Environmental Public Health

A key component of public health, environmental public health focuses on preventing and controlling human diseases caused or impacted by our environment. Many aspects of our environment, both built (pools, sidewalk, and park access) and natural (water, air, soil, and food), can impact our health.

Environmental public health professionals work to prevent disease and create healthy environments that promote well-being, fostering healthy, and safe communities by ensuring the safety of what we eat, breathe, touch, and drink.

Statewide activities focus on prevention, preparedness, and education through routine monitoring, outreach, surveillance, and sampling of facilities and other environments that may contribute to injuries and the occurrence or transmission of disease

Florida Water Quality

Protecting Florida Together map delivers statewide water quality information for blue-green algae and red tide (harmful algal blooms). You can sign-up to receive notifications when water quality changes in your area.

Environmental Public Health (EPH) works to prevent diseases of environmental origin, focusing on prevention, preparedness, and education. EPH measures are implemented through routine monitoring, education, surveillance and sampling of facilities and conditions that may contribute to the occurrence or transmission of disease. Authority for this program stems from the Legislature through Chapter 381, Florida Statutes. More details about the EPH program areas are available by clicking on the topic in the left menu.

Florida Tracking Data

The  Florida Environmental Public Health Tracking has a dynamic Web portal that provides for the first time, health and environmental data in one easy to find location. The Tracking Network is a web-based query system that provides a “one-stop data shop” for health, environmental hazard, and exposure information. Available information on the Health Tracking website includes risks from environmental hazards such as poor outdoor air quality, chemicals in drinking water and hazardous waste sites adverse health effects from environmental hazards, such as asthma hospitalizations, heart attacks, selected birth defects, carbon monoxide poisoning and childhood lead poisoning.