Poisonous Plants, Animals, and Chemicals 2017

Question 1

What is lithium from a chemical perspective and what is it used for?

Answer 1

inorganic chemical
pharmaceutical
used to treat mental disorders as an antidepressant

Question 2

What are some properties of potassium?
ie where does it occur, what kind of chemical, unique properties

Answer 2

inorganic chemical
naturally occurring radioactive isotope
occurs in all soils
essential in plant growth and human/animal nutrition
can ignite spontaneously in moist air, extinguish with soda ask or graphite

Question 3

What are some properties of sodium?
ie. what is it used for, how does it react in nature

Answer 3

sodium peroxides are irritants and corrosives
pure sodium is a fire risk - reacts with any form of water and ignites, spontaneously ignites in dry air when heater
radioactive forms used in tracer studies/medicine

Question 4

How would you extinguish a sodium fire?

Answer 4

soda ash
salt
lime

Question 5

What type of chemical is barium? What human health risks does it pose? What benefit does it provide?

Answer 5

inorganic chemical
causes respiratory problems in lungs when dust is inhaled (baritosis pneumonitis)
used as digestive tract survey in medicine

Question 6

What type of chemical is beryllium and how does it affect humans?

Answer 6

inorganic chemical
highly toxic when inhaled as a dust
tolerance of 0.002 mg/cubic meters of air
known carcinogen

Question 7

What type of chemical is Magnesium and where is it found in nature?

Answer 7

inorganic element
central element of the chlorophyll molecule
component of red blood capsules

Question 8

What type of chemical is strontium and how does it pose a threat to human health?

Answer 8

inorganic chemical
radioactive strontium is a bone-seeking element
byproduct of nuclear reaction

Question 9

What risk does chromic acid pose to human health?

Answer 9

highly toxic and corrosive to skin

Question 10

What is significant about cobalt?
ie. where is it found in nature, where is it necessary, how does it act upon humans

Answer 10

inorganic chemical
important trace elements in soils
found in animal nutrition
radioactive Co used as cancer treatment

Question 11

What is the significance of copper in regards to human health?
How does it exist in nature?

Answer 11

inorganic chemical
necessary trace element in the human diet
factor in plant metabolism
nontoxic in elemental form
noncombustible except as powder
soda-dispensing pipes typically copper

Question 12

What type of chemical is iron? What threats does it pose?

Answer 12

inorganic chemical
siderosis - disease caused by inhalation of metallic particles
gives water metallic taste

Question 13

What type of chemical is manganese and what threats does it pose?

Answer 13

inorganic chemical
fumes
dust/powder is flammable
exposure has caused spastic/psychological symptoms
pneumonitis

Question 14

What type of chemical is nickel and what kind of threat does it pose to health?

Answer 14

inorganic
flammable/toxic as dust or fume
carcinogen
exposure can cause dermatitis

Question 15

What type of chemical is tin and what kind of threat does it pose? Where is it found?

Answer 15

inorganic by itself
all organic (contains carbon) tin compounds are toxic
stanosis - tin poisoning
block tin used in coating copper cooking utensils and lead sheet

Question 16

What type of chemical is zinc and what type of threats does it pose?

Answer 16

inorganic chemical
fume fever (dust)
flammable
fire and explosion risk

Question 17

What are the three heavy metals noted as high risks in environmental health?

Answer 17

arsenic
cadmium
lead

Question 18

What health risks does arsenic pose?
What is OSHA employee exposure limits?
Where is it found?

Answer 18

known carcinogen, causes dermatitis, gastrointestinal, possible teratogen, respiratory impairment, highly toxic ingestion/inhalation
exp limit - 10 ug/cubic meters air, ACGIH is 0.2mg/m^3
common industrial waste product considered to be hazardous waste

Question 19

What health risks does cadmium pose?

Answer 19

kidney and testes necrosis
poisoning
vomiting
diarrhea
cramps
fumes
pneumonitis
emphysema
food poisoning

Question 20

What are permissible levels of lead?

Answer 20

0 Pb in food
0.05% in house paint

Question 21

What are the blood levels of lead considered to be poisoning, and what are treatment options?

Answer 21

Adults - 5-10 ug/dl
children - 10-15 ug/dl should be monitored for lead poisoning
subclinical - 20-35 ug/dl
Moderate/High toxic >35 ug/dl
Treatment - chelation using ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA)

Question 22

What tools are used to assess lead poisoning?

Answer 22

x-ray fluorescence refractor (XFR)

Question 23

What are signs of mercury poisoning in humans? What is our air tolerance?

Answer 23

gastrointestinal impairment, inflamed mouth/gums, CNS tremors, psychological symptoms
tolerance - 0.05 mg/m^3

Question 24

What are tolerance levels for asbestoes per OSHA?

Answer 24

OSHA PEL-TWA is 0.2 fibers/cc for fibers >5um in length

Question 25

What are the risks of Carbon Monoxde?

Answer 25

highly toxic inhalation
highly flammable
fire/explosion risk
flammable limits in air (12-75% by volume)

Question 26

What are tolerable levels of carbon monoxide?

Answer 26

industrial - 50 ppm
standard - 35 ppm

Question 27

What are some acute symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?

Answer 27

carboxyhemoglobin formation
headache
dizziness
fatigue
psychomotor impairment
death
poisoned victims exhibit red, rosy cheeks

Question 28

Describe chlorine in its two states

Answer 28

liquid - clear-amber color, irritating odor
gas - greenish yellow, denser than air

Question 29

Describe hydrogen sulfide
What are the health risks?
What is it a product of?

Answer 29

colorless gas with rotten egg odor
toxic by inhalation, strong irritant to eyes and mucous membranes
highly flammable/ fire risk
natural waste product of anaerobic decomposition