Physical Factors - Komura Flashcards
What are the four mechanical physical factors?
Motor vehicle accidents
Residence-related accidents
Work-related accidents
Disasters
What is significant about motor vehicle accidents?
They are the leading cause of accidental deaths
What are three pertinent facts about residence-related accidents?
- Accidental falls is the second leading cause of accidental deaths
- accidental drowning is the fourth leading cause of accidental deaths
- other important types: open flames, hot surfaces and liquids, medicines, sharp edges, electricity, lawn mowers
What are two pertinent facts about work-related accidents?
- accidents caused by fire and explosion of combustible material is the third leading cause of accidental deaths
- other important types: chemical burns, exposure to toxic gases, unsafe operation of machinery
Why do we consider disasters as environmental health specialists?
While natural disasters cannot be prevented, proper land use planning can mitigate their damage
Ex: earthquake, avalanche, rockslides, mudslides, flooding, wildfire
What is the equation for the measurement of sound in L Loudness?
dB = 20 log(P/Po)
dB is decibels
P is the given sound pressure
Po is the sound pressure of minimum audible sound
What do logarithms provide in the measurement of sound?
Permit the use of manageable numbers
Give a breakdown of the dB rating of noise on a scale of 0-120
0 - threshold of hearing
30 - very quiet (library)
60 - intrusive (conversation)
90 - very annoying (power lawnmower)
120 - maximum vocal effort (jet aircraft flyover)
When does hearing damage occur at 90 decibels?
after 8 hours
What is another factor measured when considering noise aside from decibels?
Frequency
Not all frequencies are detectable by the human ear, but it is still measured as noise
Noise from a point source does what in regards to distance?
Decreases according to the inverse square law
What does doubling sound pressure result in?
An increase in 3 dB
What does doubling distance of a noise point source results in?
A reduction of 6 dB
What are the physiological effects of noise?
Loss of hearing
instantaneous rupture of eardrum
chronic with continuous exposure to noise levels of 90 dB
What are the psychological effects of noise?
Invasion of privacy may trigger anger, tension, fear, and anxiety
What are the three main sources of noise?
- vehicles
- workplace machinery
- residence - stereos, aircraft, vehicles, machinery
What are the three types of ionizing radiation?
Alpha radiation
Beta radiation
X-rays
What are the characteristics of Alpha radiation?
low penetration (will not penetrate the skin)
more significant as an internal emitter
What are the characteristics of Beta radiation?
penetrate more than alpha
have internal and external emitter significance
What are the characteristics of X-rays?
highly penetrating
important external hazards
What are the four sources of ionizing radiation?
Earth
Solar
Cosmic
Man-made
Where does radiation from the earth come from?
coal contains radioactive material that is released when burned
Where does radiation from the sun come from?
Production of radioactive agents by cosmic radiation in the atmosphere
Where does man-made radiation come from?
Production of nuclear fuel
use of nuclear fuel
use of radioisotopes in industry, medicine, and research
Testing of nuclear weapons
What isotopes of strontium are radioactively harmful and what are the side effects?
90&89
irradiate the skeleton
What isotope of Cesium is radioactively harmful and what are the side effected?
137
irradiates soft tissue
What isotope of Carbon is radioactively harmful and what are the side effected?
14
produces whole body radiation
What isotope of Iodine is radioactively harmful and what are the side effected?
131
irradiates the thyroid gland
What are signs of acute radiation poisoning?
loss of hair
skin ulcers
damage to blood-forming organs
Doses of 350-400 rem may be lethal
What are early signs of chronic radiation poisoning?
changes in texture and pigmentation of skin
What are the types of cancers that can be caused by chronic radiation poisoning?
Leukemia
Skin cancer
Thyroid cancer
Lung cancer
Bone cancer
What are the are the four chronic diseases caused by radiation poisoning?
- cancer
- cataracts
- shortened life span
- teratogenicity
Where is radiation-related leukemia most often observed?
early radiologists
victims of atomic bombings
Where is radiation-related skin cancer most often observed?
early radiologists
Where is radiation-related thyroid cancer most often observed?
children who have received neck x-rays
Where is radiation-related lung cancer most often observed?
occupationally exposed workers in metal and uranium mining
Where is radiation-related bone cancer most often observed?
radium dial painters
Where is radiation-related cataracts most often observed?
atomic bombing victims
Where is radiation-related shortened life-span most often observed?
bombing victims, radiologist, animals
What are the five types of non-ionizing radiation?
Ultra-violet radiation
Visible energy
Infrared radiation
Microwaves and radio waves
Lasers
Ultra-violet radiation
1. Source
2. Health effects
- disinfectant properties, fluorescent lights, direct sunlight, electric welding arcs, photo engraving
- eye-inflammation of cornea, skin-burn
Visible energy
1. Source
2. Health effects
- sunlight, artificial light
- inadequate lighting causing eye fatigue, headache, sunburn
Infrared radiation
1. Source
2. Health effects
- paint drying, dehydrating textiles, paper and other materials
- eye injury and production of cataracts, skin burn
Microwaves and radio waves
1. Source
2. Health effects
- television, FM and radar transmitters, medical diathermy, microwave ovens
- heating of tissues, lower frequency on another card
What are the health effects of lower frequency microwaves and radio waves?
penetrate deeper into tissues, especially at exposures of less than 3000 MIP (microwave induced plasma)
possible cataract and gonadal damagae may result
Lasers
1. Definition
2. Health effects
- high intensity light radiation of a single wave length
- primarily eye hazard
What are the four climate factors we are concerned with as environmental health specialists?
- heat
- cold and wind chill
- pressure
- humidity
What are the health effects of heat?
sunstroke
heat exhaustion
lowered production
What are the health effects of cold and wind chill?
lowered production
frostbite
hypothermia
What are the health effects of pressure?
Low pressure - hypoxia (altitude sickness)
decompression and compression (the bends - think scuba diving)
What are the health effects of humidity?
high humidity contributes to heat stress
