Real or Illusory? Case Studies on the Public Perception of Environmental Health Risks in the North West of England

Kennedy

et al. 2015

Environ Geochem Health

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While scientific understanding of environmental issues develops through careful observation, experiment and modelling, the application of such advances in the day to day world is much less clean and tidy. Merseyside in northwest England has an industrial heritage from the earliest days of the industrial revolution. Indeed, the chemical industry was borne here. Land contamination issues are rife, as are problems with air quality. Through the examination of one case study for each topic, the practicalities of applied science are explored. An integrated, multidisciplinary response to pollution needs more than a scientific risk assessment. The needs of the various groups (from public to government) involved in the situations must be considered, as well as wider, relevant contexts (from history to European legislation), before a truly integrated response can be generated. However, no such situation exists in isolation and the introduction of environmental investigations and the exploration of suitable, integrated responses will alter the situation in unexpected ways, which must be considered carefully and incorporated in a rolling fashion to enable solutions to continue to be applicable and relevant to the problem being faced. This integrated approach has been tested over many years in Merseyside and found to be a robust approach to ever-changing problems that are well described by the management term, "wicked problems".

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Achieving attainable outcomes from good science in an untidy world: case studies in land and air pollution

Mahoney¹,

Kennedy

et al. 2015

Environ Geochem Health

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“…There are, of course, many other measures [81]. Good quality measurements of environmental concentrations of chemicals contribute to relevant risk assessments in responding to polluted situations [82].…”

Section: Receptors: Measurement Of Disease and Riskmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Risk communication-informing those affected or responding to the issue of the size of the risk and appropriate responses By concentrating solely on risks to physical health, professionals from both public health and regulatory bodies fail to understand and take into account the wider determinants of public health and wellbeing [82] (Figure 1). …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The feared consequences of exposure to toxins give greater public reaction than any likelihood of such exposure. Such emotions measurably affect people's health and can give rise to strained relationships within families and communities and may even lead to community conflict and breakdown [82,95,96]. The concept of "total pain" (a complex of physical, emotional, social and spiritual elements), so useful in palliative care [97], should be applied and developed within environmental public health and pollution issues.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Developing and comparing two conceptual models, one expert and one lay, allows the identification of important discrepancies which can be measured with a structured survey instrument. This provides a rigorous baseline measure of the gaps in public understanding, enabling full community involvement and participation in addressing the issues around the perception and management the specific environmental hazard under consideration [82] ( Figure 5). It provides the underpinning rationalisation of decision-making and should provide a fair and equitable environment, moving closer to a more sustainable use of developed space.…”

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confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Environment and Human Health: The Challenge of Uncertainty in Risk Assessment

Hursthouse

2018

Geosciences

High quality and accurate environmental investigations and analysis are essential to any assessment of contamination and to the decision-making process thereafter. Remediation decisions may be focused by health outcomes, whether already present or a predicted risk. The variability inherent in environmental media and analysis can be quantified statistically; uncertainty in models can be reduced by additional research; deep uncertainty exists when environmental or biomedical processes are not understood, or agreed upon, or remain uncharacterized. Deep uncertainty is common where health and environment interact. Determinants of health operate from the individual's genes to the international level; often several levels act synergistically. We show this in detail for lead (Pb). Pathways, exposure, dose and response also vary, modifying certainty. Multi-disciplinary approaches, built on high-quality environmental investigations, enable the management of complex and uncertain situations. High quality, accurate environmental investigations into pollution issues remain the cornerstone of understanding attributable health outcomes and developing appropriate responses and remediation. However, they are not sufficient on their own, needing careful integration with the wider contexts and stakeholder agendas, without which any response to the environmental assessment may very well founder. Such approaches may benefit more people than any other strategy.

Mining is bad for health: a voyage of discovery

2019

Environ Geochem Health

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Mining continues to be a dangerous activity, whether large-scale industrial mining or small-scale artisanal mining. Not only are there accidents, but exposure to dust and toxins, along with stress from the working environment or managerial pressures, give rise to a range of diseases that affect miners. I look at mining and health from various personal perspectives: that of the ordinary man (much of life depends on mined elements in the house, car and phone); as a member of the Society for Environmental Geochemistry and Health (environmental contamination and degradation leads to ill health in nearby communities); as a public health doctor (mining health is affected by many factors, usually acting in a mix, ranging from individual inheritancegenetic makeup, sex, age; personal choices-diet, lifestyle; living conditions-employment, war; social support-family, local community; environmental conditions-education, work; to national and international constraints-trade, economy, natural world); as a volunteer (mining health costs are not restricted to miners or industry but borne by everyone who partakes of mining benefits-all of us); and as a lay preacher (the current global economy concentrates on profit at the expense of the health of miners). Partnership working by academics with communities, government and industry should develop evidencebased solutions. Employment, health, economic stability and environmental protection need not be mutually exclusive. We all need to act.