Deck 13: The Environment and Health New

Question 1

From a population health perspective, "environment" refers to ________.

A) the natural, outdoor environment
B) all the aspects of an individual's context
C) the natural and the human modified environment, both indoors and out
D) ecologic balance in nature

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Climate change is best understood as ________.

A) natural variation in temperatures and weather patterns
B) a spike in temperatures due to a variety of natural and human induced factors
C) a trend toward higher land and ocean temperatures
D) a hoax

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Among the features associated with climate change are ________.

A) more frequent extreme weather events
B) warmer and wetter conditions everywhere
C) warmer and drier conditions everywhere
D) improved climate conditions for plants and animals

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Natural disasters harm people mostly because ________.

A) they are unpredictable
B) human populations are helpless against nature
C) people lack the knowledge needed to mitigate disasters and respond to their effects
D) poverty, inadequate planning, ineffective regulation, and poor disaster response contribute to casualties and deaths

Question 5

Factory farming of plants ________.

A) involves diverse plantations
B) improves soil fertility
C) relies heavily on chemicals and irrigation
D) produces high-quality food

Question 6

Factory farming of animals does NOT ________.

A) improve health by making meat more available and affordable
B) generate prodigious amounts of waste
C) rely on drugs, hormones and genetic manipulation
D) threaten populations with highly dangerous novel zoonotic pathogens

Question 7

Fish farming involves _________.

A) the sustainable production of quality seafood
B) massive pollution and harm to wild fish
C) production of an affordable and healthy food
D) protection of wild fish stocks

Question 8

Junk, processed, and commercial packaged foods makers depend on ________.

A) the surpluses of milk, corn, and soya generated by government subsidized factory farming
B) the enthusiasm of their customers
C) the low energy and high cost of their products
D) the slimming effects of the things they sell

Question 9

Every year, about ________ Canadians die prematurely because of exposure to air pollution.

A) 1100
B) 2200
C) 5500
D) 7700

Question 10

________ is most dangerous to human health.

A) Nitrogen dioxide
B) Gross particulates such as dust and soot
C) Fine particulates and micro fibers
D) Pollens and spores

Question 11

The following statement about heavy metals is TRUE: ________.

A) Lead, iron, and titanium are heavy metals
B) Heavy metals are difficult for organisms to metabolize and excrete
C) Mercury and arsenic are poisonous but also easy to avoid
D) Lead no longer poses a threat to drinking water in North America

Question 12

Lead is ________.

A) a highly versatile metal used for many years in windows, roofing, pipes, and paint
B) a by-product of many industrial processes, as well as from refining minerals
C) rarely found in the environment
D) safely locked up in the compounds and applications where it is used

Question 13

Apex predator fish from contaminated water are very dangerous to human health because ________.

A) they contain a lot of bacteria
B) they contain a large amount of micro-plastics
C) they accumulate toxins such as heavy metals
D) they contain a lot of omega-3 fats, which cause heart disease

Question 14

One reason why the gradient in health is so steep is ________.

A) poorer people are exposed to more spores from mould and mildew
B) richer people have fewer synthetic carpets and items containing flame retardants
C) richer people are exposed to more mercury because they have more dental work
D) poorer people use more cosmetics than richer ones

Question 15

A particularly potent hormone mimicker is found in ________.

A) scented candles
B) laminate flooring
C) flame retardants
D) synthetic fabrics

Question 16

Tiny amounts of neonicotinoids, widely used in agriculture and previously thought to be harmless, are now known to ________.

A) cause birth defects in mammals
B) contribute to falling human fertility
C) contribute to honeybee colony collapse
D) disrupt the normal development of fish and amphibians

Question 17

From a population health standpoint, we should be most concerned about ________.

A) one-off exposures to a toxin
B) multiple exposures to a toxin
C) the duration of an exposure to a toxin
D) the cumulative effect over time of exposure to many different toxins

Question 18

Toxic exposures are most common for ________.

A) rich people
B) poor people
C) rural populations
D) urban populations

Question 19

Natural disasters mostly adversely affect ________.

A) rich people
B) poor people
C) rural populations
D) urban populations

Question 20

Most environmental risks ________.

A) cannot be mitigated
B) cannot be anticipated
C) can be mitigated
D) operate independently of policy and planning

Question 21

Beef and dairy cattle are major contributors to climate change.

Question 22

Meat production in Canada is environmentally sustainable.

Question 23

Fish farms produce affordable, high-quality food in an environmentally responsible way.

Question 24

Factory farming harms population health because it is the backbone of the junk and processed foods industries, as well as a major threat to the environment.

Question 25

Airborne particulates cannot cross over from the lung to the bloodstream.

Question 26

Lead paint and lead soldered water pipes are common in older houses.

Question 27

Arsenic is never absorbed by food crops irrigated by groundwater.

Question 28

Poor ventilation and high humidity, common in poor quality dwellings, foster the growth of moulds and mildews.

Question 29

Estrogen entering sewage systems when excreted in urine by women taking birth control pills disrupts the normal development of fish and amphibians.

Question 30

Carpets made from synthetics release dangerous micro fibers as well as off-gas formaldehyde.

Question 31

Are the consequences of natural disasters strictly the result of natural forces? Explain your answer.

Question 32

How is agri-business linked to poor diet as well as health-related environmental damage?

Question 33

Why should people limit their consumption of tuna fish, sword fish, and other predator species?

Question 34

What features of heavy metals make them especially dangerous to children?

Question 35

What measures could be introduced to improve indoor air quality in Canadian homes?

Question 36

Why do most deaths from hurricanes, cyclones, and flooding occur in mobile home parks?

Question 37

How are the issues of sustainable agriculture linked to the quality, price, and availability of food?

Question 38

It is now clear that extreme weather events, global warming, and species extinctions are at least partly caused by pollution, mostly the release of greenhouse gases from power generation, vehicles, agri-business and manufacturing. Why is the science so widely denied? Why do many politicians resist implementing policies that will reduce the amounts of CO₂ and methane that are released into the atmosphere?