Environmental Health

Environmental health is a field of study focused on assessing the impacts, particularly to humans, of toxic substances found in food, air, water and soil. Environmental health professionals have an understanding of both public health and environmental contaminants. Read on to learn more about this career field.

Inside Environmental Health

Those who work in the environmental health field focus on protecting public health from human-caused and naturally occurring toxins that humans are exposed to on a regular basis. Environmental health professionals assess public health risks, including the spread of insect-borne diseases, such as West Nile Virus, and of the spread of bacteria, such as E. coli, from contaminated food and water.

The field of environmental health is interdisciplinary. The study includes not only the natural biological aspects of the environment, but also the social policies and government regulations that surround environmental conservation. Those working in environmental health may focus on identifying pollutants and environmental hazards and help find solutions to eliminate dangers to the public health, while those working in policy may be involved in the social and regulatory aspects of protecting the environment.

Students interested in a career in environmental health generally need a bachelor's degree for employment. A doctoral degree is generally not necessary unless the student wishes to pursue a teaching job at the university level. Attending a school accredited by an accreditation agency, such as the National Environmental Health Science & Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC), is a requirement of some environmental health jobs, including jobs in the U.S. Public Health Service.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) reported in May 2010 that the median income for environmental scientists and specialists, including environmental health workers, was $61,700. Furthermore, employment in this area was expected to increase 28% from 2008-2018, which is much faster than average for all occupations.

Learn More About Environmental Health

Does learning more about the environment sound interesting? Do you have a desire to help conserve and protect the environment while helping to protect public health? Perhaps a degree in environmental health would be a perfect fit for you. You can further explore the degree options and career opportunities at Education-Portal.com.

Degree Options

From public health degrees to bachelor's degrees in environmental science, there are many different avenues to explore within the environmental health field.

Career Options

There are numerous career opportunities in the field of environmental health. Take a look at some of the examples below.

Distance Learning Options

The environmental health field offers opportunities for education through distance learning. Check out some of the options as described on Education-Portal.com.

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