Biomedical research, from an environmental health perspective, is the study of those aspects of human health and disease that are determined by factors in the environment. Researchers in this field also develop the theory and practice of assessing and controlling factors in the environment that can potentially affect health.

Environmental health includes both the direct pathological effects of chemicals, radiation and some biological agents, and the effects (often indirect) on health and well being of the broad physical, psychological, social and aesthetic environment which includes housing, urban development, land use and transport. Nutrition, pollution, waste control and public health are related concerns. World Health Organization definition of environmental health.

When well-being of a whole population is measured, these become economic and political concerns. Increasingly wellness concerns are affecting fiscal policy and prompting some advocates to call for monetary reform (to end systematic pollution credit, governments actually paying to create human health harms).

There are numerous health hazards that can affect people in their natural environment. Examples of environmental health hazards addressed in this curriculum are:

• Arsenic
• Air pollution
• Epidemics
• Genetically modified food
• Pesticides
• Industrial chemicals
• Mercury
• Ultraviolet light
• Toxicology

For an additional list of environmental health hazards from Wikipedia.