Living in the Environment 17.1 - What Major Health Hazards Do We Face?

Risk

the probability of suffering harm from a hazard that can cause injury, disease, death, economic loss, or damage.

Probability

possibility establishes that there is a chance of an event occurring, ________ is the likelihood that this event will occur.

possibility

________ establishes that there is a chance of an event occurring, probability is the likelihood that this event will occur.

Cultural hazards

unsafe working conditions, unsafe highways, criminal assault, and poverty.

Lifestyle choices

smoking, eating too much, drinking too much alcohol, and having unsafe sex.

Biological hazards

result from more than 1, \\400 pathogens that can infect humans.

Risk Assessment

using scientific methods to estimate how much harm a particular hazard can cause to human health or to the environment.

Risk Management

deciding whether or how to reduce a particular risk to a certain level and at what cost

Biological hazards

result from more than 1,400 pathogens that can infect humans

Pathogen

a living organism that can cause disease in another organism

Chemical hazards

harmful chemicals in air, water, soil, and food

Physical hazards

fire, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, and storms

Cultural hazards

unsafe working conditions, unsafe highways, criminal assault, and poverty

Lifestyle choices

smoking, eating too much, drinking too much alcohol, and having unsafe sex