Environmental Public Health

Self-paced

Enroll

Course Date:

Open

Duration:

Ongoing

Commitment:

2-3 hrs/week

Requirement:

None

Course Type:

Self-paced

Credential:

None

Description

Environmental health is the science and practice of promoting optimal human health and preventing illness and injury by identifying sources and evaluating and controlling levels of and exposure to physical, chemical and biological agents in air, water, soil, food, and other media that may affect the quality of environmental settings or disrupt ecological conditions, and directly or indirectly contribute to adverse impact to human health and well-being. (National Environmental Health Association 2013)

Exposures to various environmental agents may directly or even indirectly impact human (and animal) health and initiation and progression of various diseases throughout a lifetime. These hazardous agents or stressors include chemical, physical and microbiological agents, which we are exposed to via the air, water, soil, food or combinations of matrices and exposure pathways. An Environmental Health Science (EHS) Model shown below summarizes the complexity of exposure beginning with sources of hazardous agents.

This course consists of numerous individual self-study asynchronous learning modules. Each module consists of a topic or topics applicable to environmental health science, otherwise known as, environmental public health. Modules include a case scenario to apply the information and/or a short multiple choice quiz. The modules also include corresponding readings to supplement the presented topic content. Modules may be completed as discrete standalone learning sessions or combined as a more comprehensive introductory course.

Objectives

Upon completion of the entire set of modules, learners will be better prepared to:

apply an Environmental Health Science Model to applicable urban and rural and outdoor and indoor settings;
categorize types of hazardous environmental agents;
list types of contaminants generated in and from various sources of generation;
differentiate between and among environmental (indoor and outdoor) contamination, types of hazardous exposures, and related risks of disease;
apply best practice concepts related to the prevention, planning and preparation for emergency incidents involving health care settings and services; and,
interpret applied environmental health readings and case studies.

Target Audience: The modules are designed for those with an interest in environmental health, including students pursuing academic programs (i.e. certificate; degree) who represent the emerging workforce, and, applicable professionals who are already part of the current workforce.

Course is offered by The Ohio State University Global One Health Initiative.

Course Instructors

Michael Bisesi, PhD, REHS, CIH

Instructor

Michael Bisesi, PhD, REHS, CIH, is currently the Senior Associate Dean and Director of Academic Affairs, and Professor and Chair (interim) of Environmental Health Sciences in the College of Public Health at The Ohio State University (OSU). Read More.

He recently completed a term as a Senior Scientist for the Centers for Disease Control National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Prior to his appointment at OSU in 2009, he served for 19 years as a scientist (including 12 years as tenured Professor of Public Health), Department Chairman, and Senior Associate Dean at the Medical University of Ohio and the University of Toledo College of Medicine and Health Science Campus. He was also the co-founder and Director of the tri-university Northwest Ohio Consortium for Public Health. At the beginning of his career, he held positions as an occupational health (industrial hygiene) specialist at the corporate Tenneco Chemicals Environmental/Medical Affairs Division and as an Assistant, and then tenured Associate, Professor of Health and Safety at Indiana State University.

Dr. Bisesi is an Environmental Health Scientist, Board Certified Industrial Hygienist, ABIH Diplomat, AIHA Fellow, and Registered Environmental Health Specialist (inactive, NJ). His primary scientific expertise includes assessment (monitoring) of human exposure to and control of toxic and infectious agents; applied environmental toxicology and microbiology; and hazardous material/emergency incident recognition/response. He is actively engaged in international work via the Ohio State-Eastern Africa One Health project and the OSU Global One Health initiative (GOHi).

Dr. Bisesi has authored/co-authored several journal articles as well as chapters in major reference books, including the Occupational Environment: Its Evaluation and Control (1st and 2nd ed) and also several in Patty's Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology (4th and 5th ed). In addition, he is author of the highly touted textbooks Industrial Hygiene Evaluation Methods (2nd ed) and co-author of two other volumes of the Handbook of Environmental Health (4th ed) entitled Volume 1 - Biological, Chemical and Physical Agents of Environmentally Related Disease and Volume 2 - Pollutant Interactions in Air, Water and Soil.

Full course description