As you know, humans need food, shelter, clothing, and other manufactured goods. The production activities related to meeting these needs are sources of environmental risk. As a result, the environmental health management field focuses on risks from food production and manufacturing. In this assignment, you will examine risk in one of these areas, evaluate its characteristics for creating outrage, and describe management efforts for the risk.
Instructions
Write a 4–5-page academic paper using the following instructions:
Select one environmental health risk created by food production or manufacturing, including details about its location and the number of stakeholders affected.
Analyze the release, exposure, and health effects of an environmental health risk, supporting risk analysis with two examples and research references.
Research the circumstances under which exposure takes place. Either document examples of releases that have taken place or describe plausible release scenarios.
Provide examples of the effects, specific exposures, and health-related incidents.
Evaluate how the attention-getting potential of two risk communications is based on their characteristics, using the features listed in the textbook that are likely to arouse outrage.
Refer to Page 47 of the textbook which lists the features of a risk that are likely to arouse outrage.
Evaluate the success of at least two risk management or harm reduction approaches for the risk. Support your evaluation with references from four resources.
These management or reduction efforts may include the following or others:
Laws that apply to limiting or regulating the activity.
Programs or laws that require cleanup related to this risk.
Costs of mitigation or treatment of effects.
Use at least four sources to support your writing. Choose sources that are credible, relevant, and appropriate. Cite each source listed on your source page at least one time within your assignment. For help with research, writing, and citation, access the libraryor review library guides.
This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The library is your home for SWS assistance, including citations and formatting. Please refer to the Library site for all support. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Sample Answer
Environmental Health Risk in Manufacturing: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Contamination
This academic paper examines the environmental health risk posed by Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), a class of manufactured chemicals, focusing on their use and release within the manufacturing sector. This analysis will detail the risk's characteristics, including location and stakeholders, analyze the release, exposure, and health effects with examples, evaluate the outrage potential of associated risk communications, and assess current risk management and harm reduction strategies.
Selection and Scope of Environmental Health Risk
The chosen environmental health risk is Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Contamination, primarily originating from manufacturing processes.
Risk Description
PFAS are a large family of over 12,000 synthetic chemicals that have been manufactured since the 1940s. They are often called "forever chemicals" because their strong carbon-fluorine bonds make them extremely resistant to degradation in the environment and in the human body. Their unique properties—repelling water, grease, and oil—led to their widespread use in countless manufactured goods.
Location and Stakeholders
PFAS contamination is a ubiquitous global problem, but specific, high-risk locations are often tied to major manufacturing sites and military bases.
Location Example: Wilmington, North Carolina (The Cape Fear River Basin): This area serves as a critical example of contamination due to the presence of the Chemours Fayetteville Works facility (formerly DuPont/Fayetteville Works). This facility was responsible for manufacturing and releasing various PFAS, including GenX (a replacement for PFOA), into the Cape Fear River, the primary drinking water source for hundreds of thousands of residents.
Stakeholders Affected:
Directly Exposed Residents (Hundreds of Thousands): Residents relying on the contaminated river or private wells near manufacturing sites. In the Cape Fear River Basin alone, over 300,000 people are estimated to have been affected by the primary contamination plume (Hoekstra, et al., 2020).
Manufacturing Employees: Workers at PFAS-producing or utilizing facilities exposed through inhalation and dermal contact.
Governmental Agencies: Local, state (e.g., North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality), and federal agencies (e.g., EPA) tasked with monitoring, regulating, and remediating the contamination.
Environmental Groups: Non-profits and advocacy groups working on testing, litigation, and policy change.