Environmental Sanitation 473

Environmental sanitation

Dr Messmate Gemeay

Objectives After completion of this session the students

should be able to: Discuss health threats can arise from a

number of indoor environmental factors Mention different types of sanitation Correlate between Sanitation and public

health Discuss Impacts of solid waste on health

Outlines

Housing health threats can arise from a number of

indoor environmental factors different types of sanitation Sanitation and public health Impacts of solid waste on health

Introduction

It is estimated that up to 5 million people die each year from preventable water-borne disease, as a result of inadequate sanitation and hygiene practices.

The environmental health administration directs environmental sanitation, food sanitation, milk and meat sanitation, water and waste disposal programs in various areas, and is deeply involved in the daily life of prefectural citizens.

With changes in socio-economic conditions, there has been a trend toward increased household and industrial waste.

The situation is becoming difficult to cope with using the present incineration facilities and landfills. For these reasons, a resource recovery and recycling policy is being promoted as an important measure.

Sanitation

is the hygienic means of preventing human contact from the hazards of wastes to promote health

Housing

Housing and the indoor environment can therefore have significant effects on physical, mental and social health and wellbeing. Furthermore, an unsafe household can cause unintentional injuries such as falls, drowning, poisoning, fires and choking.

Health threats can arise from a number of indoor environmental factors such as indoor air quality (polluted for

example by use of solid fuels),noise humidity and mould growth, temperature, presence of hazardous substances, for example asbestos, lead, radon and volatile organic compounds (VOC)

hygiene and sanitation, and overcrowding.

Some examples of substandard housing are: inadequate sanitation lack of water lack of heating inappropriate ventilation the presence of insects or vermin structural hazards faulty weather protection fire hazards

The term "sanitation" can be applied to a specific aspect, concept, location, or strategy, such as:

Basic sanitation

Refers to the management of human feces at the household level.

On-site sanitation - the collection and treatment of waste is done where it is deposited. Examples are the use of pit latrines(w. c), septic tanks

Food sanitation

Refers to the hygienic measures for ensuring food safety.

Environmental sanitation

The control of environmental factors that form links in disease transmission.

Subsets of this category are solid waste management, water and wastewater treatment, industrial waste treatment and noise and pollution control.

Ecological sanitation

a concept and an approach of recycling to nature the nutrients from human and animal wastes.

Water and health are related in a number of ways

Firstly

There is the direct impact of consuming contaminated water this is known as 'waterborne disease' and includes diarrhea , typhoid, viral hepatitis A, cholera, dysentery.

Secondly, There is the effect of inadequate

quantities of water being available for personal hygiene

or the of un-hygienic practices which contaminate water and cause diseases.

Cont. Without enough water, skin and eye

infections (including trachoma) are easily spread, as are the faecal–oral diseases. These diseases are known as 'water-washed diseases'.

Thirdly

There are 'water based diseases' and "water-related vector-borne diseases" in which the aquatic environment provides an essential habitat for the mosquito vectors and intermediate snail hosts of parasites that cause human diseases.

Fourthly

There is chemically contaminated water such as water containing excessive amounts of arsenic or floride

Some contaminants are added to drinking water as a result of natural processes and some due to human activities such as industry and mining.

Water supply and sanitation in Saudi

Arabia Water supply and sanitation in

Saudi Arabia differs from most other countries in three significant aspects.

First It relies almost exclusively on two

sources that are absent in most other countries:

1-desalination 2-groundwater.

Second Given the substantial oil wealth of the

country, water is provided almost for free.

Third There is no separation between

institutions in charge of policy and regulation on the one hand, and those in charge of providing services on the other.

Some definitions

“Garbage”

Garbage is putrescible animal and vegetable wastes resulting from the handling, storage, sale, preparation, cooking, and serving

Recyclable materialRecyclable material is solid waste that is

processed and returned to the economic mainstream in the form of raw materials or products, as determined by the State of Nevada Environmental Commission.

Such as Newspaper; Aluminum; Yard debris (material generated from plants, including trees, bushes, sod, and grass clippings on residential or business

Hazardous waste

Hazardous waste is a waste with properties that make it dangerous or potentially harmful to human health or the environment.

Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes domestic wastewater (sewage, sullage,

greywater) industrial wastes, and agricultural

wastes and now appliances in disuse wastes like

cars, computers, household appliances, electronic appliances(bulbs, regulators)

Types of health hazards

Hazards can be eitherphysical microbiological biological or chemical agents

of disease.

Impacts of solid waste on health

The group at risk from the unscientific disposal of solid waste include

the population in areas where there is no proper waste disposal method, especially the pre-school children

waste workers; workers in facilities producing toxic

and infectious material..

Other high-risk group include population living close to a waste dump and those, whose water supply has become contaminated either due to waste dumping or leakage from landfill sites.

Uncollected solid waste also increases risk of injury, and infection

Occupational hazards associated with waste handling

Infections Skin and blood infections resulting from direct contact with waste, and from infected wounds.Eye and respiratory infections resulting from exposure to infected dust, especially during landfill operations. Different diseases that results from the bites of animals feeding on the waste.Intestinal infections that are transmitted by flies feeding on the waste.

Chronic diseasesIncineration operators are at risk of chronic respiratory diseases, including cancers resulting from exposure to dust and hazardous compounds.

AccidentsBone and muscle disorders resulting from the handling of heavy containers.Infecting wounds resulting from contact with sharp objects.Poisoning and chemical burns resulting from contact with small amounts of hazardous chemical waste mixed with general waste.Burns and other injuries resulting from occupational accidents at waste disposal sites or from methane gas explosion at landfill sites.

Vector control The principal objective of vector

control is: The reduction of malaria morbidity and

mortality by reducing the levels of transmission.

WHO recommends a systematic approach to vector control based on evidence and knowledge of the local situation. This approach is called Integrated vector management (IVM).

View the report of a WHO Study Group on , that reviews the current vector control strategies and their effectiveness in various operational and eco-epidemiological settings and identified challenges for implementation in different health systems

Indoor air pollution can be defined as chemical, physical, or

biological contaminants in the breathable air inside a habitable structure or conveyance, including workplaces, schools, offices, homes, and vehicles (the indoor environment).

Indoor residual spraying (IRS) Indoor residual spraying remains a

valuable intervention in malaria control when the following conditions are met: High percentage of the structures in an operational area have adequate sprayable surfaces, and can be expected to be well sprayed

Majority of the vector population is endophilic, i.e. rests indoors;

Vector is susceptible to the insecticide in use.The main purpose of indoor residual spraying is to reduce transmission by reducing the survival of malaria vectors entering houses or sleeping units.