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 Health Resources
- Online Fee Payment and Permits
- Review Inspections
- Report Food or Waterborne Illness
- Report Unsafe/Unsanitary Restaurant, Caterer, or Mobile Food Unit
- Report Indoor Air Quality Complaints (apartment, condominium, or hotel)
- Report Mosquito Issue
- Mosquito Prevention
- Local Fee Schedule
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention
Samir M. Elmir, PhD, PE, BCEE, CEHP
Division Director, Environmental Public Health and Engineering
Dr. Elmir has served for 35 years within the Florida Department of Health in Miami Dade County, the largest county health department in Florida. He has served as the principle environmental public health communicator, communicating health risk assessments associated with drinking water wells potentially linked to failing septic tank systems, key contributor to Miami Dade County Government’s report “Vulnerability of Septic Systems to Sea Level Rise Directive Number 162242” blue-green algae and red tide blooms affecting surface water bodies including canals and Biscayne Bay, beach advisories, boil/bottled water orders, mosquito-borne disease advisories, etc.
Dr. Elmir has provided lectures focused on public health risk communications principles and practices.
He has maintained an active research program focused on the evaluation and management of all potential point and non-point sources impacting the microbial water quality in recreational waters located in tropical and subtropical environments.
Dr. Elmir has been a principal author and co-author in tens of peer-reviewed publications on the theme of microbial contamination of tropical waters. He has been a licensed professional engineer in Florida since 1993, certified diplomat with the American Academy of Environmental Engineers, certified in water and wastewater system designs and operations, and is a graduate of the 2006- 2007 Class of the Florida Engineering Leadership Institute.