A Solid Waste Disaster: A solid waste incinerator located in a large metro area

Question

A Solid Waste Disaster: A solid waste incinerator located in a large metro area was the target of a radical group of environmentalists, who bombed the incinerator in the middle of the night in order to prevent it from operating. The explosion resulted in the release hundreds of metric tons of dioxins and furans into the ambient air, as well as dust and smoke from fires which would persist for weeks. Student Name: Part 1: Disaster Response Quiz (Short essay answer) You received a disaster scenario from your Instructor. Respond to the following questions as they relate to your scenario. Question (12 points for each question) Response Identify at least two relevant agencies that would be involved in this disaster response and their respective roles, in brief. Characterize the likely environmental contamination resulting from the disaster. Be sure to describe environmental fate, transport, and persistence, where applicable. Identify the population at risk of exposure. Are there any susceptible/sensitive populations of concern? Choose one possible environmental exposure from your provided disaster scenario that has the potential to impact human health. Describe how this exposure would be measured in the population at risk. Be sure to consider characteristics of the exposure (e.g., in both the environment and via biological media). What might be an appropriate study design to determine whether this exposure is related to excess morbidity or mortality in the population, and why?

Part 2: Measures of Association The following 2 x 2 table represents a study of exposure X and disease Y relating to your provided disaster scenario. Using the data in the table below, calculate the appropriate ratio measure of association for your chosen study design in Part 1 (in other words, calculate either the odds ratio or the risk ratio). Interpret the result in terms of the exposure you selected in Part 1 and a health endpoint plausibly related to this exposure. Diseased Not Diseased Exposed 65 140 205 Not Exposed 20 155 175 85 295 (Choose one and provide interpretation) Odds ratio:

Explanation / Answer

We are given the following disaster scenario:

A Solid Waste Disaster: A solid waste incinerator located in a large metro area was the target of a radical group of environmentalists, who bombed the incinerator in the middle of the night in order to prevent it from operating. The explosion resulted in the release hundreds of metric tons of dioxins and furans into the ambient air, as well as dust and smoke from fires which would persist for weeks.

Agencies : The relevant agencies that would be involved in this disaster response would be

(1) The Government-an exclusive administrative support is always needed to tackle the aftermath of a disaster like this. The government here would be responsible of relief programs. The involvement of public men and the creation of a special administrative machinery will enable the organization of systematic relief and rehabilitation in the disaster area and help aid the people who are at the immediate risk. They might also help in evacuation of the citizens in the immediate vicinity of the disaster site to minimize the number of causalities

(2)The medical care – people might face medical issues as a result of the disaster the most immediate being suffocation. A sound medical care system should be in place to help the citizens who were affected. They might face breathing troubles and other issues due to excessive inhalation of smoke and other harmful gases and might need immediate medical care, so a proper medical support should be set up.

The likely environmental contamination resulting from the disaster:

The population at risk of exposure:

The population at the risk of immediate exposure are the locals and the people residing near the metro area. Since, it’s a metro area it is expected to be densely crowded. These people who live near the site are at maximum risk. Amongst them the susceptible/sensitive population of concern are the babies, small children, sick people, people with breathing and the old people since they are more vulnerable to the adverse effects and may be medically more susceptible.

One possible environmental exposure from your provided disaster scenario that has the potential to impact human health:

The biggest environmental exposure that will have prolonged effect on the human health is the air pollution or the air contamination that will result from this disaster due to the release of furans and dioxins. This might make the air in the surroundings unfit for breathing for a significant amount of time. As pointed out earlier there will be magnified risk for babies, children, sick people, people with breathing disorders and old people. They might face severe medical issues and this might even prove fatal in extreme scenarios. This exposure can be measured by the number of reported cases of breathing troubles due to inhalation of these gases, pulmonary disorders, disorientation due to lack of oxygen etc. Also it can be measured by level of these gases found in the blood or the reduced level of oxygen in the blood. Additional estimates can be made by estimating the number of people who are at a risk of such an exposure.

To conduct the study we can collect reports of the patients who came to the local medical and health care facilities to seek treatment relating to the medical issues discussed before. These can be compared to the reports of the people who are not at risk. Also, amongst the number of deaths that happen subsequently it could be studied as to how many were due to factors relating to the disaster to determine if the disaster is responsible for excess morbidity or mortality in the population. This will be an appropriate study design as there is a mass of people who are affected by the disaster and we are not following an individual case. We need to make estimates about the population.

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