Celebrate Earth Day with Environmental Health Resources from NLM and NNLM
April 22 is Earth Day making April a great time to learn about environmental health and find resources for programming that promotes environmental health year-round.
What is Environmental Health?
Environmental Health is how what’s around us in the places we live, work, study and visit impacts our health and the health of our community. Environmental Health deals with exposure to harmful things in the natural world through air, water, or soil. Are you being exposed to polluted air? Do you have access to clean water? Are you exposed to chemicals in the soil when you garden?
It can be related to how our towns, cities and communities are built. Do you have access to parks and nature? Are there sidewalks? Are there other barriers or supports for getting outside and being active?
Indoor environment is also a consideration of environmental health. Are the places you live and work well ventilated? Are you exposed to mold, asbestos and other things that can make you sick? Exposure to things like polluted air, lead in drinking water, asbestos and other particles can lead to serious health problems like asthma, cancer, heart disease and dementia. Built environment and lack of exposure to nature can affect mental health and leave people isolated. Disasters and emergencies can also change our environment by releasing chemicals and debris into the water and air. Learning about how to protect our environment, engage with our built environment, and be disaster ready can help the health of our families and communities.
Resources for Libraries
From the National Network of the Library of Medicine and the National Library of Medicine
NNLM Reading Club-Find books and resources on a variety of health topics to spark conversation and increase health literacy.
Learn more about environmental health with NNLM Recorded Classes including:
- Mosquito and Vector Control Awareness: Bridging the Gaps Between Mosquito and Vector Control Programs, Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Professionals, Politicians, and the Public
- Environmental Chemicals and Breast Cancer: What Do We Know? What Can We Do?
- Endocrine Disruptors in Environmental Health
- NNLM Virtual Disaster Preparedness Forum (YouTube Playlist)
Looking for other preparedness resources? Check out the NNLM Emergency and Disaster Resources guide
MedlinePlus-Health information in plain language. Learn more about environmental health with these health topics pages.
From Partners
National Center for Environmental Health: Learn about how the CDC is tracking and addressing environmental health.
American Public Health Association’s ECO Bookworms: Find books and discussion guides to help the littlest community members learn about environmental health.
SciStarter: April is also Citizen Science Month and a great time to contribute to data collection about the world we live in.
Tags: earthday, environmentalhealth
