Environmental Health and Toxicology

Question 1

What is health?

Answer 1

State of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. It’s not just absence of disease, you cannot be sick yet still not be healthy.

Question 2

What is disease?

Answer 2

-Abnormal change in the body’s condition. What causes diseases is: poor nutrition, bacteria, addiction, chemicals, etc.

Question 3

allergens?

Answer 3

Allergens: A substance that causes an allergic reaction

Question 4

Mutagens?

Answer 4

Mutagens: Changes or alters to the DNA

Question 5

Teratogens:

Answer 5

Doesn’t change DNA, but you see a change. Alter embryonic growth ex:
women are not to drink alcohol when pregnant

Question 6

Neurotoxins?

Answer 6

Neurotoxins: a substance that inhibits the function of neurons, cells in the nervous system, if neurotoxin damages nervous system it is permanent.

Question 7

Carcinogens?

Answer 7

Carcinogens: Causes cells to grow out of control. Cancer

Question 8

Of chemicals used in the U.S., how many (in %) are tested for acute effects? For chronic effects? For synergistic effects? (What are acute, chronic, and synergistic effects, anyway?)

Answer 8

• Of chemicals used in the U.S., 20% are tested for acute effects, less than 10% for chronic effects, and none for synergistic effects.
• Acute effects: SHORT TERM. usually characterized as poisonings.
• Chronic effects: LONG TERM. more difficult to determine the causes (long term effects and exposure). Effects of chemicals.
• Synergistic effects: Synergistic effects are the combination of two or more chemicals that make a (possibly) deadly combination.

Question 9

What various effects do pesticides have? Are these effects all by design? How do organisms respond? (Hint: think evolution). What are some of the problems with pesticides?

Answer 9

 Pesticides effect non-target species/ organisms.

 *As much as 90% of pesticides never reach target organisms

 Organism eventually become resistant to the pesticide

 Problems with pesticides: Hard to get out of water, toxic levels found in food chain (biomagnification),

 Creation of new pests.

Question 10

What is the “grasshopper effect”?

Answer 10

Grasshopper effect: Appearance of chemicals or toxins in polar ecosystems where
the substances were NOT used. Example. Used in Washington ends up in Alaska

Question 11

What are bioaccumulation and biomagnification?

Answer 11

Bioaccumulation: Selective absorption of toxins. Chemicals, or substances by cells.
Biomagnification: Toxic levels increase along the food chain the higher it goes. Increased concentration of chemicals or toxins in higher trophic levels.