MPH 632:Environmental Health | Brianna Rubio

WOW was my first reaction when I saw how much water earth holds. Over one billion people don't have access to clean water and it reminds me of how fortunate and blessed we are to have access to clean water. I am sure this video (Water Facts) will come to my mind tomorrow morning as I am having my coffee. I was familiar with aquifers, however, I did not know at most of our surface water comes from aquifers. Groundwater is also essential as it is one of the Nation's most important natural resources. i often forget about groundwater because it is not something that we visually see such as rivers and the ocean. Clean water is a basic right that everyone should have. The Clean Water Act is important because it protects water sources and public health. Although some of us have clean and safe drinking water at home, in the United States, the quality and safety of our drinking water continues to be an important public health issue. Therefore, we must improve public health education...

Upon researching, I found that Stockton only had one sewage facility known as Regional Wastewater Control Facility. This facility is a 55 Million Gallon per day (MGD) tertiary treatment facility.  The facility serves the City of Stockton and outlying County areas and processes an average of 33 MGD. Once wastewater arrives at the facility, it then gets treated. After treatment, under the restrictions and requirements of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, the water is  then discharged into the San Joaquin River. This facility works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week making sure that everything flows properly. Regional Wastewater Control Facility prioritizes ensuring that the water that gets discharged into the San Joaquin River is the highest water quality standards to protect our environment. I enjoyed learning about this sewage facility and the process our water goes through before entering the San Joaquin River. 

According to the information I found on the U.S. National Library ToxNet: Urea formaldehyde (found in pressed board, a common building material) Urea formaldehyde  is a type of foam that i s a inexpensive, easily installed, and efficient insulation. This is a serious exposure because it has health effects including m ild to incapacitating symptoms have been reported in u rea formaldehyde  occupants of  insulated homes. It was interesting to read that physicians confuse this foam with another foam known as  polyurethane foam. The difference is that  polyurethane foam is fully cured before construction and u rea formaldehyde is not. However, t oxicity occurs only during manufacture and curing. Health effects include  primarily of the upper respiratory tract, lower respiratory tract disease and cancer.  Recently, my cousin built her dream home with her husband and they were both very happy about accomplishing this. I am sure none of them thoug...

Wow! I was unaware of how much damage radon can do to our health. The scary part is that you can’t see or smell this gas. I would develop a national radon awareness campaign by collaborating with parents,   providers, teachers, community workers, nurses, and other frontline professionals.   This national education campaign will raise awareness on radon and inspire public action to address exposure to radon. This campaign will also feature education material intended to reach adults including parents who have children. It will engage collaborators and the community on proven ways to be aware of this exposure and teach effective ways such as the radon test to remove the exposure, if needed. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer therefore, it is important for people to be aware of this exposure that could potentially lead to mortality. My campaign will aim to: ·       Raise awareness about the urgency and impact of exposu...

It was nice to finally hear a physician talk about the importance of community health workers and environmental health. Rishi Manchanda did a phenomenal job on arguing that the future of our health, and our health care system, depends on growing and supporting a new generation of health care practitioners who look upstream for the sources of our problems, rather than simply go for  symptomatic relief. Normally, a physician is known for providing clinical care and prescribing medications. However with Dr. Manchanda, this is not the case. He points out that our health begins in our everyday lives, in the places where we live, work, eat, and play. More physicians should adopt the upstream approach and look at how health begins at home and in the workplace, with the social and environmental factors of our everyday lives.  Medical care is not all about the smart doctors, stethoscopes, imaging machines, high-tech tests, labs, and the best prescriptions and pro...

Before reading the material for this blog, I had no idea that environmental racism was even a thing. Because these individuals are low income and live in areas near toxic waste sites, they are exposed to more social determinants.   Living near these sites puts them at higher risk to health issues due to the air, water, and food that can all be affected. Due to the awful stench that permeates everything, it automatically makes surrounding organizations (schools, workplaces, and homes) unsafe.   It’s extremely sad to read that there’s resistance to environmental law when this is a public health issue that has to do with our health and well being. Climate change is an important issue to address. Therefore, politicians should not resist in addressing this because climate change has the potential to multiply environmental risks, which can increase the price of food while intensifying devastating storms. There are a lot of questions up in the air in regards to...

Who and what are the top polluters in your zip code? In terms of air releases, in 2002, my county ranked among the dirtier 30% of all counties in the U.S. The top 10 polluters in my community were: 1.      Posdef Power Co. L.P. 2.      Dow Chemical 3.      Stockton Cogen Co. 4.      Silgan Containers MFG. Corp. 5.      Star Buildings Systems 6.      J.R. Simplot Company 7.      Silgan Containers Lodi MFG. Corp. 8.      Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.  Plant #22 9.      Canadaigua Wine Co. Inc. 10. Equilon Stockton Terminal What percent of homes in your zip code have lead-based paint? 2% of homes in my county have lead-based point. In my opinion, this is a very low percentage. Are there superfund sites in your zip? What is a superfund site? A superfund ...