Enviornmental Health Exam 3

bioaccumulation

concentration of a chemical as it moves up the food chain

DDT

used as insecticide in the U.S., no longer used

pesticide

any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating pests (major classes: insecticides, herbicides, rodenticides, fungicides)

organophosphate

organic compounds that contain phosphorus and are commonly used as pesticides

organochlorines

derived from chlorinated hydrocarbons, which are chemical compounds that contain chlorine, carbon, and hydrogen and are widely used as pesticides

pyrethrins

naturally occurring compounds with insecticidal properties that are found in pyrethrum extract from certain chrysanthemum flowers

organocarbamates

salts or esters of carbamic acid

insecticides

pesticide compounds used specifically to control insects

herbicides

pesticide designed to control or kill plants, weeds, or grasses. 70% of all pesticides used by farmers and ranchers are herbicides.

agent orange

applied as defoliant to prevent jungle foliage from concealing the enemy during the Vietnam War, Agent Orange is a herbicide and defoliant chemical that was extensively used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War to eliminate forest cover for enemy troops.

federal insecticide, fungicide, and rodenticide act of 1966

All pesticides distributed or sold in the U.S. must be registered (licensed) by EPA, U.S. law that regulates the registration, distribution, and use of pesticides to protect human health and the environment.

radiation

the emission of energy, atoms found in nature, propagation of energy through space, or some other medium, in the form of electromagnetic waves or particles

radioactivity

occurs during radioactive decay, resulting in emission of particles or radiation.

particle radiation

tiny fast moving particles that have both energy and mass which can include alpha particles, beta particles, and neutrons.

electromagnetic radiation

pure energy with no weight, a form of energy that travels through space as waves and includes visible light, radio waves, and X-rays.

alpha particle

come from the decay of the heaviest radioactive elements (uranium, radium, polonium), inside the body can be very harmful cannot penetrate outer layer of skin

beta particle

more penetrating, and less damaging to living tissue and DNA because the ionizations they produce are more widely spaced

gamma ray

similar to visible light, but have much higher energy, can pass completely through the human body and can cause ionizations that damage tissue, radiation hazard for the entire body

extremely low frequency radiation (ELF)

a type of non-ionizing radiation that is produced by power lines and electrical appliances, (high tension power lines charged electrons from lightning strikes)

smog

smoke plus fog

smog complex

eye irritation, irritation of the respiratory tract, chest pains, cough, shortness of breath, nausea, and headache, associated with smog

criteria air pollutants

common, universal, air pollutants regulated by the EPA on the basis of known health effects

air quality index

used to provide the public with an indication of air quality in a local area on a daily basis and to help inform people about the potential health effects of air pollution.

occupational illness/disease

health outcomes that are caused or influenced by exposure to general conditions or specific hazards encountered in the work environment

occupational injury

injury resulting from a work-related event or from a single exposure in the work environment

occupational safety and health act of 1970

created by Congress to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for workers by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, and assistance

job stress

harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker