Environmental health methods

Abstract

Both host and environmental factors are involved in the development of human diseases. Environmental causes of disease include physical, chemical, biological, behavioural, and social factors. Consistent findings in both observational and interventional studies at aggregate and individual levels provide strong evidence of causation between human diseases and environmental agents. They are illustrated by the elucidation of the pleiotropic health effects of arsenic in drinking water and the multifactorial aetiology of hepatocellular carcinoma caused by viral hepatitis. Molecular and genomic biomarkers are used to explore the time-dependent host–environment interaction in the natural history of human diseases. They include dosimetry of exposure to environmental agents; the health outcomes at molecular, cellular, and histological levels; and the genetic and acquired susceptibility. Risk calculators combining multiple biomarkers are developed for the prediction of long-term disease risk. Global partnerships need to be strengthened to achieve interrelated goals of human health, environmental sustainability, and socioeconomic development.