A key component of public health, environmental public health focuses on preventing and controlling human diseases caused or impacted by our environment. Many aspects of our environment, both built (pools, sidewalk, and park access) and natural (water, air, soil, and food), can impact our health.
Environmental public health professionals work to prevent disease and create healthy environments that promote well-being, fostering healthy, and safe communities by ensuring the safety of what we eat, breathe, touch, and drink.
Statewide activities focus on prevention, preparedness, and education through routine monitoring, outreach, surveillance, and sampling of facilities and other environments that may contribute to injuries and the occurrence or transmission of disease
Florida’s Water Quality
Protecting Florida Together map delivers statewide water quality information for blue-green algae and red tide (harmful algal blooms). You can sign-up to receive notifications when water quality changes in your area.
Specific examples of how DOH-Sarasota’s Environmental Public Health division protects health in the community include:
- Inspecting and licensing facilities
- Monitoring and/or improving environmental hazards, both biological (like red tide or bacteria in water) and chemical (like pollution)
- Promoting healthy living spaces
Questions? Contact the Sarasota Environmental Health Office or the Venice Environmental Health Office.