Environmental Medicine

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According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), human health and human disease result from three interactive elements:

environmental factors
individual susceptibility
age

Environmental medicine is the healthcare specialty concerned with human illnesses or dysfunctions that result from environmental factors. Environmental medicine specialists participate in a wide range of activities in their quest for answers regarding how the environment affects our health. For example, among many other topics, the NIEHS is currently studying:

cancers, breast and testicular
lead poisoning
birth and developmental defects
agricultural pollution
neurologic disorders
sterility
ways to replace animals as subjects in research

Environmental medicine departments or programs are found in large medical centers throughout the United States. Some of the many services they offer include:

local, state, or national disease-prevention programs
epidemiological studies and research
distribution of standards, guidelines, and recommendations
partnering with other organizations, such as health departments and environmental agencies, to help prevent environmental disease

This page was last updated on: December 17, 2009.

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