Environmental and Occupational Health Issues

In this BLOG I will be listing the Sacramento sewage facilities. Sacramento has one sewage facility which is Sacramento Area Sewer District (SASD). Per SASD website, it provides service to 1.2 million people in the Sacramento region. This also includes the unincorperated areas of Sacramento like Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova, Elk Grove and portions of Elk Grove. They work 24/7 to protect public and the environment by efficiently and effectively collecting sewage for the community.

"Tap into it!" A short and direct quote is the slogan I would use for a campaign for tap water. I would have an images of a faucet before the "Tap into it!" so that people can understand what the slogan is referencing to. I think that adding a description of the goal of the campaign would sell people on the idea. Providing statistics that show most people prefer tap water taste over bottled water, cost, and accessibility would be another selling point. Statistics are big drivers because people like to see numbers and if they think it's better for them the will most likely turn to what is best for them. What do you think? Did you like the slogan? -Iliana

The following questions will be answered with the information provided on City of Sacramento webpage: https://www.cityofsacramento.org/-/media/Corporate/Files/DOU/Reports/CCR_2017_Year_6_1_18_final.pdf?la=en What is the source of your drinking water? Where does your water ORIGINATE?  (It is treated at a water treatment plant, but what watershed or aquifer is the sources of the water?) The primary water source is surface water from the American and Sacramento Rivers, which provides 72 percent of the water supply. Groundwater provides the remaining 28 percent. The report did not mention where the water originated aside from the American and Sacramento River. What chemicals were found in your water that were higher than expected? It was nice to read that most of the chemicals in the water were non-detected. Per the report, the water meet or exceeded all of state and federal drinking standards. What chemicals did you NOT expect to find in your water? Honestly, I was not aware...

This week I will be talking about the public health importance of safe drinking water. Water is essential for life. It is the basis of life and something that we use everyday. Our bodies are composed of 60%-70% water. Without clean water we would not be able to survive. Prior to the Clean Water Act (1972) there were no regulations on discharges of pollutants in the waters of the United States. Regulating quality standards for water were nonexistent.. The Clean Water Act allowed the implementation of pollution control programs such as setting wastewater standards of industries. It is important to have safe drinking water so the humans are not exposed to chemical pollution through the water they drink. It's also important to have disinfected water as well. It would be a health concern if people were drinking contaminate water. Disease would spread quickly through the distribution of contaminated water. Additionally, there are many ecological bene...

In this post I will be talking about the development and implementation of a fragrance-free policy in a hospital, school, or other institutional setting. I will also consider how I would deal with the fragrances that are in employees’ personal care products. I think that having a fragrance-free policy is very difficult. Just about everything have a fragrance. If you don’t think so I suggest you make a trip to Target and walk down the personal care products. I’m sure you will find more items that have a fragrance than those that are fragrance-free. I believe the market has made it even more difficult to get rid of fragrances. Yes, they smell great but if ill informed you do not know the harm you could be causing your body. Not only that, but our skin can absorb fragrances put on our skin or from our clothing. Upon some brainstorming and thinking of the best method to go about having a fragrance-free policy I believe that people should go through an educational course on the effects...

This week I will be talking about radon and how I would develop a national awareness campaign. I will also be naming some potential collaborators (stakeholders). Personally, I was not familiar with radon initially and have learned that it is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer. In fact it is the leading cause for lung cancer. Unfortunately, you can not see or smell radon and testing is the only way to know your level of exposure. In recent years social media has become one of the most used and successful platforms for outreach. I would heavily rely on this form of advertisement to create awareness of radon. Ideally I would like to set a date as national test your home for radon day. I think this idea would evoke emotion from the nation after being informed of potential risk of exposure to radon. Social media like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube and many more would be the base of the campaign. Other media outlets like T.V., billboards, ...

Hello! In this week’s BLOG we will be using the National Library ToxNet to review and describe one or more health effects that are associated with exposures to urea formaldehyde (found in press board, a common building material) and bleach (a cleaning/disinfectant product). Based on the National Library ToxNet website, Urea-formaldehyde is an amorphous powder that is mainly in plastics and rubber. It is commonly used in plywood and particle board and wrinkle-resistance agents in textiles. It is also molded for electrical devices and other home applications. The use of Urea-formaldehyde was banned in home insulation in 1982 due to the release of formaldehyde being an indoor hazard. The most adverse health effects caused by Urea-formaldehyde are asthma (occupational) and contact dermatitis. Asthma is considered to be an airway disease that is characterized by an airflow limitation, inflammation, or hyper-responsiveness  due to certain causes and conditions attributed to occupati...

I really like public transportation and find it to be fascinating. I grew up in Madera, California and you needed a car for the most part to get around town. It's a small agricultural town so most people own a car and I actually haven't payed much attention but doubt that there's a very well used form of public transportation.  When I moved to Davis for my undergrad I loved the idea of public transportation and people relying on their bike rather than a car. I later got acquainted with Amtrak and most recently with BART. Even though I do not live in the bay area. I frequent it often and every time I have the opportunity I take public transportation. I enjoy not having to drive and having that "down time" for myself. Some of my friends think I'm silly for enjoying public transportation but I think some people have built a negative stigma around it that needs to be undone. As mentioned in the APHA fact sheet, public transportation produces "95% less carbon...

·       Who and what are the top polluters in your zip code? o    The top 3 out of 17 polluters in my zip code are Aerojet-Missile &Space Propulsion, Procter & Gamble MFG. CO, and Polyclad Laminates Inc. o    The top 3 out of 20 pollutants are hydrochloric acid, methanol, and N,N-dimethyl formamide ·       What percent of the homes in your zipcode have lead-based paint? o    1% of houses in Sacramento County have high risk of lead hazards. ·       Are there Superfund sites in your zip?  (In your BLOG, make sure to tell us what a Superfund Site is) o    There are 3 Superfund sites in Sacramento County that caused contamination of drinking water sources.  Superfund sites are land contaminated by waste in the US, that are identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as posing a risk to human health/the environment. ·  ...

It's amazing to think that in 2018 we are still struggling with environmental justice. I would like to think that as a nation we have progressed over time but the harsh reality is that we have not made much progress. As defined by the EPA in 2007, "Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. EPA has the goal for all communities and persons across this Nation. It will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work." This definition is clear and tugs at the heart by thinking that there can be fair treatment and equal access to a healthy environment, but Chiles article "8 Horrifying Examples of Cor...

In this post I will be talking about my reflection of videos and articles that highlight exposure to chemicals in vulnerable populations. Richi Manchanda: What makes us get sick? Look upstream In this video,

This week I will be talking about my reaction to a hypothetical situation. In this hypothetical situation I have received lab results from my primary care provider and will be discussing my reaction to these results. You can find the results of the hypothetical labs at the bottom of the post.  My initial reaction is looking at the potential health effects and with cancer being so present now a days my eyes go straight to chemicals that are carcinogen. I notice that dioxins and PCBs are the two chemical's  that could potentially lead to cancer. I then think about exposure and if there are any available treatments to cleanse my body from the chemicals. All of the possible health effects can impact my life in many ways from having family to cancer. I am overwhelmed and feel scared. I can feel my chest tightening up and the the fear setting. All I can think about is the worse case scenario and how it will impact my life. I tend to overthink situations that would be my ...

In the past 4 months I have ventured more into skincare. I have been trying different products based off YouTube recommendations from know skincare influencers. I also reference to a friend who does extensive research on products but it never dawned on me to see if these brand and non-brand skincare items contain hazardous toxins. Watching the Safe Cosmetic 101 video opened a new avenue for me that I had not explored. I couldn’t help but think of all the new products I have tried and the exposure I have been putting myself through. The fact that less than 20% of chemicals are assessed with safety baffles me. It makes me wonder why our country allows us to continuously be exposed to toxins. As mentioned in the Safe Cosmetic 101 video we have the right to know. I believe that many of these giant industry producers don’t change formulation because government does not ask them to. Harmful chemicals continue to go unnoticed and unchanged because we as consumers don’t call for attenti...

Lets review a couple household products! In this post I will be reviewing Downy Unstoppables In Wash Scent Booster, Lush Scent and Formula 409 All Purpose Cleaner Lemon Fresh Antibacterial. I use both products on a regular basis when doing laundry and cleaning my house. Information available for Downy Unstoppables In Wash Scent Booster, Lush Scent states that they are solid perfume beads that are not expected to present a health hazard. However, it should not be ingested or near children. Upon further reading there were a few acute health effects such as: eye irritation, respiratory tract infection and skin irritation. There were no chronic health effects reported. I was relieved to read that the finished product was not carcinogenic. The Hazardous Material Identification System (HMIS) rates this product a 1 in health and flammability ratings which means it is slight. It was rated minimal in reactivity rating. Information available for 409 All Purpose Cleaner Lemon Fresh Ant...

Hello everyone! This week we will be discussing personal care products and toxins we may be exposing ourselves to. I decided to review a toothpaste and bar soap since I use these products daily and multiple times a day. The brand of the toothpaste I use is Sensodyne. I use the Complete Protection Sensitivity Toothpaste with Cavity and Gingivitis Protection.  The rating was a 3 which means it is moderate hazard, but on the lower spectrum. As for ingredient concerns regarding cancer and developmental and reproductive toxicity there was no information/rating. Allergies and immunotoxicity were rated low while user restrictions were rated moderate. I thought it was interesting to read that there were other high concerns in multiple additive exposure sources and contaminations concerns. As a second product I decided to evaluate Dove Cucumber and Green Tea soap bar. The rating for this product was 4 (moderate hazard). Very similar to the toothpaste, ingredient co...