Environmental public health is the branch of public health that examines how the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the environment affect human health, and how harmful exposures can be assessed, managed, and prevented at the population level. It addresses determinants such as air and water qualit…
Environmental public health is the branch of public health that examines how the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the environment affect human health, and how harmful exposures can be assessed, managed, and prevented at the population level. It addresses determinants such as air and water quality, chemical contaminants, radiation, waste, the built environment, and the health consequences of climate change, together with the ecological conditions that influence the emergence and spread of infectious disease. The discipline integrates exposure assessment, environmental monitoring, toxicology, and epidemiology to characterise the pathways by which pollutants and hazards reach people and to estimate the resulting burden of illness. Biological indicators, including sentinel organisms used to detect contamination of water bodies, can signal environmental degradation relevant to human exposure. Beyond measurement, environmental public health informs preventive policy and regulation, surveillance, and interventions that reduce exposure and protect vulnerable groups, including children, and it considers how factors such as tobacco use and second-hand smoke interact with environmental conditions. Its scope extends from local hazards to global processes, including the health risks posed by extreme hydrological events and changing climate, and it intersects with environmental justice in addressing the unequal distribution of exposures. By linking environmental science with population health, the field aims to promote conditions that protect and improve community health.
11 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 11 articles above have been cited 89 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Environmental Public Health, linking to each citing work.