Human Health

Better health to result from fewer hazardous air pollutants
Thirteen new rules will protect people from eye, lung, and skin irritation, cancer and other health problems. Industrial facilities will be required to install the Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT), reducing national emissions of toxic air pollutants by more than 68,000 tons per year.
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"The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency is to protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment -- air, water and land -- upon which life depends"

Human health is as good -- or as bad -- as the environment in which we live.  We breath the air, drink the water and, as grandma used to say, we'll no doubt eat a peck of dirt before we die.  Some environmental threats to human health --  radon, for instance -- are natural; most are the result of human activity.  EPA's mission is to ensure that Americans have a safe and healthy environment where we live and work and play.  

A special part of that mission is the protection of  children's health.  Because children's systems are still developing, because they eat, drink and breath proportionately more than do adults, and because they crawl, tend to put things in their mouths and play outside, children are more exposed to environmental threats.   

Information from EPA Region 2

The following pages include basic health information including what you can do and what EPA is doing, plus links to other Web pages offering information in greater depth.

• Asbestos
• Cancer Clusters
• Children's Health
• Illegal Pesticides
• Lead & Lead Paint Poisoning
• Living Near Superfund Sites
• Mercury
• Miraculous Chalk
• Pesticides
• Pesticides and Mosquito Control
• Radon
• Tres Pasitos
• West Nile Virus

Other Sources of Information

Each of the above subject pages include links to sites having additional information on the specific subject.  In addition, other government agencies deal with a broad array of human health issues.  For your convenience, we have listed below links to some of the larger health related sites.

ATSDR -- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Control
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).    Its mission  is to prevent exposure and adverse human health effects and diminished quality of life associated with exposure to hazardous substances from waste sites, unplanned releases, and other sources of pollution present in the environment.

CDC -- The Centers for Disease Control
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, is also an agency of  HHS.   Its mission is to promote health and the quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability.

Healthfinder -- Consumer Health Information from HHS
Healthfinder™ is a gateway consumer health and human services information Web site from the United States government.   Healthfinder™ can lead you to selected online publications, clearinghouses, databases, Websites, and support and self-help groups, as well as the government agencies and not-for-profit organizations that produce reliable information for the public. The information you find can help you make better choices for yourself and your family about your health and human services needs.

NIH -- The National Institutes of Health
The NIH mission is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone. The goal of NIH research is to acquire new knowledge to help prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease and disability, from the rarest genetic disorder to the common cold.  NIH health resources include CancerNet, AIDS information, Clinical Alerts, the Women's Health Initiative and the NIH Information Index (a subject-word guide to diseases and conditions under investigation at NIH).