The West Bengal University of Health Sciences

Environmental Health

MPH (1st Semester) Examination, December 2018 | Detailed Answers

1. Recommendations for controlling health risks from environmental pollution

🌬️ Air Pollution Control

Reduce industrial emissions, promote clean fuels (LPG/CNG)
Encourage public transport, tree plantation, green belts
Ban open waste burning → reduces asthma, COPD, CVD

💧 Water Pollution Control

Safe drinking water, chlorination, proper sewage disposal
Monitor industrial effluents → prevents cholera, typhoid, diarrhoea

🌱 Soil Pollution Control

Proper solid waste disposal, reduce chemical fertilizers/pesticides
Promote organic farming → prevents crop/groundwater contamination

🔊 Noise Pollution Control

Restrict loudspeakers, zoning regulations, soundproof industries
Tree plantation → prevents hearing loss and stress

🏥 Biomedical & Hazardous Waste Management

Segregation at source, safe disposal/incineration, recycling
Prevents infection and environmental contamination

🛡️ Occupational Health Measures

PPE, ventilation, dust control, periodic medical exams → reduces occupational diseases

📢 Public Health Education

Awareness on hygiene, sanitation, pollution hazards → improves community participation

⚖️ Legislative & Policy Measures

Enforcement of environmental laws, pollution monitoring, EIA → ensures industrial compliance

📊 Surveillance & Research

Monitor pollution levels, disease surveillance, epidemiological research → early risk identification

🌍 Climate Change Mitigation

Renewable energy, afforestation, reduce greenhouse gases → prevents global warming

Conclusion: A multidisciplinary approach involving government, healthcare workers, and community participation is essential for reducing overall health risks from environmental pollution.

2. Methyl mercury – formation & health effects

Methyl mercury: Highly toxic organic form of mercury that accumulates in aquatic organisms and enters the human food chain.

Formation Process (Biomethylation & Bioaccumulation)

Inorganic mercury from industrial waste, mining, coal burning enters water bodies
Microorganisms in sediments convert inorganic mercury to methyl mercury
Methyl mercury accumulates in fish and shellfish
Humans exposed via contaminated seafood

🧠 Health Effects

Tremors, numbness, ataxia, difficulty walking, memory loss
Hearing/visual impairment, speech difficulty
Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite
Kidney damage

👶 Developmental & Severe Effects

Congenital abnormalities, mental retardation in children
Paralysis, coma, death
Minamata Disease: First reported in Minamata Bay, Japan

Prevention: Control industrial discharge, monitor seafood, environmental regulations.

3. Faecal pathogens, WASH pathway & child nutrition

🦠 Diseases from Faecal Pathogens

Water-borne: Cholera, Typhoid, Dysentery, Hepatitis A/E, Polio
Parasitic: Ascariasis, Hookworm, Giardiasis
Diarrhoeal: Acute gastroenteritis

🔗 Pathway: Poor WASH → Malnutrition

Poor sanitation + unsafe water → faecal contamination → recurrent diarrhoea/worm infestation → reduced nutrient absorption → loss of appetite → malnutrition & stunting

Improvements: Safe drinking water, improved sanitation, hand washing, hygiene promotion.

State	Improved Drinking Water (%)	Improved Sanitation (%)	Stunted Children (%)
Bihar	98.2	25.2	48.3
Tamil Nadu	90.6	52.2	27.1
West Bengal	88.5	47.5	35.1
India	89.5	48.4	38.4

Interpretation: Bihar has high water coverage but poor sanitation and highest stunting; Tamil Nadu has better sanitation and lowest stunting → sanitation strongly influences child nutrition. WASH improvement improves nutritional status.

4. Silicosis, lung disorders in thermal power areas & awareness for dust diseases

🫁 Silicosis

Chronic occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust leading to pulmonary fibrosis.

🏭 Lung Disorders in/around Thermal Power Industries

Pneumoconiosis (coal & silica dust)
Chronic bronchitis
Asthma
COPD

Lung fibrosis (scarring)
Lung cancer (carcinogenic pollutants)
Allergic respiratory diseases
Tuberculosis (increased susceptibility)

📢 Awareness Measures for Prevention of Dust Diseases of Lungs

Health Education: Community awareness programs
PPE Use: Masks and respirators
Dust Control: Water spraying, ventilation
Periodic Medical Check-up: Chest X-ray, lung function tests
Smoking Cessation: Reduces respiratory risk
Workplace Safety Training: Safe handling of dusty materials
Environmental Monitoring: Regular air quality assessment

📌 Conclusion: Dust exposure in industries causes serious respiratory diseases. Early prevention, awareness and occupational safety measures are essential to protect workers and nearby communities.