Environmental Health

Last update: 30 September 2009,
by Maureen Bell

I've divided this page into two sections. The first provides you with some tips on searching for material on Medline, and the second provides links to other Australian and overseas web resources, including some full text material. We also have a web page with resources on broader environmental issues.

Searching Medline

Remember that Medline has a Thesaurus of terms - MeSH (Medical Subject Headings), a controlled vocabulary used for indexing articles in Medline. MeSH terminology provides a consistent way to retrieve information where authors may use different terminology for the same concepts.

You will find material on this subject in Medline, but you will need to be aware of the thesaurus (MeSH) terms used to search for the various topics.

MeSH - Environment and Public Health

MeSH - Environmental Health

MeSH - Environmental Medicine

MeSH - Environmental Pollutants

MeSH - Greenhouse Effect

Many topics in MeSH have hierarchies of more specific subcategories or related terms. The indentations in the lists reflect the structure of the hierarchy, and the + signs at the end of terms indicate that there is a further hierarchy of terms not displayed here. Any of these terms can be searched individually, or you can "explode" terms to search sections of the list.

When you search for subjects using MeSH terms from the Medline thesaurus you will also have the option of appending subheadings to narrow the focus of your search.

For a list of the abbreviations used for subheadings in PubMed click here

Try using the search structure below for finding articles on respiratory cancer and air pollution.

COMBINE

Air Pollution (MeSH Term)

AND

Respiratory Tract Neoplasms (MeSH Term)

PubMed Search Formulation

This search strategy uses the headings air pollution and respiratory tract neoplasms. The section in the square brackets includes majr - which focuses the search on articles where the subject is a major issue in the article. The search is then limited to articles which are in English or which have English abstracts.

PubMed's default setting is to "explode" all terms, and so this search will include all the subcategories of air pollution listed below.

Air Pollution
Air Pollution, Indoor
Air Pollution, Radioactive
Dust
Cosmic Dust
Smog
Smoke
Tobacco Smoke Pollution
Vehicle Emissions

and the subcategories of respiratory tract neoplasms listed below.

Respiratory Tract Neoplasms
Bronchial Neoplasms
Laryngeal Neoplasms
Lung Neoplasms
Carcinoma, Bronchogenic
Coin Lesion, Pulmonary
Pancoast's Syndrome
Nose Neoplasms
Nasal Polyps
Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms +
Pleural Neoplasms
Pleural Effusion, Malignant
Tracheal Neoplasms

Click here to see how it works. PubMed Search.

You could also try substituting the term Air Pollutants for Air Pollution, and this would produce quite different search results.

There is a PubMed Toxicology Subset the strategy for which can easily be appended to any search, and you should also be aware that the National Library of Medicine provides a Specialized Information Service ( Environmental Health and Toxicology SIS Specialized Information Services ) which allows access to a range of toxicology and environmental health databases. Of particular interest is Toxnet, a collection of databases on hazardous chemicals, toxic releases, and environmental health, for which there is a downloadable manual.

Australian Sources

Australian Drinking Water Guidelines
From the National Health and Medical Research Council, National Resource Management Ministerial Council.

eMJA: Articles on Public and environmental health
A collection of articles on this subject from the Medical Journal of Australia.

enHealth Council Publications
Publications of the enHealth Council, which has responsibility for co-ordinating environmental health policies and programs in Australia.

Environment & Health International
Environment and Health International is the magazine of the International Federation of Environmental Health. It is published twice a year.

Environmental Health
Resources from HealthInsite, the Australian Government's health information portal.

Environmental Health Handbook: A Practical Manual for Remote Communities
Edited by Geoff Harris. Darwin, Menzies School of Health Research, c2000.

Environmental health index - Department of Health - Government of South Australia
Resources from Population Health SA, Environmental Health Service.

Environmental Health Risk Assessment: Guidelines for assessing human health risks from environmental hazards
Published by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing for enHealth Council June 2004.

Environmental Health Risk Perception in Australia
This study presents a wide ranging and detailed analysis of the perceptions of health risks of a representative sample of the Australian population.

European Environment Agency. Publications

Health Report - Environmental Health
Transcripts from Radio National's Health Report, with Norman Swan.

Healthy Parks Healthy People: The Health Benefits of Contact with Nature in a Park Context: Literature Review
A Review of Current Literature. By Cecily Maller, Mardie Townsend, Peter Brown, and Lawrence St Leger. Deakin University and Parks Victoria, November 2002.

The National Environmental Health Strategy Implementation Plan
Prepared by enHealth Council, and published by AusInfo for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care 2000.

National Health and Medical Research Council. Publications. Environmental Health
Some publications listed have full text available online as .pdf files.

Publications by topic - Environmental health
From the Department of Health and Ageing, a list of publications, with full text available .

Overseas Sources

Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) | CDC NIOSH
The Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) Program is operated out of the Surveillance Branch, Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies (DSHEFS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States.

AIRNOW Publications
On July 23, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of a new Air Quality Index, which is used by state and local agencies for reporting on daily air quality to the public, especially in major cities. It reflects updated health information on several pollutants. In addition to the full text of the new AQI Rule (105 p.), several related documents are available at the site. These include the AQI fact sheet, Air Quality Guide, Ozone Health Effects Booklet, and Guideline for Reporting of Daily Air Quality.

ATDSR ToxFAQs (TM): Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets
The ATSDR ToxFAQsTM is a series of summaries about hazardous substances developed by the Agency for Toxic Sustances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Division of Toxicology.

Burden of Disease Attributable to Selected Environmental Factors and Injuries Among Europe's Children and Adolescents
By Francesca Valent, D'Anna Little, Giorgio Tamburlini, and Fabio Barbone. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2004 (WHO Environmental Burden of Disease Series, No. 8). Other publications of the Children's Health and Environment programme can be found here.

Case Studies in Environmental Medicine (CSEM)
The Case Studies in Environmental Medicine (CSEM), offered by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) in the United States, are a series of self-instructional publications designed to increase the primary care provider's knowledge of hazardous substances in the environment and to aid in the evaluation of potentially exposed patients.

CDC - Environmental Health
Resources from the Centers for Disease Control in the United States.

CEDR Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has developed the Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource (CEDR) Program to provide public access to health and exposure data concerning DOE nstallations.

Center for Health and the Global Environment. Publications
From Harvard Medical School Center for Health and Global Environment, the full text of a number of publications on health and the environment.

Clearing the Air: Asthma and Indoor Air Exposures
Committee on the Assessment of Asthma and Indoor Air, Division of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Institute of Medicine. Washington D.C., National Academy Press, 2000.

The Pesticide National Synthesis Project
From the U.S. Geological Survey, National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program.

Ecosystem Approaches to Human Health: International Development Research Centre
This site provides information about the Ecosystem Approaches to Human Health Program Initiative at Canada's International Development Research Centre. Use the Topic Explorer links on the left of the page to find Research Resources, including the full text of many publications.

Environmental Epidemiology, Volume 1: Public Health and Hazardous Wastes
Environmental Epidemiology, Volume 2: Use of the Gray Literature and Other Data in Environmental Epidemiology
Environmental epidemiology / Committee on Environmental Epidemiology, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council. Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press, 1991-1997

Environmental Health Indicators: Framework And Methodologies
Prepared by David Briggs, Nene Centre for Research, University College Northampton. Geneva, World health Organization, 1999.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Change
From the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an extensive collection of resources on climate change as it relates to human health.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Ground Water & Drinking Water
From the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a collection of resources on water quality.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)
IRIS is a database of human health effects that may result from exposure to various substances found in the environment. The information in IRIS is intended for those without extensive training in toxicology, but with some knowledge of health science.

European Environment Agency. Publications

EXTOXNET - The EXtension TOXicology NETwork
EXTOXNET is a co-operative effort of University of California - Davis, Oregon State University, Michigan State University, Cornell University, and the University of Idaho. It contains information about pesticides and other toxic chemicals. There is a FAQ section, which covers health effects and risks, diet and cancer, food safety, drinking water, garden chemicals, and other topics. Also available at the site is the University of California at Davis's Environmental Toxicology Newsletter. The heart of the site, however, is the searchable database, which provides extensive profiles of pesticides, toxicology information briefs, toxicology issues of concern, and fact sheets.

From Monsoons to Microbes: Understanding the Ocean's Role in Human Health
Committee on the Ocean's Role in Human Health, National Research Council. Washington D.C., National Academy Press, 1999.

Global Change and Health. Publications
From the Global Change and Health Programme of the World Health Organization.

Glossary of Environmental Health Terms
Produced by the New York State Department of Health Center for Environmental Health.

Health effects of transport-related air pollution
Edited by Michal Krzyzanowski,Birgit Kuna-Dibbert and Jürgen Schneider. World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe, 2005.

Health, Well-Being and Open Space: Literature Review
By Nina Morris. OPENspace: the research centre for inclusive access to outdoor environments, Edinburgh College of Art and Heriot-Watt University, July 2003.

Hormonally Active Agents in the Environment
Hormonally active agents in the environment / Committee on Hormonally Active Agents in the Environment, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council. Washington, D.C., National Academy Press, 1999.

Household Products Database: Health and Safety Information on Household Products
This database links over 4,000 consumer brands to health effects from Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) provided by the manufacturers and allows scientists and consumers to research products based on chemical ingredients. This is a specialised service of the Nationl Library of Medicine, in the United States.

Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change: (1999)
Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change: Research Pathways for the Next Decade. Committee on Human Dimensions of Global Change, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences. Washington, D.C., National Academy Press, 1999.

I-BEAM | Indoor Air Quality in Large Buidings
The Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM) is a guidance tool designed for use by building professionals and others interested in indoor air quality in commercial buildings.

MEDLINEplus: Air Pollution
MEDLINEplus: Drinking Water
MEDLINEplus: Environmental Health
A collection of resources from MEDLINEplus, the National Library of Medicine's health information resource for the public. For additional topics check MEDLINEplus: Poisoning, Toxicology, Environmental Health Topics

National Academies Press: Environmental Health
Free electronic books from National Academies Press.

Nature and Health: The influence of nature on social, psychological and physical well-being
Health Council of the Netherlands and Dutch Advisory Council for Research on Spatial Planning, Nature and the Environment (RMNO). The Hague: Health Council of the Netherlands and RMNO, 2004.

NIEHS Health & Education
An information service provided by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in the United States.

No Escape from Diesel Exhaust: How to Reduce Commuter Exposure
Clean Air Task Force, February 2007. Founded in 1996, the Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring clean air and healthy environments through scientific research, public education, and legal advocacy. CATF is headquartered in Boston but located throughout the United States. Other CATF publications are available here.

Possible Health Effects of Exposure to Residential Electric and Magnetic Fields
Committee on the Possible Effects of Electromagnetic Fields on Biologic Systems, National Research Council. Washington D.C., National Academy Press, 1997.

Rebuilding the Unity of Health and the Environment:
Rebuilding the unity of health and the environment: a new vision of environmental health for the 21st Century / Kathi Hanna and Christine Coussens. Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press, 2001

Report on Carcinogens
This report, by the United States National Toxicology Program, is updated regularly.

Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets
Offered by the State of New Jersey, the Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets Web site is an outstanding source for in-depth information on over 2,000 hazardous substances. Continually updated, each fact sheet (.pdf file) is listed by common name. Users can learn how to identify harmful chemicals from Acenaphthene to Zirconium, determine exposure, assess health hazards, and acquire emergency information. This site is easy to use and offers a good mix of information.

Stratospheric Ozone and Human Health Project
From the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) the purpose of this site is to provide data and resources in the areas of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, ozone, and human health impacts of UV exposure for use by researchers, educators, government officials, health providers, students, and the general public.

Toward Environmental Justice: Research, Education, and Health Policy Needs
Committee on Environmental Justice, Institute of Medicine. Washington D.C., National Academy Press, 1999.

Toxicology and Environmental Health Tutorial
A set of three tutorials on toxicology produced by the Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Program of the National Library of Medicine, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program

ToxSeek
ToxSeek, from the National Library of Medicine in the United States, is a meta-search engine that enables simultaneous searching of many different information resources on the World Wide Web.

Waste Incineration and Public Health
Committee on Health Effects of Waste Incineration, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, National Research Council. Washington D.C., National Academy Press, 2000.

What are the effects of air pollution on children's health and development?
Health Evidence Network (HEN), World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. HEN summary of a network member's report. Published 24 February 2006.

What are the effects on health of transport-related air pollution?
Health Evidence Network (HEN), World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. HEN summary of a network member's report. Published 11 September 2006.

WHO | Quantifying environmental health impacts