In the present pandemic scenario, discussion regarding public health can be uncomfortable ones to have. After having survived a year of the coronavirus pandemic, the phenomenon itself, and the lingo surrounding it appear more like buzzwords. The pandemic has thrown the media out of whack for a year now, with no definitive conclusion to look forward to in the near future. 

Also, public health is a hot topic of discussion amongst politicians and governmental authorities on any day, let alone in an election year in the midst of an international pandemic. All of this has the outcome in a majority of the populace holding the belief that public health is strictly in reference to governmental health initiatives. The reality is that public health is in reference to everything in our immediate environment, societies, and population that presents a threat to the wellbeing of the general public. 

Climate change has been worsening and as a result, the wellbeing of our home has taken top priority in the collective consciousness, and as an outcome, environmental public health is a more pressing concern than ever before. From managing longer-term challenges, such as safeguarding natural resources, to more pressing issues, like disaster management, environmental public health “concentrates on safeguarding groups of people from threats to their wellbeing and safety presented by their environments” according to the Centres For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

Data Science abilities have a vital part to play in assisting environmentalists model various statistics and data together to predict upcoming environmental challenges. 

In this blog by AICoreSpot, we will be looking at the top five environment public health occupations where data science skill holds relevance. 

1. Epidemiologist 

Epidemiologists concentrate on investigating the source and spread of illness in human beings. They detect people and societies who are considerably at risk and work to manage or fully eradicate the spread. Further, they come up with ways to avert these illnesses from occurring in the first place by working in labs and hospitals and educating the society as a whole in addition to policymakers. Data management is critical for the epidemiologist, particularly experience in R-software and other data visualization strategies. 

1. Environmental specialist 

These experts are involved in regulating the containment and disposing of hazardous materials. They assist in developing regulations at the federal, state, and local levels and make sure that all waste is handled based on these regulations. These are the professionals who look into and interview any violations of the waste administration system. 

Consistent data analysis is a critical aspect of the environmental specialist’s job. Some of the vital data pieces that need subsequent analysis are air and water pollution information, tree ring information, temperature logs, etc. 

Environmental toxicologists 

Toxicologists analyse the impact of toxic chemicals. This is inclusive of how toxic chemicals are metabolized by an organism, how they influence the ecosystem as they go through, and all life-threatening and non-lethal impacts the chemicals have on specific species. A few environmental toxicologists may also execute testing on new chemicals prior to their release in the market, to make sure they will not have adverse impacts in human beings. 

Observing historical data is significant to trace the impact of toxic chemicals. Therefore, awareness of data science is useful for this occupation. 

Bioengineer 

Bioengineers can follow various disparate, yet incredibly valuable career pathways. Individuals who obtain a degree in Bioengineering can go on to become pharmaceutical engineers. These engineers develop effective and safe pharmaceuticals that can influence the lives of human beings for the better, and in the COVID-19 scenario, save millions of lives. These expert engineers produce, create, and evaluate medications for the treatment of a plethora of injuries, diseases, and viruses. 

Bioengineers can also research medical device engineering, which is related to the production of new medical devices such as prosthetics, artificial organs, and other innovative technologies. Yet another leading career option for bioengineering students is a medical scientist. They stimulate public health via a combo of medical science and bioengineering and can execute critical duties which includes carrying out research, clinical trials, and more. 

Bioengineering careers require awareness of data science. Big Data is critical to decode the human brain to promote an improved healthcare situation. 

Air Pollution Analyst 

These critical analysts gather and conduct analysis on data from polluted air. They track their data to the origin of the pollutants and work by developing possible strategies for minimizing or totally eradicating air pollution. Air pollution analysts hold human beings responsible and manage pollution emissions in order to maintain our atmosphere and retain the quality of the air that we breathe. 

Air pollution scientists are accountable to evaluate data from air pollution. Also, they collate various statistics to develop a comprehensive analysis. 

Health/environmental inspector 

Health inspectors typically stay on top of your local restaurants and eat outs to see if they are in compliance with health and safety regulations so they can ensure the safety of the public. As a matter of fact, environmental health inspectors investigate all enterprises, constructions, parks, waterways and other environments to make sure that they are in compliance with health and sanitation standards. They look for any possible health threats and come up with ways to rectify and prevent issues. Few may be accountable for inspection of food manufacturing plants, underground storage, or landfills. These inspectors also ensure food that has undergone mass production is in compliance with safety regulations. 

To get into the Environmental public health jobs, a bachelor’s degree is needed with adequate know-how on data science. This degree is not required to be particularly in environmental public health but could be around occupational health and safety, or a connected subject. This could be chemistry, biology, or even engineering. Based on the position, some openings may need a graduate degree like Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) or maybe even a doctoral degree. This field has technical and scientific depth to it, so obtaining a Master’s in Public Health is a wise choice when getting involved in this field. 

Conclusion 

Regardless of the stream of public health career that you opt for, data science is a vital aspect of every environmental job. Career prospects in the environmental public health domain are forecasted to appreciate owing to the ongoing escalating challenges put forth by climate change and other factors. Retaining a healthy environment is critical to enhancing the general longevity and quality of life and the know-how of data science is sure to assist in analysing historical data to influence improvements on the future.