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2025 PHPM Royal College Study - based on AN Summary Notes > EPH - definitions, CDWG > Flashcards

EPH - definitions, CDWG Flashcards

1
Q

define environmental health (1)

A

1- Branch of public health that is concerned with all
aspects of natural factors (physical, chemical, and
biological) and the built environment that may affect
human health

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2
Q

define toxicology (1)

A

1- study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms

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3
Q

define toxicity (1)

A

1- intrinsic ability of a substance to harm
living organism

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4
Q

define xenobiotic (1)

A

1- any substance foreign to the body

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5
Q

define toxico-dynamics (1)

A

1- dose-response effects of
xenobiotics on an individual (i.e. what a drug does
to your body)

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6
Q

define toxico-kinetics (1)

A

1- what the body does to the drug

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7
Q

what are 4 subtypes of toxico-kinetics (4)

A

1- absorption
2- distribution
3- metabolism
4- excretion

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8
Q

re: toxico-kinetics, what is absorption (1)

A

1- ability to pass into the body

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9
Q

re: toxico-kinetics, what is distribution (1)

A

1- transport throughout the body

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10
Q

re: toxico-kinetics, what is metabolism (1)

A

1- activation vs. detoxication

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11
Q

re: toxico-kinetics, what is excretion (1)

A

1- elimination from body

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12
Q

re: dose-response, what is dose (1)

A

1- amount of agent deposited within the body following an exposure, dependent on concentration and duration of exposure

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13
Q

re: dose-response, what is response (1)

A

1- biological reaction to an agent

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14
Q

what is no-observed effect level (NOEL) (1)

A

1- highest dose at which there is no effect

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15
Q

what are the layers/barriers of the multi-barrier approach to safe drinking water - LPR/SSGT/DM/A (10)

A

1- Legislative & policy frameworks
2- Public involvement & awareness
3- Research, science & technology
4- Source water protection
5- (Water) system management
6- Guidelines, standards & objectives
7- Treatment
8- Distribution systems
9- Monitor/respond to parameters
10- (Drinking water) advisories

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16
Q

what is the rationale for the multi-barrier approach to safe drinking water (1)

A

1- Ensures clean, safe, reliable drinking water by
understanding and protecting the water supply from
source all the way to the consumer’s tap

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17
Q

re: safe drinking water, what is the role of Environment Canada (1)

A

1- dictates federal water policy

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18
Q

re: safe drinking water, what are the relevant federal legislation - CEPA, FA, CWA (3)

A

1- Canada Water Act
2- Fisheries Act
3- Canadian Environmental Protection Act

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19
Q

re: safe drinking water, what is the role of P/T (3)

A

1- oversight of drinking water quality
2- oversight of compliance
3- performance monitoring

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20
Q

re: safe drinking water, what is the role of municipalities (2)

A

1- delivery of water
2- infrastructure funding

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21
Q

re: safe drinking water, what kinds of things should the public be made aware of/involved in - SRP (3)

A

1- safety guidance - Educate public on health risks, water disinfection,
guidelines, conservation
2- reports - Make monitoring reports available
3- private systems - Educate owners of private small drinking water
systems on their responsibilities

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22
Q

how should research/science/tech be involved with safe drinking water -SDC (3)

A

1- disease surveillance
2- science/tech development
3- collaboration done with all levels of government

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23
Q

what are types of source water - SAG (3)

A

1- surface water (river, lakes)
2- aquifers (sand/gravel bedrock saturated with water)
3- ground water (fresh water beneath Earth’s surface)

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24
Q

what are threats to source water - NEL (3)

A

1- natural
2- eutrophication
3- land use

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25
Q

re: threats to source water, what does ‘natural’ mean - RSSW (4)

A

1- rainfall
2- slopes
3- soil drainage
4- wildlife

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26
Q

re: threats to source water, what does ‘eutrophication’ mean (1 with example)

A

1- eutrophication: influx of nutrients causes increase in algae (e.g. cyanobacteria)

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27
Q

re: threats to source water, what does ‘land use’ mean - AMRUD (5)

A

1- agricultural runoff (pesticides, fertilizers, livestock)
2- mining
3- recreation
4- urban development
5- discharge of waste water

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28
Q

what are ways to protect source water, categories - GAFE (4)

A

1- General
2- Agriculture
3- Forestry
4- Engineering

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29
Q

re: protecting source water, what does ‘general’ mean LTIRR (5)

A

1- land acquisition
2- trespass control
3- inspection programs
4- reservoir use restrictions
5- restricting development (density, location)

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30
Q

re: protecting source water, what does ‘agriculture’ mean - CGW (3)

A

1- soil and water conservation
2- grazing restrictions
3- waste management

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31
Q

re: protecting source water, what does ‘forestry’ mean - ERB (3)

A

1- erosion control
2- road and trail
construction
3- buffer zones

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32
Q

re: protecting source water, what does ‘engineering’ mean - RISSD (5)

A

1- retention basins (permanent ponds to deal with storm runoff)
2- infiltration devices (direct rainwater into ground)
3- storm water diversion
4- maintain septic systems
5- divert runoff from landfills

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33
Q

What kind of person does water safety management (1)

A

1- Qualified personnel follow standard operating
procedures

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34
Q

what do qualified personnel do for water safety management, what are they ensuring is done? - TC (2)

A

Ensure:
1- treatment and distribution systems are operating at optimum levels
2- contingency procedures in place (e.g. water main break, treatment plant failure)

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35
Q

what are the guidelines used to ensure safe drinking water (2)

A

1- Canadian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines for
select physical, chemical, microbiological, and
radiological parameters
2- Health Canada provides guidance for issuing things like boiled water advisories

36
Q

see MISC/GRAB BAG deck for drinking water treatment cards

A

n/a

37
Q

After drinking water leaves the BLANK1, its
quality must be maintained through the BLANK2 (2)

A

1- treatment plant
2- water distribution system

38
Q

what can cause a water main break - CLIT (4)

A

1- corrosion or collapse
2- Loss of pressure can allow backflow of contaminated water (e.g. chemical sprayer
attached to hose) or leakage from soil
3- Indicator: water main pressure below 5 psi
4- Temperature change

39
Q

what are other vulnerabilities that could exist in a drinking water distribution system - ROM(4)

A

1- Many service connections
2- Routine cleaning and maintenance
3- Older systems

40
Q

how do you prevent contamination of a drinking water distribution system - PM/SCH (5)

A

1- pressure - Design layout to maintain sufficient pressure
2- maintenance- Watermain maintenance and replacement
3- Secondary disinfection
4- Cross-connection controls such as backflow prevention devices
5- Horizontal separation between a water main and
storm sewer to avoid contamination

41
Q

what are the steps to Monitor/response for parameter exceedance - VNRGCNabc

A

1- Verify information is accurate: system operator,
testing laboratory
2- Notify relevant authorities: Ministry of Health,
Ministry of Environment
3- Re-sample: if appropriate
4- Gather other data: turbidity, chlorine residuals
5- Corrective action: increase disinfection, flush
lines, equipment repair, identify cause
6- drinking water notices
6a- Issue notice to public: DWA
6b- Immediate DWA: E. coli or fecal coliforms
6c- Urgent DWA: low chlorine residuals

42
Q

why are drinking water advisories issued (1)

A

1- issued to inform consumers about
actions they should take to protect themselves from
threat to drinking water supply

43
Q

what are the elements of a drinking water advisory (DWA) - DAPA-OS (6)

A

1- Describe situation
2- adverse effects - Potential adverse health effects from water
3- population and area at risk, including susceptible populations
4- Actions consumers should take, including specific guidance on how to boil water and whether
alternate water supplies should be used
5- operator actions being taken to correct the situation
and when they expect to resolve the situation
6- share - Encourage recipients to share notice

44
Q

re: DWA, what do you describe as part of the ‘describe the situation’ step (2)

A

1- contaminants of
concern and levels
2- when it occurred

45
Q

when is a boil water advisory (BWA) issued (1)

A

1- when microbiological quality of drinking
water is suspected or confirmed to be compromised, and contaminant(s) can be removed/reduced through boiling

46
Q

what is the timeline of a BWA - in general, not actual days/weeks (1)

A

1- Intended to be short-term, incident-specific interventions while corrective actions are taken

47
Q

what percentage of BWAs are issued due to an actual problem vs. as a precaution (1)

A

1- ~80% BWA issued as precaution and 20% issued on emergency basis due to microbiological detection

48
Q

what are reasons for issuing a BWA, i.e. reasons why microbiological quality of drinking water may be compromised - MEC-PB (5)

A

1- maintenance - Local maintenance on distribution system
2- equipment - Minor equipment malfunction
3- change - Unexpected change to source water quality
4- Change in routine monitoring parameter
5- Breach in system (e.g. broken water main)

49
Q

when is a ‘do not consume’ advisory issued (1)

A

1- Issued when exposure to the contaminant of
concern could be through ingestion

50
Q

when do you use ‘do not consume’ advisory vs. a boil water advisory (1)

A

1- Use if water is unsuitable for consumption
purposes even if boiled, as boiling does not remove
or reduce contaminant concentration

51
Q

what are examples of contaminants that cannot be removed/reduced through boiling - MNCR (4)

A

1- metals
2- nitrates
3- cyanobacterial toxins
4- radionuclides

etc.

52
Q

what activities should you avoid using water for in a ‘do not consume’ advisory - PPWWD (5)

A

Avoid using the water for:
1- preparing food/drinks
2- personal hygiene
3- washing food
4- washing dishes
5- drinking

53
Q

when is a ‘do not use’ advisory issued (1)

A

1- Issued when dermal or inhalation exposure to the
contaminant could affect skin, eyes, and/or nose
(e.g. gasoline spill into water)

54
Q

what activities should you avoid using water for in a ‘do not use’ advisory (1)

A

1- Avoid water for all domestic purposes including
showering and flushing toilet

55
Q

what are conditions for rescinding a boil water advisory - QFO (3)

A

1- quality - Bacteriological water quality normal
2- failure - Operational failure corrected
3- Outbreak ended

56
Q

re: conditions for rescinding a boil water advisory, what does ‘bacteriological water quality normal’ mean - i.e. what needs to happen for water quality to be considered normal (1)

A

1- Bacteriological water quality normal: at least 2 consecutive sets of bacteriological samples, collected 24 hours apart, both negative results

57
Q

re: conditions for rescinding a boil water advisory, what does ‘operational failure corrected’ mean (1)

A

1- Operational failure corrected: when all
corrective actions have been completed and water
quality has been confirmed through bacteriological
testing (see ‘bacteriological water quality normal’)

58
Q

re: conditions for rescinding a boil water advisory, what does ‘outbreak ended’ mean (1)

A

1- Outbreak ended: after the above conditions have been met and when surveillance indicates that the incidence of the illness in the community has returned to background/baseline levels

59
Q

home water treatment: how to appropriately boil water (4)

A

1- fill a pot with water
2- rolling boil x 1 minute - KEY POINT HERE
3- turn off heat source and let water cool
4- pour into clear container and cover for storage

60
Q

home water treatment: what do you use boiled water for - DPF (3)

A

1- drinking - Use boiled water for drinking
2- personal hygiene - brushing teeth
3- food - washing/preparing food, formula

61
Q

home water treatment: how do you disinfect water (2)

A

1- add 1/8 teaspoon unscented bleach (8 drops) to 1 gallon (16 cups) clear water, mix well
2- wait 30 minutes before drinking

62
Q

re: Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines (CDWG), which government bodies established them (2)

A

1- Health Canada in collaboration with
2- the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water (CDW) and other federal government departments

63
Q

why were the CDWG established by Health Canada (1)

A

1- Health Canada sets parameters that all water
systems should strive for in order to deliver the
cleanest, safest, and most reliable drinking water

64
Q

what are examples of guidance set for each parameter as part of the CDWG - MAT (3)

A

1- treatment goals
2- maximum acceptable
concentration (MAC)
3- as low as reasonably
achievable (ALARA) - a kind of MAC

65
Q

CDWG are established specifically for contaminants that meet which criteria (3)

A

1- Exposure to the contaminant could lead to
adverse health effects
2- Contaminant frequently detected in drinking water
throughout Canada
3- Contaminant could be expected to be detected at
a level that is of possible health significance

66
Q

what are the 3 contaminant parameters that are part of the CDWG - MRC (3)

A

1- microbiological
2- chemical/physical (primary and secondary disinfectants are part of this)
3- radiological

67
Q

re: CDWG, what are the microbiological parameters - PC TEV (5)

A

1- (enteric) protozoa (giardia, cryptosporidium)
2- (total) coliform
3- turbidity
4- E. Coli
5- (enteric) viruses

68
Q

re: CDWG, microbiological parameters, enteric protozoa, what is the guideline (1a) and what is the source (1b)

A

1a- Treatment goal: Minimum 3 log removal and/or inactivation of cysts and oocysts
1b- human and animal feces

69
Q

re: CDWG, microbiological parameters, total coliforms, what is the guideline (1a) and what is the source (1b)

A

1a- MAC of none detectable/100 mL in water leaving a treatment plant and in nondisinfected groundwater leaving the well
1b- Human and animal
feces; naturally occurring in water, soil and vegetation

70
Q

re: CDWG, microbiological parameters, turbidity, what is the guideline (1a) and what is the source (1bc)

A

1a- Treatment limits for individual filters:
* Membrane filtration: ≤ 0.1 NTU
* Conventional and direct filtration: ≤ 0.3 NTU
* Slow sand diatomaceous earth filtration: ≤ 1.0 NTU
1b- Inorganic: clays, silts, metals
1c- Organic: decomposed plant, animal debris, micro-organisms

71
Q

re: CDWG, microbiological parameters, E Coli, what is the guideline (1a) and what is the source (1b)

A

1a- MAC: none detectable/100 mL
1b- human and animal feces

72
Q

re: CDWG, microbiological parameters, enteric viruses, what is the guideline (1a) and what is the source (1b)

A

1a- Treatment goal: minimum 4 log reduction (removal
and/or inactivation)
1b- human feces

73
Q

re: CDWG, what are the chemical/physical parameters to focus on (subset of many) - “flamin’ air canada” FLMN ACC (7)

A

1- fluoride
2- lead
3- mercury
4- nitrate
5- arsenic
6- cadmium
7- cyanobacterial toxins

74
Q

re: CDWG, chemical/physical parameters, **fluoride, what is the maximum acceptable concentration, MAC, in mg/L (1a) and what is the sources (1bc)

A

1a- 1.5
1b- Naturally occurring (rock and soil erosion)
1c- May be added to promote dental health

75
Q

re: CDWG, chemical/physical parameters, **lead, what is the maximum acceptable concentration, MAC, in mg/L (1a) and what is the sources (1b)

A

1a- 0.005 ALARA
1b- Leaching from plumbing (pipes, solder, brass fittings and lead service lines)

76
Q

re: CDWG, chemical/physical parameters, mercury, what is the maximum acceptable concentration, MAC, in mg/L (1a) and what is the sources (1b)

A

1a- 0.001
1b- Releases or spills from industrial effluents, waste disposal, irrigation or
drainage of areas where agricultural pesticides are used

77
Q

re: CDWG, chemical/physical parameters, nitrate, what is the maximum acceptable concentration, MAC, in mg/L (1a) and what is the sources (1bcd)

A

1a- 45 as nitrate
1b- Naturally occurring
1c- Leaching or runoff from agricultural fertilizer use, manure, sewage
1d- Excess ammonia or nitrification in the distribution system

78
Q

re: CDWG, chemical/physical parameters, arsenic, what is the maximum acceptable concentration, MAC, in mg/L (1a) and what is the sources (1bc)

A

1a- 0.01 ALARA
1b- Naturally occurs (erosion and weathering of soils, minerals, ores)
1c- Releases from mining; industrial effluent

79
Q

re: CDWG, chemical/physical parameters, cadmium, what is the maximum acceptable concentration, MAC, in mg/L (1a) and what is the sources (1bc)

A

1a- 0.007
1b- Leaching from galvanized pipes, solders or black polyethylene pipes
1c- industrial and municipal waste

80
Q

re: CDWG, chemical/physical parameters, cyanobacterial toxins, what is the maximum acceptable concentration, MAC, in mg/L (1a) and what is the sources (1b)

A

1a- 0.0015
1b- Naturally occurs (released from blooms of blue-green algae - planktonic blooms and benthic mats)

81
Q

re: CDWG, what are the primary/secondary disinfectants from drinking water treatment (subset of chemical/physical parameters) - “BC chat” BC CHT (5)

A

1- bromate
2- chlorate
3- chloramine
4- haloacetic acids
5- trihalomethanes

82
Q

re: CDWG, primary/secondary disinfectants, bromate, what is the maximum acceptable concentration, MAC, in mg/L (1a), what is the sources (1bc), and what is the health basis of the MAC (1d)

A

1a- 0.01
1b- by-product of drinking water disinfection with ozone
1c- Possible contaminant in hypochlorite solution
1d- Tumours of the
testicular mesothelium

83
Q

re: CDWG, primary/secondary disinfectants, chlorate, what is the maximum acceptable concentration, MAC, in mg/L (1a), what is the sources (1bc), and what is the health basis of the MAC (1d)

A

1a- 1
1b- by-product of drinking water disinfection with chlorine dioxide
1c- Possible contaminant in hypochlorite solution
1d- Thyroid gland (colloid depletion)

84
Q

re: CDWG, primary/secondary disinfectants, chloramine, what is the maximum acceptable concentration, MAC, in mg/L (1a), what is the sources (1bc), and what is the health basis of the MAC (1d)

A

1a - none required
1b- Monochloramine used as a secondary disinfectant
1c- Formed in presence of both chlorine and ammonia
1d- n/a

85
Q

re: CDWG, primary/secondary disinfectants, haloacetic acid, what is the maximum acceptable concentration, MAC, in mg/L (1a), what is the sources (1b), and what is the health basis of the MAC (1c)

A

1a- 0.08 ALARA
1b- by-product of drinking water disinfection with chlorine
1c- liver cancer

86
Q

re: CDWG, primary/secondary disinfectants, trihalomethanes, what is the maximum acceptable concentration, MAC, in mg/L (1a), what is the sources (1bc), and what is the health basis of the MAC (1de)

A

1a- 0.1
1b- By-product of water disinfection with chlorine
1c- Industrial effluents
1d- liver toxicity (fatty cysts)
1e- renal/colorectal cancers

87
Q

re: CDWG, for microbiological parameters, what is the 4-3-2-1-0 mnemonic (5)

A

Mnemonic for microbiological parameter guidelines:
4- log 4 reduction in enteric viruses
3- log 3 reduction in enteric protozoa
2- relates to multi-barrier approach to safe drinking water
1-
0.1-1 NTU for turbidity though various filtration methods
0- no E.Coli or total coliform

4-3 = VP

2025 PHPM Royal College Study - based on AN Summary Notes (30 decks)

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