Test 3 Slides

Question 1

Environmental health

Answer 1

is a field that assesses environmental
factors that can influence our health and quality of life.
o These include both natural and anthropogenic factors.

Question 2

Physical hazards

Answer 2

arise from natural environmental processes,
such as UV radiation from sunlight
and natural disasters.
o These risks can be reduced
with protective measures, such
as sunblock and disaster
detection and warning systems

Question 3

Chemical hazards

Answer 3

include synthetic
chemicals such as
pharmaceuticals,
disinfectants and
pesticides, and natural
toxins like venom.

Question 4

Biological hazards

Answer 4

Result from interactions with other
organisms, such as viruses,
bacteria, insects, or
parasites.

Question 5

Cultural hazards

Answer 5

occur as the result
of our place of residence,
socioeconomic status, occupation,
or behavioral choices.
o Choosing to smoke, accompanying
people who smoke, poor diet, drug
use, and workplace hazards are all
examples.

Question 6

Toxicology

Answer 6

is the science of examining the effects of poisonous
substances on humans and other organisms.

Question 7

Environmental toxicology

Answer 7

is the study of anthropogenic chemicals
released into the environment that have human health effects.

Question 8

Outdoor environmental Hazards

Answer 8

Cigarette smoke, radon a radioactive gas that seeps into bedrock, Asbestos an insulation product are outdoor hazards.

Question 9

Indoor Environmental Hazards

Answer 9

Lead poisoning, Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (P BDEs) are compounds used as fire retardants in a variety of products, including electronics,
plastics, and furniture.
o Similar to BPA, PBDEs act as hormone disruptors, interfering with thyroid hormones.
o The European Union banned PBDEs in 2003, but they have not yet been addressed in the United States.

Question 10

Explain the dose-response curve. Why is a substance with a high LD50 considered safer than one with a low LD50 ?

Answer 10

A dose-response curve shows how much of a population is affected when exposed to a certain dose of a substance.
A substance with a high LD50 is considered safer because a high LD50 indicates a large dose of a substance is needed to kill half of a population. A low LD50 means that only a small dose is needed to kill the same number in a population.

Question 11

What happens to solar radiation after it reaches Earth? How do greenhouse gases warm the lower atmosphere?

Answer 11

Nearly 70% of solar radiation is absorbed by the earth’s atmosphere and oceans, and the rest is reflected back into space. The absorbed radiation is re-emitted as infrared radiation.
- Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb a portion of the long-wavelength radiation and re-emit it, sending it back down to warm the atmosphere and surface through the Greenhouse Effect.

Question 12

What is the species area relationship (SAR)? How can it be used to predict extinction rates?

Answer 12

A species-area relationship (SAR) describes the pattern where the number of species found in a given area increases as the area itself increases, essentially meaning larger habitats tend to support a greater variety of species; this relationship can be used to predict extinction rates by estimating how many species are likely to be lost when a habitat is reduced in size, allowing researchers to calculate potential extinction risks associated with habitat loss or fragmentation.