Environmental Health Issues

Running head: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES 1
Environmental Health Issues
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ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES 2
Part 1
Critical analysis of driving forces
Poor air quality in Dhaka city, Bangladesh has been a significant issue in recent years.
The real-time air quality ranking has recently considered Dhaka as unhealthy. The DPSEEA
framework states that the driving forces that are leading to increased health and environmental
problems such as of declining air quality include economic development, population growth and
technological change (World Health Organization, 1999). Increased population has increased the
use of motor vehicles which result in increased emission of toxic gases. Technological change
and Economic development have resulted to the emergence of many industries that lead to air
pollution through the emission of toxic gases such as carbon, Sulphur and nitrogen oxide which
affect the air quality (Alam, 2017).
Majority of the driving forces can exert pressures to the environment leading to the
depletion of the air quality by the accumulation of pollutants. Factors such as policies, economic
infrastructures affect the extent to which the driving causes can cause pressure on the
environment. The pressure to the environment can occur as a result of production, distribution,
consumption and release of waste products into the environment and hence affecting human
health (World Health Organization, 1999). Policies such as regulation of the waste produced
from industries can help reduce the pressures to the environment.
According to the DPSEEA framework, the state changes that may occur after the various
pressures are exerted include depletion of the quality of the environment. The exposures only
happen once the people are exposed to a particular health threat (World Health Organization,
1999). For instance, in Dhaka city, the people are exposed to environmental pollutants, and

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES 3
hence they develop respiratory disorders and certain types of cancers. Once individuals are
exposed to certain pollutants, the health effects occur and may vary in magnitude, intensity and
type depending on the level of exposure and type of hazard. In Dhaka city, there has been
increased mortality and morbidity rates on diseases such as respiratory diseases, cancers and
cardiovascular diseases (Mahmood, 2011).
Critical analysis of the impact of the environmental risk upon the geographic
population
The effects of poor air quality include respiratory infections which are the leading cause
of mortality in children under five. Poor air quality also exacerbates conditions such as
emphysema and asthma (Gurjar et al., 2010). Data from the National Institute of Diseases of
Chest and Hospital indicates that an estimated seven million people have asthma. Poor air quality
as a result of air pollution can also lead to lung cancer and certain allergies. Poor air quality can
also result in cardiovascular illnesses as well as stroke and heart attack (Chowdhury & Imran,
2010).
The social, political or economic influences that aren't captured by the DPSEEA
framework include lack of political goodwill to implement the legislation concerning the
environment. Secondly, Corruption has also made it challenging to regulate air pollution from
industries. Lastly, the lack of enough finances has challenged the efforts to improve the air
quality in Dhaka city.