Title : Environmental and public health risk assessment of heavy metal exposure in climate vulnerable regions
Abstract:
In the 21st century, science and innovation are redefining public health by addressing environmental health challenges and the growing threat of climate change. The health of humans is directly connected to the condition of the environment, it is crucial to make environmental protection a major pillar of sustainable public health. Public health depends on Environmental health which focuses on how physical, chemical, and biological factors affect human well-being. Contamination of any of the spheres of the environment (air, water and soil) has direct impact on the public health. Industrial waste, poor waste disposal, deforestation, oil spills, and urbanization expose people to harmful substances that affect the public health negatively. Environmental degradation/ Improper waste disposal and waste management has negatively affected public health thereby resulting to illness, such as respiratory diseases, cancers, skin infections, and waterborne illnesses and also cause climate change. Contamination of the soil by heavy metals from diverse kinds of waste can reduce soil fertility and also reduce plant productivity. Fewer healthy plants means less carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. Soil microbes help to store carbon and maintain soil fertility. Heavy metals kill or weaken soil microorganisms, when soils are contaminated /damaged, plants and organisms, that naturally maintain environmental balance decline, thereby reducing carbon storage capacity. Healthy soil stores carbon naturally, heavy metal contamination disrupts this process and may lead to increased carbon release into the atmosphere. Industrial Activities associated with Heavy Metals, mining, electronic waste disposal, industrial emissions, and metal processing release both heavy metals and greenhouse gases simultaneously. Environmental health problems contribute significantly to climate change by increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Occurrence of toxic heavy metals in the environment play adverse role by contaminating the underground water, soil, results to phytotoxicity , food insecurity and sicknesses to human through food chain.
Keywords: Environment, Health, Public, Metals, Climate
