It's a New Day in Public Health.
The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.
Environmental Public Health Tracking Network
Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County
- 904-506-6081
- StJohnsFeedback@FLhealth.gov
-
Fax
904-825-6875 -
Mailing Address
200 San Sebastian View
St. Augustine, FL 32084
Florida's Environmental Public Health Tracking
Information by Location: The places where you live, work, and play may affect your health. View data for St. Johns County or enter a zip code.
Florida Tracking Program: Offers Florida-specific data, accomplishments, local resources, and tools.
National Environmental Public Health Tracking
The National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network is a system of integrated health, exposure, and hazard information and data from a variety of national, state, and city sources.
National Tracking Program: Preventing Mercury Exposure in Florida
On the network, you can use the Data Explorer to view interactive maps, tables, and charts with data about:
Acute Toxic Substance Releases
The potential for toxic substance exposure surrounds us at home, work, and school. About 15,000 acute accidental or illegal releases of toxic substances occur in the United States every year.
National air quality has improved since the 1990s, but many challenges remain in protecting public health and the environment from air quality problems. Air pollution in the United States poses a public health threat affecting potentially millions of people throughout the country. It is associated with health problems that include asthma, increased emergency department visits and hospital stays for breathing and heart problems and increases in illnesses such as pneumonia and bronchitis.
Asthma is one of the most common long-term diseases of children, but adults can have asthma, too. Asthma attacks can happen when you are exposed to asthma triggers. It is not known all the things that can cause asthma, but genetic, environmental, and occupational factors have been linked to developing asthma.
Biomonitoring determines which environmental chemicals people have been exposed to by measuring how much of those chemicals actually get into people’s bodies. Most biomonitoring involves measuring the amount of a chemical or its breakdown product (metabolite) that is in a small sample of a person’s blood or urine. The amount of the chemical or metabolite in the blood or urine depends on the amount of the chemical that has entered the body.
Birth defects are common, costly, and critical conditions that affect 1 in every 33 babies born in the United States each year. Birth defects are the leading cause of infant mortality, accounting for 20% of all infant deaths. Most birth defects are thought to be caused by a complex mix of genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors.
Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. Cancer is a leading cause of chronic illness and death in United States. The cause of many cancer types is unknown and likely determined by many factors, such as lifestyle choices, genetics, and exposure to radiation, chemicals, and environmental pollutants.
Although carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning can be prevented, every year, hundreds of people in the United States die as a result of accidental, non-fire related exposure to this toxic gas.
Childhood lead poisoning is preventable. In the United States, the major source of lead exposure among children is lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust found in buildings built before 1978. No safe level of lead exposure has been identified.
The environment affects children differently than adults. Because their bodies are still growing, children are at greater risk if they are exposed to environmental contaminants.
Respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are among the nation’s most common and costly chronic conditions. People with COPD are more vulnerable to the effects of air pollution, and at lower levels than people without COPD.
Community Characteristics
Community characteristics can include information about an area’s natural features, such as how much land is covered by forests or water, and its human-made features from types of housing and roads to locations of hospitals, schools, or other public service buildings.
Public health problems in the United States, such as motor vehicle-related injuries, obesity, physical inactivity, and breathing and heart problems related to air pollution are all influenced by the design of our communities. Designing communities that encourage healthy choices is critical to improving the health and quality of life of community members.
In the United States, about 1 in 6 children have a developmental disability. Developmental disabilities are a diverse group of severe chronic conditions that are due to mental and/or physical impairments. The specific cause of most developmental disabilities is unknown, and may result from an interaction between genetic, environmental, and social factors.
About 90% of people in the United States get their water from a community water system. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets regulations for treating and monitoring drinking water delivered by community water systems. Drinking water protection programs at the state and national levels play a critical role in ensuring high-quality drinking water and in protecting the public’s health.
Data on drought duration and severity in the United States can be used to better understand the connection between drought, other environmental conditions, and health effects. Although many factors influence how drought will affect a community, drought trend data and other related indicators can be used to prepare for and prevent potential health risks.
Looking at data in different resolutions can help us better understand the connections between health and the places where we live, work, and play. Resolution is the detail with which a map depicts the location and shape of geographic features, boundaries, and areas.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, causing about 1 in 4 deaths. Several factors can be involved in the increased risk for heart disease. These factors can include health conditions, lifestyle risk factors, genetic and family history, and environment.
A stroke (or brain attack) involves brain damage from a blood vessel in the brain bursting or the occurrence of a blood supply blockage affecting a portion of the brain. Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States.
Hormones are chemical messengers that are secreted by glands and regulate many functions as part of the endocrine system in the body. Hormone disorders occur when a gland produces too much or too little of a hormone. Hormone disorders can be caused by many things, including being exposed to certain chemicals in the environment.
Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. When examining chronic diseases and their potential connection to the environment, it is important to consider lifestyle risk factors that could play a role in their development. Four personal behaviors that can affect chronic diseases are: lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol use.
People are exposed to low levels of pesticides every day in a variety of places—at home, at school, or at work. The health risks from pesticide exposure depend on how dangerous the pesticide is, the amount a person is exposed to, how long the exposure lasts, and the route of exposure.
Populations and Vulnerabilities
Certain factors, like sex, age, or income can influence an individual’s health, risk for certain diseases, and risk for being seriously affected by public health emergencies. The same is true for population groups.
Floods are one of the deadliest of all weather-related hazards in the United States.
Data can be used to prepare for and respond to natural disasters or other public health emergencies.
Tracking radon data in a standard way over time can help us identify areas that need more testing to provide a more accurate estimate of radon exposure in that locale. Every home should be tested for radon so the individuals living there can see if their home has elevated radon levels and take steps to reduce it, if needed.
Reproductive and Birth Outcomes
More than three million healthy babies are born annually in the United States. While most women have a normal term pregnancy and deliver a normal infant, a safe and healthy pregnancy is not experienced by all women. Certain genetic, behavioral, social and environmental factors can affect the parents’ ability to conceive, carry, and deliver a healthy, full-term baby.
Tracking sunlight and UV exposures in a standard way can help us identify regions of high exposure and to track trends over time.
Transportation choices can shape community health by affecting the air quality, traffic safety, and the physical and mental health of its residents.
Extremely hot weather can make you sick. As temperatures rise across the United States, it's important to stay safe and informed.
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