EPH - DW cont'd, indoor air, radon Flashcards
what are small drinking water systems (1)
1- water not supplied from municipal source (e.g. private well or cistern)
what percentage of Canadian homes have small drinking water systems (1)
1- 14%
what percentage of Canadian homes that have small drinking water systems get their water regularly tested (1)
1- <30%
what are some barriers to routine sampling of small drinking water systems (3)
1- inconvenience
2- cost
3- lack of time
what are factors that affect well water quality
‘well factors’ - DHQD
‘local environment’ - ALMNS
(9)
1- Depth of well (dug versus drilled well)
2- Amount of new water flowing into the area
3- Local land use activities (e.g., livestock,
pesticides, gasoline storage tanks)
4- Meteorological factors (e.g., heavy rains)
5- Natural quality of surrounding soil
6- Surface water infiltration
7- Well and local hydrogeology
8- Quality of the well-head construction
9- Distance from sources of contamination
how can you mitigate risk of contamination of small drinking water systems (e.g. well) - PMMT (4)
1- Protect source
2- Maintenance
3- Monitor
4- Treat
re: mitigating risk of contamination of small drinking water systems, what does ‘protect source’ entail (1)
1- Protect source: minimum distances between wells and possible sources of contaminants (e.g.
livestock, fertilizer storage)
re: mitigating risk of contamination of small drinking water systems, what does ‘maintain’ entail (1)
1- Maintain: regular maintenance schedule, keep
up-to-date records
re: mitigating risk of contamination of small drinking water systems, what does ‘monitor’ entail - what is the timeline - BM (2)
1- Monitor: regular testing for bacteria q4 months
2- testing for minerals q2 years
re: mitigating risk of contamination of small drinking water systems, what does ‘treat’ entail (1)
1- Treat: treat water with a disinfection system if
lab results show unacceptable levels
what is community water fluoridation (CWF) (1)
1- monitoring fluoride level in drinking water to optimal level for dental caries prevention
re: CWF, what are health benefits of fluoridation - PDR (3)
1- de-min - inhibits tooth demineralization
2- re-min - enhances re-mineralization
3- plaque - inhibits enzyme activity
of plaque bacteria
re: CWF, what are potential harms of fluoridation - DSI (3)
1- dental fluorosis
2- skeletal fluorosis
3- IARC Group 3 (not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans)
re: CWF, what is the maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) of fluoride (1)
1- MAC of 1.5
mg/L, based on prevention of moderate dental fluorosis (which is re: cosmetic effect, not health impact)
what are ethical principles supporting CWF - no specific framework - HES (3)
1- Harm: public health benefit outweighs individual harms of excess fluoride exposure
2- Equity: benefits for low income children
3- Solidarity: considering the needs of the greater community over individual interest
what are ethical principles against CWF - no specific framework - AL (2)
1- Autonomy: removes individual choice
2- Least restrictive means: fluoride available in
other forms (benefit is best topically than systemically absorbed)
re: CWF, what are risk mitigation measures that can be taken for fluoride harms - TSW (3)
1- Do not use fluoridated toothpaste in children
2- Do not use fluoride supplements
3- Do not use fluoridated water with baby formula
what are sources of indoor air contaminants - simple/general answer (2)
1- outdoor pollutants
2- indoor pollutants
how do outdoor air pollutants enter indoor air supply (2)
1- enter through infiltration
2- natural or mechanical ventilation from outside
where does most exposure to outdoor pollutants happen (1)
1- Most exposure to ‘outdoor’ pollutants occurs indoors given duration of time spent inside
how do indoor air pollutants enter indoor air supply (1)
1- through indoor combustion of fuel or product residue