Overcrowding and Poor Living Conditions

This paper focuses on environmental risk assessment for living conditions in inner-city apartments in Melbourne, Australia. It discusses the health hazards associated with overcrowding and poor living conditions, such as infection risk, air pollution, and the risk of fire. Recommendations for intervention are also provided.

OVERCROWDING AND POOR LIVING CONDITIONS
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OVERCROWDING AND POOR LIVING CONDITIONS
Introduction
In the case of health risk assessment, the term risk describes the probability that in a
given situation and a set time frame, there will be an adverse health outcome. Risk assessment
refers to the process of determining the probable impact of a hazard to an ecological system or a
specific human population for a certain period of time and under specified conditions. A hazard
is the aptitude of an agent to result in adversative health effect. A hazard can be physical,
psychosocial, chemical or microbiological, for instance, radiation sources, chemical pollutants in
the air, food, soil and water, pathogenic contaminants of microbiological nature in water and
food as well as electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and climate change. The assessment of the
possible impacts of these hazards on human health provides complete information to policy
regulators and makers for effective decision making. Environmental health risk assessment
entails identification of the hazard in the environment, finding out its potential impacts on human
health, determining the severity of its effects on health upon exposure and devising a risk
management plan. This paper focusses on environmental risk assessment for living conditions in
inner-city apartments in Melbourne, Australia. It begins by identifying the likely health hazards
associated with poor living conditions and their health impacts and ends with putting forward
recommendations for intervention.
Issue Identification
Just like other capital cities in Australia, Melbourne is home to some very expensive
rental properties. It is thus no huge surprise that the issue of overcrowding is experienced in the
city. There is a mismatch between the demand and supply for housing (Phibbs & Thompson,
2011). Since affordable housing facilities supplied do not meet the high demand, several people

have to rent the same apartment and share the space. However, overcrowding occurs sometimes
due to the need to make more profits by some investors and landlords. A two-bedroom apartment
can have more than a dozen people living in it, sometimes sleeping in shifts (Dow, 2015). This
problem is especially experienced by overseas workers and students as landlords are less likely
to mistreat tenants of their own cultural community, though this is a possibility as well (Romero
—Lankao & Borbor, 2013). A relationship exists between the quality of one’s housing
conditions and their physical and mental health. Poor housing is directly connected with lack of
personal freedom, poor sanitation and improper nutrition (Breysse et al., 2004). An individual
spends a lot of time in his or her house, and therefore issues such as the above-mentioned can
lead to severe illnesses and long-term health issues, which affects children more austerely. Some
health hazards associated with overcrowding and poor living conditions in inner city apartments
of Melbourne include:
Infection Risk
The risk of becoming infected with communicable illnesses is higher in overcrowded
places and regions where the quality of housing is poor. One’s housing environment is an
indicator of their health and wellbeing as they are deemed more susceptible to ailments if their
housing conditions are poor. Infectious agents such as smoke, mold and inadequate ventilation in
these areas lead to respiratory issues (Krieger & Higgins, 2002). Tuberculosis is one of the most
common illnesses that affect people in overcrowded regions. The spread of such a communicable
illness is fast as the patient only needs to cough or sneeze. The probability of becoming infected
escalates with an increase in the number of people in that region. The residents are more prone to
the infections due to inadequate air circulation and poor ventilation that keeps the infectious
agents within the area.

Poor living conditions are associated with insufficient sanitary facilities. There is also an
inadequacy of fresh clean water and the residents often lack a balanced diet (Shaw, 2004). These
aspects result in other health issues including diarrhea, measles, flu, malaria, and fever.
Contaminated water leads to gastric issues while stagnant water act as breeding sites for
mosquitoes. In a place such as Melbourne, sharing of personal items such as towels and beddings
can very easily transmit a skin disease from one person to another (Herath & Bentley, 2018).
Air Pollution
In many major cities of the world, Melbourne included, air pollution has become a
problem. Cities are usually homes for continuous industrial and technological advancements
which lead to emission of pollutants such as smoke, dust and technological waste that negatively
impact the healthiness of the people living nearby. Air pollution may also result from waste
mismanagement, burning fuel at homes and by automobiles, and animal wastes. Overcrowding
in inner cities leads to overloading of the existing waste management mechanisms, hence
leakages and emission of harmful gases. Overcrowding also limits the circulation of oxygen yet
toxic gases such as carbon monoxide are constantly produced by combustion of fuels which
adversely affects the residents’ health (Wu & Juurlink, 2014).
As a result of shared resources in the crowded inner city apartments in Melbourne, the
problem of air pollution is intensified. Air pollution further aggravates the condition of unhealthy
individuals but negatively affects the healthy ones as well. As a result of air pollution, one can
experience respiratory irritation while carrying out outdoor tasks. Also, air pollution may lead to
cardiovascular issues as the heart strains to supply the proper amount of oxygen to the body,
damaged respiratory cells, and organs, and enhanced stress on the lungs. If this problem
continues for a long period of time, illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis may develop

accompanied by the increased aging rate of the lungs and loss of lung capacity and function.
This may shorten the overall lifespan of the individual. Pregnant women, athletes, and children
are more vulnerable.
The Risk of Fire
The risk of fire in an area is directly interrelated to the quality of the neighborhood and
that of the housing. There is a high risk of a fire outbreak in overcrowded inner-city apartments
of Melbourne due to the material used in building these rooms. In addition, each house may be
divided by shower curtains to accommodate even more individuals. These, in accompaniment
with inflammable building cladding and combustible personal items lying around or stored not
only increase the risk of fire but also its spread in case it breaks out. For instance, as reported by
an MFB investigation, the Docklands fire was started by a cigarette on an 8th-floor balcony and
spread fast enough to scorch 20 storeys of the building before the fire brigade could put it out
(Dow, 2015).
Use of portable heating devices could be another cause of fire in overcrowded places.
These apartments may not have a central heating system and the use of portable devices for
heating by the residents increases the probability of a fire outbreak. Additionally, there may not
exist appropriate wiring, fire safety and alarm appliances in these regions and thus a rescue
service may not be noted immediately after an outbreak. Fire outbreaks in overcrowded places
may cause a lot of damage and health issues as everyone tends to panic making it difficult for
anyone to escape and hardening the task of the rescue services agents. Lack of a good ventilation
mechanism leads to an accumulation of smoke which may damage the lungs if inhaled.
Children’s lungs are more susceptible to damage (Crawford, 2005).

Hazard and Exposure Assessment
Infection
Overcrowded places in inner-city apartments increase infections caused by Hepatitis B,
hepatitis C, tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency, rhino, and influenza viruses. These deadly
viruses cause fatal infections that have negative impacts on the health of the patient and may lead
to death if not treated timely and proper (Kwong et al., 2012). Other illnesses include lung and
skin infections, gastric problems and also pneumonia. The agents enter the body from inhaled
air, unsanitary washrooms or living conditions, or through ingesting contaminated meals and
attack the body’s immune system affecting the functioning of certain organs. Children are more
affected since their immune systems are not very strong and therefore may not be able to fight
off some diseases (WHO, 2011). Individuals with low socioeconomic status are also more prone
to these infections as they cannot afford regular checkups with the doctor (Evans & Kantrowitz,
2002).
Fire
Fire outbreaks do not only adversely impact the individual’s health but cause financial
loss as well. Fire causes exposure to high temperatures, burns, and smoke inhalation. Direct
contact can damage internal skin organs through the burn and prolonged contact may lead to the
death of the individual. Elongated smoke inhalation, on the other hand, may lead to lung and
heart disorders (Stefanidou, Athanaselis & Spiliopoulou, 2008). The high temperatures cause
skin burns. Pregnant women, young kids, people with existing lung and heart conditions,
diabetics and older adults are more at risk of prolonged ailment after smoke inhalation.

Air Pollution
Nitrogen oxides in the air advance the probability of bronchitis in children with asthma
and lead to reduced lung function. The ozone in the air can also result in reduced lung function
as well as breathing problems. It can also cause lung diseases and trigger asthma. Particulate
matter in the air directly impacts the heart negatively and can affect the skin as well (Adams et
al., 2015). Sulfur dioxide can cause irritation of the eyes and affect the functioning of the
respiratory system as well as the lungs (WHO, 2018). Respiratory tract inflammation may lead to
chronic bronchitis, worsening of asthma, coughing and mucus secretion. People with weak
immune systems, the elderly and children are more affected by air pollutants. Annually, particle
pollutants can cause more than half a million deaths in the world (Nel, 2005).
Risk Characterization
This is the final phase of the risk assessment process, which incorporates information
from the previous stages, issue identification and hazard assessment. In the characterization of
the risk of air pollution, aspects considered include who is affected by the issue and the adversity
of the effects. This entails finding out the extent to which this health hazard has affected the
people, for instance, if it has resulted in hospitalization or mortality. The characterization also
involves defining the main parts of the pollutant that impact the city of Melbourne, for example,
carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. The risk of infection is great at the population level in
overcrowded places where there is an increased likelihood of development and accumulation of
bacteria and viruses. Humid surroundings also favor the growth of these agents. The infections
affect different people in the population in a dissimilar manner but the illnesses worsen due to
lack of proper health care, hygiene and existence of unsanitary settings. Controlling the spread of
diseases in overcrowded regions with poor living conditions is very difficult. Characterization of

the risk of fire can be carried out by use of the event tree approach. This entails all the possible
happenings that can take place within a given situation (Hadjisophocleous & Fu, 2004). Poor
living conditions suggest inadequate fire escapes, hydrants, water sprinklers and alarm systems
leading to negative impacts at the population level in case of an outbreak.
Risk Management Plan
Monitoring and control of environmental health hazards such as the ones discussed above are
crucial in order to preserve the health of the population and the wellbeing of a country’s citizens.
Some recommendations that can be put into action by the government, authoritative bodies and
other stakeholders to diminish or eliminate environmental health hazards include:
 Requiring the local authorities to frequently assess the air quality conditions in inner city
apartments through checking waste management systems in the area
 Encouraging people to use more environmentally friendly means of transportation such as
walking and cycling
 Enforcing laws that embolden the use of incombustible material in buildings and installation of
proper ventilation methods
 Monitoring the quality of water used in homes and the delivery systems. This can be done by the
local municipal authority through habitual checks of chlorination by-products, microorganisms,
metalloids, organic matters, PH, salts and dissolved contents by taking samples. Awareness
should also be conducted on the significance of drinking and using clean water (Resnik &
Zeldin, 2008).
 Recurrent checkups for adherence to policies for fire prevention by the landlords. Every
residential area should ensure properly fixed fire alarm systems, fire escape routes, as well as

emergency lighting to reduce deaths and health issues during an outbreak (Kurniawan,
Tambunan & Imaniar, 2018)
 Infection risks can be handled by making sure that any leakages from sewages are fixed as soon
as identified and the trash from the region managed properly. This entails picking up the trash on
time, cleaning the streets and managing rainwater appropriately to avoid stagnant water
 The authorities responsible for residential management in the city of Melbourne should ensure
that the demarcated capacity of tenants in the area does not exceed the limit. Education to
residents on the drawbacks of overcrowding can also help in preventing or lessening this
problem (Resnik & Zeldin, 2008).
Conclusion
In summary, environmental health risk assessment is a process that embroils
identification of the various health hazards, finding out their impacts on health and the severity
of the effects on the population level. Australian major cities are faced with a problem of
overcrowding and poor living conditions in the inner city apartments. In Melbourne, this is a
major problem as more than a dozen people can be living in a two-bedroom apartment at once.
This mostly affects people from a different cultural community such as international students and
workers. Health hazards such as air pollution, infection risk, and fire risk are experienced by
people who live in these overcrowded places. These risks cause adverse effects on their health
such as lung and heart problems, infectious diseases such as TB, and skin diseases as well as skin
burns and financial loss due to fire outbreaks. Infectious illnesses in these regions spread really
fast as the individuals share resources, thus are difficult to control. Air pollution is caused by
waste mismanagement and emission of gases, infections are caused by using contaminated water,
food, and other resources while fire is spread by combustible cladding material on the buildings

and personal items. Regular checking of water and air quality and enforcing fire prevention
policies by the local authority are useful strategies that can help avoid or prevent these hazards.
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