"Environmental health includes both the direct pathological
effects of chemicals, radiation and some biological agents and the effects (often
indirect) on health and well-being of the broad physical, psychological, social and
aesthetic environment, which include housing, urban development, land use and
transport".
Promoting children's health requires protecting
them from harmful environmental exposures. These exposures include: harmful physical,
chemical and biological microorganisms and pollutants in water, air, soil and food. These
exposures may be intentional or inadvertent as well as accidents. The immediate
environment of children often includes a range of health hazards from lack of access to
clean safe water, inadequate sanitation, lack of nutritious food, and inadequate waste
management systems.
Children may be affected as well by broader
environmental pressures, including climate change and persistent organic pollutants,
global environmental changes such as global warming, decreases in the ozone layer, and the
Greenhouse effect. Suggested indirect effects on human health include decreased immunity
and vaccine efficacy, and decreased crop and plankton availability.
