Environmental medicine, also called clinical ecology, is a multidisciplinary field involving medicine, environmental science, chemistry and others. The scope of this field involves studying the interactions between environment and human health, the cause of disease as caused by environmental factors including chemical, physical and biological agents. Interdisciplinary work is that which integrates concepts across different disciplines. ... Medicine is the branch of health science and the sector of public life concerned with maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis and treatment of disease and injury. ... Environmental science is the study of the interactions among the physical, chemical and biological components of the environment; with a focus on pollution and degradation of the environment related due to human activities; and the impact on biodiversity and sustainability from local and global development. ... Chemistry (derived from alchemy) is the science of matter at or near the atomic scale. ...

Current focuses of environmental medicine

Environmental medicine is a broad field, but there are a few issues that are currently prominent which include:

• The effects of ozone depletion and the resulting increase in UV radiation on humans with regards to skin cancer
• The effects of nuclear accidents or the effects of a terrorist dirty bomb attack and the resulting effects of radioactive material and radiation on humans.
• The effects of chemicals on humans, such as dioxin, especially with regards to cancer.
• Radon gas exposer in individuals' homes.
• Air and water pollution on the health of individuals.
• Mercury poisoning and exposer to humans though including fish and sea life in their diet.

For other uses, see Ozone (disambiguation). ... Note: Ultraviolet is also the name of a 1998 UK television miniseries about vampires. ... In medicine (dermatology), there are several different types of cancer referred to under the general label of skin cancer. ... The term dirty bomb is most often used to refer to a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD), a radiological weapon which combines radioactive material with conventional explosives. ... Radioactive decay is the set of various processes by which unstable atomic nuclei (nuclides) emit subatomic particles. ... Structure of Tetrachlorobenzodioxin Dioxin is the popular name for the family of chlorinated organic compounds consisting of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs). ... When normal cells are damaged beyond repair, they are eliminated by apoptosis. ... General Name, Symbol, Number radon, Rn, 86 Chemical series noble gases Group, Period, Block 18, 6, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass (222) g/mol Electron configuration [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p6 Electrons per shell 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8 Physical properties Phase gas Melting point 202 K (-71 °C... General Name, Symbol, Number mercury, Hg, 80 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 6, d Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 200. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... In nutrition, the diet is the sum of the food consumed by an organism. ...

Beyond the scope of environmental medicine

The field of virology and epidemiology, which studies viruses, although are environmental in nature often are not within the scope of environmental science. As well, any disease with a large genetic component usually falls outside the scope as well. Virology, often considered a part of microbiology, is the study of biological viruses: their structure and classification, their ways to infect and exploit cells to reproduce and cause disease, and their potential uses in research and therapy. ... Epidemiologic studies are generally categorized as descriptive, analytic (aiming to examine associations, commonly hypothesized causal relationships), and experimental (a term often equated with clinical or community trials of treatments and other interventions). ... The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) A bacteriophage virus A virus is a submicroscopic parasitic particle that infects cells in biological organisms. ... Genetics (from the Greek genno γεννώ= give birth) is the science of genes, heredity, and the variation of organisms. ...