Environmental Health Equity

Below is my completed Environmental Health Home Assessment. I found the assessment to be really eye-opening because there were a number of things I had not considered as potentially harmful that I now want to go back and re-assess and it also reminded me of things that I have wanted to change for a long time but have still not got around to actually changing.  As I was completing this questionnaire, I found myself feeling grateful for the home I currently live in many times because a lot of the questions kept reminding me of how terrible my old apartment was. For example, my old apartment was in a much older building and did not have many of the modern amenities and safety measures that my current home does. It also had an insect and rodent infestation but because it was a rent-controlled apartment in San Francisco, there was no hope of the landlord doing anything to address any of our health and safety concerns. I thought the assessment asks about the age of our home to ...

The two household products I looked up are: 1. Shout Carpet Aerosol 2. Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, Citrus Blend For 1) Shout Carpet Aerosol, I found: Health Risks: The overall health rating is 1 and the flammability rating is 4. 1 is only a slight risk so I am comfortable with that. The flammability rating is a severe risk, which makes me more concerned and nervous.  My Response to this new knowledge: I was surprised to find the overall health rating was only a slight risk because I was honestly worried this product was toxic. It seems like it has a lot of chemicals but it works so well that I keep buying it! I have had a difficult time finding green products for carpet cleaners and since Shout doesn't advertise as a "green product" I was a bit worried. I am relieved this product is not that dangerous and I definitely will continue to use this product and will probably use it even more now.  For 2) Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, Citrus Blend, I found: Heal...

The two personal care products I looked up are: 1. Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo 2. EltaMD Skincare UV Pure Face and Body Physical Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 47 For 1) Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo, I found: Health Risks: The overall hazard is rated "moderate." The high concerns are multiple, additive exposure sources and contamination concerns. The main moderate concern is organ system toxicity.  My Response to this new knowledge: I was surprised to find out the toxicity rating of this product is 5. I think I should choose a product that is less toxic in the future. I was shocked to find that there was a moderate concern for organ system toxicity as this seems like a very concerning risk to be taking with something as non-essential as shampoo. I had no idea that regular personal care products could have this much toxicity without having to notify us.  For 2) EltaMD Skincare UV Pure Face and Body Physical Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 47 I found: Health Risks: This p...

Hello Everyone! My name is Vishalli and I am interested in renewable energy, environmental justice, and health equity. My background is in trauma research, HIV and women's health, and health equity. I am very interested in how environmental trauma disproportionately impacts the health and wellness of low-income communities of color. I hope to use my MPH degree to affect health policies that impact health equity and reduce the prevalence of avoidable negative health outcomes in minority populations.