Deck 4: Risk Analysis and Environmental Health Hazards

Question 1

The probability of harm occurring under certain circumstances is known as ________?

Answer 1

Risk

Question 2

Which of the following would be a symptom of acute toxicity?

A)asthma
B)arthritis
C)cancer
D)dizziness

Answer 2

dizziness

Question 3

Which of the following would be considered an infectious disease-causing agent?

A)PCBs
B)radiation
C)pathogens
D)AIDS

Answer 3

pathogens

Question 4

Risk:

A)only applies to environmental impact on human health and welfare.
B)is an assessment of the financial cost of environmental impact.
C)is the probability that a given hypothesis will be proven true.
D)is the probability of injury, disease, death, or environmental damage under a given set of circumstances.

Question 5

What is E. coli?

A)bacteria
B)virus
C)protozoa
D)parasitic worm

Question 6

Which of the following diseases is transmitted by mosquitoes?

A)Cholera
B)Typhoid
C)Cryptosporidiosis
D)Malaria

Question 7

Put the following steps of risk assessment in the correct order:
I. risk characterization
II. risk management
III. hazard identification
IV. dose-response and exposure assessment

A)I - II - III - IV
B)IV - III - II - I
C)III - II - IV - I
D)None of these choices.

Question 8

Which of the following is required to adequately quantify risk using a risk assessment? 1 Comparison groups must be formed to compare hazards.
2 Deaths caused by a hazard.
3 An environmental relationship to the risk must be established.
4 The long term impacts of hazard must be studied.

A)1 only
B)2 only
C)3 only
D)4 only
E)1 and 4

Question 9

What is believed to account for the differences in the two drawings shown below?

A)Drawing A was done by a child attending school, while drawing B was done by a child who did not attend school.
B)The child who drew picture B was exposed to pesticides over a long period of time, whereas the child who drew picture A was not.
C)Drawing A was done by a child with well-developed artistic ability for his/her age; Drawing B was done by a child who has no artistic ability.
D)The child who drew picture B was exposed to industrial air pollution over a long period of time, whereas the child who drew picture A was not.

Question 10

Which of the following associations between children, adults, and pesticides is CORRECT?

A)Children often face greater exposure, from playing in contaminated areas and putting their hands and other objects into their mouth.
B)Children's developing bodies exhibit lower response from a given amount of pesticide than do aging adult bodies.
C)Pesticide exposure affects development of height and reproductive organs in young children but commonly cause brain cancer and leukemia in adults.
D)Children have more stringent pesticide regulations to protect their health than do adults.

Question 11

The first step in risk assessment is ___________?

Question 12

What is a pandemic?

A)an acute disease
B)a toxic disease
C)a viral disease
D)a global disease

Question 13

The four steps in risk assessment are hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterizations.

Question 14

Which of the following statements about risk, risk assessment, and risk management is CORRECT?

A)Risk assessment is the quantitative and qualitative characterization of risks so that they can be compared, contrasted and managed.
B)Risk assessment estimates the probability that an event will occur and helps us determine how we can best avoid, reduce, or eliminate a particular risk.
C)Based on risk assessment calculations, to reduce the risk of cancer it is more important to stop smoking than to stop drinking bottled water.
D)All of the above statements about risk, risk assessment, and risk management are correct.

Question 15

The process of identifying, assessing, and reducing risk is called:

A)risk
B)risk assessment
C)risk management
D)risk categorization

Question 16

A toxicologist is most likely to study which of the following?

A)The impact of acid precipitation
B)DDT exposure in golf course workers
C)Risk of heart disease in relation to obesity
D)Types of malaria in Africa

Question 17

Risk assessment involves all of the following EXCEPT:

A)financial costs of the predicted risk.
B)identification of the hazard.
C)dose-response assessment.
D)assessment of the exposure.

Question 18

How might the clearing of roads and pristine areas like the one shown below lead to an increase in infectious disease?

A)There is an increased risk of sewage leaking into the water supply.
B)The creation of drainage ditches provides habitat for disease carrying mosquitoes.
C)Typhoid and cholera can spread from wild animals to drinking water.
D)Cars on the road can carry the diseases to cities.

Question 19

What can be interpreted from the graph below?

A)Mexican-Americans, who make up a disproportionate fraction of agricultural workers in the United States, are at higher risk from pesticides than are other groups.
B)The DDT blood level for Mexican-Americans is much higher than the rest of the population.
C)Mexican-Americans are genetically pre-disposed to accumulate DDT in their blood..
D)Mexican-Americans are at a higher risk of developing cancer.

Question 20

What can be interpreted from the figure below about the lifetime probability of death by selected causes?

A)The top three causes of death are caused by risks that are controlled by genetics as well as by lifestyle or environment.
B)There is a greater risk of death in flying in an airplane than driving a car.
C)All the top five causes of death are caused purely by stochastic (random)events and cannot be changed by behavior.
D)All of these causes of death are risks that are solely controlled by environment.

Question 21

What phenomenon is illustrated by the diagram shown below?

A)bioaccumulation
B)biomagnification
C)persistence
D)acute toxicity

Question 22

Infectious organisms include bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and parasites that cause disease.

Question 23

A chemical substance that is extremely stable and takes years to break down into a less toxic form would be considered to be:

A)Persistent
B)bioaccumulating
C)chronic
D)biomagnified

Question 24

Which of the following characteristics caused DDT to have such a devastating impact on birds of prey like eagles?

A)Persistence
B)bioaccumulation
C)biomagnification
D)all of these choices

Question 25

Acute toxicity:

A)is only caused by synthetic chemicals.
B)is poorly understood by toxicologists.
C)may mimic symptoms of chronic diseases.
D)produces an effect within a short period of a single exposure.

Question 26

Bioaccumulation is the buildup of a persistent toxicant in an organism over time as more is taken in but little or none is removed.

Question 27

What is the effect of pesticides like DDT on birds?

A)Pesticides like DDT bioaccumulate in the tissues and cause infertility in the females.
B)DDT bioaccumulates and causes females to lay eggs with very thin shells that break during the incubation period killing the chicks.
C)Birds like the bald eagle have the highest concentration of DDT because they are at the top of the food chain.
D)b & c

Question 28

Why are infectious agents more easily spread more among people who live in a city such as the one pictured below?

A)Air pollution contributes to the spread of infectious agents.
B)Extremely crowded conditions make the transmission of infectious agents easier.
C)Industrial pollutants like POPs increase the risk of spreading infectious diseases.
D)Road construction allows infectious agents to move into cities.

Question 29

What effect of pesticides on birds can be interpreted from the graph below?

A)DDE (a breakdown product of DDT)residue in bird eggs has a negative correlation with reproductive success - when DDE residues are high the number of young per breeding season was low.
B)Even though DDT was banned in 1972, reproductive success of birds has yet to improve.
C)The graph provides evidence of how DDT bioaccumulates and biomagnifies in birds.
D)DDT causes acute toxicity in birds.

Question 30

Which of the following statements about malaria is FALSE:

A)It is a non-transmittable disease caused by synthetic chemicals.
B)Road clearing in the Amazon has disrupted the natural environment and created habitat for the mosquito larvae to thrive.
C)Mosquitoes do not cause malaria but are the agents of transmission of the disease.
D)It is an infectious disease caused by a parasite.

Question 31

Why are public water supplies monitored for fecal coliform bacteria despite the fact that most strains of E. coli do not cause disease?

A)E. coli is the best indicator of sewage-contaminated water because it doesn't appear in the environment except from human and animal feces.
B)The fecal coliform test is the least expensive, though not most accurate, way to test for sewage contamination.
C)Contrary to what is generally accepted, E. Coli is in fact a deadly disease causing pathogen.
D)E. Coli is the only bacteria in our water supply that we know how to test for.

Question 32

What are most of the POPs listed in the Stockholm Convention "Dirty Dozen" used for?

A)insecticides
B)fungicides
C)herbicides
D)industrial solvents

Question 33

Which of the following controls the regulation of toxins in the environment in the United States?

A)United States Department of Agriculture
B)Environmental Protection Agency
C)United States Fish and Wildlife Service
D)Environmental Working Group

Question 34

The study of the effects of chemical, biological, and physical agents on the health of human populations is called:

A)toxicology
B)ecology
C)epidemiology
D)chronic toxicity

Question 35

Acute toxicity is adverse effects that occur after a long period of low-level exposure to a toxicant.

Question 36

Which of the following statements BEST describes emerging diseases like swine flu?

A)Infectious diseases that were not previously found in humans and typically jump from an animal host to humans.
B)Infectious diseases that existed in the past but for a variety of reasons are increasing in incidence.
C)Infectious diseases that were previously found in humans and typically jump from a human host to animals.
D)Non-infectious diseases that have transformed into infectious diseases.

Question 37

Which of the following action(s)may unintentionally contribute to outbreaks and rapid spread of infectious disease?

A)global travel
B)social and economic factors
C)disruption of natural environments
D)all of these choices

Question 38

How does bioaccumulation occur?

A)Toxins move up the food chain, so that predators ingest higher concentrations.
B)Toxins do not break down and remain in the environment for long periods of time.
C)Ingested toxins -that are slow to be metabolized and excreted - are instead stored in the body.
D)Organisms are exposed to low doses of toxins over several years.

Question 39

The rapid spread of infectious organisms is more common in rural than urban areas.

Question 40

Chemicals with adverse effects are known as _________?

Question 41

Pollutants that interfere with the normal functioning of hormones are called:

A)radioisotopes
B)synergists
C)stimulants
D)endocrine disrupters

Question 42

Which of the following statements about carcinogens is FALSE?

A)Cancer was traditionally the main disease evaluated in the chemical risk assessment of environmental contaminants.
B)In lab studies, rats and mice often respond differently to the same carcinogen.
C)It is assumed that one can extrapolate from doses and cancer rates in rats to determine human cancer rates.
D)No false statement, all of the above are true

Question 43

The concept that new technologies, practices, or materials, should not be adopted until there is strong evidence that they will not adversely affect human or environmental health is known as the ____________?

Question 44

A carcinogen is a:

A)type of microorganism associated with human sewage.
B)cancer-causing chemical, radiation, or virus.
C)vehicle that requires no gasoline to operate.
D)phytochemical (a protective plant compound that promotes health).

Question 45

We measure toxicity by the dose at which adverse effects are produced. Which of the following statements about the dose of and response to toxic agents are true?

A)Lethal doses of particular toxicants for humans are known through doing laboratory tests on human subjects.
B)Doses are expressed in milligrams of toxicant per kilogram of body weight.
C)Sub-lethal doses usually produce acute toxicity whereas lethal doses produce chronic toxicity.
D)Response to a dose depends only on the type of toxicant and not the age or health of the organism.

Question 46

Endocrine disrupters:

A)are only active in very large doses or exposures
B)only affect the reproductive capability of females
C)affect the reproduction of fishes, birds, reptiles and mammals
D)only affect the reproduction of humans

Question 47

The ___ and ___ were amended in response to the need to test chemicals for their potential to disrupt the endocrine system.

A)Endangered Species Act and Wilderness Act
B)Safe Drinking Water Act and Food Quality Protection Act
C)Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act
D)Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and Kyoto Protocol

Question 48

A dose-response curve shows:

A)the dose of a given chemical that is lethal to 50% of the population.
B)the dose of a given chemical that is lethal to 90% of the population.
C)the correct dose to use in the treatment of illness.
D)the effect of different doses on a population of test organisms.

Question 49

What can be inferred from the graph below?

A)The biological response for both toxicants increases as the dose is increased.
B)For both toxicants, a harmful response occurs only above a certain threshold level, that is different for each toxicant.
C)Toxicant A has a lower effective dose-50 percent (ED₅₀)than toxicant B.
D)All of the above can be inferred from the graph.

Question 50

Which of the following statements about dose-response curves is FALSE?

A)A dose-response curve shows the effect of different doses of a toxicant on a population.
B)Doses lower than the threshold level will have no measurable effect on organisms.
C)The smaller the LD₅₀, the more toxic the chemical.
D)Studies of the dose-response curves of toxicants gives us assurance that for all chemicals there is a threshold level of the chemical so small amounts of chemical pollution pose no health risks

Question 51

DDT was sprayed in a Long Island salt marsh over a period of years for mosquito control. A portion of the food web is as follows: algae -> shrimp-> American eel -> Atlantic needlefish -> ring-billed gull
In which organism would biological magnification be MOST evident?

A)Algae
B)Shrimp
C)American eel
D)Ring-billed gull

Question 52

Which of the following is an endocrine disrupter?

A)CFCs
B)mercury
C)ozone
D)carbon dioxide

Question 53

Which POP is still produced and used to control malaria carry mosquitoes in countries where no affordable alternatives exist.

A)Dioxins
B)Toxaphene
C)DDT
D)Mirex

Question 54

The _________ is the type and amount of damage that exposure to a particular dose causes.

Question 55

A dose that is represented as LD₅₀ is a dose that:

A)is administered to 50% of the population.
B)causes 50% of a population to exhibit whatever response is under study.
C)has a threshold response of 50%.
D)kills half of the population of test animals.

Question 56

What is the major risk associated with endocrine disruptors?

A)cardiovascular disease
B)cancer
C)reproductive abnormalities
D)neurological damage

Question 57

Why were POPs singled out for regulation by the international community?

A)They are important pathogens.
B)They bioaccumulate in organisms.
C)They are highly mobile.
D)b & c

Question 58

The threshold level is the minimum dose that has no measurable effect.

Question 59

Which of the following is an LD₅₀ used for?

A)determine the concentration of fecal coliform bacteria
B)measure bioaccumulation of a chemical
C)measure bio magnification of a toxin
D)determine the toxicity of a chemical

Question 60

Given the data in the accompanying table, which of the chemicals is the most toxic?

A)nicotine
B)heroin
C)morphine
D)caffeine

Question 61

The test below is called a fecal coliform test. Explain what it tests for and what the results show.

Question 62

Compare and contrast the two images below in the context of human health. How are the two images connected?

Question 63

What is risk assessment and how is it performed? Explain the importance of risk assessment by using an example to show how the knowledge of risk assessment is important in making decisions.

Question 64

Which of the following was the banning of hormone treated and GMO fed beef by the European Union based upon?

A)EPA regulations.
B)The Stockholm convention on persistent organic pollutants.
C)Previous problems with toxicity of these chemicals.
D)The precautionary principle.

Question 65

Briefly explain what a dose-response curve is and compare and contrast LD₅₀ and ED₅₀. Explain how this information about toxicants is applied in determining the health effects of environmental pollutants and evaluate and/or regulate chemical pollutants. What are two limitations of this approach?

Question 66

Define acute toxicity and explain how it is different from chronic toxicity? Use the example of pesticides to highlight the differences between the forms of toxicity.

Question 67

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." This statement is the heart of the

A)remedial principle.
B)exposure principle
C)persistence principle.
D)precautionary principle.

Question 68

Both the mothers and children shown below have breathed in polluted air over a period of time, yet only the child shows symptoms of environmentally linked respiratory diseases and is receiving treatment. This is so because:

A)A child has a higher metabolic rate and needs more oxygen, so he takes in more air.
B)Adults living in these areas have developed a tolerance to the air pollutants that are present there.
C)There are no known treatments available to treat adults suffering environmentally linked respiratory diseases.
D)Young children show symptoms earlier than adults do.

Question 69

Who is an epidemiologist? Discuss the relationship between epidemiology and the environment. Use an example to support your discussion.

Question 70

Currently, toxicologists use to assign risk to mixtures of chemicals in risk assessment studies.

A)additivity
B)synergy
C)antagonism
D)Persistence

Question 71

Chemical A has a toxicity level of 1 and chemical B has a toxicity level of 2. If a mixture of the two chemicals has a toxicity level of 4, what can we say about the results of the mixture?

A)it was additive.
B)it was synergistic.
C)it was antagonistic.
D)it was persistent.

Question 72

What is the precautionary principle? What are the advantages and potential challenges of such an approach? Identify one way in which this principle has created international controversy.

Question 73

The precautionary principle assigns decisions about adopting new technologies to which of the following groups?

A)governmental regulatory agencies like the EPA
B)nongovernmental consumer safety groups
C)the corporations developing the technologies
D)individual consumers

Question 74

The most common method of determining whether a chemical causes cancer is to expose groups of laboratory animals, such as rats, to various large doses and count how many animals develop cancer at the different levels. All of the following are problems with this approach in terms of understanding the health risks to humans EXCEPT:

A)This method is indirect and uncertain as human and rats are different organisms and may respond differently to exposure to the same chemical.
B)For expediting the research process, in lab settings rats are exposed to massive doses of suspected carcinogens relative to body size whereas humans are usually exposed to much lower amounts.
C)For ethical reasons, rats in lab settings are given very small doses of suspected carcinogens relative to body size whereas humans are usually exposed to much higher amounts
D)Risk assessment assumes that we can extrapolate from studies in rats to determine the expected rates of cancer in humans but extrapolating from one species to another and from one dose level to another is uncertain and may overestimate or underestimate a toxicant's danger.

Question 75

Compare and contrast risk assessment and risk management.

Question 76

An antagonistic interaction in a chemical mixture results in:

A)the expected effect given the individual effect of each component.
B)a greater combined effect than expected given the individual effect of each component.
C)a smaller combined effect than expected given the individual effect of each component.
D)no chemical reaction.

Question 77

Which of the following statements about children and chemical exposure is true?

A)Children are slightly less susceptible to chemicals than adults.
B)The LD₅₀ values are lower for children than adults.
C)LD₅₀ is determined for particular chemicals, independent of age and other variables.
D)The ED₅₀ for children is no different from that of adults.

Question 78

Compare and contrast bioaccumulation and biological magnification.