Environmental Health Exam 1 Review

________ consists of actions taken to control or reduce a human health risk.

Risk Management

A standard is set for the maximum allowable concentration of a chemical in drinking water. This action is an example of:

Risk Management

A decision is made to pave over a contaminated site for use as a parking lot. This action is an example of:

Risk Assessment

Which of the following is not a component of environmental risk management decisions?

- Economic costs

- Legal and regulatory framework and technologies

- Stakeholder acceptance

The public perception of the riskiness an environmental health hazard tends to be a function of two thinks: a quantitative estimate of the risk and the:

Degree to which people feel outraged by the hazard

Which of the following features of environmental hazards tends to generate outrage?

The hazard is taken on involuntarily

The precautionary principle is most closely related to:

Primary prevention

The federal, "Superfund," was provided for by which of the following Acts?

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

Which federal U.S. agency is responsible for developing and enforcing environmental regulations, which bring about cleaner air, and purer water, as well as protect the land?

The Department of Health and Environmental Control

Which federal law was enacted in response to the Love Canal?

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

If wastes are spilled on the ground within the ______ of an aquifier, water in the aquifier may be contaminated

Recharge area

Which of the following is not one of the approaches to defining "environment" presented in our introductory class lecture?

Virtual vs. Actual

Countries who benefit the most economically from the anthropogenic release of greenhouse gases are also the most affected in terms of any associated risky health effects

False

Which of the following is an example of a physical hazard?

Radiation

Which of the following is an example of an anthropogenic hazard?

A chemical used to dry clean clothing

The persistence of a chemical in the environment- for example, in soil or sediment is often quantified as:

environmental half-life

Where is a highly volatile chemical likely to be found?

air

The term thermohaline refers to:

Deep ocean current on a global scale

Which of the following terms applies to the concept that increasing economic development eventually leads to less environmental degradation?

Environmental kuznets curve

Bioaccumulation is the:

Gradual building up of a chemical in the tissue of an organism

Which of the following is not true?

Aflatoxin exposure is a risk factor for hepatitis B infection

The ejection of ______ from the nucleus of an atom changes the chemical element

Alpha particle or beta particle

Radioactive decay occurs when an atom of radioactive isotope:

Ejects part of its nucleus

The dominant environmental medium in fecal-oral transmission of disease in lower-income countries is:

Water

In airborne transmission of infectious disease, pathogens are transmitted in:

Aerosols made of tiny droplets or particles

When enough members of a community are immune to a disease that it is difficult to maintain a chain of infection, this practical protection is called:

Herd immunity

A zoonosis is an infectious disease that:

Humans can catch from non-human animals

A particular strain of ______ bacteria, which may contaminate beef during slaughter, can cause fatal illness in humans who eat contaminated meat

E. coli

_______ has the authority to use isolation or quarantine to prevent infectious disease entering the county:

CDC

Associated mostly with fish, this food poisoning acts on certain amino acids in food

Scromboid poisoning

HIV/AIDS, drug resistant malaria, and H5N1 influenza are all:

Emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases

The proportion of all cancers that are caused by infectious agents in lower-income countries is about _______ that in the industrialized nations

3X

Define the term anthropogenic and give an example of an anthropogenic hazard:

The term anthropogenic can be defined as an environmental change such as pollution caused by human beings. Anthropogenic hazards can come from many different sources such as households or communities. An example of an anthropogenic hazard could be an acute infection associated with pollution resulting in death from diarrheal disease. Another example of an anthropogenic hazard could be chemicals used in dry cleaning.

Describe the scope of environmental health as a field of study and practice:

The goal of environmental health focuses on the well-being of human beings through a healthy environment. The purpose of studying and practicing environmental health is to increase the benefits to the world. By decreasing the involuntary hazards within the environment, the study of environmental health can help improve the overall health and well being of others.

Explain the difference between descriptive compared to analytic epidemiology:

One of the primary sources of information about human environmental hazards and health risks is the scientific study of epidemiology. Epidemiology consists of various methods to quantify health risks and hazards. Descriptive epidemiology pertains to the observational demographic data that characterizes the distribution of disease occurrence by person, place, or temporal patterns. Analytical epidemiology focuses on identifying the cause for particular conditions for the disease.

What are the two defining characteristics of a dose-response curve?

The dose response curve represents the quantitative relationship between dose and a toxic effect. Potency and maximal efficacy are two defining characteristics of a dose-response curve. Pertaining to the concentration of a dose, potency is indicated through the slope of the curve. Maximal efficacy refers to the potential for a safe dose, represented through the threshold.

Explain some limitations associated with designating Best Available Technologies (BATs)

Best Available Technologies specifically aid in pollution control and may be a required use for some industries. Although BATs do complete a desired outcome, and help many federal environmental statutes reduce risks, criticisms and limitations come alongside these methods. One of the key burdens associated with BATs, is that this method primarily focuses on how processes must function rather than the best desired outcome of reducing risks and emissions. BATs may be referred to as the most burdensome method of risk reduction due to limitations such as being less cost effective and the lack of focus for creating better pollution mitigation policies.

Briefly provide a few examples of how environmental health standards are established and enforced:

Federal agencies and organizations can evaluate the risk of health hazards in the environment and further assess these risks in order to develop standards and later enforce them in order to improve environmental health as a whole. For example, the EPA conducts risk assessments for the chemical toxicity levels in drinking water in order to establish any level in drinking water in order to establish any level of risk or exposure to the community's health. By doing so, the EPA can enforce standards to set guidelines that are feasible to achieve to decrease the level of risk.

Describe how the precautionary principle has been articulated in the context of environmental health:

The precautionary principle, most closely related to primary prevention, can be defined as the protective action that is taken in advance as a precaution against harm. Some examples in which the precautionary principle should have been used include the depletion of global fisheries, broad use of asbestos and various synthetic chemicals, and the practices that lead to the outbreak of mad cow disease. Today, the precautionary principle are being used not only in the U.S., but internationally as well, for example, the Kyoto protocol regarding global climate change and the Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer. Both of these agreements reflect articulation of the precautionary principle within environmental health.

Describe three principles for developing risk protection policies:

The first step in developing risk protection policies includes establishing standards based on health- it is essential for these standards to protect the most sensitive and vulnerable population groups while maintaining feasibility. Enforcing compliance within these standards is the next principle in regards to developing risk protection policies. Lastly, the precautionary principle allows for development of risk protection policies. The precautionary principle protects against risk by preventing or minimizing hazardous health risks in the environment.

Describe three major classes of biological agents that act as human pathogens:

Pathogens are organisms that cause disease. One major class of biological agents that act as human pathogens are worms. Bacteria, which are unicellular, are another biological agent that act as a human pathogen. Molds and yeasts which include fungi, viruses, and prions, are also biological agents that can act as human pathogens.

Describe the major ways of infectious organism transmission through closeness or contact occurs:

Transmission of infectious diseases can occur through closeness or contact. One way that transmission occurs through closeness is by droplet transmission which includes coughing or sneezing. Transmission through contact can occur through direct oral contact, one example of this is strep. The fecal-oral route is also a common pathway for transmission- this can occur through soil and hand to mouth transmission.

Hi-level exposure to ionizing radiation causes three well-known syndromes. Briefly describe the syndromes and the locations associated with each.

Radiation sickness refers to the death of cells that is caused by high-level exposure to ionizing radiation. The central nervous system is affected by one of these syndromes in which cell death occurs within the brain and spinal cord. The gastrointestinal tract is affected by cell death which results in destruction of the gut. Bone marrow can stop producing blood cells which can cause hemorrhage, anemia, and infection. These high levels of radiation can also cause numerous types of cancer such as breast cancer, leukemia, skin cancer, and more.

What three major classes of natural disasters have caused the largest numbers of deaths worldwide over the past century:

One major class of natural disasters that has caused the largest numbers of deaths worldwide is hurricanes. Hurricanes can also include tsunamis, floods, storms, etc,. Another class of natural disasters that have been catastrophic are earthquakes. Lastly, droughts have also been one of the major classes of natural disasters that have been the most deadly.