Module 16 Flashcards
Risk
The probability of harmful effects to human health resulting from exposure to an environmental hazard
Non-transmissible disease
A disease that can’t be spread from person to person
Communicable disease
A disease that can be spread from person to person
Pathogen
Anything that can produce a disease
Virus
A pathogen that works by invading a cell and taking over that cell’s machinery to copy itself
Epidemic
An outbreak that is limited to one area or region
Pandemic
A disease that spreads globally
Toxicology
Study of the detrimental effects chemicals have on living organisms
Biomagnification
Occurs when chemicals that accumulate in body tissues are passed from one organism to another through the food chain
Dose-response curve
An LD50 graph
Acute effect
Immediate response to a chemical
Chronic effect
Long-term exposure to a chemical
Median lethal dosage
Dose required to be lethal for 50% of a test population
Non-threshold dose-response model
If the response to a chemical begins at 0 and increase continuously with a dosage
Threshold dose-response
Shows that harmful effects of a chemical do not occur until after the dose exceeds a threshold level
Neurotoxin
Chemicals that disrupt the nervous system of animals
Carcinogen
Compounds that cause or promote cancer in the human body
Mutagen
Carcinogens that cause damage to the genetic material of a cell
Teratogen
Chemicals that interfere with the normal development of embryos
Federal insecticide, Fungicide & Rodenticide Act
Gives EPA the authority to regulate the sale, packaging, distribution, and disposal of pesticides
Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act
Allows EPA to set tolerance levels for pesticide residue on food for human and livestock consumption
Food Quality Protection Act of 1996
This law outlines more requirements for assessing tolerance levels for pesticides
Emergency Planning & Community Rights to know Act
Requires government to improve public knowledge and access to information regarding toxic chemicals
