SW Pennsylvania has long been home to industries that substantially impact the environment and human health
From an Article by Kristina Marusic, Environmental Health News, October 24, 2022
A guide to environmental health in southwestern Pennsylvania
Our zip codes are more important than our genetic codes in predicting our overall health and lifespans.
Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania face unique environmental health challenges. This guide explores those challenges and how you can help address them.
What is environmental health?
Environmental health is the relationship between human health and our environment.
The field of environmental health is a branch of public health that looks at the health effects of everything from air pollution and water contamination to toxic chemicals in consumer products and climate change.
These issues impact the health, wellbeing and longevity of people who live in some places more than others — including Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania.
Why is environmental health important in Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania?
Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania have long been home to extractive and manufacturing industries that substantially impact the environment and human health.
Long ago the region was home to the lumber industry, then some of the world’s first oil wells and coal mining, then steel mills, and now natural gas extraction and petrochemical plants.
Many cities, towns and neighborhoods throughout southwestern Pennsylvania were populated and built around these industries, so local politics historically have been led or heavily influenced by industry insiders. This resulted in policies that prioritize industrial growth, often at the expense of the environment and human health. The effects of these practices and policies still linger today.
The region also features unique topography with plentiful mountains and valleys that influence the way pollutants move through the environment (or don’t) and who is most impacted by them.
§§ ~ What this guide will cover
>>> Air pollution in Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania >>> Health impacts & Sources of air pollution
>>> Water contamination in Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania >>> Health impacts & Sources of water contamination
>>> Climate change in Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania >>> Effects & Health impacts
>>> Environmental justice in Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania
>>> Solutions to environmental health problems in Pittsburgh and SW Pennsylvania
SEE THE FULL ARTICLE FOR THE LINKS AND REFERENCES TO THE CURRENT LITERATURE AVAILABLE. Health studies now underway are of critical importance, being substantially overdue. DGN
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