Environmental Health and Safety

Abstract

The goal of environmental health is to create an environment that will provide optimal public health and safety, ecological well-being, and quality of life for current and future generations (Gordon, Environmental health administration basics, p 8, 2014). Environmental health programs employ a combination of prevention and control strategies to manage and mitigate environmental hazards. Prevention programs focus on why the hazard was created, while control programs focus on treating and characterizing the impact of the hazard after the hazard has occurred. The food protection professional (FPP) should have a basic understanding of how environmental health and safety are informed by the fields of epidemiology and toxicology, and he or she must understand how risk assessment plays a crucial role when responding to environmental health and safety hazards. FPPs must also utilize various safeguards when responding to environmental disasters and participating in emergency response operations.

Appendices

Take-Home Message

Food protection professionals need not be fully-trained epidemiologists or toxicologists. However, a basic understanding of environmental hazards can prove to be critical in properly assessing public health risks and developing strategies for managing those risks. Environmental hazards come from a variety of natural and man-made sources and are commonly placed into biological, chemical, physical, and radiological categories. Hazards can range in magnitude from small-scale issues such as contaminated food and water affecting a small group of people to unexpected and widespread environmental disasters that can affect entire communities. Without adequate background knowledge, the FPP could expose the public to unnecessary risks. Likewise, the FPP runs the risk of putting him or herself in harm’s way if hazards and risks are miscalculated.

Activity

Place the following environmental hazards in their proper categories (biological, chemical, physical, or radiological) and identify the most common routes of human exposure for each hazard.

• 1. Scombrotoxin

• 2. Norovirus

• 3. Glass

• 4. Iodine-131

• 5. Peanuts

• 6. Methyl mercury

Answer Key

• 1. Scombrotoxin. Hazard: Chemical. Scombrotoxin is a chemical toxin formed by spoilage bacteria in which histidine is converted to histamine.

  Most common route of exposure: Consumption of food products containing high levels of scombrotoxin such as tuna or mahi-mahi.

• 2. Norovirus. Hazard: Biological. Norovirus is one of the primary biological pathogens responsible for foodborne illnesses in the USA each year.

  Most common route of exposure: Consumption of contaminated food products via poor food handling practices by persons utilizing inadequate personal hygiene (e.g., lack of hand washing).

• 3. Glass. Hazard: Physical. Glass can enter food products through damaged lighting, product containers, or bottles.

  Most common route of exposure: Ingestion of food products containing small pieces or shards of glass.

• 4. Iodine-131. Hazard: Radiological. Iodine-131 is a radioactive isotope that forms within nuclear fuel rods during fission. Inadequate safety controls can allow the isotope to escape into the environment (EPA 2013c).

  Most common route of exposure: Consumption of water or food products contaminated with iodine-131 as a result of accidental release of nuclear material into the environment.

• 5. Peanuts. Hazard: Chemical. Peanuts are one of the eight major food allergens identified by FDA.

  Most common route of exposure: Peanut can be unintentionally added to a food product through cross-contamination during the manufacturing process.

• 6. Methyl mercury. Hazard: Heavy metal. Methyl mercury is deposited in surface waters, primarily from the combustion of coal, and can bioaccumulate in the tissues of certain fish.

  Most common route of exposure: Consumption of certain types of fish, such as swordfish, that contain high levels of methyl mercury.