BLOCK 9: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH - Unit 3: Environmental Toxicology (complete) Flashcards
The introduction or presence of a foreign substance in the environment.
CONTAMINATION
The presence of contaminants does not necessarily mean that the environment poses a health risk.
Any substances in the environment that derogates the natural quality of the environment, upsets the senses (sight, taste, or smell), or causes a health hazard.
POLLUTION
The origin of environmental contamination.
EXPOSURE SOURCE
Once released to the environment, contaminants move through and across different media (air, water, or soil) and some degrade altogether.
FATE and TRANSPORT
The specific location where individuals might come into contact with a contaminated medium.
EXPOSURE POINT
The means by which the contaminant actually enters or contacts the body such as ingestion, inhalation, or dermal contact.
EXPOSURE ROUTE
Individuals that may come or may have come in contact with contaminants.
RECEPTOR POPULATION
Environmental ____________________ is the link between the release of a chemical from a source and its contact with a receptor at the exposure point.
FATE AND TRANSPORT
The actual release or discharge of the material from a source.
EMISSION
The normal migration or movement of the contaminant through a medium.
ADVECTION/CONVECTION
The spreading of contaminants in a liquid, gas, or solid phase due to impingement of the contaminant by that phase material.
DISPERSION
The retardation, degradation, or adsorption of a contaminant.
ATTENUATION
Refers to the maximum concentration of a chemical that dissolves in a given amount of pure water.
WATER SOLUBILITY
Refers to a liquid’s mass per volume.
DENSITY
A measure of the volatility of a chemical in its pure state; can essentially determine how rapidly contaminants will evaporate from surface soils or water bodies into the air.
VAPOR PRESSURE
Contaminants with _______________ vapor pressures will evaporate more readily.
HIGHER
A measure of the tendency for a chemical to pass from an aqueous (watery) solution to the vapor phase. It is a function of molecular weight, solubility, and vapor pressure.
HENRY’S LAW CONSTANT
A __________ Henry’s Law Constant corresponds to a greater tendency for a chemical to volatilize to air.
HIGH
The breakdown of organic compounds by microorganisms – a significant environmental process in soil.
BIODEGREDATION
Some commonly cited climatic factors are:
- Annual precipitation and evaporation rates
- Temperature conditions
- Wind speed and direction
- Seasonal conditions
____________________ conditions will influence how fast and in what direction contaminants in soil and ground water might move, and, ultimately, if and how contaminants might come into contact with people – the receptor.
GEOLOGICAL and HYDROGEOLOGICAL
TRUE OR FALSE:
All forms of air pollution (gases, particulates, or liquid droplets) can damage human health.
TRUE
Hazardous chemicals in the air can damage our lungs and enter our bloodstream. Since blood picks up oxygen in the lungs and carries it to every cell in the organism, an agent present in the lungs may affect any organ.
Human ____________________ are among the most serious effects of water pollution, especially in developing countries, where sanitation may be inadequate or non-existent.
INFECTIOUS DESEASES
_______________ diseases occur when parasites or other disease-causing microorganisms are transmitted via contaminated water.
WATERBORNE
