I completed this very interesting six week college level course today, taught in part by Dr. Megan Weil Latshaw, PhD, and Beth A Resnick, MPH, of Johns Hopkins University on Coursera. This course discussed, among other things, chemicals, exposure (bio-monitoring), risk assessment, environmental health effects, policies, and case studies. Chemicals are everywhere, and part of most everything. They are in our bodies, our food, our homes, and our environment. Interestingly, the dose makes the poison. Even toxic substances might not be harmful if taken in a low dose; water, if taken in the right dose, is harmful. Natural doesn’t mean healthy. In fact, many natural substances are harmful, and in the right dose, deadly. They affect each person differently, and generally speaking they have a greater affect on the young and elderly. This course made abundantly clear that chemicals are needed, but must be appropriately understood and regulated. There are agencies in place at local, state, and federal levels, to address these concerns. This course put in perspective the good and bad of chemicals in the environment and on our health.
Environmental Science and Its Application to Health 