Global Health: Environmental Impacts and Emerging Threats

Luca Romano

doi:10.37421/2736-6189.2025.10.456

Commentary - (2025) Volume 10, Issue 4

Global Health: Environmental Impacts and Emerging Threats

Luca Romano^*

^*Correspondence: Luca Romano, Department of Economics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy, Italy, Email:

Author information

¹Department of Economics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy, Italy

Received: 01-Jul-2025, Manuscript No. IJPHS-25-175334; Editor assigned: 03-Jul-2025, Pre QC No. P-175334; Reviewed: 17-Jul-2025, QC No. Q-175334; Revised: 22-Jul-2025, Manuscript No. R-175334; Published: 29-Jul-2025 , DOI: 10.37421/2736-6189.2025.10.456
Citation: Romano, Luca. ”Global Health: Environmental Impacts and Emerging Threats.” International Journal of Public Health and Safety 10 (2025):456
Copyright: © 2025 Romano L. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Introduction

This analysis demonstrates that outdoor air pollution continues to be a major global health risk, significantly contributing to millions of premature deaths and years of life lost, particularly prevalent in lower-income regions. It underscores the persistent challenge involved in effectively reducing exposure and mitigating its substantial burden on health systems worldwide [1].

Meanwhile, comprehensive reviews highlight how climate change profoundly impacts urban populations. This includes a direct link between rising temperatures, the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, and altered patterns of disease, all contributing to significant health risks for city dwellers. This situation undeniably underscores the urgent need for tailored urban environmental health strategies [2].

Further studies detail the persistent global health burden stemming from inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene, an issue particularly acute in lower-income nations. These analyses quantify millions of disability-adjusted life years lost, emphasizing the critical and immediate need for improved infrastructure and widespread access to clean resources globally [3].

A systematic review elucidates how cumulative environmental risks, encompassing various chemical exposures, disproportionately affect already vulnerable populations. Such exposures actively exacerbate existing health disparities, stressing the imperative for comprehensive approaches that address multiple stressors in concert [4].

Additionally, another review specifically examines how climate change is altering the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases. This occurs by shifting vector habitats and extending disease transmission windows, leading to forecasts of increased incidence and broader geographic spread, demanding proactive public health responses [5].

Similarly, research outlines how chronic environmental noise exposure is a substantial, yet often overlooked, contributor to adverse health outcomes. These include cardiovascular disease, sleep disturbance, and cognitive impairment, positioning noise pollution as a significant public health concern that warrants greater attention [6].

A global scoping review further identifies key themes and existing gaps within environmental justice and health equity research. It clearly demonstrates how marginalized communities disproportionately bear environmental burdens, thereby stressing the urgent necessity for equitable policy and effective intervention strategies [7].

Moreover, a critical review synthesizes current knowledge on microplastic exposure and its potential health impacts. It notes their pervasive presence across the environment and within the human body, underscoring the urgent need for more comprehensive research into their definitive health effects and long-term implications [8].

Furthermore, investigations into the built environment reveal its significant influence on public health, specifically impacting physical activity levels, rates of obesity, and the prevalence of diabetes. This highlights the critical role of thoughtful urban planning in promoting healthier lifestyles through accessible and supportive design [9].

Finally, analyses of environmental impact metrics for food consumption link dietary choices directly to critical global issues such as climate change, land use patterns, and biodiversity loss. This offers vital insights for promoting sustainable food systems that ultimately benefit both planetary health and human well-being [10].

Description

Environmental factors represent a significant and pervasive threat to global public health, manifesting in various forms and impacting communities worldwide. Outdoor air pollution, for instance, remains a critical concern, directly responsible for millions of premature deaths and considerable years of life lost, with a particularly devastating impact on lower-income regions. The ongoing struggle to reduce exposure to this pervasive pollutant and mitigate its substantial strain on healthcare systems globally is a major challenge [1]. Concurrently, climate change exacerbates existing health vulnerabilities, especially in urban areas. Rising temperatures, an increase in extreme weather events, and shifting disease patterns contribute to a complex array of health risks for urban populations, demanding urgent, tailored environmental health strategies [2]. This interconnectedness extends to vector-borne diseases, where climate change actively alters vector habitats and expands disease transmission windows, forecasting an alarming rise in incidence and geographic spread that necessitates proactive public health responses [5].

Beyond atmospheric and climatic factors, fundamental environmental health issues continue to impose a heavy toll. Inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene services represent a persistent global health burden, especially pronounced in lower-income nations. This deficiency accounts for millions of disability-adjusted life years lost annually, highlighting the critical and immediate need for substantial improvements in infrastructure and guaranteed access to clean, safe resources for all communities [3]. Compounding these challenges, research consistently demonstrates that cumulative environmental risks, including a multitude of chemical exposures, disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. These layered exposures actively widen health disparities, emphasizing the imperative for comprehensive, integrated approaches that effectively address multiple stressors rather than isolated issues [4]. This resonates deeply with the principles of environmental justice and health equity, which global reviews show are often lacking; marginalized communities consistently bear the brunt of environmental burdens, necessitating equitable policy and targeted interventions [7].

Even less overt environmental factors pose significant health threats that warrant greater recognition. Chronic exposure to environmental noise, for example, is far from a minor annoyance; it contributes substantially to adverse health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease, sleep disturbances, and cognitive impairment. This positions noise pollution as a significant, though frequently overlooked, public health concern demanding specific attention and mitigation efforts [6]. Similarly, the widespread presence of microplastics in our environment and, increasingly, within the human body, represents an emerging health challenge. While a full understanding of their definitive health impacts is still developing, the ubiquity of microplastic exposure underscores an urgent need for more rigorous research into their long-term effects [8].

The physical spaces where we live and interact also profoundly shape our health. The built environment, encompassing everything from urban planning to architectural design, demonstrably influences critical public health metrics. It significantly impacts levels of physical activity, contributing to rates of obesity and the prevalence of diabetes. This underscores the vital role of thoughtful urban planning in creating accessible and supportive designs that actively promote healthier lifestyles and community well-being [9]. Finally, the global food system itself is a crucial environmental health determinant. Analyzing the environmental impact metrics associated with food consumption clearly links our dietary choices to overarching global challenges such as climate change, land use degradation, and biodiversity loss. This provides essential insights for developing and promoting sustainable food systems that simultaneously champion planetary health and foster improved human well-being, suggesting a holistic approach to health that starts from what we eat and how it's produced [10].

These diverse studies collectively highlight the complex, multifaceted nature of environmental health. They underscore the necessity for integrated, cross-sectoral approaches to mitigate risks, promote equity, and safeguard human health in the face of ongoing environmental challenges. Addressing these issues requires a commitment to both scientific understanding and policy implementation that recognizes the profound connections between our environment and our well-being.

Conclusion

This body of research collectively presents a compelling picture of the profound and multifaceted impacts of environmental factors on global human health, emphasizing both established and emerging threats. A major global health risk, outdoor air pollution, is shown to cause millions of premature deaths and years of life lost, especially burdening lower-income regions and health systems worldwide. Climate change emerges as another critical concern, directly affecting urban populations through rising temperatures and extreme weather, while also altering the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases by expanding vector habitats and transmission windows, demanding proactive public health responses. Furthermore, the persistent global health burden from inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene, particularly in vulnerable nations, quantifies millions of lost disability-adjusted life years, highlighting an urgent need for improved infrastructure. The studies consistently point to cumulative environmental risks, including various chemical exposures, which disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, thereby exacerbating health disparities. This issue is deeply intertwined with environmental justice, where marginalized communities disproportionately bear environmental burdens, stressing the need for equitable policies. Beyond these broad systemic issues, specific environmental stressors are also identified. Chronic environmental noise exposure significantly contributes to adverse health outcomes like cardiovascular disease, sleep disturbance, and cognitive impairment, marking it as a substantial, often overlooked, public health concern. The widespread presence of microplastics in the environment and human body also raises concerns, necessitating more research into their potential health impacts. Lastly, the built environment's design is crucial, influencing physical activity levels and rates of obesity and diabetes, underscoring the role of urban planning in promoting healthier lifestyles. Even food consumption is linked to environmental impact metrics, offering insights for sustainable systems beneficial to both planetary and human health. Together, these findings advocate for comprehensive, interdisciplinary approaches to safeguard well-being in the face of complex environmental challenges.