Environmental and Public Health Problems

Environmental and Public Health Problems

By Helen Skilbred

                    One of the factors that led to the fall of the the Roman Empire was environmental and public health problems. In Rome, there were many sanitation issues. For example, many wealthy people died from too much lead intake. This is because only they could afford to have water brought to them through lead pipes. The toxins in the lead killed many of them. Also, pieces of the citizens' utensils(also made out of lead) got into their food and gave them food poisoning. Over long periods of this happening, citizens began to die. In addition, the cities of Rome were very unclean. People could catch diseases very easily. Because of the horrible living spaces, disease would spread like wildfire and wipe out many people at a time.

                    Another health issue was alcohol abuse. Many people may have died from bad livers. Rome became a very unhealthy place to live. This, in part, caused the Roman Empire to fall.