Final Exam (Environmental health) Flashcards
Study and management of environmental conditions that affect the health and well-being of humans
Environmental health
Factors or conditions in the environment that increase the risk of human injury, disease, or death
Environmental hazards
An event of nature that increases the probability of disease, injury, or death of humans; tsunamis, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.
Natural hazards
Consequences of natural hazards
Contaminated water and food, high temperatures, and loss of shelter
Primary needs after a disaster
Food, water, shelter, health care, clothing
Prepares communities for all hazards and manages the federal response and recovery efforts after any natural incident
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Quasi-governmental agency that provides relief to victims of disasters
American Red Cross
Unwanted by products of human activities
Residues and Wastes
Water that has been used in washing, flushing, etc.; Sewage
Waste water
Food waster, paper products, or most things that come out of the kitchen or bathroom
Garbage
Lots of things including grass clippings, twigs, hedge clippings, junk or rubbish (anything not from the kitchen or bathroom)
Trash
Waste material containing radionuclides
Radioactive wastes
Major source of solid waste
Agricultural (51%)
3% of solid waste. Paper and paper board, glass, rubber, food wastes, metals, plastics, yard trimmings, and appliances are examples of this.
Municipal solid waste (MSW)
Each person produces an average of ____ of MSW/day
4.5 lbs.
The primary law governing the disposal of solid and hazardous waste
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976
National goals set by the RCRA (1976)
- Protecting human health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal
- Conserving energy
- Reducing waste generated
- Ensuring wastes are managed in an environmentally sound manner
Types of solid waste management
- Collection and disposal
- Source reduction
- Recycling
T/F 80% of waste management money is spent on source reduction
FALSE.
80% is spent on collection and disposal
Highly regulated waste disposal sites on land suited for solid waste management
Sanitary Landfills
Most common and economical method of waste disposal world wide
Sanitary landfills
Liquids created when water mixes with waste and drains from beneath a landfill
Leachates
Second most common method of waste disposal. Used when landfills are not available
Combustion (Incineration)
Advantages of combustion
- Forms heat, steam, gas, and ash which can be harvested for energy
- Completely destroys microbes
Benefits of source reduction
- Conserves natural resources
- Less waste disposal
- Reduces toxicity of wastes
- Reduces costs and saves money
Benefits of recycling
- Decreases the need for landfill and incineration
- Saves energy
- Decreases emissions of greenhouse gases
- Conserves natural resources
- Minimizes risk to the environment
- Cleaner land, water, and ecology
A solid waste or combination of solid wastes that is dangerous to human health and the environment
Hazardous waste
The _____ established a strict system of controlling hazardous wastes from generation to disposal (_________________ regulation)
RCRA
Cradle to Grave regulation
Most common means of hazardous waste management (handles 34%)
Deep well injection
Similar principles to deep well injection, but restrictions are greater because of danger to health and environment. (handles 7%)
Secured landfill and Incineration
Best solution for handling hazardous waste
Hazardous waste recycling (source reduction)
Treating hazardous waste with chemicals to render them harmless
Chemical methods
Using microorganisms that destroy hazardous substances
Bioremediation
Created priority list, makes responsible parties pay, and cleanup program called Superfund
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA)
Big problem with leakage. Concern over contaminated water and build up of gases
Underground Storage Tanks
Abandoned industrial sites where cleanup and reuse are difficult
Brownfields
Contamination of the air that interferes with the comfort, safety, and health of living organisms
Air pollution
People most susceptible to air pollution
Children and elderly
Passed by congress in 1963. Amendments in 1970, 1977, and 1990. Sets limits on pollution.
Clean Air Act
Pollution of greatest concern outlined in the Clean Air Act are called ___________. Examples of these are:
Criteria pollutants
- Particulate matter
- Ground level ozone
Results from emissions of burning fossil fuels that react with water vapor.
Acid Rain
Caused in part by green house gases that can hold heat. Even small increases in temperature can affect air quality, water, and health.
Global warming
Examples of green house gases
Chlorofluorocarbons
Carbon dioxide
Major cause of the destruction of the ozone layer
Chlorofluorocarbons
Causes ground level smog
a.k.a. Photochemical smog
Caused by a combination of NO + VOC + sunlight
Nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds
___________ has severe monetary penalties if industrial plants release excess pollutants
Clean Air Act (1990)
Common indoor pollutants
Asbestos, biogenic pollutants, combustion bu products, VOC, Radon, environmental tobacco smoke.
Air quality creates ill health in building occupants
Sick building syndrome
T/F There are significant monetary standards set form by the federal government to stop sick building syndrome
FALSE.
There are no standards set by the federal government
Key component of environmental health
Water
___% of the planet is covered in water. ___% is fresh water while __% is easily attainable
70%
3%
1%
Underground soil formation saturated with water and available for human use by pumping
Aquifers
Any physical or chemical change in the water that can harm living organisms or make it unfit for other uses
Water pollution
Single identifiable source that discharges pollutants into the water
Point source pollution
All pollution that occurs through the runoff, seepage, or falling of pollutants into the water
Nonpoint source pollution
2 new pollutants over the past decade that have been detected in our waterways and are raising health concerns
- Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC’s)
- Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCP’s)
Other name for EDC’s
Xenoestrogens
T/F PPCP’s have been detected in water supplies around the world
True
Regulates water for human consumption
State and federal laws
Act that deals to control point source pollution of clean water
Clean Water Act (1972)
Act that regulates drinking water supply
Safe Drinking Water Act (1974)
Quality of municipal drinking water is regulated by the ___
EPA
Steps in treatment of water for domestic use
1) Coagulation and Flocculation
2) Sedimentation
3) Filtration
4) Disinfection (Cl-, Ozone, UV light)
Synonyms for waste water
Liquid waste
Sewage
Purpose of wastewater treatment
To improve quality to be able to release back into the environment
What % of pollutants are removed from waste water?
85-95%
Energy released when atoms split. Large doses are harmful to living organisms
Radiation
Natural sources of radiation
- Extraterrestrial (sun and outer space)
- Terrestrial (earths minerals)
- Internal (inside the body from ingestion)
Examples of human made radiation
X-rays, nuclear medicine, consumer products, nuclear power plants, nuclear weapons
Largest natural source of ionizing radiation
Radon
Radiation energy with a wavelength shorter than visible light, but longer than X-rays
Ultraviolet radiation
UV light that causes the most harm to humans
UV-B
Wavelength of UV-B
290-330 nm
What type of cancers does UV-B exposure cause?
Skin cancers (basal and squamous cell)
ABCD’s of skin lesions
Asymmetry
Border irregularity
Color
Diameter
If _____ becomes trapped in a building, it can cause great harm
Radon gas
There are ____ nuclear power plants in the U.S.
103
T/F Disposal of nuclear waste is not a problem in the U.S. now that the facility in Nevada is open.
FALSE.
Nevada facility is controversial and nuclear waste disposal is a problem in the U.S.
T/F Children are must more vulnerable to chemical assaults then adults
True
Naturally occurring mineral element that is found throughout the environment and used in industrial products
Lead
Children are at greatest risk of lead exposure via _____________ dust
Lead based paint dust
Acts helped to regulate the disposal of lead based products
RCRA
CERCLA
Act that allowed the CDC to provide grants to allow states to screen infant and children for elevated lead levels, ensure referral for medical and environmental intervention, and provide education to parents and children about lead poisoning
Lead Contamination Control Act (1988)
Any organism that has an adverse effect on human interests
Pest
Natural or synthetic chemicals that have been developed and manufactured for the purpose of killing pests
Pesticides
Pesticide poisonings occur most frequently with ______ and _______________
Children
Workers who apply pesticides
Occur when contaminated food with a disease agent is consumed by a susceptible person
Foodborne diseases
The occurence of 2 or more cases of a similar illness resulting from the ingestion of a common food
Foodborne disease outbreak (FBDO)
Top 5 pathogens of Foodborne illnesses (2011)
1) Norovirus (58%)
2) Salmonella, nontyphoidal (11%)
3) Clostridium perfringens (10%)
4) Campylobacter spp. (9%)
5) Staphyloccus aureus (3%)
