State of Health in New Mexico: 2000 Report [ Environmental Health ]

Drinking water and food are monitored to prevent illness from toxic chemicals and disease-causing organisms.

Incidents of environmental contamination and health effects are investigated; medical consultation is provided for exposure to bacteria, viruses, parasites, molds, and chemicals.

Federal, state and local agencies and community partners collaborate to respond to environmental emergencies.

The public is being educated on hantavirus, plague, lead poisoning, and other environmental conditions.

Communities are beginning to discuss, identify and prioritize environmental health issues.

Educational resources are being developed to improve indoor environments in schools, daycare facilities, and homes.

Upgrade drinking water systems to allow surface water use and to meet new regulatory requirements; protect drinking water sources through watershed protection, land-use planning and water system construction.

Reduce levels of ozone, carbon monoxide and particulate matter (dust, smoke) to prevent disease and meet new air quality standards; improve monitoring for these pollutants.

Monitor asthma statewide to identify risk factors and improve care.

Identify how food contamination may occur in production, processing, distribution and service; develop systems to prevent food-borne illness.

Develop an information system that combines health and environmental data.

Develop ways to safely recycle wastewater for agriculture and construction.

Our air and water quality are good, but are threatened by development and population growth.

THE CHALLENGES
The most important environmental health concerns in New Mexico are: drinking water quality and affordability; air quality in the middle and lower Rio Grande valley; and foodborne illness.

Drinking Water
The drinking water supply for most New Mexicans has been good. However, many problems have resulted from violations of drinking water quality standards (Figure 1). These do not necessarily result in illness but do indicate the need for closely monitoring drinking water supplies. The New Mexico Environment Department and the New Mexico Department of Health are jointly investigating potential waterborne disease and its association with drinking water quality.

Challenges to the quality of New Mexico’s drinking water are:

Limited water supplies and competing demands of industry, agriculture, and urban growth;
Expanded use of river water, which can increase exposure to infectious organisms;
Unchecked installation of septic systems in areas of rapid growth;
Rapid growth in dairy farming; and
Naturally-occurring chemicals such as arsenic, uranium, and fluoride.

These challenges require improving water treatment plants, developing regional wastewater treatment systems, using new technologies instead of septic tanks, protecting drinking water sources, and coordinating the tracking of waterborne illness and water quality.

Air Quality
Air quality has been good in most of the state, but development and population growth will bring increased pollution from vehicles, industry, and residential wood-burning. This can cause respiratory symptoms and illnesses, exacerbation of asthma, and increases in lung or heart disease. Releases of air pollutants are highest in the northwest, south, and east (Figure 2); the sources are industrial (e.g., power plants, refineries, mines), vehicles, and natural sources (e.g., blowing dust, fires).

A major cause of air pollution in many parts of New Mexico is airborne particulate matter (dust, smoke). The state has the highest level in the nation.(1) For instance, high concentrations of particulates occur when bare soils are exposed to dry windy weather. The New Mexico Departments of Environment and Health are undertaking a public education campaign there to reduce exposure to these pollutants.

Air pollution in the Four Corners area comes from many sources, including coal-fired electric generating stations, strip mining, oil and gas processing, forest fires, and trash burning. Limited efforts are underway to assess the impacts on human health, and ways to reduce residential trash burning are being explored.

Food Quality and Safety
Diseases that can be spread by food and water are among the illnesses reported most often to the New Mexico Department of Health. Health officials believe contaminated eggs, meats, produce and unpasteurized juice and dairy products are most often responsible. Increasingly, the use of antibiotics as growth supplements in animals is causing antibiotic resistance in foodborne bacteria.

Most foodborne illnesses can be prevented by careful cooking and handling of fresh food products. Education of consumers and food workers is necessary to raise their awareness of proper techniques. In addition, improved methods of inspecting food products, and advances such as ionizing pasteurization, promise to make even minimally processed foods safer to prepare and consume.

Environmental Health Monitoring
State and local agencies and organizations monitor selected health problems and environmental conditions. However, new approaches to combining health effects and environmental quality data need to be devised.

Other Environmental Health Issues of Public Concern
In addition to those discussed above, the following environmental health issues are significant for New Mexicans:

Air pollution from power plants, oil refineries and open pit gravel mines;
Drinking water contamination due to unintentional radioactive or chemical discharges and aging drinking water and sewage lines;
Disposal and recycling of solid waste, and disposal of hazardous materials;
Exposure to radon, lead, mercury, pesticides, molds, asbestos, oilfield contamination and noise pollution;
Occupational exposure to a variety of toxic substances and unsafe conditions;
Health effects related to recreational water, including swimming pools, hotsprings, and lakes;
Sun exposure resulting in skin cancer;
Equity and justice in distribution of environmental health resources and risks; and
Everyday exposure to man-made products.