Risk management: The relations between environment risk factors and the impact on the public health of the rural zone in Brazil

In the environmental health field it has been used a methodological strategy named risk management, which has contributed to a better understanding concerning the environment risk factors and its impact on health (COLE et al., 1995; EYLES et al., 1999; EDULJEE et al., 2000; TAKAYANAGUY, 2004). According to the Canadian Standard Association, the risk is present in all human activity and may be related to health, security and economy or affect the environmental conditions. Risk is defined as “a combination of frequency and probability of occurrence with the consequence of an event of specific danger” (NATIONAL STANDARD OF CANADA, 1997a). Over all, this approach involves some steps which must include, at least, the identification of the risk; his estimate and evaluation; perception of the risk; and communication of it (NATIONAL, 1991; COLE, 1995; TAKAYANAGUI, 2004). In the research, the intention is to use the methodological strategy of risk management, related to the environmental condition with the impacts on human health, taking from basis a rural community from the country side of Minas Gerais – Brazil. This study, of descriptive exploratory character, utilizes a qualitative method that refers to the population perception on the consumed water quality, through semi-structured interviews with 19 subjects, correspondents to 01 adult per residence, representative of 33% of total local population selected for the study. The preliminary results have shown the importance of the water treatment for the human use, according to both national and international legislations, which establish the procedures and responsibilities towards the control and vigilance of the water quality for human use and its potable pattern.

 Key-words: Risk perception, Water quality, Environmental sanitation, Health promotion and Environmental health.