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{{short description|Harmful substance, a condition or an event}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2020}}
[[File:GHS-pictogram-pollu.svg|thumb|The [[Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals|international]] [[GHS hazard pictograms|pictogram]] for environmental hazards.]]▼
'''Environmental hazards''' are those [[hazard]]s that affect [[biome]]s or [[ecosystem]]s.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Environmental Hazards & Health Effects|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehhe/pdfs/about.pdf|access-date=October 15, 2021|website=[[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]]}}</ref> Well known examples include [[oil spill]]s, [[water pollution]], slash and burn deforestation, [[air pollution]], [[ground fissure]]s,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://definedterm.com/environmental_hazard |title=Environmental hazard |work=Defined Term - A dictionary of legal, industry-specific, and uncommon terms. |access-date=23 August 2017 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803120002/https://definedterm.com/environmental_hazard |url-status=dead }} quoted from Code of Maryland, January 1, 2014</ref> and [[Carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere|build-up of atmospheric carbon dioxide]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Keith |title=Environmental hazards: assessing risk and reducing disaster |date=1993 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-01217-1 |edition=Reprint |series=Routledge physical environment series |location=London}}</ref> Physical exposure to environmental hazards is usually involuntary<ref name=":02" />
▲[[File:GHS-pictogram-pollu.svg|thumb|The [[Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals|international]]
==Types==
Environmental hazards can be categorized in many different ways. One of them is — chemical, physical, biological, and psychological.
[[Chemical hazard]]s are substances that can cause harm or damage to humans, animals, or the environment. They can be in the form of solids, liquids, gases, mists, dusts, fumes, and vapors. Exposure can occur through inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion, or direct contact. Chemical hazards include substances such as pesticides, solvents, acids, bases, reactive metals, and poisonous gases. Exposure to these substances can result in health effects such as skin irritation, respiratory problems, organ damage, neurological effects, and cancer.<ref name=":3" />
[[Physical hazard]]s are factors within the environment that can harm the body without necessarily touching it. They include a wide range of environmental factors such as noise, vibration, extreme temperatures, radiation, and ergonomic hazards. Physical hazards may lead to injuries like burns, fractures, hearing loss, vision impairment, or other physical harm. They can be present in many work settings such as construction sites, manufacturing plants, and even office spaces.<ref name=":3">{{Citation |last=Shi |first=Peijun |title=Hazards, Disasters, and Risks |date=2019 |journal=Disaster Risk Science |series=IHDP/Future Earth-Integrated Risk Governance Project Series |pages=1–48 |place=Singapore |publisher=Springer Singapore |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-981-13-6689-5_1 |pmc=7123175 |isbn=978-981-13-6688-8}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Wisner |first1=Ben |title=The Handbook of Hazards and Disaster Risk Reduction |last2=Gaillard |first2=J.C. |last3=Kelman |first3=Ilan |publisher=Routledge |year=2011 |language=en}}</ref>
[[Biological hazard]]s, also known as biohazards, are organic substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This can include medical waste, samples of a microorganism, virus, or toxin (from a biological source) that can impact human health. Biological hazards can also include substances harmful to animals. Examples of biological hazards include bacteria, viruses, fungi, other microorganisms and their associated toxins. They may cause a myriad of diseases, from flu to more serious and potentially fatal diseases.<ref name=":3" />
Psychological hazards are aspects of work and work environments that can cause psychological harm or mental ill-health. These include factors such as stress, [[workplace bullying]], fatigue, burnout, and violence, among others. These hazards can lead to psychological issues like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Psychological hazards can exist in any type of workplace, and their management is a crucial aspect of occupational health and safety.<ref name=":3" />
== Environmental hazard identification ==
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== Chemical ==
[[Chemical hazard]]s are defined in the [[Globally Harmonized System]] and in the [[European Union]] chemical regulations. They are caused by chemical substances causing significant [[environmental damage|damage to the environment]]. The label is particularly applicable towards substances with [[aquatic toxicity]]. An example is [[zinc oxide]], a common paint pigment, which is extremely toxic to aquatic life.{{
Toxicity or other hazards do not imply an environmental hazard, because elimination by sunlight ([[photolysis]]), water ([[hydrolysis]]) or organisms (biological elimination) neutralizes many reactive or poisonous substances. Persistence towards these elimination mechanisms combined with toxicity gives the substance the ability to do damage in the long term. Also, the lack of immediate human toxicity does not mean the substance is environmentally nonhazardous. For example, tanker truck-sized spills of substances such as [[milk]] can cause a lot of damage in the local aquatic ecosystems: the added [[biological oxygen demand]] causes rapid [[eutrophication]], leading to [[Anoxic waters|anoxic conditions]] in the water body.
All hazards in this category are mainly [[Human impact on the environment|anthropogenic]] although there exist a number of natural carcinogens and chemical elements like radon and lead may turn up in health-critical concentrations in the natural environment:
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A physical hazard is a type of occupational hazard that involves environmental hazards that can cause harm with or without contact.<ref name=":2" /> Below is a list of examples:
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Biological hazards, also known as biohazards, refer to biological substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily that of humans. This can include medical waste or samples of a microorganism, virus or toxin (from a biological source) that can affect human health. Examples include:
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== See also ==
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