1. Introduction Birth, Life, Death, and the Environment Health and the environment Historical Perspective Basic requirements for a healthy environment Measuring environmental quality, human exposure, and health impact Pattern of illness throughout the world Impact of environmental factors on health Links between environmental and occupational health Obstacles to and opportunities for resolving environmental health problems Role of the environmental health professional 2. Nature of environmental health hazards Hazards and risks Biological hazards Chemical hazards Physical hazards Mecanical hazards Psychosocial hazards 3. Risk Assessment The health risk assessment and risk management framework Epidemiologic methods Hazard identification in the field Relationship between dose and health outcome Human exposure assessment Health risk characterization Health in Environmental Impact Assessment 4. Risk Management The approach to managing risk Risk evaluation Factors affecting the perception and acceptance of risk Prevention and control of exposure Risk monitoring and use of indicators Special problems in managing environmental health risks Cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis of interventions 5. Air Overview of air pollution Common health effects of ambient air pollution Health effects of specific air pollutants Industrial air pollution Air pollution and the community 6. Water and sanitation Why water is essential Water quality, sanitation, and health Adequacy of freshwater supply to meet the world's needs Drinking-water quality criteria Drinking-water supply and monitoring Sanitation Contol of water pollution Recreational water quality guidelines Ensuring a safe and sufficient water supply 7. Food and agriculture Health and nutrition Foodborne diseases and food poisoning Food quality criteria Food quality assurance Global food production capacity and food security Environmental and occupational health hazards in agriculture 8. Human Settlement and urbanization The nature and requirements of human settelments Housing and health Factors causing increased urbanization Rural and economic social development Urbanization and health The "Healthy Cities" approach to prevention 9. Healthy and energy use Human energy needs Biomass fuels Fossil fuels Hydropower Nuclear power Alternative energy sources Comparing risks Priorities for action 10. Industrial pollution and chemical safety Extent of industrial pollution Public exposure from industrial sources Hazards by industry Major chemical contaminants of concern in the general environment and the workplace The social context of occupational health and safety Dimensions and types of occupational health problems Industrial environmental accidents Approaches to prevention 11. Transboundary and global health concerns Health consequences of war Ozone depletion and ultraviolet radiation Climate change and the greenhouse effects Deforestation and desertification Biodiversity Acid precipitation Transboundary movement of hazardous waste Disasters Global chemical contamination 12. Action to protect health and the environment From knowledge to action Ethical principles that guide action on environmental health Role of environmental health professionals Index

Annalee Yassi and Tord Kjellström and Theo de Kok and Tee Guidotti

"This book is an excellent overview of environmental health, with a smidgen of occupational health and a hint of the social, behavioural and cultural components that play such an important part in all, or almost all, environmental health problems.... These four highly regarded authorities on environmental health have covered the basics and a little bit more very comprehensively....The book is up-to-date in all respects, well illustrated with examples of many kinds of environmental health problems and with many useful tables, line diagrams and boxed highlights....This is an ideal introductory text for courses in environmental health in medical schools and for graduate students who require a comprehensive introduction to the subject. I recommend it unreservedly."--John Last, MD, FRACP, FRCPC, University of Ottawa, Annals of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada