EHSC7010 Exam #4

Energy

Essential for wellbeing, health, and comfort; used for food preparation, heating, travel, and production of goods.

Primary Energy Sources

Directly gathered fuels such as fossil fuels and biomass.

Secondary Energy Sources

Generated carriers like electricity, produced from fossil fuels, nuclear reactions, or hydropower.

Fuel Cycle

The stages of gathering, producing, transmitting, and consuming energy.

Energy Ladder

Concept that as prosperity increases, societies substitute cleaner and more efficient fuels for polluting ones.

Carbon Cycle

Exchange of carbon between reservoirs (rocks, ocean, atmosphere, plants, soil, fossil fuels).

Fast Carbon Cycle

Movement of carbon through living organisms (plants, phytoplankton) over short timescales.

Slow Carbon Cycle

Movement of carbon between rocks, soil, ocean, and atmosphere over millions of years.

Carbon Thermostat

Natural regulation of Earth’s temperature via carbon gases in the atmosphere.

Milankovitch Cycles

Long-term variations in Earth’s orbit that drive ice age–interglacial cycles.

Volcanoes

Emit 130–380 million metric tons of CO₂ annually, influencing the carbon cycle.

Life Cycle Analysis (Energy)

Evaluation of health effects across all stages of energy production and use.

Solid Fuel Use

Household reliance on biomass, coal, or dung; linked to indoor air pollution and health risks.

Particulate Matter (PM)

Fine particles from combustion; highest levels from dung, charcoal, and wood burning.

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)

Classifies household coal combustion as carcinogenic, biofuel combustion as probably carcinogenic.

Global Burden of Disease (2010)

Household air pollution from solid fuels caused 3.5 million deaths annually.

Coal

Combustible sedimentary rock, major fossil fuel; contributes ~40% of CO₂ emissions.

Coal Combustion Waste

By-products like fly ash and bottom ash containing heavy metals and radioactivity.

Dublin Coal Ban (1990)

Policy banning bituminous coal, leading to reduced air pollution and mortality.

Petroleum

Liquid hydrocarbons; 85% used as fuel (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel); ~⅓ of global energy consumption.

Natural Gas

Fossil fuel extracted via drilling and fracking; considered a “bridge” energy source with lower CO₂ emissions than coal.

Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking)

High-pressure injection of water, sand, and chemicals into rock formations to release natural gas.

Methane

Potent greenhouse gas; combustion produces less CO₂ than coal but leaks worsen climate impact.

Nuclear Energy

Carbon-free but controversial energy source; risks include radiation exposure and waste storage.

Radioactive Waste

By-products of uranium fission with long half-lives (e.g., Cesium-137, Strontium-90, Plutonium-239).

Renewable Energy

Sources like solar, wind, hydro, and biofuels; smaller carbon footprint but not impact-free.

Photovoltaic (PV) Cells

Solar technology that directly converts sunlight into electricity.

Biofuels

Energy from recently formed biomass; includes ethanol and biodiesel.

Hydroelectric Power

Electricity generated by falling or flowing water; ~16% of global supply.

Wind Energy

Renewable source with minimal emissions; concerns include sound pollution.

Greenhouse Effect

Heat-trapping process where gases absorb and emit radiation, warming Earth’s atmosphere.

Keeling Curve

Daily record of atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, showing steady increases.

Urban Heat Island

Phenomenon where cities are hotter due to heat retention and stagnant air masses.

Extreme Precipitation Events

Linked to floods, landslides, and waterborne disease outbreaks.

Vector-Borne Disease

Illnesses spread by organisms like ticks and mosquitoes; climate change expands their range.

Mitigation (Climate Change)

Efforts to slow, stabilize, or reverse climate change by reducing emissions.

Adaptation (Climate Change)

Preparing for and managing health outcomes of climate change.

Environmental Justice

Movement addressing disproportionate environmental burdens on poor and minority communities.

Social Vulnerability

Recognition that social factors (income, health access, language) influence resilience to environmental hazards.

Environmental Health Policy

Policies that affect the relationship between health and environment, including standards and regulations.

Ambient Standards

Limits on concentrations of harmful agents in air, water, or soil.

Emission Standards

Limits on pollution discharges from sources.

Technology Standards

Requirements for specific engineering designs to reduce pollution.

Product Standards

Rules on permissible material content in items.

Work Practice Standards

Procedures to limit releases or reduce exposure.

Exposure Standards

Measures of individual contamination levels using dosimeters.

Disaster Management

Framework to minimize losses, provide assistance, and enable recovery from disasters.

Complex Emergency

Disasters involving war, terrorism, or bioterrorism.

FEMA National Risk Index

Tool assessing hazard, vulnerability, and risk trends in disasters.

Animal-assisted therapy

Use of animals in therapeutic settings to improve physical, emotional, and social health outcomes.

Attention restoration

Psychological theory that exposure to nature restores cognitive function and reduces mental fatigue.

Bean v. Southwestern Waste and Warren County

Landmark environmental justice cases highlighting disproportionate siting of hazardous waste facilities in minority communities.

Building codes and disasters

Regulations that set construction standards to reduce vulnerability and damage during disasters.

Citizen lawsuit provisions

Legal mechanisms allowing individuals or groups to sue for enforcement of environmental laws.

Climate change

Long-term shifts in temperature, precipitation, and weather patterns, largely driven by human activity.

Climate mitigation

Actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or enhance carbon sequestration to slow climate change.

Climate synergies (co-benefits)

Positive outcomes where climate mitigation also improves public health (e.g., cleaner air).

CO₂ effects on ragweed allergens

Elevated CO₂ increases ragweed pollen production, worsening allergic responses.

Coal combustion

Burning coal for energy; major source of CO₂ emissions and air pollutants.

Coal combustion byproducts

Waste materials like fly ash and bottom ash containing heavy metals and radioactive elements.

Coal lifecycle

Stages from mining to combustion, each with occupational, environmental, and health risks.

Conformity in risk perception

Tendency for individuals to align their risk judgments with social group norms.

Disaster trends (deaths, events, populations)

Global data showing fewer deaths but more disasters and more people affected.

Dose-response assessment

Step in risk assessment evaluating how exposure level relates to health outcomes.

Environmental justice

Movement addressing disproportionate environmental burdens on poor and minority communities.

Executive branch primary policy role

Implements and enforces environmental health policy through agencies and regulations.

Exposure assessment

Measurement of the magnitude, frequency, and duration of human exposure to hazards.

Flint water crisis

Public health disaster where lead-contaminated water disproportionately harmed vulnerable populations.

Four domains of nature contact

Access to nature via direct contact, indirect exposure, symbolic representation, and technological mediation.

Great Chinese famine cause

Result of the Great Sparrow Campaign, which disrupted ecosystems and led to locust infestations.

Hazard vs. vulnerability in disaster risk

Hazard is the potential threat; vulnerability is the susceptibility of populations to harm.

Heat waves

Extended periods of extreme heat linked to increased mortality, especially among vulnerable groups.

Herbicide effectiveness

Reduced efficacy under elevated CO₂ levels, particularly for foliar-applied herbicides.

Household solid fuels

Biomass, coal, or dung used for cooking

Hydraulic fracturing (fracking)

Technique using high-pressure fluid injection to extract natural gas; risks include water contamination and earthquakes.

IARC classifies household coal as “carcinogenic to humans”

International Agency for Research on Cancer designation based on evidence of cancer risk.

Life cycle analysis

Comprehensive evaluation of environmental and health impacts across all stages of a product or process.

Linear no-threshold (LNT) model

Radiation risk model assuming any dose, no matter how small, increases cancer risk.

Lyme disease and climate change

Warming expands tick habitats, increasing Lyme disease incidence and transmission season length.

Most important factor in risk perception

Trust in institutions and communicators strongly shapes how risks are perceived.

Multiple and cumulative effects

Disadvantaged communities face overlapping exposures that compound health risks.

Natural gas fracking

Extraction of natural gas via hydraulic fracturing; considered a “bridge fuel” with lower CO₂ emissions than coal.

Negative dominance model

Risk communication principle that negative information outweighs positive reassurance in public perception.

Nuclear energy

Carbon-free energy source with risks of radiation exposure, waste storage, and accidents.

Older adults and heat

Population group at higher risk of heat-related illness and mortality due to chronic conditions.

Oroville dam disaster

2017 spillway failure in California highlighting infrastructure vulnerability and costly reconstruction.

Orthophosphate

Chemical additive used to prevent lead leaching in water systems.

Precautionary principle

Policy approach advocating preventive action in the face of scientific uncertainty.

Primary prevention for floods

Measures to prevent flood-related injury or illness, such as levees and zoning laws.

Public health rationale for urban green spaces

Nature exposure improves mental health, reduces heat, and promotes physical activity.

Risk assessment

Systematic process of identifying hazards, assessing exposure, and estimating health risks.

Risk characterization

Integration of hazard, dose-response, and exposure data to describe overall risk.

Risk management

Decision-making process to reduce or control risks through policies and interventions.

Robert Bullard’s research

Foundational work in environmental justice documenting disproportionate pollution burdens on minority communities.

Silicosis

Occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust.

Solar PV production

Manufacturing of photovoltaic cells; silica mining linked to silicosis risk.

Urban heat islands

Cities experience higher temperatures due to heat retention, increasing health risks during heat waves.