Convergence of environmental health and ecosystem health concepts, methods and practice

摘要

Environmental health, as part of public health examines physical, chemical and biological risk of the natural and build environment for human health. This includes natural and man made toxic substances like air pollutants from transport and industrial sources or chemicals in water from human activity but also natural contamination. The understanding of human exposure to environmental hazards is dealt with exposure science, of which indoor exposure is an important part of it. Environmental health uses all involved disciplines including natural and social sciences for the achievement of its goal towards a better human environment. Tremendous progress has been made in the last decades improving policy standards for air, water, radiation and noise continuously, which has led to a continuous reduction of the related burden of disease. Ecosystem health (EcoHealth) promotes linkage between health of humans and animals and ecosystem sustainability. It encourages research and problem solving that cut across many fields of scholarship (including natural, social and health sciences, and the humanities) and draws upon multiple types of knowledge. EcoHealth recognizes that health is interlinked with Social-Ecological Systems and must be addressed in conjunction to solve contemporary complex problems of health together with social, ecological and economical sustainability. Environmental health and EcoHealth have many overlapping but also distinct areas of activity. EcoHealth methodologically extends the study of health by formally addressing issues of sustainable ecosystem services. Examples of the two streams of science are presented their convergent and distinct concepts and methods are analysed in view of possible closer cooperation. Current fragmentation of science in not congruent with urgent problem solving in these fields of activity and a better cooperation strengthens the methodological approaches, improves the capacity for innovation and strengthens the political impact towards improving human and animal health while preserving ecosystem services.