Resources

Environmental Health Resources

Along with genetics, the environment is believed to play a key role in determining whether someone will be inflicted with a harmful disease, like cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. But unlike genetics, we can control our environment, which makes it imperative for health professionals and researchers to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in environmental health and to keep their patients aware and healthy.

Open Access Journals

While most journals still require pricy subscriptions to view their content, more and more publications are beginning to provide quality scientific research free-of-charge. The following journals are reputable and entirely open-access.

  • Biology of Water and Health

    Publisher: Tufts University

    Water is an essential element for human life, so keeping it clean and safe is critical for public health professionals. These free lecture slides and readings cover all the major threats and approaches to keeping water healthy.

  • Environmental Health

    Publisher: Environmental Health

    Aimed at both scientists and medical practitioners, this open-access journal publishes important research on all aspects of environmental and occupational medicine.

  • Preventing Chronic Disease

    Publisher: Center for Disease Control

    Examining at-risk populations through various disciplines, this journal published by the CDC isolates the environmental factors behind chronic disease.

  • Environmental Research Letters

    Publisher: IOP Publishing

    The free-to-read journal publishes multidisciplinary research on how human beings affect their environments, with topics including food, pollution, and biological risk assessment. The journal also carries a respectable 3.52 impact factor.

  • Bulletin of the World Health Organization

    Publisher: World Health Organization

    With a special emphasis on environmental health in developing countries, the WHO's monthly report is essential reading for all public health professionals.

  • ehp: Environmental Health Perspectives

    Publisher: National Institutes of Health

    With an excellent impact factor if 7.26, EHP is the fourth most respected journal in the field of environmental sciences, publishing multidisciplinary research on the relationship between humans, their health, and their surroundings.

OpenCourseWare

New scientific discoveries are constantly changing the way we understand our environments and their impact on our health. These free course materials will help you better understand the air, water, and chemicals in your everyday surroundings.

  • Urban Health in Developing Countries

    Rapid urban growth is one of the most prominent phenomena in the Global South today, and with it comes numerous environmental health challenges. Follow these free lectures and readings to bring yourself up-to-date.

  • Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology

    With growing concern surrounding antibiotics, glutens, and GMOs in our food, these free video lectures from Yale will give you the latest info on what we really know is healthy to eat and what might not be.

  • Tropical Environmental Health

    If you are a public health professional, these free lecture materials from Johns Hopkins can introduce you to the biggest environmental health threats in the developing world.

  • Environmental Health

    Learn about the major environmental toxins that could be behind common diseases in the developed world with these free readings and lectures from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

  • Chemicals in the Environment: Toxicology and Public Health

    Invisible chemicals in your environment could have a pernicious effect on your long-term health. Catch up on the latest science with these free readings and lecture materials from MIT.

Research Organizations

Understanding the relationship between human environments and health is one of the greatest research challenges today. These organizations are dedicated to unravelling the mystery and creating healthier places to live.

  • Harvard NIEHS Center for Environmental Health

    Based at the Harvard School of Public Health, this organization conducts research in the lab and in the field on the effects of unseen environmental agents like metals, organic chemicals, and particle matter.

  • The Health Effects Institute

    Focused particularly on the harmful effects of air pollution, the Health Effects Institute has received funding from the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out over 250 important studies since 1980.

  • Global Water Research Coalition

    Composed of twelve leading water research organizations, the GWRC has been working to support development in water science since 2001.

  • Center for Environmental Research & Children's Health

    Children are far more sensitive to harmful agents in the environment than adults. This organization supports and disseminates the latest research on harmful toxins like lead, pesticides, and carbon monoxide.

  • National Institute of Environmental Health Research

    One of the 27 institutes of the NIH, this government organization supports research and clinical trials to determine how chemicals in our environment could cause disease.

Professional Organizations

While caring for the sick has been the traditional purview of medical professionals, there is a growing emphasis on prevention through public health and environmental medicine. The following organizations support health professionals who seek to understand the relationship between sickness and the environment.

  • American Public Health Association

    The premier professional association for public health professionals, this APHA provides its 25,000+ members with professional development opportunities and the latest news and scientific research.

  • National Environmental Health Association

    With over 4,500 professional members, the NEHA offers national credentialing for health professionals as Registered Environmental Health Specialists. The organization also publishes a peer-reviewed journal and offers networking opportunities.

  • CDC Environmental Health Services

    This CDC website provides an excellent collection of educational resources and information for students and professionals in fields related to environmental health.

  • American College of Occupational And Environmental Medicine

    With nearly 4,500 members, the ACOEM provides networking opportunities, education, and certification for health professionals seeking to specialize in preventing sickness by maintaining healthy workplaces.

  • American Academy of Environmental Medicine

    Since 1965, this organization has provided educational materials and conferences for physicians and other professionals seeking to better understand the role the environment plays in people's health.

Public Awareness Organizations

It took far too long before the public realized the dangers of harmful environmental agents like cigarette smoke or DDT. That is why we now have many awareness organizations dedicated to quickly spreading the latest scientific knowledge on environmental dangers to human health.

  • The Chemical Sensitivity Foundation

    A small nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness for those suffering from rare but extreme sensitivity to everyday chemicals, like fragrance products, paints, and tobacco smoke.

  • Clean Air Task Force

    Founded in 1996 to address concerns surrounding acid rain and smog, the organization continues to advocate today for cleaner air standards.

  • Water Aid

    An independent international aid organization, Water Aid works in 26 countries raising money and promoting water sanitation projects.

  • Health and Environment Alliance

    This leading European nonprofit brings together health professionals and advocacy groups to spread awareness on potential dangers arising from pesticides, chemicals, and air pollutants.

  • Environmental Working Group

    With several offices throughout the United States, The Environmental Working Group conducts key research and produces guides on the potential environmental dangers surrounding consumer products, farming, water, and food.