Overview
Environmental health practitioners (EHPs) are dedicated to protecting public health by monitoring and recommending solutions to reduce pollution levels.
EHPs use specialized equipment to measure the levels of contaminants in air, water, and soil, as well as noise and radiation levels. Some also design solutions to reduce pollutants or assist in clean-up and remediation efforts.
EHPs can be generalists or become specialized in a specific area:
- Air quality experts work indoors, monitoring allergens, mold, and toxins in the air, as well as outdoors, measuring the pollutants generated by businesses, vehicles and agricultural operations.
- Soil specialists focus on risk assessment and reclamation of land contaminated by manufacturing processes, farming, garbage and other hazardous waste.
- Hazardous and solid waste professionals look for ways to minimize waste production, safely move and dispose of waste and, when necessary, expedite clean up of spilled waste.
- Noise abatement specialists protect our quality of life and our hearing by enforcing limits on ambient noise from vehicles, airports, construction and industrial sites, music venues, and even the barking dog next door.
- Radiological assessors monitor radiation levels from power plants, medical and other x-ray equipment and natural sources.
You can download, save and print a PDF of this career profile:
Environmental Health Practitioner 14 May 2008 [pdf, 161 KB]
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Salary:
$45,000
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$113,000
[*]
Years in school:
4
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6
after high school graduation
Job outlook:
Very Good
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