Biomarkers and Environmental Risk Assessment

Question 1

What are Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs)?

Answer 1

AOPs are conceptual structures based on existing knowledge that link effects at the molecular level to ecologically relevant endpoints.

Question 2

How is risk defined in the context of environmental science?

Answer 2

Risk is defined as the probability of harm occurring

Question 3

what is the EQUATION for Risk

Answer 3

Risk = Toxicity x Exposure

Question 4

What is chemical pollution’s effect on Polar bears?

Answer 4

Chemical pollution is causing brain damage in polar bears and potentially affects humans.

Question 5

What are the main tools available for environmental risk assessment?

Answer 5

chemical analysis of water,
sediment,
biological samples,
ecological surveys,
population and community structure assessments,
individual bioassays.

Question 6

What are the advantages of Biological Monitoring?

Answer 6

serving as sentinels for the presence of contaminants, indicating potential human exposure, and predicting long-term effects on health and ecosystem integrity

Question 7

What are some challenges in Biological monitoring?

Answer 7

Challenges include identifying sensitive species, developing procedures for sampling, and standardizing techniques across different biological complexities.

Question 8

What is the ‘Ideal Biomarker’?

Answer 8

sensitive, reproducible, reliable, responds in a time-dependent manner to toxicants, biologically significant, readily transferred between species, easy to measure, and ideally non-destructive and non-invasive

Question 9

What are some current contaminants of concern in UK waters?

Answer 9

Dioxins
PAHs
brominated flame retardants
PCBs
PFAS
endocrine disruptors (e.g. oral contraception)

Question 10

What is the meaning of ‘eutrophication’ in environmental science?

Answer 10

Eutrophication refers to the process by which water bodies receive excess nutrients, leading to overgrowth of algae and degradation of water quality.