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 specialistsfocus 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 specialistsprotect 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]

Working Conditions

EHPs typically work a standard 37-40 hour week, although overtime and weekend work may be required, particularly if the EHP assists with emergency response activities.

While much of the work is done at a desk, analyzing data and writing reports, most EHPs also spend a great deal of time in the field, inspecting sites and taking samples. EHPs use highly sensitive, and sometimes heavy, equipment to measure contaminant levels. They may be required to wear or carry this equipment for extended periods, don protective gear and work under less-than-sanitary conditions.

EHPs work for local, state and federal government agencies, consulting firms and industry. If they work for a regulatory agency, they can be perceived as “environmental police,” intruding on business operations, issuing citations and even forcing temporary shutdowns.

EHPs who work as consultants may focus on a specific geographic region or business area, assessing whether certain pieces of land are safe to build houses on, for example. Consultants and EHPs directly hired by companies may travel to various industrial sites to keep manufacturing operations in compliance with environmental laws.

Other EHPs serve on broad – even international – emergency planning and response teams, developing rapid-response strategies and racing to sites to speed clean-up efforts following natural and man-made disasters.