Environmental Oxymorons[WLOs: 4, 6] [CLOs: 1, 2, 3]
Prior to beginning work on this journal, read Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 from the course text, Essentials of Environmental Health (3rd ed.). Additionally, read the following articles and websites:
- An Intercategorical Ecology of Lead Exposure: Complex Environmental Health Vulnerabilities in the Flint Water CrisisLinks to an external site.
- How the Wise Men Brought Malaria to AfricaLinks to an external site.
Recalling what you have read in this week’s text and articles, can you explain the meaning of “safe” and “unsafe” for levels of any five of the toxic metals you studied this week? Explain why some metals, called essential metals with potential for toxicity, can be present and safe in trace amounts while other essential metals with potential for toxicity cannot be safe even at low concentrations. In your journal, also reflect on the following questions:
- Are there any metals that would never be safe at any detectable levels?
- Why is this the case for these metals?
- Give examples of cases in which the federal government has lowered standards for exposure to toxic metals in drinking water as epidemiologic knowledge regarding their adverse has accumulated.
- Given the lead poisoning that occurred in Flint, Michigan between 2014 – 2019, elaborate on why lead contamination remains a concern for environmental health experts.
- Hypothesize why racial and ethnic minorities continue to be impacted by toxic metal exposures at higher levels than whites.
- Close your journal by discussing if you believe “safe” lead levels will always be an oxymoron.
Your journal assignment should be at least 500 words in length.
Carefully review the Grading RubricLinks to an external site. for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
