Final answer:
The question addresses the Environmental Biology topic at the college level, focusing on the impact of environmental contamination on human health and ecology, and relates to historical practices and modern concerns of disease spread and public health.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question hints at a historical practice of warfare and public health issues but primarily focuses on the environmental and health impacts of contaminated food sources, which is a subject matter of Environmental Biology. The references to contaminated fish, toxic chemicals in foods and medicines, urban pollution, and the transportation of disease relate to the consequences of industrialization and lack of regulation on human health and ecosystems.
This links directly to the field of Environmental Biology, where one studies the interactions between living organisms and their environment, the impact of human activities on these systems, and public health concerns derived from environmental contamination. For instance, industrial discharge causing high mercury levels in fish led to significant health crises in many fishing communities. Issues such as the spread of plague through unsanitary conditions and unregulated medicines illustrate the historical context of environmental health problems. Modern challenges include the transportation of diseases and invasive species through global trade networks.