ecology quiz questions Flashcards
(36 cards)
Which of the following statements is incorrect?
a. For a specific community, source and contaminant, exposures can vary between and within individuals
b. The inhalation pathway is only important for contaminants emitted into the air
c. most persons in the US spend over 90% of their day in an indoor environment
d. Concentrations of pollutants in environmental media can be poor indicators of exposure
e. The presence ofa chemical in the environment does not always imply a risk to health
B. The inhalation pathway is only important for contaminants emitted into the air
Which of the following provides more accurate information on individual exposures to airborne contaminant?
a. Indoor air monitoring
b. Ambient air concentrations measured at fixed sites
c. Job histories
d. The Toxic Release Inventory
e. Personal Monitoring
E. Personal monitoring
Which of the following statements are TRUE?
a. Most pollutants found in indoor settings are of outdoor origin
b. The ratio of indoor to outdoor ozone in a typical Houston home is around 0.8 or higher
c. Personal exposure measurements for VOCs are usually more closely correlated with indoor measurements than outdoor measurements
d. In the US, people spend between 60-80% of their time in an indoor environment
C. Personal exposure measurements for VOCs are usually more closely correlated with indoor measurements than outdoor measurements
In the environmental health paradigm, which of the following best depicts the continuum between the origin of toxic agent and its effect in humans?
Source -> Fate and Transport -> Exposure -> Dose -> Effect
Risk assessment seeks to:
a. Determine which health risks are acceptable and what to do about them
b. Identify and mitigate hazardous exposures
c. Estimate the likelihood, magnitude, and uncertainty of population health risks
d. Examine the link between human exposure and disease
e. Detect disease and other adverse health outcomes
C. Estimate the likelihood, magnitude, and uncertainty of population health risks
T or F: Exposure concentration is the amount of contaminant in the environmental media that contacts the body
True
T or F: Aggregate exposure is the sum of exposures of an organism to a chemical across all pathways over time
True
All of the following are necessary elements in the exposure pathway EXCEPT:
a. Biologically effective dose
b. Point of contact
c. Source
d. Receptor
e. Environmental media
A. Biologically effective dose
T or F: The biological effects of a toxic agent are those that take place at the cellular level
True
T or F: “Potential dose” refers to the amount of a toxic agent that is actually ingested, inhaled, oe absorbed through the skin.
True
Which of the following historical figures laid down one of the most basic principles in environmental health and toxicology i.e., that when considering the potential adverse effects of a given toxicant, the exposure intensity is a critical determinant?
Paracelsus
In 1984, the Bhopal tragedy ultimately led, in the US, to the passage of which of the following regulatory standards or laws?
Hazard communication / Right to know laws
Which period of time was characterized by increased wealth, prosperity and productivity, but also by an increase in the number of work-related injuries and exposure to physical agents?
Industrial Revolution
At the beginning of the 20th century, these people contributed through their writings to increase public awareness of the poor working conditions of certain groups of US workers
Muckrakers
The typical pattern or sequence of events that public polocy issues related to environmental/occupational health follow is:
Identification -> Politicization -> Legislation -> Litigation
Workplaces are often prefffered as a “laboratory” for the study of general environmental health effects because they typically feature:
a. Health exposures
b. Fewer confounder influences
c. Better estimation of exposure density
d. A more clearly defined study population
e. All of the above are correct
E. All of the above are correct
The landmark 1987 United Church of Christ report, Toxic Wastes and ______ in the US, was the first national study of demographic disparities in the location of hazardous waste sites:
Race
T or F: Jim crow laws were designed to enhance racial equity between Black and White Americans
False
The modern environmental justice movement in the US emerged in 1982 when a predominantly black community in Warren, NC protested the siting of what type of facility in their community
a. Coal-fired power plant
b. Nuclear power plant
c. Hazardous waste incinerator
d. Hazardous waste landfill
D. Hazardous waste landfill
The cumulative impacts of social vulnerability, environmental exposure inequalities, and biological/physiological susceptibility combine to form ___ ____ among racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups
Health disparities
The cumulative impacts of social vulnerability, environmental exposure inequalities, and biological/physiological susceptibility combine to form ___ ____ among racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups
Health disparities
T or F: Redlining practices relegated black and other communities of color to neighborhoods which were less desirable, with greater potential for exposure to environmental toxicants
True
The process in which bacteria in the soil change nitrogen gas into forms that plants can use is called _______
Nitrogren Fixation
Which of the following cycles does not have a gaseous phase?
a. Water
b. Carbon
c. Nitrogen
d. Phosphorous
e. Sulfur
D. Phosphorous
