Deck 10: Environmental Health and Toxicology

Question 1

Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.
Figures such as these ___________.

A) allow scientists to determine the exact quantity of a toxicant that will harm humans
B) are used to report the effects of a toxicant on wildlife populations
C) are used by scientists in epidemiological assessment of a toxicantʹs effect
D) represent typical dose-response curves for endocrine disruptors
E) are used by scientists in risk assessment

Answer 1

are used by scientists in risk assessment

Question 2

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Toxicant used as a flame retardant and insulator; carcinogen and scars the lungs when inhaled

A)aldicarb
B)thalidomide
C)bisphenol-A
D)DDT
E)asbestos
F)nicotine
G)cadmium
H)arsenic
I)mercury
J)atrazine
K)lead

Answer 2

asbestos

Question 3

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Toxicant present in paint; damages the brain, liver, kidney, and stomach when ingested

A)aldicarb
B)thalidomide
C)bisphenol-A
D)DDT
E)asbestos
F)nicotine
G)cadmium
H)arsenic
I)mercury
J)atrazine
K)lead

Answer 3

lead

Question 4

Toxicants that interrupt essential biochemical processes in organisms by blocking one or steps in important biochemical reactions are known as ______________ .

A) mutagens
B) insecticides
C) neurotoxins
D) pathway inhibitors
E) carcinogens

Question 5

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Most widely used herbicide in the United States; an endocrine disruptor

A)aldicarb
B)thalidomide
C)bisphenol-A
D)DDT
E)asbestos
F)nicotine
G)cadmium
H)arsenic
I)mercury
J)atrazine
K)lead

Question 6

Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.
The LD50 indicates the _______________.

A) lowest dose required to cure half of the population
B) lowest dose that kills 50 out of 1000 members of the population
C) amount of toxicant it takes to kill half the population
D) lowest dose required to cure the entire population
E) lowest dose that kills any member of the population

Question 7

Toxicants that cause harm by affecting the immune system include ______________.

A) allergens
B) neurotoxins
C) hormones
D) teratogens
E) antibiotics

Question 8

Carcinogens may be difficult to identify because ______________.

A) they are the least common toxicants
B) they are rare in nature
C) there is a long lag time between exposure to the agent and disease
D) there is no way to measure the carcinogenic potential of a substance
E) most are invisible

Question 9

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Neurotoxin that magnifies within food webs; typically found in polluted bodies of water; it poisoned
thousands of people when it was dumped into the waters off Japan; people who ate contaminated fish from the waters exhibited convulsions, slurred speech, loss of muscle control, and sudden fits of laughter; some people died

A)aldicarb
B)thalidomide
C)bisphenol-A
D)DDT
E)asbestos
F)nicotine
G)cadmium
H)arsenic
I)mercury
J)atrazine
K)lead

Question 10

Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.
The flat line at the left in (b) probably represents ________________.

A) the fact that there is no biological effect of the toxicant at low doses
B) that no data was collected for the flat line area
C) the bodyʹs immune system and other defenses which are deployed against the toxicant
D) competing effects of some other substance whose effect wasnʹt measured
E) the fact that no toxicant was introduced until the response line begins to rise

Question 11

PCB contamination of the environment ______________.

A) is the main focus of the book Silent Spring
B) was the main environmental problem in Lake Apopka
C) has never been documented outside the United States
D) is a continuing problem because PCBs are non-biodegradable and persist in the environment
E) results from over-application of pesticides

Question 12

______________ are best defined as substances that cause birth defects.

A) Carcinogens
B) Vectors
C) Teratogens
D) Neurotoxins
E) Allergens

Question 13

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Used as a sleeping pill for pregnant women; teratogen that now is banned

A)aldicarb
B)thalidomide
C)bisphenol-A
D)DDT
E)asbestos
F)nicotine
G)cadmium
H)arsenic
I)mercury
J)atrazine
K)lead

Question 14

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Widely used as a lining in metal food and drink cans and to make polycarbonate plastic, a hard, clear plastic found in water bottles and many other products. Mimics the female sex hormone estrogen

A)aldicarb
B)thalidomide
C)bisphenol-A
D)DDT
E)asbestos
F)nicotine
G)cadmium
H)arsenic
I)mercury
J)atrazine
K)lead

Question 15

______________ are best defined as substances that cause cancer.

A) Neurotoxins
B) Teratogens
C) Allergens
D) Carcinogens
E) Vectors

Question 16

Rachel Carsonʹs book Silent Spring primarily focuses on the environmental problems associated with ______________.

A) pesticide toxicity
B) overpopulation
C) loss of biodiversity
D) deforestation
E) aquifer depletion

Question 17

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
Insecticide used to kill mosquitoes; banned in the United States in 1973 due to its toxicity

A)aldicarb
B)thalidomide
C)bisphenol-A
D)DDT
E)asbestos
F)nicotine
G)cadmium
H)arsenic
I)mercury
J)atrazine
K)lead

Question 18

A naturally occurring substance that seeps up from the ground and that is potentially toxic to people is ______________.

A) Salmonella
B) carbon dioxide
C) bisphenol A
D) DDE
E) radon gas

Question 19

Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.
Assume that the scales for graphs (a) and (b) are identical. Compare the graphs. Which of the following statements is true?

A) The toxicant shown in (b) has a lower LD50 compared to the toxicant shown in (a).
B) The toxicant shown in (b) has a higher toxicity than the toxicant shown in (a).
C) Graphs (a) and (b) show results for the same toxicant, but graph (b) shows a higher dose than graph (a).
D) The toxicant shown in (b) has a lower toxicity than the toxicant shown in (a).
E) Graphs (a) and (b) show results for the same toxicant, but graph (a) shows a higher dose than graph (b).

Question 20

Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.
The graph in (c) is one type that may occur when a test animal is exposed to a(n) ___________.

A) household cleaner
B) solvent
C) insecticide
D) fungicide
E) endocrine disruptor

Question 21

Of the chemicals that fall under the TSCA ______________% have been tested for toxicity and ______________ have been tested for endocrine, nervous, or immune system damage.

A) 10; 10%
B) 50; half
C) 50; one-quarter
D) 10; almost none
E) 25; 10%

Question 22

The effect of toxicants on fetuses and young children ______________

A) has not raised concern among environmental health professionals
B) is greater because of their developmental immaturity, rapid growth and smaller biomass
C) is less than for adults because their metabolism is higher
D) is generally the same for adults
E) has been thoroughly evaluated for every chemical released into both indoor and outdoor environments

Question 23

Louis Guillette is most famous for his studies ______________

A) on gonadal abnormalities in frogs
B) about the dangers of DDT
C) on neurological effects of pesticide poisoning
D) about the dangers of second-hand smoke
E) describing reproductive and developmental abnormalities in alligators Florida lakes

Question 24

Transport of airborne toxicants, a specific problem in agricultural environments, is called pesticide ______________.

A) drift
B) leaching
C) transposition
D) run-off
E) globalization

Question 25

Infectious disease accounts for % of deaths globally ______________

A) nearly 25
B) almost 50
C) 40
D) less than 1
E) 30

Question 26

The goal of the Stockholm Convention is to ______________

A) educate women about birth control
B) reduce the ecological footprints of people around the world
C) end the use and release of 12 POPs shown to be the most dangerous
D) prevent the spread of the AIDS
E) reduce global warming

Question 27

The Toxic Substances Control Act regulates ______________.

A) industrial chemicals
B) food additives
C) cosmetics
D) pesticides
E) drugs

Question 28

According to the Precautionary Principle we should ______________

A) halt the manufacture and use of synthetic chemicals
B) do extensive government scientific testing before restricting a chemical for use
C) levy large fines against companies that manufacture toxic substances
D) allow industry to do their own research to determine if a chemical is safe
E) restrict any chemical that is suspected of toxicity until it is proven safe

Question 29

Infectious diseases are a much greater problem in developing countries than in developed nations. In developing countries, such diseases account for nearly half of all deaths. This is because ______________

A) developing countries generally lack many of the health and medical services found in developed countries
B) most of the developing countries are in tropical climates and medicines donʹt work well in these climates
C) virtually no developed nation is willing to help the developing countries with their infectious disease problems
D) even when medical care is available, many people in developing nations do not have the money to pay for it
E) Both A and D.

Question 30

Synergistic effects of toxicants that are mixed together ______________

A) have effects that tend to cancel one another out
B) typically have simple additive effects
C) always involve synthetic toxicants
D) often are multiplicative (the mixed toxicants may multiply each otherʹs effects)
E) are not numerous in the natural environment

Question 31

Bisphenol A is ______________.

A) produced when fossil fuels are burned
B) an estrogen mimic that is used in plastic manufacturing
C) a currently used herbicide
D) released from aerosol spray cans
E) a banned insecticide

Question 32

The book Our Stolen Future was important because it ______________.

A) focused on the impacts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on humans
B) was the first book that discussed water pollution problems in Lake Apopka
C) was the first book to dispute claims in Rachel Carsonʹs book Silent Spring
D) is credited with starting the environmental movement in the United States
E) was the first book that discussed environmental problems with DDT

Question 33

Pesticides in the United States are registered through the ______________.

A) EPA
B) PRA
C) BLM
D) USDA
E) FDA

Question 34

______________ is/are biodegradable and known to have (a) short persistence time(s).

A) PBDEs
B) DDE
C) Bt
D) PCBs
E) DDT

Question 35

Tyrone Hayes is most famous for his studies ______________

A) about the dangers of second-hand smoke
B) describing abnormalities in alligators in Lake Apopka
C) on neurological effects of pesticide poisoning
D) about the dangers of DDT
E) on gonadal abnormalities in frogs

Question 36

DDT, DDE, PCBs, and PBDEs are all ______________.

A) approved for use as pesticides by the EPA
B) teratogens
C) biodegradable and do not persist in the environment
D) non-biodegradable and subject to bioaccumulation and/or biomagnification
E) toxic at the organism level but not at the ecosystem level

Question 37

Aquatic animals such as fish and frogs are especially good indicators of water pollution because ______________.

A) most chemicals are water soluble so they enter these organisms through drinking or skin absorption
B) they are easy to catch
C) these organisms are the most abundant on Earth
D) the metabolism of these organisms is most like ours
E) all chemical toxicants are found in water

Question 38

The bald eagle, osprey, and peregrine falcon all are ______________.

A) over-hunted for their feathers
B) extinct
C) found only in Florida
D) top consumers susceptible to eggshell damage caused by DDT
E) U.S. invasive species

Question 39

The European Unionʹs REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and restriction of chemicals) program ______________.

A) shifts the burden of testing chemical safety from government to industry
B) was originally enacted to protect endangered species
C) is enforced by the FDA
D) was ordered by the Stockholm Convention of 1949
E) was originally enacted to protect agriculture

Question 40

Suppose that the concentration of DDT in a lake is 0.0000003 ppm (parts per million) and the concentration of DDT in the tissues of an osprey (a fish-eating bird) is 25 ppm. This is an example of ______________.

A) bioremediation
B) biomagnification
C) bioreduction
D) biotruncation
E) biodegradation

Question 41

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Mercury is a heavy metal that occurs naturally in minerals and rocks. Release of mercury from natural sources has been relatively constant over time. However, anthropogenic release of mercury has increased significantly in recent years primarily due to increased fossil fuel mining and combustion. Mercury that is released into the air eventually ends up in soils or surface water. Once in water, microbes convert mercury into methyl mercury, which is absorbed quickly and concentrated in the tissues of predatory fish such as shark and swordfish. Large fish typically concentrate more mercury than small fish. People who eat fish with high methyl mercury concentrations can show tremors, deafness, muscle dysfunction, and attention deficits. Pregnant women and children are especially sensitive to methyl mercuryʹs toxic effects. Learning disabilities and developmental delays are common in children who have been exposed to significant levels of methyl mercury.
Mercury is to methylmercury as DDT is to ______________

A) DDE
B) PBP
C) PCB
D) POP
E) DEP

Question 42

Explain how response to hazards can vary based upon individual differences and type of exposure. Give examples, where appropriate.

Question 43

Properties of toxicants likely to build up in animals through bioaccumulation are ______________

A) carcinogens and mutagens
B) non-biodegradable, lipid-soluble
C) biodegradable, water soluble
D) gases carried by pesticide drift
E) nitrogen and sulfur compounds

Question 44

Briefly explain the dose-response relationship.

Question 45

List the properties that determine the rate of degradation of toxicants.

Question 46

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Mercury is a heavy metal that occurs naturally in minerals and rocks. Release of mercury from natural sources has been relatively constant over time. However, anthropogenic release of mercury has increased significantly in recent years primarily due to increased fossil fuel mining and combustion. Mercury that is released into the air eventually ends up in soils or surface water. Once in water, microbes convert mercury into methyl mercury, which is absorbed quickly and concentrated in the tissues of predatory fish such as shark and swordfish. Large fish typically concentrate more mercury than small fish. People who eat fish with high methyl mercury concentrations can show tremors, deafness, muscle dysfunction, and attention deficits. Pregnant women and children are especially sensitive to methyl mercuryʹs toxic effects. Learning disabilities and developmental delays are common in children who have been exposed to significant levels of methyl mercury.
Based upon the specific health effects described above, mercury would be best classified as a(n) ______________ .

A) synergist
B) neurotoxin
C) carcinogen
D) allergen
E) endocrine disruptor

Question 47

Explain and give an example of biomagnification.

Question 48

What are epidemiological studies, and what is their value? Are there any disadvantages to epidemiological studies?

Question 49

How is the precautionary principle used in environmental health? What is an alternative philosophical approach?

Question 50

Briefly comment on the research to determine the toxicity of bisphenol A (BPA). Also, explain why this topic represents a challenge to scientific integrity and credibility and the implications for national and international policies on this compound that depend on the research.

Question 51

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Mercury is a heavy metal that occurs naturally in minerals and rocks. Release of mercury from natural sources has been relatively constant over time. However, anthropogenic release of mercury has increased significantly in recent years primarily due to increased fossil fuel mining and combustion. Mercury that is released into the air eventually ends up in soils or surface water. Once in water, microbes convert mercury into methyl mercury, which is absorbed quickly and concentrated in the tissues of predatory fish such as shark and swordfish. Large fish typically concentrate more mercury than small fish. People who eat fish with high methyl mercury concentrations can show tremors, deafness, muscle dysfunction, and attention deficits. Pregnant women and children are especially sensitive to methyl mercuryʹs toxic effects. Learning disabilities and developmental delays are common in children who have been exposed to significant levels of methyl mercury.
Prior to 2005, no rules regulating mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants existed in the United States. This represents the ______________

A) innocent-until-proven-guilty approach
B) Ames approach
C) case-study approach
D) dose-response initiative
E) precautionary principle

Question 52

Studies of endocrine disruptors have shown that they are closely associated with all of the following except ______________

A) male feminization
B) thyroid hormone abnormalities
C) gonadal abnormalities
D) low birth rates
E) lung cancer

Question 53

What are endocrine disruptors? How do they work on pests? Why are they a problem for humans? Have they been banned? Why or why not?

Question 54

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Mercury is a heavy metal that occurs naturally in minerals and rocks. Release of mercury from natural sources has been relatively constant over time. However, anthropogenic release of mercury has increased significantly in recent years primarily due to increased fossil fuel mining and combustion. Mercury that is released into the air eventually ends up in soils or surface water. Once in water, microbes convert mercury into methyl mercury, which is absorbed quickly and concentrated in the tissues of predatory fish such as shark and swordfish. Large fish typically concentrate more mercury than small fish. People who eat fish with high methyl mercury concentrations can show tremors, deafness, muscle dysfunction, and attention deficits. Pregnant women and children are especially sensitive to methyl mercuryʹs toxic effects. Learning disabilities and developmental delays are common in children who have been exposed to significant levels of methyl mercury.
Of the following U.S. agencies, ______________ is primarily responsible for addressing issues regarding mercury pollution.

A) DOE
B) USDA
C) EPA
D) OSHA
E) BLM

Question 55

Natural occurring biological hazards to people are ______________

A) carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas
B) viruses and Salmonella
C) DDT and DDE
D) phthalates and bisphenol-A
E) crude oil seeps and radon gas

Question 56

What does the field of environmental health cover?

Question 57

Define risk assessment and risk management. Discuss how risk management combines science and other social factors.

Question 58

Some indoor chemical hazard(s) are ______________

A) Radon and asbestos
B) PCBs
C) petroleum and toxic waste tanks tank leaks
D) DDT and DDE
E) wastewater toxicants

Question 59

Acute exposure to an environmental toxin ______________

A) makes it difficult to associate the symptoms with a cause
B) is usually untreatable and fatal
C) is the case with chronic alcohol and nicotine abuse
D) involves low levels of exposure over long periods of time
E) are high exposures over short times and associated with a specific cause

Question 60

An organism, such as a mosquito, that transmits a disease-causing organism to a host is called a ______________

A) vector
B) vehicle
C) bacterium
D) fungus
E) virus

Question 61

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Mercury is a heavy metal that occurs naturally in minerals and rocks. Release of mercury from natural sources has been relatively constant over time. However, anthropogenic release of mercury has increased significantly in recent years primarily due to increased fossil fuel mining and combustion. Mercury that is released into the air eventually ends up in soils or surface water. Once in water, microbes convert mercury into methyl mercury, which is absorbed quickly and concentrated in the tissues of predatory fish such as shark and swordfish. Large fish typically concentrate more mercury than small fish. People who eat fish with high methyl mercury concentrations can show tremors, deafness, muscle dysfunction, and attention deficits. Pregnant women and children are especially sensitive to methyl mercuryʹs toxic effects. Learning disabilities and developmental delays are common in children who have been exposed to significant levels of methyl mercury.
Mercury is not readily excreted; it is stored in mammalian body tissues. This is best described as ______________.

A) biomagnification
B) distillation
C) toxification
D) bioaccumulation
E) synergism

Question 62

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Mercury is a heavy metal that occurs naturally in minerals and rocks. Release of mercury from natural sources has been relatively constant over time. However, anthropogenic release of mercury has increased significantly in recent years primarily due to increased fossil fuel mining and combustion. Mercury that is released into the air eventually ends up in soils or surface water. Once in water, microbes convert mercury into methyl mercury, which is absorbed quickly and concentrated in the tissues of predatory fish such as shark and swordfish. Large fish typically concentrate more mercury than small fish. People who eat fish with high methyl mercury concentrations can show tremors, deafness, muscle dysfunction, and attention deficits. Pregnant women and children are especially sensitive to methyl mercuryʹs toxic effects. Learning disabilities and developmental delays are common in children who have been exposed to significant levels of methyl mercury.
Concentrations of methyl mercury are higher in large fish relative to concentrations in the air. This is best described as ______________.

A) distillation
B) toxification
C) biomagnification
D) synergism
E) bioaccumulation