Environmental Health
Two topics of environmental concern in my community are pesticide-related illnesses and reproductive health problems. Pesticide-related illnesses are caused when one is exposed to pesticides in the environment and in our community, cases have been on the rise due to a nearby flower farm. Cases have ranged ranged from short-time to long-term health effects. Reproductive health problems such as birth defects, miscarriages, and cases of infertility in men and women have been on the rise. These cases are caused by environmental hazards among them passive smoking, pesticides, exposure to heavy metals in the environment among other air pollutants.
The following are three ways that my community can do to reduce or eliminate these threats. One of the ways is observing hygiene. Ways of doing this include washing fruits before eating and vegetables before they have cooked them. So as to alleviate the risks of exposure to environmental pesticides, they should follows the guidelines as directed by the packages of the products. In case a community member has made contact with the pesticides, he or she should thoroughly wash the skin and clothes. The second way of alleviating or eliminating the threats is proper disposal. Infants and children are the most susceptible of environmental hazards as their organs are still developing. Such children can get exposure to environmental hazards at home. Therefore, wastes should be disposed efficiently, and children and infants secured from other house hazards such as asbestos wrapping on hot water pipes. The third thing that could be done to reduce or alleviate the threats is by avoiding dangerous working conditions (John & Gary, 2001). Each year, tens of thousands of workers succumb to diseases related to their working conditions and others are left with defects. People should not accept to work in dangerous working conditions under the claim of it being “just a part of the job.”

References
Kriegler, G. R. & Sullivan, J. B. (2001). Clinical environmental health and toxic exposures. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.