488. UNIT FOUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY Biological hazards for humans are, for the most part, limited to microbiological gents such as pathogenic bacteria, parasites and viruses, and their toxic biological products. Examples include malaria, plague, tuberculosis, and human immunodef ciency virus(HIv). Examples of biological toxins include the toxin produced by the tetanus bacteria, poisons produced by certain mushrooms, and the poisoning of marine life by"red tides Biological hazards and their resulting epidemics were the topic of Chapter 4 and will not be discussed here. Chemical hazards are noni ological substances that are toxic enough to threaten human health Two other categories of hazards are psychological and sociological hazards Psychological hazards affect a person s outlook on life Psychological hazards are just as real and damaging to health as physical hazards. Boredom, stress, fear, and depression represent psychological hazards that consume significant health care dollars. A workplace can be most unproductive if the workers are highly stressed bored, or depressed. The fear of losing a job and other economic factors can also weigh heavily on members of a community. Entire communities may have prob- lems if their young people are bored or frustrated The final classification of environmental hazards is that of sociological haz. ards. Sociological hazards occur when societies interact in destructive ways or fail to interact in productive ways. Overcrowding and war are sociological hazards Some would say Adolph Hitler, the German dictator before and during World War Il, was a sociological hazard; others might nominate the late drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. RESIDUES AND WASTES FROM HUMAN ACTIVITIES More than any other species on our planet, humans have the power to significantly alter the environment through individual and community activities. These activities include working, traveling, leisure-time activities, and simply living at home Likewise, environmental conditions such as weather, climate, and topography affect human activities. As people participate in their daily activities, they continually pro- residues and duce residues and wastes On any typical day a person in the United States might unwanted by produts generate the following types of residues and wastes: Human body wastes: urine and feces(waste water) 2. Excess materials and foods: trash and garbage 3. Yard wastes: grass clippings and tree branches 4. Construction and manufacturing wastes: scrap wood and metal, contaminated water solvents, and excess heat and noise 5. Agricultural wastes: animal dung, run-off from feedlot operations, crop residues, animal carcasses. 6. Transportation wastes: carbon monoxide, gaseous pollutants, and used motor 7. Energy production wastes: mining wastes, electrical power(combustion of coal)wastes, nuclear power(radioactive)wastes, and weapons production (radioactive) wastes