Envirmoment

Question 1

environment

Answer 1

The natural and human-made surroundings in which we spend our lives.

Question 2

environmental health

Answer 2

The collective interactions of humans with the environment and the short-term and long-term health consequences of those interactions.

Question 3

Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)

Answer 3

A Canadian measure of local air quality and what it means for health; uses a scale of 1–10+, as well as categories of low, moderate, high, or very high health risk.

Question 4

fossil fuels

Answer 4

Buried deposits of decayed animals and plants that are converted into carbon-rich fuels by exposure to heat and pressure over millions of years; oil, coal, and natural gas are fossil fuels.

Question 5

smog

Answer 5

Hazy atmospheric conditions resulting from increased concentrations of ground-level ozone and other pollutants.

Question 6

greenhouse gases

Answer 6

Gases (such as carbon dioxide) or vapour that trap infrared radiation instead of allowing it to escape through the atmosphere, resulting in a warming of Earth (the greenhouse effect).

Question 7

greenhouse effect

Answer 7

A warming of Earth caused by a buildup of carbon dioxide and certain other gases.

Question 8

global warming

Answer 8

An increase in Earth’s atmospheric temperature when averaged across seasons and geographical regions.

Question 9

ozone layer

Answer 9

A layer of ozone molecules (O3) in the upper atmosphere that screens out UV rays from the sun.

Question 10

chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Answer 10

Chemicals used as spray-can propellants, refrigerants, and industrial solvents, implicated in the destruction of the ozone layer.

Question 11

fluoridation

Answer 11

The addition of fluoride to the water supply to reduce tooth decay.

Question 12

septic system

Answer 12

A self-contained sewage disposal system, often used in rural areas, in which waste material is decomposed by bacteria.

Question 13

heavy metals

Answer 13

Metals with a high specific gravity, such as lead, copper, or tin.

Question 14

polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Answer 14

Industrial chemicals used as an insulator in electrical transformers and linked to certain human cancers; banned worldwide since 1977 but persistent in the environment.

Question 15

sanitary landfill

Answer 15

A disposal site where solid wastes are buried.

Question 16

biodegradable

Answer 16

The ability of some materials to break down naturally and disappear back into the environment.

Question 17

recycling

Answer 17

The use of waste materials as raw materials in the production of new products.

Question 18

asbestosis

Answer 18

A lung condition caused by inhalation of microscopic asbestos fibres, which inflame the lung and can lead to lung cancer.

Question 19

pesticides

Answer 19

Chemicals used to prevent the spread of diseases transmitted by insects and to maximize food production by killing insects that eat crops.

Question 20

biomagnification

Answer 20

The accumulation of a substance in a food chain.

Question 21

radiation

Answer 21

Energy transmitted in the form of rays, waves, or particles.

Question 22

radiation sickness

Answer 22

An illness caused by excess radiation exposure, marked by low white blood cell counts and nausea; possibly fatal.

Question 23

nuclear power

Answer 23

The use of controlled nuclear reactions to produce steam, which in turn drives turbines to produce electricity.

Question 24

radon

Answer 24

A naturally occurring radioactive gas emitted from rocks and natural building materials that can become concentrated in insulated homes, causing lung cancer.

Question 25

Anthropocene

Answer 25

The epoch representing the
commencement of substantial
human impact on the earth’s
systems