Chapter 3 Toxic Bottles?

Question 1

toxins

Answer 1

chemicals that cause direct damage upon exposure

Question 2

persistent chemicals

Answer 2

don’t readily degrade over time

Question 3

Environmental Protection Agency EPA

Answer 3

federal agency responsible for setting policy and enforcing US environmental laws

Question 4

risk assessment

Answer 4

weighing risks and benefits of particular action in order to decide how to proceed

Question 5

precautionary principle

Answer 5

rule of thumb calls for leaving safety margin when data re potential for harm uncertain and substance may cause unexpected, unpredictable effects

Question 6

information literacy

Answer 6

ability to find and evaluate quality of info

Question 7

primary sources

Answer 7

present new and original data including novel scientific experiments, observations, first hand accounts of given event

Question 8

peer review

Answer 8

process where researchers submit report of work to outside experts who evaluate design and results, determine if high enough quality to publish

Question 9

secondary sources

Answer 9

present and interpret info from primary sources: newspapers, magazines, books, internet

Question 10

tertiary sources

Answer 10

present and interpret info from secondary sources

Question 11

persistence

Answer 11

length of time takes substance to break down in environment

Question 12

solubility

Answer 12

ability to dissolve in a liquid or gas

Question 13

bioaccumulation

Answer 13

buildup of fat-soluble substances in tissue over life time

Question 14

biomagnification

Answer 14

increased levels of fat soluble substances in tissue or predatory animals that consumed organisms with bioaccumulated toxins

Question 15

epidemiologist

Answer 15

studies cause and patterns of disease in humans

Question 16

toxicologist

Answer 16

study scientific properties of potential toxins

Question 17

in vivo study

Answer 17

studies effect of experimental treatment in intact organisms

Question 18

in vitro study

Answer 18

studies effect of experimental treatment cells in culture dishes

Question 19

additive effects

Answer 19

exposure to 2 or more chemicals has effect = to sum of individual effects 1+1

Question 20

antagonistic effects

Answer 20

exposure to 2 or more chemicals has lesser effect than if individual effects would predict

Question 21

synergistic effects

Answer 21

exposure 2 or more chemicals has greater effect than sum would predict

Question 22

endocrine disrupter

Answer 22

molecule interferes w/endocrine system, mimicking a hormone or preventing from having effect

Question 23

hormone

Answer 23

molecule released by body that directs cellular activity, changes how body functions

Question 24

receptor

Answer 24

structure on or inside cell that binds a hormone, allowing hormone to affect the cell

Question 25

dose-response curve

Answer 25

graph of effects of substance at different concentrations or levels of exposure

Question 26

LD50 (lethal dose 50%)

Answer 26

dose of substance that would kill 50% of test population

Question 27

critical thinking

Answer 27

skills that enable to logically assess info, reflect on that info, reach own conclusions

Question 28

logical fallicies

Answer 28

arguments attempt to sway the reader w/o using actual evidence.