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Go to the
2004
Health Status Report update This update supplements the 2000 Health Status Report by providing updated information for many aspects of the health of our region. |
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Data definitions, limitations & uses • Data Sources  The
physical environment can influence human health
and well being. The physical environment includes
the food we eat, our drinking and recreational
water, the air we breathe and the land we live on.
It also includes things we have built, such as our
homes, roads, buildings, schools and landfills.
With adequate exposure (dependent on the degree
and intensity), contaminants in the physical
environment can produce a variety of adverse
health effects. These contaminants effect us in
very complex ways. Multiple hazards may act
together, producing combined effects, or they may
act alone. The physical environment also impacts
on other determinants of health. For example
active-living, requires green spaces, safe
recreational water and shade from sun exposure.
Air Quality Common air pollutants include: hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and ozone. Exhaust emissions from cars and trucks are the main source of most of these air-borne pollutants. In rural Ontario, automobiles are one of the only means of transportation. Little public transport, if any, is available for residents of this region. Therefore, people either have to walk or drive to get where they need to go. Compared to Ontario, a much greater proportion of LGL's working population use cars or trucks rather than public transportation to get to work (see figure 2). Ground level ozone is the principal element in smog. In most cases air quality advisories in Ontario occur as a result of high levels of ozone (see figure 3). Air quality advisories are declared when the levels of air pollution are high enough to produce adverse health effects in the more sensitive segments of the population(i.e. the elderly, individuals with respiratory problems). Excess ozone in the air may be related to irritation of the respiratory tract and increased hospital admissions for respiratory ailments. One of the most common health problems related to airborne contaminants is asthma. In LGL asthma results in about 100 hospitalizations per year. In 1996, the prevalence of asthma was higher in LGL than in Ontario for both males and females (see figure 4).  To the top
Water Quality Drinking water is monitored in two ways. Municipal water supplies and communal wells are continually tested through the Drinking Water Surveillance program. There are eleven municipal water treatment plants subject to this monitoring in LGL. These plants serve about 40% of the residents in LGL. In 1996 & 1997 there were no bacteriological exceedances discovered through the testing of these plants. Fluoride is monitored and added if required in most municipal water systems. In private wells fluoride levels vary depending on naturally occurring levels. Naturally high levels of fluoride in ground water are fairly rare. In LGL, some high natural levels of fluoride have been reported in the regions surrounding Pakenham, Almonte, Kemptville and Prescott. Private wells provide water to about 60% of residents. Testing of these wells can be obtained through the health unit by request. Private wells should be tested by owners, once or twice a year in the spring or fall for bacteria and nitrates. Recreational waters are tested at public beaches. During the bathing season, public beaches are sampled once a week from five different locations at each beach. The purpose of these tests is to ensure that the beaches are not contaminated with bacteria. In 1998, during the bathing season, bacterial counts above the acceptable level were measured at least once at 16 of the 21 beaches in the region. In total, beaches were closed for 310 bathing days in 1998. This is more than in the previous three years. In 1998, 17% of the beach days were posted (closed). On average between 1995-1997, 12% of the bathing days were posted (see figure 6). The Built Environment Indoor air pollution contributes to poor respiratory health, increased asthma and allergy symptoms. However, the relationship between poor indoor air quality and other health effects, such as eye irritation, rashes and fatigue, remain controversial. Combustion by-products, environmental tobacco smoke, radon, volatile organic compounds and biological organisms are among the major sources of indoor air pollution. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a significant health risk for conditions such as asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, heart disease and lung cancer. Health Canada estimates that more than 300 or more non-smokers die from lung cancer caused by exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. Pregnant women, fetuses and young children are especially sensitive to the effects of ETS. These effects could include, complications of pregnancy, low birth weight, increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome to name a few. In the combined region of Leeds Grenville and Lanark, Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, and Hastings Prince Edward, there are still many homes in which at least one member of the household regularly smokes inside the house and this rate is higher than the provincial average (see figure 7). A number of physical factors in homes and workplaces can influence health. At home, lack of access to piped water and sanitary facilities, high levels of noise, poor indoor air quality, overcrowding, poor lighting and pests can result in negative health outcomes. In LGL about 9% of the population live in dwellings that are in need of major repair (see figure 8). At work, work spaces that are poorly designed and do not consider the actual requirements of the work being performed in the space, can have negative outcomes such as repetitive injuries, lost productivity and reduced job satisfaction. Data definitions, limitations & uses Number
of hours of poor/moderate Air Quality | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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