EPA And Other Regulatory Agencies Flashcards
The environmental health mandate of the US EPA was motivated by a book by Rachel Carson entitled “Silent Spring” which talked about the negative environmental effects of a widely used agricultural chemical, DDT. What is not true of DDT?
A) DDT is a nerve poison used to control rodents that feed on agricultural produce
B) DDT use is now banned in many countries including the US
C) DDT is very effective in controlling the incidence of mosquito-vectored diseases like Zika virus
D) DDT spraying contributed to the near extinction of many bird species
E) DDT leads to bird eggs with thin shells which gets crushed when mother birds try to incubate them
A) DDT is a nerve poison used to control rodents that feed on agricultural produce
The US Environmental Protection Agency is the lead federal agency involved in regulating the disposal of controlled, addicting drugs like heroin, other pain medications, anti-depressants and sleep aids.
FALSE
Which federal agency is primarily responsible for enforcing regulations designed to protect biotech workers from possible hazards of exposure to pharmaceutical wastes?
A) Occupational Safety and Health Administration
B) US Environmental Protection Agency
C) Department of Transportation
D) Drug Enforcement Administration
E) Food and Drug Administration
A) Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Patents protect inventions for up to 20 years from the earliest date of filing. For rice genetically engineered to produce high levels of b-carotene in the grains, intellectual property protection activity starts at what stage of product development?
A) Starting from isolation and construction of the b-carotene genes
B) Right after successful transfer of the b-carotene synthase genes into rice
C) Before initial field trials of the GM rice
D) During backcrossing studies
E) Right before marketing approval
A) Starting from isolation and construction of the b-carotene genes
Patents protect inventions for up to 20 years from earliest date of filing in exchange for public disclosure of the invention. MaterniT21 was not granted a patent on the use of cell-free DNA for diagnosis of genetic disorders in a fetus because:
A) Fetal cell-free DNA is a product of nature and cannot be patented
B) Fetal cell-free DNA does not work well for diagnosis of prenatal genetic defects
C) A specific utility for the technique was not provided in the application
D) Insufficient and dubious data were presented to support the patent claims
E) Sequenom was not the first to file a patent claim on the use of fetal cell-free DNA for pre-natal genetic testing
A) Fetal cell-free DNA is a product of nature and cannot be patented
The first patent for a genetically engineered microbe was granted to Chakrabarty. The microbe is:
A) Pseudomonas putida for the breakdown of crude oil components
B) Pseudomonas putida for the production of a novel antibiotic
C) Bacillus thuringiensis for the control of plant-chewing insects
D) Pseudomonas fluorescens for protection plants from frost damage that is exacerbated by plant-pathogenic bacteria
E) An E. coli strain for the recombinant production of insulin
A) Pseudomonas putida for the breakdown of crude oil components
Which federal agency bans monopolies by drug companies that could lead to inflated drug prices?
A) Federal Trade Commission
B) Occupational Safety and Health Administration
C) Drug Enforcement Administration
D) Securities and Exchange Commission
E) U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
A) Federal Trade Commission
The EPA’s reason for regulating herbicide-resistant plants is due mainly to:
A) the herbicide-resistance gene may get acquired by difficult-to-control weeds
B) Herbicide-resistant food crops can cause constipation in humans
C) Herbicide-resistant plants can cause indigestion in grazing animals
D) herbicide-resistant plants can cause allergic reactions in humans
E) Herbicide-resistant plants can cause increased use of herbicides
A) the herbicide-resistance gene may get acquired by difficult-to-control weeds
The US Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for regulating pesticides, novel microorganisms, and herbicide resistant plants under CFR title _______.
A) CFR 40
B) CFR 7
C) CFR 21
D) CFR 172
E) CFR52
A) CFR 40
The EPA requirements for pesticide registration and for Experimental Use Permits before testing bioengineered plants or microbes in the environment is covered under FIFRA. Under FIFRA, what is or are regulated by the EPA in a transgenic plant expressing a plant-incorporated protectant?
A) The transgene and the protein translated from the transgene
B) The GM plant only
C) Only the foreign transgene introduced
D) Only the protective protein translated from the introduced gene
E) The transgene, the protectant protein produced, and the transgenic plant are all regulated
A) The transgene and the protein translated from the transgene
Management of insect resistance to plant-incorporated pesticides (PIPs) is one responsibility of EPA. What is not a practice recommended to delay the development of insect resistance to PIPs?
A) Avoid having two different PIPs in the same crop plant
B) Rotate PIP engineered plant with plants not engineered with the PIP
C) Maintain areas that are planted with non-PIP engineered plants
D) Regular monitoring of PIP plots for sign of insects that have developed resistance to the PIP
E) Planting plants with different PIPs in succeeding years
A) Avoid having two different PIPs in the same crop plant
What product is the US EPA not involved in regulating?
A) Turkey vaccines against avian flu
B) Oil from citronella to ward off insects
C) Plants genetically engineered to produce the Bt toxin
D) A fungus which protects plants from root-chewing worms
E) Plants genetically engineered to be resistant to Round-Up
A) Turkey vaccines against avian flu
What is not true of EPAs experimental use permit?
A) With an EUP, at the end of the experiment, treated crops can be used as hog feed
B) Public comments are solicited before approval of the permit
C) An EUP is not require if the field test is less than 10 acres of land
D) An EUP will not be issued for testing in waters that affect fish, shellfish, or plants that are to be taken as food or feed
E) An EUP is not required for laboratory or greenhouse tests
A) With an EUP, at the end of the experiment, treated crops can be used as hog feed
Which Act is used mainly by the EPA to regulate new microbes that may be used for bioremediation, petroleum degradation, or disease control (ina-)?
A) Toxic Substances Control Act
B) Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
C) Federal Food Drugs and Cosmetic Act
D) National Environmental Protection Act
E) Microbial Release Monitoring Act
A) Toxic Substances Control Act
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act:
A) required that hazardous waste be incinerated
B) Issued limitations to effluent discharge by companies
C) Issued pretreatment standards for effluent discharge by companies
D) Regulated emissions of hazardous air pollutants like methanol and methylene chloride
E) required the timely and proper disposal of hazardous waste in landfills
A) required that hazardous waste be incinerated
