Chapter 17: Environmental Hazards and Human Health

risk

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

WHO

World Health Organization, primary role is to direct international health within the United Nations' system and to lead partners in global health responses

risk assessment

the process of using statistical 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.

pathogens

organisms (or nonliving viruses) that can cause disease in another organism including- bacteria, parasites, protozoa, and fungi.

infectious disease

a disease caused when a pathogen invades the body and multiplies in its cells and tissues.

bacteria

single celled organisms that are found everywhere and can multiply rapidly on their own

viruses

nonliving, inject their genetic material into a cell forcing the cell to make more viruses, the viruses then take over more cells

transmissible disease (contagious)

an infectious disease that can be transmitted from one person to another.

nontransmissible disease

a disease caused by something other than a living organism and does not spread from person to person.

emergent disease

a disease that is newly discovered or was absent in human populations for at least 20 years.

three types of toxic agents

carcinogens, teratogens, and mutagens.

carcinogens

chemicals, types of radiation, or certain viruses that can cause or promote cancer.

toxic chemical

a elements or compounds that can cause temporary or permanent harm or death to humans and animals.

mutagens

chemicals or forms of radiation that cause or increase the frequency of mutations, or changes, in the DNA molecules found in cells.

mutations

change in the DNA in cells

teratogens

chemicals that harm or cause birth defects to a fetus or embryo, alcohol is an example

trace amounts

small but traceable levels of chemicals in the body or bodily fluids

bisphenol A (BPA)

a hardening agent in plastics that is linked to health and emotional problems in young people and adults

toxicology

the study of the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and other organisms. (the study of poisons)

toxicity

a measure of the harmfulness of a substance- its ability to cause injury, illness or death.

dose

the amount of a harmful chemical that a person has ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin at any one time.

multiple chemical sensitivity

people who are sensitive to a number of toxins

persistence

resistance to being broken down

acute

immediate and rapid harm, a consequence of an exposure to a harmful substance

chronic

permanent long lasting consequence of an exposure to a harmful substance

response

the damage to health resulting from exposure to a chemical

dose-response curve

the plotting of the effects of various doses of a chemcial on a test animal.

lethal dose (LD)

the dose that will kill the organism

median lethal dose (LD50)

the dose that can kill 50% of the animals in a test population, usually expressed in milligrams of chemical per kilogram of body weight

control group

group of people not exposed to the agent

epidemiology

a field of study that focuses on the health of people exposed to chemicals or pathogens, and how the disease has spread through a population

REACH

regulations that require the registration of 30,000 untested, unregulated, and potentially harmful chemicals, requires industries prove chemicals are safe before they can use them

dirty dozen

twelve of the most dangerous persistent organic pollutants including DDT and other pesticides, PCBs, dioxins, etc.

risk analysis

involves identifying hazards and evaluating their associated risks, ranking risks, determining options and making decisions about reducing or eliminating risks, and informing the public about the risks.

reliability

the probability that a person, device, or complex technological system will complete a task without failing.