Environmental Medicine

Question 1

What is differences between occupational and environmental exposure

Answer 1

Occupation - higher exposure and effects more obvious

Environment - more subtle and lesser degree

Question 2

What can affect exposure

Answer 2

Personal - fixed influences such as genes or variable influences e.g. exposure to infection
Population - fixed influences such as geography

Question 3

What is developed if population affected and what does it depend on

Answer 3

Policy

• Size of effects
• Acute or chronic
• Politics

Question 4

Routes of exposure

Answer 4

Inhalation
Through skin
Ingestion
Mechanical loading

Question 5

How do you measure exposure

Answer 5

Can be difficult if cumulative
Biomarkers? 
Direct measure
Indirect measure
Statistical modelling for estimates it not possible

Question 6

How do you recognise environmental cause

Answer 6

Population exposure to substance increases disease

Cluster of disease in time or place

Analogy of exposure to other proven exposure / outcome situations elsewhere

Question 7

How do you recognise diffuse source e.g. air pollution causing respiratory disease

Answer 7

Only identifiable my statistical analysis over time

Question 8

How do you recognise point source

Answer 8

Specific source causing outbreak

Public health issue to see if resources to control

Question 9

What is analogy

Answer 9

Likelihood of interaction between different exposures

Media often picks up first

Question 10

What is environmental legislation

Answer 10

Changes as different hazards are identified and quantified

e.g. Air Quality / emissions