Eco Health Monitoring Model for Evaluating Pollution-Driven Wildlife Health Risks

Abstract

Pollution in the water, air, and soil typically does not occur in isolation and can occur in multiple environmental channels simultaneously, increasing the risk of health problems in wildlife species that are exposed to it. Most studies on the health of wildlife tend to focus on one medium, thus making it difficult for experts to understand the impact of simultaneous exposure through multiple environmental channels. The Eco Health Monitoring Model bridges this gap by bringing together information on contaminants movement, susceptibility of microorganisms and the health at the population level, and creating a single model for surveillance. The model applies the findings of the studies on the spread of resistance to antibiotics, pollution mitigation methods, degradation of soil, impact of air pollution on microorganisms, and agriculture techniques that contribute to the pollution of the environment, and predicts the areas where the cross-channel exposure to pollution causes the disease risk to increase. The model has not been used in practice in monitoring of wildlife so far but could provide a good basis for anticipating the locations where pollution has the most detrimental impact on the environment.