Environmental hazard

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There are two widely used meanings for environmental hazards; one is that they are hazards to the natural environment (biomes or ecosystems),^[1] and the other is hazards of an environment that are normally present in the specific environment and are dangerous to people present in that environment.^[2]

Well known examples of hazards to the environment include potential oil spills, water pollution, slash and burn deforestation, air pollution, ground fissures,^[3] and build-up of atmospheric carbon dioxide.^[4] They may apply to a particular part of the environment (slash and burn deforestation) or to the environment as a whole (carbon dioxide buildup in the atmosphere)..

Similarly, a hazard of an environment may be inherent in the whole of that environment, like a drowning hazard is inherent to the general underwater environment, or localised, like potential shark attack is a hazard of those parts of the ocean where sharks that are likely to attack people are likely to exist.

An active volcano may be a hazard to the environment, whether natural or artificial, and at the same time a hazard in and of the environment.^[5][6]

A hazard can be defined as "a source of danger",^[7] or "the potential occurrence of a natural or human-induced physical event or trend that may cause loss of life, injury, or other health impacts, as well as damage and loss to property, infrastructure, livelihoods, service provision, ecosystems and environmental resources."^[8]: 2233

Without the potential for exposure there is no hazard, (and without the potential for harmful consequence there is no risk). Environmental hazards can be categorized in many different ways, but the main distinction is between hazards to the environment, and hazards of the environment.

Hazards to the environment usually imply hazards tha are dangerous to a natural environment of biomes or ecosystems,^[1] but artificial environments may also be at risk from exposure to hazards, which may be natural or anthropogenic.

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Hazards of an environment are hazards that are normally present in the specific environment and are dangerous to people, other organisms or property present in that environment. The environment can be natural or built, and may be a work or recreational environment^[9] In this case too, the hazards may be natural or anthropogenic.

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Broadly, environmental hazards can be categorized as chemical, physical, biological, or psychological, or a combination of these.

Chemical hazards are substances that can cause harm or damage to humans, animals, or the environment. They can be in the form of solids, liquids, gases, mists, dusts, fumes, and vapors. Exposure can occur through inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion, or direct contact. Chemical hazards include substances such as pesticides, solvents, acids, bases, reactive metals, and poisonous gases. Exposure to these substances can result in health effects such as skin irritation, respiratory problems, organ damage, neurological effects, and cancer.^[10]

Physical hazards are factors within the environment that can harm the body without necessarily touching it. They include a wide range of environmental factors such as noise, vibration, extreme temperatures, radiation, and ergonomic hazards. Physical hazards may lead to injuries like burns, fractures, hearing loss, vision impairment, or other physical harm. They can be present in many work settings such as construction sites, manufacturing plants, and even office spaces.^[10][11] Ergonomic hazards are conditions that pose a risk of injury to the musculoskeletal system due to requiring a person to work in postures that are harmful, or conditions that make the performance of a task difficult or inefficient, which could endanger the operator. They may be considered a subclass of physical hazards, and are a hazard of the environment, not to it.^{[citation needed]}

Some physical hazards can also pose a risk to the environment.^{[citation needed][clarification needed]}

Biological hazards, also known as biohazards, are organisms or organic substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This can include medical waste, samples of a microorganism, virus, or toxin (from a biological source) that can impact human health. Biological hazards can also include substances harmful to animals. Examples of biological hazards include bacteria, viruses, fungi, other microorganisms and their associated toxins. They may cause a myriad of diseases, from flu to more serious and potentially fatal diseases.^[10]

Psychosocial hazards (or psychological hazards) are aspects of work and work environments that can cause psychological harm or mental ill-health. These include factors such as stress, workplace bullying, fatigue, burnout, and violence, among others. These hazards can lead to psychological issues like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Psychological hazards can exist in any type of workplace, and their management is a crucial aspect of occupational health and safety.^[10] By their nature these are hazards of the environment, not to the environment.^{[citation needed][clarification needed]}

Environmental hazard identification is the first step in environmental risk assessment, which is the process of assessing the likelihood, or risk, of adverse effects resulting from a given environmental stressor.^[12] Hazard identification is the determination of whether, and under what conditions, a given environmental stressor has the potential to cause harm.^[13]

In hazard identification, sources of data on the risks associated with prospective hazards are identified. For instance, if a site is known to be contaminated with a variety of industrial pollutants, hazard identification will determine which of these chemicals could result in adverse effects to human health or to the natural environment, and what effects they could cause. Risk assessors rely on both laboratory (e.g., toxicological) and epidemiological data to make these determinations.^[14]

Hazards have the potential to cause adverse effects only if they come into contact with populations that may be harmed. For this reason, hazard identification includes the development of a conceptual model of exposure.^[15] Conceptual models communicate the pathway connecting sources of a given hazard to the potentially exposed population(s). The U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry establishes five elements that should be included in a conceptual model of exposure:

• The source of the hazard in question
• Environmental fate and transport, or how the hazard moves and changes in the environment after its release
• Exposure point or area, or the place at which an exposed person comes into contact with the hazard
• Exposure route, or the manner by which an exposed person comes into contact with the hazard (e.g., orally, dermally, or by inhalation)
• Potentially exposed populations.^[15]

Once a conceptual model of exposure is developed for a given hazard, measurements should be taken to determine the presence and quantity of the hazard.^[16] These measurements should be compared to appropriate reference levels to determine whether a hazard exists. For instance, if arsenic is detected in tap water from a given well, the detected concentrations should be compared with regulatory thresholds for allowable levels of arsenic in drinking water. If the detected levels are consistently lower than these limits, arsenic may not be a chemical of potential concern for the purposes of this risk assessment. When interpreting hazard data, risk assessors must consider the sensitivity of the instrument and method used to take these measurements, including any relevant detection limits (i.e., the lowest level of a given substance that an instrument or method is capable of detecting).^[15][16]

A physical hazard is a type of phenomenon that may cause damage by physical effects, such as:.^[1]

Biological hazards, also known as biohazards, refer to biological substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily that of humans. This can include medical waste or samples of a microorganism, virus or toxin (from a biological source) that can affect human health. Examples include: