Australian Mould & Bacterial Testing Services

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Ventilation - Air flow testing - EMF testing - Hygiene Assessment New build inspection - home & office assessments - Air quality via air testing and surface analyst - samples assessed by Microbiologist.

26/03/2024

Ochratoxin A
Ochratoxin A (OTA) is composed of a core polyketide dihydroisocoumarin part (similar to (R)-mellein) that is linked via an amide bond to the amino acid phenylalanine.
EFSA has published a scientific opinion on public health risks related to the presence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in food – a mycotoxin naturally produced by moulds that can be found in a variety of foodstuffs including cereals, preserved meats, fresh and dried fruit, and cheese.

New data that have become available since the last assessment in 2006 suggest that OTA can be genotoxic by directly damaging the DNA . Experts also confirmed that it can be carcinogenic to the kidney. Therefore experts calculated a margin of exposure ( MOE ). This is a tool used by risk assessors to consider possible safety concerns arising from the presence in food and feed of substances which are both genotoxic and carcinogenic.

In its previous opinion, EFSA established a tolerable weekly intake ( TWI ) based on toxicity and carcinogenicity to the kidney.

Experts have now used a more conservative approach by calculating MOE and concluded that there is a health concern for most consumers groups. EFSA’s scientific advice will inform the European Commission in the ongoing discussion on maximum levels of OTA in foodstuffs.

EFSA consulted stakeholders and different parties on its draft opinion and comments received were considered when finalising it.

09/03/2024

Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by certain molds that can grow on various crops and food products. Here are some common sources of mycotoxins:

1. Grains: Mycotoxins can contaminate grains such as corn, wheat, rice, and barley. Common mycotoxins found in grains include aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, and fumonisins.

2. Nuts: Nuts like peanuts, pistachios, and almonds are susceptible to mycotoxin contamination, particularly aflatoxins.

3. Coffee beans: Mycotoxins can be found in coffee beans, especially if the beans are not stored properly or are exposed to moisture.

4. Spices: Spices such as chili peppers, black pepper, and paprika can be contaminated with mycotoxins during cultivation, harvesting, and processing.

5. Dried fruits: Dried fruits like figs, raisins, and prunes can harbor mycotoxins, particularly aflatoxins.

6. Dairy products: Mold growth on animal feed can lead to mycotoxin contamination in dairy products such as milk and cheese.

7. Beer and wine: Mycotoxins can be present in alcoholic beverages like beer and wine if the raw ingredients used in their production are contaminated.

8. Animal feed: Mycotoxins can contaminate animal feed, leading to mycotoxin residues in meat, eggs, and dairy products from animals that consume contaminated feed.

It's important to store food products properly, maintain proper hygiene practices, and regularly inspect food items to minimize the risk of mycotoxin contamination. Additionally, regulatory bodies set limits on the acceptable levels of mycotoxins in food products to ensure consumer safety.

09/03/2024

Environmental health profession
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Environmental health professionals may be known as environmental health officers, public health inspectors, environmental health specialists or environmental health practitioners. Researchers and policy-makers also play important roles in how environmental health is practiced in the field. In many European countries, physicians and veterinarians are involved in environmental health.[92] In the United Kingdom, practitioners must have a graduate degree in environmental health and be certified and registered with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health or the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland.[93] In Canada, practitioners in environmental health are required to obtain an approved bachelor's degree in environmental health along with the national professional certificate, the Certificate in Public Health Inspection (Canada), CPHI(C).[94] Many states in the United States also require that individuals have a bachelor's degree and professional licenses in order to practice environmental health.[95] California state law defines the scope of practice of environmental health as follows:[96]

"Scope of practice in environmental health" means the practice of environmental health by registered environmental health specialists in the public and private sector within the meaning of this article and includes, but is not limited to, organization, management, education, enforcement, consultation, and emergency response for the purpose of prevention of environmental health hazards and the promotion and protection of the public health and the environment in the following areas: food protection; housing; institutional environmental health; land use; community noise control; recreational swimming areas and waters; electromagnetic radiation control; solid, liquid, and hazardous materials management; underground storage tank control; onsite septic systems; vector control; drinking water quality; water sanitation; emergency preparedness; and milk and dairy sanitation pursuant to Section 33113 of the Food and Agricultural Code.
The environmental health profession had its modern-day roots in the sanitary and public health movement of the United Kingdom. This was epitomized by Sir Edwin Chadwick, who was instrumental in the repeal of the poor laws, and in 1884 was the founding president of the Association of Public Sanitary Inspectors, now called the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.[97]

09/03/2024

Microplastic pollution
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This section is an excerpt from Microplastics § Human body.[edit]
While it is known microplastic enter the human body from the environment, the quantities involved are not well understood.[80]

The microplastics ingested by fish and crustaceans can be subsequently consumed by humans as the end of the food chain.[81] Microplastics are found in air, water, and food that humans eat, especially seafood; however, the degree of absorption and retention is unclear.[82][83] However, ingestion of microplastics via food may be relatively minor; for example, while mussels are known to accumulate microplastics, humans are predicted to be exposed to more microplastics in household dust than by consuming mussels.[84]
Soil pollution
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This section is an excerpt from Soil contamination § Exposure pathways.[edit]
Contaminated or polluted soil directly affects human health through direct contact with soil or via inhalation of soil contaminants that have vaporized; potentially greater threats are posed by the infiltration of soil contamination into groundwater aquifers used for human consumption, sometimes in areas apparently far removed from any apparent source of above-ground contamination. Toxic metals can also make their way up the food chain through plants that reside in soils containing high concentrations of heavy metals.[85] This tends to result in the development of pollution-related diseases.

Most exposure is accidental, and exposure can happen through:[86]

Ingesting dust or soil directly
Ingesting food or vegetables grown in contaminated soil or with foods in contact with contaminants
Skin contact with dust or soil
Vapors from the soil
Inhaling clouds of dust while working in soils or windy environments
However, some studies estimate that 90% of exposure is through eating contaminated food.[86]

09/03/2024

Safe drinking water
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Well installation for safe drinking water.
Access to safe drinking water is considered a "basic human need for health and well-being" by the United Nations.[65] According to their reports, over 2 billion people worldwide live without access to safe drinking water.[66] In 2017, almost 22 million Americans drank from water systems that were in violation of public health standards.[67] Globally, over 2 billion people drink feces-contaminated water, which poses the greatest threat to drinking water safety.[68] Contaminated drinking water could transmit diseases like cholera, dysentery, typhoid, diarrhea and polio.[68]

Harmful chemicals in drinking water can negatively affect health. Unsafe water management practices can increase the prevalence of water-borne diseases and sanitation-related illnesses.[69][70] Schools in the United States are not required by law to test for safe drinking water, meaning that many children can drink contaminants like lead in their water at school.[71][51] Inadequate disinfecting of wastewater in industrial and agricultural centers can also infect hundreds of millions of people with contaminated water.[68] Chemicals like fluoride and arsenic can benefit humans when the levels of these chemicals are controlled;but other, more dangerous chemicals like lead and metals can be harmful to humans.[68]

In America, communities of color can be subject to poor-quality water.[72] In communities in America with large hispanic and black populations, there is a correlated rise in SDWA health violations.[72] Populations who have experienced lack of safe drinking water, like populations in Flint, Michigan, are more likely to distrust tap water in their communities.[51] Populations to experience this are commonly low-income, communities of color.[73]

Hazardous materials management
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Hazardous materials management, including hazardous waste management, contaminated site remediation, the prevention of leaks from underground storage tanks and the prevention of hazardous materials releases to the environment and responses to emergency situations resulting from such releases. When hazardous materials are not managed properly, waste can pollute nearby water sources and reduce air quality.[74]

According to a study done in Austria, people who live near industrial sites are "more often unemployed, have lower educations levels, and are twice as likely to be immigrants.[75] With the interest of environmental health in mind, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act was passed in the United States in 1976 that covered how to properly manage hazardous waste.[76]

There are a variety of occupations that work with hazardous materials and help manage them so that everything is disposed of correctly. These professionals work in various sectors, including government agencies, private industry, consulting firms, and non-profit organizations, all with the common goal of ensuring the safe handling of hazardous materials and waste. These positions include but are not limited to Environmental Health and Safety Specialists, Waste Collectors, Medical Professionals, and Emergency Responders.[77] Handling waste, especially hazardous materials is considered one of the most dangerous occupations in the world.[78] Often, these workers may not have all of information about the specific hazardous materials they encounter, making their jobs even more dangerous. The sudden exposure to materials they are not properly prepared to handle can lead to severe consequences.[79] This emphasizes the importance of training, safety protocols, and the use of personal protective equipment for those working with hazardous waste.

09/03/2024

Climate change and its effects on health
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See also: Effects of climate change on human health
Climate change makes extreme weather events more likely, including ozone smog events, dust storms, and elevated aerosol levels, all due to extreme heat, drought, winds, and rainfall.[45][46] These extreme weather events can increase the likelihood of undernutrition, mortality, food insecurity, and climate-sensitive infectious diseases in vulnerable populations.[47] The effects of climate change are felt by the whole world, but disproportionately affect disadvantaged populations who are subject to climate change vulnerability.[48]

Water runoff in Maryland, USA.
Climate impacts can affect exposure to water-borne pathogens through increased rates of runoff, frequent heavy rains, and the effects of severe storms.[49] Extreme weather events and storm surges can also exceed the capacity of water infrastructure, which can increase the likelihood that populations will be exposed to these contaminants.[49][50] Exposure to these contaminants are more likely in low-income communities, where they have inadequate infrastructure to respond to climate disasters and are less likely to recover from infrastructure damage as quickly.[51]

Problems like the loss of homes, loved ones, and previous ways of life, are often what people face after a climate disaster occurs. These events can lead to vulnerability in the form of housing affordability stress, lower household income, lack of community attachment, grief, and anxiety around another disaster occurring.[48]

Environmental racism
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Further information: Environmental racism
Certain groups of people can be put at a higher risk for environmental hazards like air, soil and water pollution. This often happens due to marginalization, economic and political processes, and racism. Environmental racism uniquely affects different groups globally, however generally the most marginalized groups of any region are affected. These marginalized groups are frequently put next to pollution sources like major roadways, toxic waste sites, landfills, and chemical plants.[52] In a 2021 study, it was found that racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States are exposed to disproportionately high levels of particulate air pollution.[53] Racial housing policies that exist in the United States continue to exacerbate racial minority exposure to air pollution at a disproportionate rate, even as overall pollution levels have declined.[53] Likewise, in a 2022 study, it was shown that implementing policy changes that favor wealth redistribution could double as climate change mitigation measures.[54] For populations who are not subject to wealth redistribution measures, this means more money will flow into their communities while climate effects are mitigated.[53][54]

09/03/2024

Air quality
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Air quality includes ambient outdoor air quality and indoor air quality. Large concerns about air quality include environmental to***co smoke, air pollution by forms of chemical waste, and other concerns.

Outdoor air quality
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Air pollution is globally responsible for over 6.5 million deaths each year.[29] Air pollution is the contamination of an atmosphere due to the presence of substances that are harmful to the health of living organisms, the environment or climate.[30] These substances concern environmental health officials since air pollution is often a risk-factor for diseases that are related to pollution, like lung cancer, respiratory infections, asthma, heart disease, and other forms of respiratory-related illnesses.[31] Reducing air pollution, and thus developing air quality, has been found to decrease adult mortality.[32]

A Mumbai factory releasing air pollution.
Common products responsible for emissions include road traffic, energy production, household combustion, aviation and motor vehicles, and other forms of pollutants.[33][34] These pollutants are responsible for the burning of fuel, which can release harmful particles into the air that humans and other living organisms can inhale or ingest.[35]

Air pollution is associated with adverse health effects like respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, cancer, related illnesses, and even death.[36] The risk of air pollution is determined by the pollutant's hazard and the amount of exposure that affects a person.[37] For example, a child who plays outdoor sports will have a higher likelihood of outdoor air pollution exposure compared to an adult who tends to spend more time indoors, whether at work or elsewhere.[37] Environmental health officials work to detect individuals who are at higher risks of consuming air pollution, work to decrease their exposure, and detect risk factors present in communities.[38]

Indoor air quality
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Further information: Indoor air quality
Household air pollution contributes to diseases that kill almost 4.3 million people every year.[39] Indoor air pollution contributes to risk factors for diseases like heart disease, pulmonary disease, stroke, pneumonia, and other associated illnesses.[39] For vulnerable populations who spend large amounts of their time indoors, such as children and elderly populations, poor indoor air quality can be dangerous.[40]

Burning fuels like coal or kerosene inside homes can cause dangerous chemicals to be released into the air.[39] Dampness and mold in houses can cause diseases as well, but little studies have been performed on mold in schools and workplaces.[41] Environmental to***co smoke is considered to be a leading contributor to indoor air pollution, since exposure to second and third-hand smoke is a common risk factor.[42] To***co smoke contains over 60 carcinogens, where 18% are known human carcinogens.[43] Exposure to these chemicals can lead to exacerbation of asthma, development of cardiovascular diseases, cardiopulmonary diseases, and increase the likelihood of cancer development.[44]

09/03/2024

Overview of main health effects on humans from some common types of pollution[23][24][25]

FEMA/EPA Hazardous Materials Team removing hazards left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, 2005

Lecture of Joyeeta Gupta (University of Amsterdam) on environmental health
Environmental health addresses all human-health-related aspects of the natural environment and the built environment. Environmental health concerns include:

Biosafety.
Disaster preparedness and response.
Food safety, including in agriculture, transportation, food processing, wholesale and retail distribution and sale.
Housing, including substandard housing abatement and the inspection of jails and prisons.
Childhood lead poisoning prevention.
Land use planning, including smart growth.
Liquid waste disposal, including city waste water treatment plants and on-site waste water disposal systems, such as septic tank systems and chemical toilets.
Medical waste management and disposal.
Occupational health and industrial hygiene.
Radiological health, including exposure to ionizing radiation from X-rays or radioactive isotopes.
Recreational water illness prevention, including from swimming pools, spas and ocean and freshwater bathing places.
Solid waste management, including landfills, recycling facilities, composting and solid waste transfer stations.
Toxic chemical exposure whether in consumer products, housing, workplaces, air, water or soil.
Vector control, including the control of mosquitoes, rodents, flies, cockroaches and other animals that may transmit pathogens.
According to recent estimates, about 5 to 10% of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost are due to environmental causes in Europe. By far the most important factor is fine particulate matter pollution in urban air.[26] Similarly, environmental exposures have been estimated to contribute to 4.9 million (8.7%) deaths and 86 million (5.7%) DALYs globally.[27] In the United States, Superfund sites created by various companies have been found to be hazardous to human and environmental health in nearby communities. It was this perceived threat, raising the specter of miscarriages, mutations, birth defects, and cancers that most frightened the public.[28]

09/03/2024

Five basic disciplines generally contribute to the field of environmental health: environmental epidemiology, toxicology, exposure science, environmental engineering, and environmental law. Each of these five disciplines contributes different information to describe problems and solutions in environmental health. However, there is some overlap among them.

Environmental epidemiology studies the relationship between environmental exposures (including exposure to chemicals, radiation, microbiological agents, etc.) and human health. Observational studies, which simply observe exposures that people have already experienced, are common in environmental epidemiology because humans cannot ethically be exposed to agents that are known or suspected to cause disease. While the inability to use experimental study designs is a limitation of environmental epidemiology, this discipline directly observes effects on human health rather than estimating effects from animal studies.[15] Environmental epidemiology is the study of the effect on human health of physical, biologic, and chemical factors in the external environment, broadly conceived. Also, examining specific populations or communities exposed to different ambient environments, Epidemiology in our environment aims to clarify the relationship that exist between physical, biologic or chemical factors and human health.[16]
Toxicology studies how environmental exposures lead to specific health outcomes, generally in animals, as a means to understand possible health outcomes in humans. Toxicology has the advantage of being able to conduct randomized controlled trials and other experimental studies because they can use animal subjects. However, there are many differences in animal and human biology, and there can be a lot of uncertainty when interpreting the results of animal studies for their implications for human health.[17]
Exposure science studies human exposure to environmental contaminants by both identifying and quantifying exposures. Exposure science can be used to support environmental epidemiology by better describing environmental exposures that may lead to a particular health outcome, identify common exposures whose health outcomes may be better understood through a toxicology study, or can be used in a risk assessment to determine whether current levels of exposure might exceed recommended levels. Exposure science has the advantage of being able to very accurately quantify exposures to specific chemicals, but it does not generate any information about health outcomes like environmental epidemiology or toxicology.[18]
Environmental engineering applies scientific and engineering principles for protection of human populations from the effects of adverse environmental factors; protection of environments from potentially deleterious effects of natural and human activities; and general improvement of environmental quality.[19]
Environmental law includes the network of treaties, statutes, regulations, common and customary laws addressing the effects of human activity on the natural environment.[20][21]
Information from epidemiology, toxicology, and exposure science can be combined to conduct a risk assessment for specific chemicals, mixtures of chemicals or other risk factors to determine whether an exposure poses significant risk to human health (exposure would likely result in the development of pollution-related diseases). This can in turn be used to develop and implement environmental health policy that, for example, regulates chemical emissions, or imposes standards for proper sanitation.[22][page needed] Actions of engineering and law can be combined to provide risk management to minimize, monitor, and otherwise manage the impact of exposure to protect human health to achieve the objectives of environmental health policy.

09/03/2024

WHO definitions
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Environmental health was defined in a 1989 document by the World Health Organization (WHO) as: Those aspects of human health and disease that are determined by factors in the environment.[3][4] It is also referred to as the theory and practice of accessing and controlling factors in the environment that can potentially affect health.[5]

A 1990 WHO document states that environmental health, as used by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, "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 cultural environment, which includes housing, urban development, land use and transport."[6]

As of 2016, the WHO website on environmental health states that "Environmental health addresses all the physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person, and all the related factors impacting behaviours. It encompasses the assessment and control of those environmental factors that can potentially affect health. It is targeted towards preventing disease and creating health-supportive environments. This definition excludes behaviour not related to environment, as well as behaviour related to the social and cultural environment, as well as genetics."[7]

The WHO has also defined environmental health services as "those services which implement environmental health policies through monitoring and control activities. They also carry out that role by promoting the improvement of environmental parameters and by encouraging the use of environmentally friendly and healthy technologies and behaviors. They also have a leading role in developing and suggesting new policy areas."[8][9]

Other considerations
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The term environmental medicine may be seen as a medical specialty, or branch of the broader field of environmental health.[10][11] Terminology is not fully established, and in many European countries they are used interchangeably.[12]

Children's environmental health is the academic discipline that studies how environmental exposures in early life—chemical, nutritional, and social—influence health and development in childhood and across the entire human life span.[13]

Other terms referring to or concerning environmental health include environmental public health and health protection.[14]

09/03/2024

Environmental health
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Not to be confused with Ecological health, Ecosystem health, or Environmental medicine.
For the academic journal, see Environmental Health (journal).
Environmental health is the branch of public health concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment affecting human health. In order to effectively control factors that may affect health, the requirements that must be met in order to create a healthy environment must be determined.[1] The major sub-disciplines of environmental health are environmental science, toxicology, environmental epidemiology, and environmental and occupational medicine.[2]

Conceptual map illustrating the connections among nonhuman nature, ecosystem services, environmental ethics, environmental justice, and public health

Environmental health indicator (2016). It consists of three categories: health impacts, air quality, and water and sanitation. The health impacts category includes the environmental risk exposure indicator.

09/03/2024

Metals
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Further information: heavy metals, metal toxicity, Toxic heavy metal, Lead poisoning, Mercury poisoning, Zinc toxicity, Chromium toxicity, and cadmium poisoning
Poisoning by lead and mercury has been known since antiquity. Other toxic metals or metals that are known to evoke adverse immune reactions are arsenic, phosphorus, zinc, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, manganese, nickel, cobalt, osmium, platinum,[9] selenium, tellurium, thallium, uranium, and vanadium.

Halogens
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There are many other diseases likely to have been caused by common anions found in natural drinking water. Fluoride is one of the most common found in drier climates where the geology favors release of fluoride ions to soil as the rocks decompose. In Sri Lanka, 90% of the country is underlain by crystalline metamorphic rocks of which most carry mica as a major mineral. Mica carries fluoride in their structure and releases to soil when decomposes. In the dry and arid climates, fluoride concentrates on top soil and slowly dissolves in shallow groundwater. This has been the cause of high fluoride levels in drinking water where the majority of the rural Sri Lankans obtain their drinking water from backyard wells. High fluoride in drinking water has caused a high incidence of fluorosis among dry zone population in Sri Lanka. However, in the wet zone, high rainfall effectively removes fluoride from soils where no fluorosis is evident. In some parts of Sri Lanka iodine deficiency has also been noted which has been identified as a result of iodine fixation by hydrated iron oxide found in lateritic soils in wet coastal lowlands.[10]

See also: Pool chlorine hypothesis
Organic compounds
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Additionally, there are environmental diseases caused by the aromatic carbon compounds including : benzene, hexachlorocyclohexane, toluene diisocyanate, phenol, pentachlorophenol, quinone and hydroquinone.[citation needed]

Also included are the aromatic nitro-, amino-, and pyridilium-deratives: nitrobenzene, dinitrobenzene, trinitrotoluene, paramethylaminophenol sulfate (Metol), dinitro-ortho-cresol, aniline, trinitrophenylmethylnitramine (tetryl), hexanitrodiphenylamine (aurantia), phenylenediamines, and paraquat.[11]

The aliphatic carbon compounds can also cause environmental disease. Included in these are methanol, nitroglycerine, nitrocellulose, dimethylnitrosamine, and the halogenated hydrocarbons: methyl chloride, methyl bromide, trichloroethylene, carbon tetrachloride, and the chlorinated naphthalenes. Also included are glycols: ethylene chlorhydrin and diethylene dioxide[12]

Noxious gases
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See also: passive smoking
Noxious gases can be categorized as : Simple asphyxiants, chemical asphyxiants, and irritant gases. The simple asphixiants are nitrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide. The chemical asphyxiants are carbon monoxide, sulfuretted hydrogen and hydrogen cyanide.[13]

The irritant gases are sulfur dioxide, ammonia, nitrogen dioxide, chlorine, phosgene, and fluorine and its compounds, which include luroine and hydrofluoric acid, fluorspar, fluorapatite, cryolite, and organic fluorine compounds.[14]

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