The Intersection of Medicine and the Environment
Written by Aarushi Rai
In recent years, environmental issues such as global warming and loss of animal habitat have plagued the Earth and are not slowing down due to the actions of humans. While humans are hurting the environment, it is coming to light that these actions are also harming people indirectly. Environmental medicine is the diagnosis and management of negative effects on human health caused by contamination of the environment, such as through the air, soil, or water. Illnesses triggered by the environment can arise when regular biological functions are compromised by stressors (internal, external, various levels of exposure from acute to low grade but long term, and so forth). It is a rapidly growing field as more and more scientists affirm the fact that the millions of artificial chemicals in the environment hurt health and flare up allergies.
Exposure can vary based on the state of the region. Chronic exposure to toxins leads to chronic health conditions that can lead to a variety of mental, emotional, and physical issues. Studies have found associations between air pollution and cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and in general mortality, morbidity, and a shortening of life expectancy. However, the degree to which a person is affected by these environmental toxins changes based on a variety of other factors, such as genetics and level of exposure. Thus, the environmental medicine field has many ties to the fields of genetics, cell biology, epidemiology, etc. Treatment approaches have been working towards decreasing exposure to these toxins along with detoxification programs, but there is also a focus on education on how to prevent and reduce negative environmental actions going forward.
Recognition for environmental medicine has increased over the years, originating around the middle of the twentieth century when the links between human disease and environmental factors first began showing. Famous cases such as the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, finding Hexavalent Chromium in water with the Erin Brockovich case, and the Asbestos-contaminated vermiculite in Montana, all added to public recognition of the growing issue. However, not everyone wants the field to be boosted. Many corporations are fighting recognition of environmental medicine because it can cost them a lot of money, and government agencies often are reluctant to recognize relationships between contaminants and disease out of a fear of public backlash over handling of policies or harm to businesses.
Despite all this, the field still faces some issues. There isn’t as much clarity yet on the route of contaminants, lack of history of a site or of knowledge of a certain chemical, unknown latency periods for toxins, and more. However, environmental medicine has become an increasingly important field that is among the most relevant to help both the Earth in finding more sustainable practices and supporting humans suffering from environmental-based diseases.
References
McLellan, R. K., & Guidotti, T. L. (2024). Occupational and environmental medicine: an asset in time of crisis. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 198–205). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-323-80932-0.00032-x
What is Occupational and Environmental Medicine? | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (n.d.). Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/academics/occupational-and-environmental-medicine-residency/what-is-occupational-and-environmental-medicine
Rodriguez-Morales, A. J., & Franco-Paredes, C. (2013, September 4). Environmental medicine | Health Effects & Prevention. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/environmental-medicine
Miller, D. S., & Yelin, J. C. (2013, September 4). Environmental health | Pollution, Climate Change & Health Risks. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/environmental-health
Written by Aarushi Rai from MEDILOQUY