Environmental Health Tracking

national_epht_program_logo

Environmental Public Health Tracking is the ongoing collection, integration, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of data from environmental monitoring and data from human exposure and health effects surveillance. The goal of EPHT is to protect communities by providing information to plan, apply and evaluate public health actions to prevent and control environmentally-related diseases.

The environment is important in human development and health. Researchers have linked exposures to some environmental hazards with specific diseases. For example, exposure to secondhand smoke has been linked to lung cancer and exposure to lead-based paint has been linked to decreased mental function in children. Other suspected links remain unproven. Tracking environmentally-related exposures and health effects may help to link hazards with illness.

National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 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. On CDC’s EPHT Network, you can view maps, tables and charts with data about:

  • chemicals and other substances found in the environment
  • some chronic diseases and conditions
  • the area where you live

CDC's EPHT Network integrates data about environmental hazards and exposures with data about diseases that are possibly linked to the environment. This system allows federal, state and local agencies and others to:

  • monitor and distribute information about environmental hazards and disease trends
  • advance research on possible linkages between environmental hazards and disease
  • develop, implement and evaluate regulatory and public health actions to prevent or control environment-related diseases.

EPHT has involved substantial collaboration between CDC and public health and environmental partners, including the Tennessee Department of Health.

Tennessee’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Website

Tennessee Department of Health EPHT website includes some data for asthma, carbon monoxide poisoning, cardiovascular disease, heat-related Illness, radons.  It is availble by clicking this button:

Additional resources