Environmental health concerns how:

• A. The genetic basis of diseases
• B. The distribution of healthcare resources across populations
• C. How environmental factors affect health, including air and water hazards
• D. The economic cost of environmental regulations

Answer: (C)

Environmental health focuses on how the surroundings we live in influence health outcomes. It considers how air and water pollutants, hazardous waste, chemicals, pathogens, and other environmental exposures enter our bodies, the ways we encounter them (inhalation, ingestion, skin contact), and how the intensity and duration of exposure shape risk. It also recognizes that certain groups—like children, the elderly, and people with limited means—may be more vulnerable. This explains why the best choice states that environmental factors affect health, including air and water hazards. Other options describe genetics, the distribution of healthcare resources, or the economic costs of regulations, which are not the primary focus of environmental health.