Environmental health is related to all the physical, chemical and biological elements external to a person that have an impact on his or her health. In other words, all those that serve as indicators for the prevention and creation of environments conducive to adequate human health.

The relationship between the environment and human health is conditioned by different factors. Knowing each of them helps to take measures to care for and protect nature and ourselves.

Physical factors

Physical factors can be atmospheric or sidereal. For example, they are those related to air quality and climate change. Atmospheric pollution or sudden changes in temperature can cause respiratory problems in humans, a greater propensity to develop allergies, muscular and skeletal complications, as well as influencing moods and psychological states.

Some factors such as rainfall, humidity, atmospheric pressure or wind are natural manifestations that can influence our health, both physical and mental, but it depends on each region for their effects to be more or less pronounced. Human beings have developed various capacities to coexist and adapt to these manifestations; however, the problem lies when, due to the alteration of the environment, these phenomena become more extreme and, with them, also their effects on human health.

Environmental pollution, especially that which alters the air we breathe, has a negative impact on our health.

Chemical factors

The production and use of chemicals has increased and, with it, so has their impact on the environment. Chemical substances can be found in the air, water, soil and in the food we eat. They are therefore elements that we can absorb through the respiratory system. But they can also reach our organism through the digestive system or through the skin.

Within the relationship between environment and health, water pollution is one of the most relevant problems: not only human beings, but all living beings need this element for survival. Its alteration due to pollutants reaches human beings and alters their health. Therefore, taking care of water is taking care of our wellbeing.

Biological factors

Biological factors include animals, plants and microorganisms, i.e. bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, yeasts and their mycotoxins, plants and allergens.

The natural character of these factors implies that humans will be exposed to them in one way or another due to coexistence. However, altering the environment will make the spread of viruses, for example, more aggressive and increase zoonotic diseases.

The elimination of wildlife and their habitats causes, on the one hand, that animals sometimes adapt to live in humanized places, being able to transmit new diseases; and on the other hand, that viruses that have been in the natural environment for millions of years look for other hosts, among which our species, due to its abundance, is today more susceptible than ever to become a host.