Sanitation

Sanitation, field of public health dealing with environmental control and the prevention and control of disease. In the United States, government agencies establish and enforce laws that promote a healthful environment.

Sanitation activities include food processing and distribution, to prevent contamination of food products through various stages of handling; water and sewage treatment, to treat bacteria, viruses, etc. in water and to remove solid wastes and harmful chemicals from sewage that would contaminate the lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water (and their inhabitants) that receive it; solid waste disposal, also known as refuse disposal, to prevent environmental damage and the fostering of disease; and measures to control air pollution, rodents, and noise.