Perhaps you have heard the saying, “if you can measure it, you can manage it.” Though this management adage applies to a variety of situations, it presents a particularly important principle within an environment and health context. Environmental impacts and determinants of health are frequently silent, pervasive and often invisible, paricularly in underserved regions. Developing and implementing innovative surveillance tools and systems to detect chemical, biological, and physical threats remain necessary to protect public health and the environment. In fact, monitoring the environment and health represents one of the 10 essential services of environmental public health (www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/10-essential-services/index.html). Information on potential impacts from environmental measurements and monitoring activities can be unwelcome and inconvenient. I recall the only time when I was cursed out by another professional (well, at least that I am aware of ...). Our team previously performed a multiyear study of a number of urbanizing watersheds and reservoirs, specifically examining water quality dynamics of urban river–reservoir interfaces. Because the project was federally funded and data collection followed appropriate QA/QC expectations, aquatic chemistry data sets from each of the study systems were included in a regulatory repository of surface water quality monitoring data. In the United States, as required by the Clean Water Act, such information informs routine evaluations of surface water conditions. It further supports determinations of impaired water bodies, which are placed on a 303(d) list for potential watershed management in the future (www.epa.gov/tmdl). After the study concluded, one of the systems that our team examined was placed on a 303(d) list. This determination was based on data we collected and reported. After some time had passed, a profanity-laced phone call was unexpectedly directed at yours truly, as project Principal Investigator, by a water manager who was responsible for monitoring this impaired system, which is designated to provide potable source water, and recreational, agricultural, and aquatic life uses. Information from environmental measurements and monitoring activities can also be ignored and disincentivized. The water manager in the story above “got in trouble” with their supervisors because this water body was identified as impaired. Further, the water manager indicated that they had not been frequently monitoring this water body for specific aquatic chemistry parameters because they knew there was an issue and were actively trying to avoid the regulatory determination for a 303(d) listing. Such deliberate practices are, unfortunately, not limited to this scenario. Perhaps you have heard colleagues refer to a specific city, county, region, country, or business that employs the “ostrich syndrome” as an intentional tactic to avoid hearing “bad news” and thus having to perform subsequent environmental management interventions. Because questionable and unethical practices are not universally preventable, surveillance systems remain critical for robust implementation and enforcement efforts intended to protect public health and the environment. Reliance on environmental monitoring activities as an essential service is particularly highlighted when major disruptions occur. It is during and after chemical spills, technological failures, wildfires, hurricanes, or, as we are acutely appreciating now, global pandemics when surveillance systems are profoundly important. Such efforts support immediate management decisions and inform workforce, technology, and systems improvements to minimize impacts of current and future disruptions and disasters. Recent manuscripts in Environmental Science& Technology Letters (ES&T Letters), for example, identify impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on environmental quality and resource consumption and report innovative approaches to measure, monitor, and manage the environment and health in the face of this predictable challenge. These timely contributions are critically important. It is necessary to recognize that the delivery of essential environmental monitoring activities can be disrupted by major events. Herein, it appears clear that we should be asking a number of questions, including those below.

• How is COVID-19 impacting existing environment and health surveillance systems?
• Where are environmental monitoring activities disrupted, when resources have been shifted elsewhere to combat the pandemic?
• What are the resulting implications for public health and the environment?
• Are specific communities, subpopulations, or ecosystems disproportionately being affected?
• How can we develop and adapt innovative technologies to identify problems, address inefficiencies, and prioritize delivery of interventions, especially for vulnerable populations, species, and ecosystems?

How is COVID-19 impacting existing environment and health surveillance systems? Where are environmental monitoring activities disrupted, when resources have been shifted elsewhere to combat the pandemic? What are the resulting implications for public health and the environment? Are specific communities, subpopulations, or ecosystems disproportionately being affected? How can we develop and adapt innovative technologies to identify problems, address inefficiencies, and prioritize delivery of interventions, especially for vulnerable populations, species, and ecosystems? In the age of COVID-19, there have been diverse conversions and perceptions of the term "essential" and the concept of "essential workers." Within complex traditional and contemporary issues, including challenges currently illuminated by a global pandemic, we must continue to ask robust environmental science and technology questions with systems-based perspectives. Furthermore, environmental science, engineering and health professionals delivering such essential environmental measurements and monitoring activities must be considered and supported as essential workers. ES&T Letters has provided a unique venue for rapid communication of urgent reports focusing on environmental measurement and monitoring, among other topics relevant to environmental science and technology. The journal does not communicate routine reports on well-worn subjects of less urgent importance but routinely facilitates dissemination of timely methodological applications, exposure pathways, and technological advancements that can support more sustainable environmental management activities around the world. ES&T Letters will continue to do so because surveillance tools, systems, and the professionals who deliver these services are essential to understand and manage the complex and fast moving interfaces of environment and health. Views expressed in this editorial are those of the author and not necessarily the views of the ACS. This article has not yet been cited by other publications.

中文翻译：

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测量和监视：管理环境和健康必不可少的

也许您听过这样的说法：“如果可以对其进行衡量，就可以对其进行管理。” 尽管这种管理格言适用于各种情况，但它在环境和健康环境中却提出了特别重要的原则。环境影响和健康决定因素通常是沉默的，普遍存在的，并且通常是看不见的，尤其是在服务不足的地区。开发和实施创新的监视工具和系统以检测化学，生物和物理威胁对于保护公众健康和环境仍然是必要的。实际上，监测环境与健康是环境公共卫生的十项基本服务之一（www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/10-essential-services/index.html）。来自环境测量和监视活动的潜在影响的信息可能不受欢迎且不方便。我还记得唯一一次被其他专业人士诅咒的情况（嗯，至少我知道...）。我们的团队此前对许多城市化流域和水库进行了多年研究，特别研究了城市河流-水库界面的水质动态。由于该项目是由联邦政府资助的，并且数据收集遵循了适当的QA / QC要求，因此，来自每个研究系统的水生化学数据集都包含在地表水质量监测数据的监管资料库中。在美国，根据《清洁水法》的要求，此类信息可对地表水状况进行常规评估。它还支持确定受损的水体，将其放在303（d）清单中，以便将来进行潜在的流域管理（www.epa.gov/tmdl）。研究结束后，我们小组研究的系统之一被列入303（d）清单。该确定基于我们收集和报告的数据。经过一段时间后，作为项目负责人，意外地将一个亵渎性的电话真正地打给了您，作为项目负责人，水经理负责监控这个受损的系统，该系统专门用于提供饮用水，娱乐性，农业用，以及水生生物的用途。来自环境测量和监测活动的信息也可以忽略和消除。上面故事中的水管理者与他们的主管“陷入困境”，因为该水体被确定为受损的。进一步，水管理者表示，他们并未经常监视该水体的特定水生化学参数，因为他们知道有问题，并正在积极尝试避免针对303（d）清单的监管决定。不幸的是，这种有意的做法不限于这种情况。也许您听说过同事提到某个特定的城市，县，地区，国家或企业，而该企业使用“鸵鸟综合症”作为一种有目的的策略，以避免听到“坏消息”，从而不得不执行后续的环境管理干预措施。由于可疑和不道德的做法并非普遍可以预防，因此监视系统对于旨在保护公共卫生和环境的强有力的实施和执法工作仍然至关重要。当发生重大干扰时，尤其要强调将环境监测活动作为一项基本服务。它是在化学品泄漏，技术故障，野火，飓风或我们目前急切要意识到的全球流行病期间和之后，而监视系统极为重要。这些努力可支持立即的管理决策，并为员工，技术和系统的改进提供信息，以最大程度地减少当前和未来的中断和灾难的影响。最近的手稿 这些工作可支持立即的管理决策，并为员工，技术和系统的改进提供信息，以最大程度地减少当前和将来的中断和灾难的影响。最近的手稿 这些努力可支持立即的管理决策，并为员工，技术和系统的改进提供信息，以最大程度地减少当前和未来的中断和灾难的影响。最近的手稿例如，《环境科学与技术快报》（ES＆T Letters）确定了COVID-19大流行对环境质量和资源消耗的影响，并在面对这一可预见的挑战时报告了测量，监测和管理环境与健康的创新方法。这些及时的贡献至关重要。有必要认识到，重大事件可能会干扰基本环境监控活动的交付。在这里，显然我们应该提出许多问题，包括以下问题。

• COVID-19如何影响现有的环境和健康监控系统？
• 当将资源转移到其他地方以对抗大流行时，环境监测活动在哪里受到干扰？
• 对公共卫生和环境有何影响？
• 特定的社区，亚种群或生态系统是否受到不成比例的影响？
• 我们如何开发和调整创新技术来发现问题，解决低效率问题并优先提供干预措施，尤其是针对脆弱人群，物种和生态系统？

COVID-19如何影响现有的环境和健康监控系统？当将资源转移到其他地方以对抗大流行时，环境监测活动在哪里受到干扰？对公共卫生和环境有何影响？特定的社区，亚种群或生态系统是否受到不成比例的影响？我们如何开发和调整创新技术来发现问题，解决低效率问题并优先提供干预措施，尤其是针对脆弱人群，物种和生态系统？在COVID-19时代，人们对​​“基本”一词和“基本工人”的概念进行了多种转换和理解。在复杂的传统和当代问题中，包括当前由全球大流行引起的挑战，我们必须继续以基于系统的角度提出强有力的环境科学和技术问题。此外，必须考虑并支持从事此类基本环境测量和监测活动的环境科学，工程和卫生专业人员。ES ＆T Letters提供了一个独特的场所，可以快速交流着重于环境测量和监测以及有关环境科学与技术的紧急报告。该杂志不会传达不太重要的陈旧主题的例行报告，而是例行促进及时发布方法学应用，暴露途径和技术进步，以支持世界范围内更可持续的环境管理活动。ES ＆T信件之所以会继续这样做，是因为监视工具，系统以及提供这些服务的专业人员对于理解和管理环境与健康之间复杂且快速变化的界面至关重要。本社论中表达的观点只是作者的观点，不一定是ACS的观点。本文尚未被其他出版物引用。