Environmental Health Risk Assessment

Running head: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT
Name of the Student:
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1ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
PICO question............................................................................................................................3
Background................................................................................................................................3
Literature Review.......................................................................................................................3
Methods......................................................................................................................................5
1. Issue Identification..........................................................................................................5
2. Hazard Identification.......................................................................................................6
3. Dose-response assessment..............................................................................................7
4. Exposure Assessment......................................................................................................7
Strategy for risk communication................................................................................................8
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................11

2ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT
Introduction
The essay focuses on the concept of acid rain that is majorly caused due to certain
environmental pollutant that is released in the environment. The primary environmental
pollutant resulting in acid rain is sulphur dioxide (SO2) that is released majorly from different
industrial processes (Burns et al., 2016). Acid rain is also termed as acid deposition, which
includes different types of precipitation by acidic component like sulphur dioxide or nitrogen
oxide. The mentioned acidic component can affect the environment in either dry or wet form
that comprise of snow, hail, rain, fog and dust, which is acidic in nature. PICO question was
formed that highlighted the relationship between adverse health conditions of the Australian
population due to acid rain that was caused due to release of harmful environmental pollutant
from industrial process and burning of fossil fuels (Black, MacLeod & Smith, 2017). The
essay further highlights the relationship between the environmental pollutant and the health
outcome of the people affected due to the pollutant. The two methods of acid rain prevention
was highlighted that involves clean coal technology, where coal is washed to reduce the
harmful exposure of sulphur dioxide that ultimately result in acid rain and use of renewable
energy sources that mitigate the use of coal. Environmental health risk assessment (EHRA)
was done for the considered environmental pollutant that comprises of issue identification,
hazard identification, exposure assessment and dose-response assessment in order to adopt
the strategy to reduce the emission of harmful emission of pollutant so that the risk of adverse
health condition is reduced (Livingston, 2016). Health promotion strategy is used as the risk
communication strategy to create awareness among the Australian population regarding the
harmful effects of acid rain and different ways that can be adopted to avoid and reduce the
exposure of acid rain (Osterholm et al., 2015).

3ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT
PICO question
“Does the use of renewable energy sources in power plant industries are effective in reducing
the emission of sulphur-dioxide preventing acid rain for people of Australia as compared to
washing of coal to remove sulphur”.
Background
In the developing world the rate of harmful gas emission is also increasing that is
effecting the population and leading to sever health condition that is in a way increasing the
mortality rate and affecting the overall health condition of the people. Acid rain is primarily
cause due to emission of harmful gases like nitrogen oxides (NOX) and sulphur dioxide (SO2)
that is emitted to the atmosphere and is carried forward through air currents and wind
(Wettestad, 2018). These harmful gases then react with oxygen, water and different
chemicals in order to produce nitric acids and sulphuric acids that mix with rain and release
to the ground in form of acid rain. Two different sources are involved that results in release of
harmful gases namely natural sources like volcanic eruption and man-made sources like
burning of fossil fuels. The essay will focus on the man-made source that involves burning of
fossil fuels particularly coal in power-plant industries (US EPA, 2019). There are two forms
of acid deposition that comprise of wet deposition and dry deposition. Different public and
environment health is effected due to acid rain that significantly affect the aquatic
environment, soil, forests, vegetative plantation, public health, buildings and architecture. An
extensive literature review is conducted to determine the effect acid rain on the health
condition of people that is released through man-made sources (Coralcoe.org.au, 2019).