Reference no: EM132379278

Environmental epidemiology focuses on the health effects of environmental factors that are beyond the immediate control of an individual. Epidemiologists frequently deal with exposures that are very large, at low concentrations, and in complex mixtures. In addition, environmental exposures often do not differ greatly among individuals within one geographical area. These characteristics are challenging for epidemiologists when it comes to measuring exposure and linking exposure to a specific health problem.

In environmental epidemiological surveillance, methods of monitoring environmental exposures range from self-report to objective measurements. Assessment of exposure is highly dependent on the accuracy of the instrument used. Epidemiologists must consider both the accuracy and the feasibility of using the instrument on a large scale.

For this Discussion,. Select an article from the Library concerning an environmental health issue that impacts your community. Think about other instruments that might have been used for surveillance of the exposure.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post a summary of the article you selected. The summary should include the epidemiology of the environmental health issue. Then, describe two instruments (other than the one described in the article) that could be used to measure exposure in an epidemiological study. Include the strengths and limitations of the instruments you selected. Finally, select one of the instruments and explain why that instrument might be appropriate for surveillance in this issue. Provide rationale using scholarly resources.