Final Exam ENVR 171 Ch(s) 8, etc.

Final Exam Dec 13th 10:15am

PFCs

perfluocarbons

PFCs uses

cosmetics, airplane and computer parts, pizza boxes, popcorn containers

PFCs

widely used, slippery, resistant, durable; gathers in birds, fish, mammals, affects entire food chain

PFOAs

Perfluoroactonoic acid

PFOAs

a derivative of PFCs recently designated as hazardous

Is it found our blood? If so, how much?

Yes. 2-8 ppb.

Irresponsible waste disposal…

caused severe cancers, birth defects, and death which resulted in major lawsuits.

The Superfund sites

Sites that environmentally contaminated that the U.S. Gov’t cleans up

Example of a SuperFund Site in PA?

The Wade ABM Dump Site by the Commodore Barry Bridge; illegal waste storage facility that caused toxic fire that killed firefighters and contaminated the soil and groundwater underneath.

Health

A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being NOT MERELY THE ABSENCE OF DISEASE OF INFIRMITY

Disease

Abnormal change in the body’s conditions that impairs important physical or psychological function

What plays a role in morbidity and mortality?

diet and nutrition, infectious agents, toxic substances, genetics, trauma, and stress

Environmental Health

The science of external factors that cause disease like the natural, social, cultural, and technological worlds we live in

Global Disease Burden

eliminating diseases, increase in child survival

Why are there so many kids with asthma?

Air pollution is part of the cause

DALYs

Disability adjusted life years; 1 DALY represents 1 less yr of healthy life

Why the change in disease burden?

Advancements in technology, healthcare, and sanitation, and adopting the habits and diets of richer countries

If our research with antibiotics and other medicines are now resistant, is the advancement worth it?  

I believe the advancement is worth it in the long run since we get to live longer. However, it is a fear to be had and eventually be conquered that antibiotics and other medicines will not work.

If every slightly rural country had an industrial revolution  

they’d have a superfund site or multiple

Where do emergent diseases come from?

They mainly come from wildlife contact i.e. Ebola, COVID-19, Zika

Bisphenol (BPA)

key ingredient for polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, widely used chemical compound

BPA are..

oil-based hard plastics that are clear, lightweight, heat resistant, and shatter resistant. They often have direct contact with foods and beverages.

BPAs are used in which products

Toilet paper, food cans, tooth protecting sealants, baby bottles, technology

Why are BPAs dangerous?

If it acidifies with the food, it will begin to leech. It’s also linked to a myriad of health effects like gender bending (endrocine disruptors in frogs), heart disease, liver problems, diabetes, obesity, prostate cancers

How does it get into our systems?

Bioaccumuluation - the process of storing substacnes in living tissues and biomagnification - the process of when predators consume prey containing pesticides, heavy metals, or other substances exacerbates the problem

DDT

classic example of bioaccumulation; inexpensive insect poison was sprayed everywhere which other organisms absorbed. High levels of DDT were found in badl eagles and other birds which caused their eggshells to be fragile and not allow their offspring to grow healthily or to full term. This decreased their population.

1. What is COP28?  Has this conference been help before and if so, when and where?  How often do people come together for this type of conference? 

The COP28 is the UN Climate Change Conference “which brings countries around the world to increase ambition and strengthen efforts to achieve shared climate goals.” The COPs establish global climate change goals, setting environmentally conscious standards and action plans which include reducing emissions, accelerating a global energy transition, and helping countries adapt and build resilience to compounding climate issues.

What is the expectation for the upcoming meeting?  In other words, what are people who are attending this meeting hoping to come out with when the meeting ends?

As per the UN, it is an avenue to correct the rising temperatures and ensure that effective action is taken to mitigate climate crisis. They will chart a course of action based on the Paris Agreement to dramatically reduce emissions, protect lives, and livelihoods. 

. What are likely to be the controversial issues that will arise at the meeting?

he fact that richer countries are contributing too much to the problem of mass consumption and explosion in fossil fuels and that countries may not be receiving enough aid and support to mitigate these changes. Many also criticise the COP conferences’ slow transition of these imperative discussions into imperative actions. The COP President Dr Sultan al-Jaber has been accused of using COP preparation meetings with foreign gov’t representatives to discuss oil deals which is more than concerning since the whole goal is to try and reduce them. There also seems to be not enough diversity of voices and ideals represented with smaller, economically weaker countries.

Who are likely to be the key players at the conference.

The United States, The United Arab Emirates, Vulnerable island nations, China, the EU, Saudi Arabia, Russia, India, and other countries (the G77 =134 countries) such as Brazil, Nigeria possibly, Pakistan, Kenya, Cuba, etc.

Since the meeting extends for several weeks, how are things broken down in the program?  What are some of the major agenda items?

As I stated, the most recent item on the agenda that has been achieved was a loss and climate damage fund. However, in terms of the funding, especially on the US’s side, it is extremely and disappointingly low considering the cost of climate damage reported by UDel is 1.5 Trillion dollars. According to the Nature Conservacy Organization, the goals of the COP28 are to transition to clean energy, centering nature and people and lives and livelihoods, delivering on finance to developing countries, and mobilizing inclusivity with INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES.

ecological disease

an abnormal state of change or infirmity in animals and wildlife (white nose syndrome)

nerve toxins

lead, mercury, heavy metals, DDT, Dieldrin, Aldrin,

Carcinogens

substances that cause cancer

Mutagens

substances that damage or alter genetic material in cells (radiation)

teratogens

substances that cause birth defects (Thalidomide)

pathogens / superbugs

substances that cause deadly diseases; comes from untreated human wastes or inadqequate waste facilities

emerging diseases

swine flu, ebola, cholera, TB, deague fever, malaria, HIV/AIDs, Zika, COVID 19, MRSA

Why are tuna servings so limited for pregnant women

Tuna has high levels of mercury due to bioaccumulation and biomagnification

Sick Building Syndrome

symptoms: headaches, allergies, chronic fatigue

causes: poorly vented indoor spaces, mold spores, carbon monoxide, nitrogren oxides, formaldehyde, other toxic substances released from carpets, plastics, building materials

ASBESTOS

The totality of traffic

the amount of energy that is created and wasted is adding to the pollution despite it being so expensive

• what goes around comes around

• Mattter & energy cannot be created nor destroyed

The ozone layer was destroyed because

of the frion and other refridgerants used to keep them running. The gases ate up the ozone layer which caused a hole over Australia. Many people had skin cancer. Companies got smarter and stopped using those chemicals

What will overfishing do?

By 2050, we will have no fish

What does David Attenborough want humanity to do to save themselves?

He wants them to

• Stop fossil fuels and replacing them with renewables

• Manage our oceans

• Working diligently to restore biodiversity

• Upgrading to efficient food production & reducing our consumption of meat

What did the Baby Boom and other industrial activities do?

They caused an exponential temperature increase stimualted primarily by the United States as well as increasing carbon dioxide

What is the composition of our air?

78.08 (Nitrogen), 21.94 (Oxygen), .93 (Argon), .035 (Carbon Dioxide), .00182 (Neon)

The atmosphere layers

Trophosphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere

Where is the ozone layer located?

The ozone layer is located between the trophosphere and stratosphere

Why does the earth experience different temperatures?

Due to differential heating and cooling caused by the trade winds and ocean currents; the hadley cells, ferrell cells, polar cells. It also experiences them due to season changes which occur because of 23.5 degree tilt of the Earth’s axis

Why do we have oxygen?

Not because of trees, but because algae

The trophosphere…

contains about 75% of the atmosphere due to gravitational forces

What does the ozone layer protect us from?

it protects us from UV radiation

How is ozone poisionous?

It is leaked by pollutants. It also oxidizes and mutates your DNA. In general, it is a greenhouse gas since it heats up the lower atmosphere.

Why is carbon dioxide a big deal?

Carbon dioxide is exponentially increasing due to industrial activities and exacerbating air pollution

Why do carbon dioxide levels fluctuate?

They synocpate with the seasons. When the trees lose their leaves, they are unable to capture carbon dioxide for the most part. In the summer when they grow them back, they sequester more carbon.

what are the greenhouses

CO2, O2, H20, SO2, NO3, CH4

What happens when you go up in elevation?

it gets colder, the air gets thinner, and there’s less gasses up there to heat up

Hadley Cells

They push against each other in the opposute direction; the winds rise and fall

• 30 degrees N & S of the equator: they cause deserts because the air is too cold and dry to provide moisture; THE DULDRUM SPACE

• Releases rain bc it can’t the hold the moisture

Monsoons…

happens in deserts - AZ. Hot air rises and sucks the moisture from the ocean onto the continent; Psycho - Marion driving to the Motel

Jet streams

these streams that move the moisture or dryness up and down a continent. Usuaully the jet stream in the US and Canada pushes down with moisture and cold from the North