ABSTRACT
One of the basic services provided by the environment is the support of human life. Changes in the life-support capacity of the environment brought about by (for example) pollution of the air or water can lead to increases in the incidence of disease, impairment of daily activities, and perhaps reduced life expectancy. Human alteration of the environment can affect health through a number of channels, including
• organic compounds, which may contaminate aquifers used as sources of drinking water;
• poorly treated sewage or septic tank leachate, which may spread diseasecausing bacteria and viruses into drinking water supplies and among shellfish bound for human consumption;
• elevated levels of particulate matter air pollution, which can increase the risk of premature mortality;
• air emissions from manufacturing facilities, auto body repair and painting shops, and the like, which may include carcinogens; and
• depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, which can cause increased ground-level ultraviolet radiation and increase the incidence of skin cancer.
