A review of environment health impact assessment

The general community is becoming increasingly aware of the effect that developments, either in industry or residential areas, are having on the surrounding environment. That people have a safe place to work and live in, is important to the overall welfare of a community. Currently, assessment of the health impact of proposed developments is somewhat limited, and is usually made with reference to potential fatalities, rather than general morbidity. Assessment of the environmental health impact of a development is most often concentrated on a particular aspect, such as a method of transportation of chemicals, or of manufacturing a certain component--those areas which are seen as having the greatest risks associated with them. Rarely is a broad screening of potential environmental health impacts included.