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midterm exam environmental health > midterm > Flashcards

midterm Flashcards

1
Q

Which of the following is
NOT route of toxicological
exposure?
A. Inhalation
B. Ingestion
C. Dermal
D. All the above actually are
toxicological exposure
routes

A

D. All the above actually are
toxicological exposure
routes

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2
Q

True or False? r-selected
species generally are
slower-growing than K-
selected species

A

false

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3
Q

True or false? Consumerism,
but not population growth,
impact sustainability

A

false

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4
Q

List the five modern
advancements of
environmental health:

A
  1. Identification of Chemical
    Hazards
  2. Environmental Psychology
  3. Ecohealth
  4. Expansion of health care
    services related to
    environmental exposures
  5. Development of
    Environmental Health Policies
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5
Q

What is the difference between disease genes and environmental response genes?

A

Disease genes cause diseases regardless of environmental exposures, whereas ERGs require a specific exposure to be activated

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6
Q

subcategory of public health

A

Environmental health

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7
Q

environmental health

A

field of public health that addresses
physical, chemical, biological, social, and psychosocial
factors in the environment.

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8
Q

Goal/ aim of environmental health

A
  1. control and prevent environmental hazards
  2. promote health and well-being through environmental strategies
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9
Q

Industrialization brought
* Urban crowding/ cramped housing
* Lack of functioning, proper sewers & water treatment
* Feces on the streets
which then caused…

A

Sanitation became important in as cities grew in the age of
industrialization

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10
Q

Workplace conditions, especially in factories, was terrible

A

*No safety protocols
* Pollution
* Children in factories

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11
Q

Charles Turner Thackrah

A

Occupational Health

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12
Q

Alice Hamilton

A

Occupational Health

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13
Q

Jon Snow

A

Epidemiology

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14
Q

Edwin Chadwick

A

Social Epidemiology

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15
Q

Rachel Carson

A

Recognition of Environmental Hazards

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16
Q

5 trends in environmental health

A
  1. Environmental Justice
  2. Focus on Susceptible Groups
  3. Scientific Advances
  4. Global Changes
  5. Moves Towards Sustainability
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17
Q
  1. environmental justice (trend)
A

Ethical Obligations to ensure equity and equality in context of environment

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18
Q
  1. Focus on Susceptible Groups (trend)
A

Generational Equity

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19
Q
  1. Scientific Advances (trend)
A

New fields and technologies popping up all the time!

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20
Q
  1. Global Changes (Trend)
A

We realize global factors of environmental health

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21
Q
  1. Moves Towards Sustainability (trend)
A

Renewable Energy Source

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22
Q

Ecology is

A

the science that studies the interaction of living
things in relation to their environment

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23
Q

Ecology tends to

A

-in relation to one another, both biotic and abiotic
- By definition, it looks at things holistically

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24
Q

biotic

A

relating to or resulting from living things, especially in their ecological relations.

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25
Q

abiotic

A

physical rather than biological; not derived from living organisms.

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26
Q

Biodiversity

A

the degree of variation of life in all its forms, varies also at the question of scale–it is hierarchical

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27
Q

Autotrophs

A

producers in the food chain, meaning they create their own nutrients and energy.

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28
Q

heterotroph

A

an organism that eats other plants or animals for energy and nutrients.

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29
Q

Detrivores

A

an animal which feeds on dead organic material, especially plant detritus.

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30
Q

Characteristics of
populations are governed
by ecologic processes

A

Including population size
* Birth Rate/ Reproduction Rate
* Death Rate
* Immigration

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31
Q

Population dynamics

A

The relationships between organisms affects population size

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32
Q

carrying capacity

A

maximum population that can be sustained indefinitely

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33
Q

Life Span Short

A

R species

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34
Q

Quick to reach maturity

A

r species

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35
Q

number of offspring- many

A

r species

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36
Q

size of offspring small

A

r species

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37
Q

energy spent raising offspring little/ none

A

r species

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38
Q

population growth- fast

A

r species

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39
Q

Population size variability Unpredictable, unstable

A

r species

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40
Q

Population size Below Carrying Capacity

A

r species

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41
Q

Sustainable practices are necessary to

A

maintain our environment

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42
Q

We require energy

A

to live and, especially, to thrive

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43
Q

describe our existence and impact on the environment in historical terms

A

Anthropocene

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44
Q

Sustainable energy and environmental practices

A

key if we wish to survive
long-term as a species

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45
Q

affect sustainability

A

Consumerism and population growth

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46
Q

United Nations has even recognized the importance of sustainability

A

Brundtland Report
* Rio Declaration of Environment and Development
* Millennium Development Goals

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47
Q

According to the “Safe Operating Space for Humanity”, we’ve already

A

began to seriously damage our environment: We’ve already exceeded 3 out of 9 key planetary boundaries

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48
Q

Metrics are key

A

They need to be realistic, actionable, and appropriate to be successful
* Includes questions of time, scale, accuracy, etc.
* Metrics chosen will affect how you measure things

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49
Q

How to measure environmental health

A
  • Epidemiology
  • Toxicology
  • Geospatial Analysis
  • Industrial Hygiene
  • Occupational Health
  • Risk Assessment
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50
Q

Epidemiology

A

Science that assesses the distribution and determinants of health and disease among populations

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51
Q

Looks at exposure relationships and tries to assess causality; focuses on measures of association

A

Epidemiology

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52
Q

Causality is not easy to prove

A

epidemiology

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53
Q

Looks at events
* Morbidity and Mortality

A

epidemiology

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54
Q

Prevalence

A

the quantity of affected people in a specified
population at a given time

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55
Q

Prevalence=

A

number of affected people/total population

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56
Q

Incidence

A

looks at the number of newly affected individuals in
a specific population at a specific time

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57
Q

insidence=

A

newly affected people/ number of persons at risk

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58
Q

rule of incidence

A

Persons in the numerator must have the potential to be in the denominator

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59
Q

Mortality Rate

A

measure of deaths in a population at a given
time

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60
Q

Measures of Morbidity:

A

Incidence

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61
Q

mortality rate=

A

number of deaths/ number at risk

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62
Q

Case fatality rate:

A

number of deaths due to a disease among those with disease

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63
Q

CFR=

A

of deaths due to specific disease/ total # of people with that disease

64
Q

Measures of association

A

quantify the relationship between an
exposure and an outcome

65
Q

Various types of measures:

A
  • Odds
  • Risk
  • Hazards
66
Q

to understand the relationship
between risk factor and outcome

A

need to compare the exposure to non-exposure,
or disease to lack of disease

67
Q

Case Report Cost

A

Very low

68
Q

case report participant selection

A

medical cases

69
Q

case report main measurement

A

none

70
Q

case report is good for

A

describing new diseases

71
Q

case report temporality

A

none

72
Q

ecological cost

A

very low

73
Q

ecological participant selection

A

populations/groups

74
Q

ecological main measurement

A

correlation

75
Q

ecological is good for

A

hypothesis generation

76
Q

ecological temporality

A

snapshot

77
Q

cross section cost

A

low

78
Q

cross sectional participant selection

A

n/a

79
Q

main measurement for cross sectional

A

prevalence

80
Q

cross sectional is good for

A

exploring risk factors

81
Q

cross sectional temporality

A

snapshot

82
Q

case- control cost

A

medium

83
Q

case control participant selection

A

based on disease

84
Q

main measurement for case control

A

prevalence

85
Q

case control is good for

A

prevalence studying rare diseases, more in depth risk factor assessment

86
Q

case control temporality

A

generally retrospective

87
Q

cohort cost

A

high

88
Q

cohort participant selection

A

based on exposure

89
Q

main measurement for cohort

A

incidence

90
Q

cohort is good

A

for studying rare exposures, assessing incidence

91
Q

cohort temporality

A

Retrospective
or Prospective

92
Q

trail cost

A

very high

93
Q

trail participant selection

A

randomization

94
Q

trail main measurement

A

incidence

95
Q

trail is good for

A

Assessing
causation;
researcher
control

96
Q

Temporality trail

A

prospective

97
Q

prospective

A

likely to happen at a future date; concerned with or applying to the future.

98
Q

retrospective

A

looking back on or dealing with past events or situations.

99
Q

Biomarkers

A

Measurable indicator of a biological process

100
Q

Environmental epidemiology

A

Focuses on exposures in the environment
* Air pollution and asthma; arsenic in drinking water and bladder cancer

101
Q

Occupational epidemiology

A

Focuses on workplace exposures and associated outcomes
* Can look at multiple types of exposures:
* Biological: animal waste (farmers)
* Chemical: heavy metals (factory workers)
* Physical: radiation (x-ray technicians), noise (construction workers)

102
Q

Geospatial Analysis

A

-Data used in this field is often linked to place
* Georeferenced data
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

103
Q

spatial statistics

A

the application of statistical concepts and methods to data that have a spatial location attached to them

104
Q

Toxicology is

A

the study of the negative effects of chemical products on biological systems

105
Q

Difference between toxin and toxicant

A

Toxin is usually used when referring to a toxic substance produced naturally. Toxicant is usually used when referring to a toxic substance that is produced by, or a by-product of, man-made activities.

106
Q

ecotoxicology

A

toxicity at the ecological level

107
Q

“The dose makes the poison”

A

Paracelsus, father of toxicology

108
Q

Dose-Response Curves in toxicology

A

Graphical representations of how bad things actually are for you
* Quantitative (exposure: outcome)
* Concentration

109
Q

Toxicological Measures

A

Assess by Chemical class ,Exposure source, and/or Target (“Target organs” )

110
Q

Regulatory

A

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (1938)
*TSCA: Toxic Substances Control Act (1976)
*Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
(1984)
*Food Quality Protection Act (1996)
*Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):

111
Q

Genetic Regulation

A

turns our genes off and on

112
Q

Endocrine disruptors

A

interferes with proper genetic regulation
* Chemicals that may interfere with the body’s endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in both humans and wildlife

113
Q

Environmental response gene (ERGs)

A

dictates our response to environmental exposures. If not activated, won’t really do much

114
Q

Disease genes

A

will be problematic regardless of environmental exposures

115
Q

genetic epidemiology

A

specific role of genes in relation to disease (or health) in populations, most often specifically focusing on the gene-environment interactions

116
Q

Molecular studies

A
  • Multiple lab-based studies; big data making it easier, but need to be cautious
  • Over-promise of GW
117
Q

Are clinical trails used in epidemiology?

A

NOOOO

118
Q

Industrial Hygiene (Occupational hygiene)

A

Science and practice of anticipating, recognizing, evaluating, and
controlling detrimental environmental and occupational exposures
* Hazards

119
Q

Exposure Science

A

Field that studies human contact with various environmental agents
looking at the mechanisms and dynamics of events that prevents or
leads to disease/health

120
Q

Exposure Assessment

A

Process that estimates/measures/ characterizes magnitude,
frequency, and duration of exposure to agent among populations

121
Q

Four Steps of Industrial Hygiene

A

Anticipation, recognition, evaluation, control

122
Q

Anticipation

A

Proactive estimation of health and safety concerns that are
association with certain jobs or environments

123
Q

Recognition

A

Identification of potential and actual hazards through inspection

124
Q

Evaluation

A

Measuring exposures through visual and/or instrumental monitoring

125
Q

Control

A

Reduction of risk to health and safety through administrative or
engineering measures

126
Q

epidemiology is about

A

relationships

127
Q

Control

A

Form of primary prevention

128
Q

Several approaches to control occupational and environmental
hazards:

A

Substitution: replacement of hazard
* Isolation: containing or limiting human access usually through engineering
* Ventilation: introduction of air or exhaust hoods
* Administrative controls: policies and procedures to reduce risk (e.g. lockout
tags, rotating workers, etc.)
* Protective devices
* Personal protective equipment:gloves, safety glasses

129
Q

Exposure Science

A

Study of human contact with chemical, physical, and/or
biological agents in the environment
(Focuses on mechanisms and dynamics that cause or prevent health outcomes)

130
Q

exposure scientists

A

Evaluate exposure determinants: factors and conditions that influence
exposures

131
Q

exposure assessment

A

Quantifies exposures in both occupation and environments
* Focuses on concentration, exposure, and dose

132
Q

Exposure Science
* What do we care about?

A

Concentration
* Exposure and Exposure Profile
(Total Exposure ,Exposure routes: Inhalation, Ingestion, Dermal)
* Dose
(Absorption factor, Absorbed Dose, Targeted Organ Dose)
* Intensity (Magnitude/ amount of contact between agent and barrier/ boundary)
* Frequency: number of exposure events
* Duration

133
Q

EPA

A

Environmental Protection Agency

134
Q

Exposure Assessment uses:

A

imputation (modeling exposures)
(Creation of a physical or conceptual mathematical representation of the exposure process, including events and outcomes)
* Measuring environmental exposure
* Measuring personal exposures
* Measuring biomarkers

135
Q

exposure assessment can also used

A

Measuring environmental exposure
* Measurement can be made:
* Fixed locations (area sampling), Tends to be used for air pollution monitoring, Using individuals (personal sampling)
*Measuring personal exposure
* Placing a small device on a person
* Reference approach because it accounts for time, location, and behaviors

136
Q

Duplicate diet studies:

A

Collects meals identical to those eaten by study subjects over a period of time to measure presence of a particular agent in food

137
Q

Food diaries:

A

you write down everything you ate over a certain period, including size/quantity, food type, frequency, etc.
* Also used A LOT in nutritional epidemiology

138
Q

Risk assessment:

A

stepwise process of organizing information about a particular hazard* Very much tied to exposure assessment

139
Q

In risk assessment, we look at:

A

What can go wrong
* Likelihood
* Consequences
* How tolerable the risk actually is

140
Q

Five Steps for Risk Assessment:

A

1.Problem Formulation
2. Hazard Identification
3. Dose-Response Assessment
4. Exposure Assessment
5. Risk Characterization

141
Q

Ethics

A

Branch of philosophy that focuses on what is right/ wrong
*Formal approach to assessing what is right or wrong
*Can be looked at the personal level, professional level, and
even societal level
*Fundamental to public health

142
Q

When we talk about ethics in the context of public health we talk about

A
  • Bioethics
  • Care ethics
143
Q

what is esstential to ethics?

A

Transparency and objectivity are essential

144
Q

Active need for ethics leads to:

A

Advocacy
(Fighting for what you believe)
* Activism
(Persistent advocacy)

145
Q

Environmental Justice

A

It can be argued that we are ethically bound to understand and
combat the fundamental causes of disease

146
Q

Health Disparities exist because

A

inequities and inequalities

147
Q

Environmental Justice is the concept of

A

protecting all
communities from environmental hazards, while providing
equal access to all communities to environmental, social, and
economic aspects that promote health and well-being

148
Q

Environmental Psychology

A

Multidisciplinary field within psychology
* Focuses primarily on the built environment

149
Q

two main fields of environmental psychology

A

Conservation Psychology
* Ecopsychology

150
Q

Conservation Psychology

A

Studies development of environmental attitudes

151
Q

Ecopsychology

A

Studies relationship between people and the ecosystem

152
Q

When people ”accept” a chronic exposure (e.g. noise, urban decay), it leads to

A

learned helplessness
(Belief that nothing they do can help them overcome the problem)

153
Q

We can apply the concepts of environmental psychology to the real world via:

A

design/ design thinking
urban planning

154
Q

Design

A

is an applied field of creative thinking with the purpose of specifically solving problems, based on the needs of the actual final user

155
Q

One method used is design thinking

A

Five step process (empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test) that is a problem-solving equivalent to scientific method (hypotheses generation)

156
Q

Urban Planning

A
  • Multidisciplinary field that focuses on the development and design of the use of land use and infrastructure
  • Uses public policies to improve the quality of life of all users of the built environment

midterm exam environmental health (1 decks)

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