Problem
Identify any unusual environmental problems (for example: heavy metals due to mining, water pollution due to farming or industry) in your neighborhood and research possible health effects of potential environmental hazards in the area. Who is at risk, what is the environmental hazard, where does this hazard come from and what health problems caused by the pollutant? Before you get started, review the terminology.
Terms:
1) Environmental Hazard: Something (chemical, physical or microbiological) with the potential to cause harm; however, it does not always put you at risk.
2) Risk: The combination of the probability or frequency, of occurrence of the identified hazard and the magnitude of the consequences of the occurrence.
3) Risk assessment: Risk assessment is the process of estimating the potential impact of a chemical, physical, or microbiological hazard on a specified human population or ecological system under a specific set of conditions and for a certain time frame.