addition to future preparation plans such as a having a disaster plan.
It makes sense to research the age of the home because of the risk of lead exposure. Lead exposure can lead to debilitating health outcomes with the primary impact on the nervous and circulatory system, which can eventually lead to death. 
As for wanting to know if someone lives in a basement, the importance in knowing is because there is more exposure to radon underneath the ground than above it & there needs to be appropriate ventilation. Without taking precautions, radon can lead to lung cancer since it is more of a biological / radiological exposure.
Overall, I would say corporations that are interested in making profit from our home necessities are responsible for home-based environmental health risks. For example, scented candles and incense help the home smell better, however there are hazardous chemicals in these products which can impact health. 
We also are responsible for the home-based environmental health risks because we bring these products inside our homes without doing the research to see whether these items can result in adverse effects. It is our wants that we mistaken as needs which lead us towards other alternatives which can be harmful without us even realizing it. We need to be conscious of our environment so as to minimize negative exposures.

Comments

  1. UnknownAugust 30, 2018 at 9:13 PM

    Hi Daisy,
    It looks like you did a very thorough job at assessing your home. I found similar things (i.e., low risk in most areas of my house besides solids & liquids I ingest and a disaster plan). Doing this assessment really opened my eyes to being aware of the different hazards that are in and around my home and how important it is to plan for the unexpected.
    Great job!
    Kera

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 2, 2018 at 12:33 PM

    Hi Daisy,

    After completing the home assessment I also found that I have a decently safe house with regards to environmental exposures. I think the main reason why my family has tried to be up-to-date with healthy alternatives and methods to creating a healthy home would be because my educational background in science and health. I'm curious to know whether having an education in health or science makes us more environmentally aware, and whether creating healthy home regulations will help other families who are unaware of harmful exposures.

    Carmen

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  3. UnknownSeptember 2, 2018 at 2:16 PM

    Hi Daisy,
    I agree that we need to be more conscious of our environment in order to minimize adverse health effects. I felt the same way after completing the assessment and understood the importance being aware of how safe our homes are and recognize what we may be exposed to on a daily basis. I also agree that corporations seek profit and disregard the hazards they release into the environment that cause harm in the short term and long term. Great post.

    ReplyDelete

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