Reference no: EM133907233
Environmental Health
TASK DESCRIPTION
A series of four (4) environmental health case studies relating to the environmental determinants of health will be provided on Moodle. Write a short analysis of each case study, identifying the root cause and contributing factors that caused the problem. Explain your process for arriving at these factors and provide recommendations to ensure the issue does not happen again. Use appropriate evidence from the literature to support your ideas.
Part A: Two cases studies
Part B: Two case studies
WORD LIMIT: 750 words per case study, not including references
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Relevance
Validity
Organisation
Presentation
CASE STUDY 1
In April of 2025, residents of Nepal's capital city, Kathmandu, experienced a decline in air quality, with pollution levels soaring to hazardous levels that lasted several days. Government agencies issued notices advising people to avoid outdoor activities to protect their health. This created a buzz of activity across social media platforms and amongst the media but, in reality, the situation was not that unusual. Experts have stated that pollution levels tend to increase significantly each winter, and residents have been breathing unsafe air almost every day for years. The 2024 World Air Quality Report ranked Kathmandu as the eighth most polluted capital city in the world. According to an air quality specialist at Nepal Energy and Environment Development Services, "air pollution has never been a priority" in Nepal. Open burning of solid waste continues unchecked in the Kathmandu Valley, coal is burned to power brick kilns and agricultural residue is burned after harvest. Additionally, numerous studies have identified indoor air pollution within households as a significant problem in Nepal.
In the Nepali context, write a short analysis identifying which air pollutant/s are most likely to cause problems for the community in the short and long-term. Discuss the potential source/s and types of pollutants, as well as the health effects that may arise as a result of exposure.
CASE STUDY 2
environmental health professional for the State Health Department and receive a phone call from a nearby island resort to advise that there have been a number of cases of diarrhoea reported amongst the staff. The symptoms resolve themselves while the workers are at home but resume when they return to work. Resort staff usually work a roster of seven days on, followed by four days off, when staff members usually return to their homes on the mainland.
The resort provides a high standard of amenities for guests, with an extensive swimming pool, water sports, restaurant and bar, which staff can use when off-duty. Employees have their own air-conditioned accommodation units, with kitchenette, ensuite bathrooms, television, telephone and internet. They can choose to self cater in their units or choose to eat in the resort's restaurant. Employees' units are cleaned twice a week. Boost your grades with expert-level assignment help today.
The camp has its own water treatment plant, with an environmental authority to draw raw water from a nearby stream. The water is treated using traditional coagulation/flocculation, sedimentation and filtration methods with UV disinfection. Sewage from the camp is treated in large septic tanks that discharge to transpiration trenches.
Not long after the telephone call, you receive several notifications from a local doctor advising you that he has recently treated several patients with diarrhoea who had just returned from a holiday on the island.
Write a short analysis discussing the scenario, identifying the likely cause of the problem and suggesting ways in which the problem can be rectified. Use appropriate information from your required reading and other scholarly sources to support your conclusions and justify your recommendations.