Quiz 5: Environmental Issues Affecting Human Health Flashcards
What is a zoonotic disease?
diseases that can spread between infected animals and humans
________ is a naturally occurring substance that seeps up from the ground and is potentially toxic to people.
radon gas
Toxicologists are scientists who study
the specific properties of potential toxins
The experience with PBDE’s has shown that
the removal of PBDE from the environment reduces its concentrations in human bodies
What type of hazard includes infectious diseases?
biological
Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring focuses primarily on the environmental problems associated with
pesticide toxicity
Chemicals that can pass easily through cell membranes are called
fat soluble
Children exposed to neurotoxic pesticides are most likely to suffer from
learning impairments
People in less developed nations are more likely to die of
infectious diseases
Individuals react differently to toxin exposures. What factors could affect an individual’s reaction to toxin exposure
-age of the individual
-genetics of the individual
-dose of toxin
-route of exposure (inhalation or skin contact)
The tobacco and asbestos industries for decades denied that their products may cause cancers. It was difficult to prove the carcinogenic nature of these products. Why?
There is a long lag time between exposure and disease
Why is triclosan used in personal care products?
It is added to soaps to act as an anti-fungal or anti-bacterial agent.
In recent decades, a worldwide drop in sperm counts among men in developed countries has been reported. To what has this observation has been attributed?
endocrine disruptors
How does BPA cause its endocrine disruptor effects?
It binds to the estrogen receptors on the cells, which will cause the same results that actual estrogen would
Why was the book “Our Stolen Future” (published by Theo Colburn in 1992) important to understanding the health impacts of chemicals on human health?
It was the first book to focus on the impacts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals
Studies of endocrine disruptors have shown that they are closely associated with all of the following except
lung cancer
Which of the following describes a scenario involving pesticide drift?
Pesticides being used in a mountain valley are carried by air currents into the surrounding hills, killing amphibians living in the hills’ streams
Transport of airborne toxicants like pesticides is a specific problem in agricultural environments. What is this type of airborne pesticide movement called?
drift
Why is knowledge about the persistence of a chemical important when considering its toxicity?
Persistence measures how long a chemical remains in its present state in an area and, therefore, how long it might be a health concern.
The increase in concentration of a fat-soluble substance in a food chain is called
biomagnification
What is the difference between bioaccumulation and biomagnification?
Bioaccumulation is the buildup of substances within one organism, while biomagnification involves these substances moving up the food chain as one organism eats another
Ocean tuna eat smaller fish that consume material containing mercury. Mercury is a persistent toxin that builds up in higher amounts in the bodies of fish. The mercury in the smaller fish accumulates in the ocean tuna in higher amounts. When we consume tuna, the mercury in the tuna can accumulate in our bodies in higher amounts. This phenomenon is called
biomagnification
What is the term for chemicals that work together in the body to produce toxic effects greater than the sum of their individual effects would predict?
synergistic
What does the dose of a toxicant mean in animal testing of new products before releasing to the public for consumer use?
It is the quantity of a toxicant that is given to the test animal.
What about chronic versus acute exposure is true?
Safe levels for chronic exposure to a toxicant are lower than safe levels for acute exposure
What does the LD50 indicate?
The amount of toxicant it takes to kill half the population
The Toxic Substances Control Act regulates
industrial chemicals
In risk assessment, why is it not possible to carefully weigh all of the risks and benefits associated with a new chemical?
-unknown synergistic interactions with other chemicals
-insufficient funding
-the need for the chemical to be available immediately
-not enough people power available
From the information on perceived risks provided in the Lecture 12 slides, list the following hazards according to the risk they pose (with the most risky listed first).
automobile accident, homicide, drowning, airplane accident
Which is true about the precautionary principle?
Harmful products are prevented from reaching store shelves
