Deck 14: Environmental Health and Toxicology

Question 1

Read the following scenario and answer the questions 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 incoordination, and attention deficits. Pregnant women and children are especially sensitive to methyl mercury's 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 than in their prey and in the air. This is best described as .

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

Answer 1

E

Question 2

The European Union's experience with polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)has shown that .

A)human metabolism of these compounds could solve the problem without legislation
B)economic factors have superceded health concerns
C)these molecules result in birth ratios of 9 males : 1 female
D)if the toxin is removed from the environment, concentrations in human tissues fall
E)these molecules can be rapidly metabolized by decomposers

Answer 2

D

Question 3

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 to dispute claims in Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring
C)was the first book that discussed water pollution problems in Lake Apopka
D)is credited with starting the environmental movement in the United States
E)was the first book that discussed environmental problems with DDT

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The Yaqui Valley, Mexico, study showed that .

A)infectious disease is more widespread in poor countries
B)organic agriculture can be successful with government support
C)wealth is correlated with intelligence
D)frogs were affected by water pollution
E)developmental delays occurred in children exposed to pesticides

Question 5

FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act).

A)is enforced by the FDA
B)was originally enacted to protect public health
C)and its later amendments charge the EPA with registering new pesticides and regulating their sale, use, and labeling
D)was enacted in the 1960s
E)was originally enacted to protect the environment

Question 6

PCB contamination .

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

Question 7

Of the chemicals that fall under the Toxic Substances Control Act, % have been thoroughly tested for toxicity and have been tested for endocrine, nervous, or immune system damage.

A)50; 25%
B)10; 10%
C)50; half
D)25; 10%
E)10; 2%

Question 8

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

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

Question 9

What are the properties of toxicants that are likely to build up in animals through bioaccumulation?

A)They contain nitrogen and sulfur.
B)They are carcinogenic and mutagenic.
C)They are gases that are readily carried by pesticide drift.
D)They are biodegradable and water soluble.
E)They are nonbiodegradable and lipid- soluble.

Question 10

The registers and regulates pesticides in the United States.

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

Question 11

According to a 2002 study by scientists at the National Water- Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA), % of U.S. streams contain traces of wastewater contaminants.

A)less than 1
B)50
C)10
D)80
E)100

Question 12

The effect of a toxicant on fetuses and young children .

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

Question 13

The flat line at the left in (b)probably represents .

A)the body's physiological processes coping with low doses of a toxicant
B)competing effects of some other substance whose effect wasn't measured
C)the fact that no toxicant was introduced until the response line begins to rise
D)that no data were collected for the flatline area
E)the fact that there is no physiological effect of the toxicant at low doses

Question 14

Infectious disease accounts for % of deaths globally.

A)less than 1
B)almost 70
C)almost 40
D)almost 50
E)almost 25

Question 15

Carcinogens may be difficult to identify because .

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

Question 16

Tyrone Hayes is well known for his studies of .

A)the dangers of DDT
B)the dangers of secondhand smoke
C)gonadal abnormalities in frogs
D)reproductive and developmental abnormalities in alligators in Lake Apopka
E)the neurological effects of pesticide poisoning

Question 17

The bald eagle and peregrine falcon are .

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

Question 18

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

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

Question 19

Read the following scenario and answer the questions 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 incoordination, and attention deficits. Pregnant women and children are especially sensitive to methyl mercury's toxic effects. Learning disabilities and developmental delays are common in children who have been exposed to significant levels of methyl mercury.
Which of the following U.S. agencies is primarily responsible for addressing issues regarding mercury pollution?

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

Question 20

Read the following scenario and answer the questions 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 incoordination, and attention deficits. Pregnant women and children are especially sensitive to methyl mercury's 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)toxification
B)distillation
C)bioaccumulation
D)biomagnification
E)synergism

Question 21

are substances that cause cancer.

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

Question 22

Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring focuses primarily on the environmental problems associated with .

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

Question 23

The Toxic Substances Control Act regulates .

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

Question 24

Which of the following are indoor chemical hazards?

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

Question 25

are substances that cause birth defects.

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

Question 26

Read the following scenario and answer the questions 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 incoordination, and attention deficits. Pregnant women and children are especially sensitive to methyl mercury's 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)dose- response initiative
B)innocent- until- proven- guilty approach
C)case- study approach
D)precautionary principle
E)Ames approach

Question 27

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

A)both kinds of animals are vertebrates, and the metabolism of these organisms is most like ours
B)most chemicals are water- soluble and thus can easily enter these organisms
C)all chemical toxicants are found in water
D)they are easy to catch
E)these organisms are the most abundant on earth

Question 28

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

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

Question 29

Bisphenol- A is .

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

Question 30

Read the following scenario and answer the questions 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 incoordination, and attention deficits. Pregnant women and children are especially sensitive to methyl mercury's toxic effects. Learning disabilities and developmental delays are common in children who have been exposed to significant levels of methyl mercury.
Synergistic effects of toxicants .

A)are greater than the sum of the effects of the components
B)always involve synthetic toxicants
C)typically exhibit additive effects of the individual toxicants
D)have effects of individual toxicants that tend to cancel one another out
E)are not numerous in the natural environment

Question 31

Match the following.

A)bisphenol- A
B)arsenic
C)aldicarb
D)lead
E)asbestos
F)DDT
G)cadmium
H)atrazine
I)thalidomide
J)nicotine
K)mercury
Used as a sleeping pill for pregnant women; teratogen that now is banned

Question 32

Read the following scenario and answer the questions 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 incoordination, and attention deficits. Pregnant women and children are especially sensitive to methyl mercury's 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 in the scenario, mercury would be best classified as a .

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

Question 33

Louis Guillette is well known for his studies of .

A)the dangers of secondhand smoke
B)the neurological effects of pesticide poisoning
C)gonadal abnormalities in frogs
D)the dangers of DDT
E)reproductive and developmental abnormalities in alligators in Lake Apopka

Question 34

The worldwide drop in sperm counts among men has been attributed to .

A)teratogens
B)endocrine disruptors
C)radon
D)DDT
E)allergens

Question 35

Match the following.

A)bisphenol- A
B)arsenic
C)aldicarb
D)lead
E)asbestos
F)DDT
G)cadmium
H)atrazine
I)thalidomide
J)nicotine
K)mercury
Toxicant used as a flame retardant and insulator; carcinogen and scars the lungs when inhaled

Question 36

Substances that cause harm by affecting the immune system include _.

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

Question 37

Match the following.

A)bisphenol- A
B)arsenic
C)aldicarb
D)lead
E)asbestos
F)DDT
G)cadmium
H)atrazine
I)thalidomide
J)nicotine
K)mercury
Toxicant potentially present in paint; damages the brain, liver, kidney, and stomach when ingested

Question 38

The goal of the Stockholm Convention is to _ .

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

Question 39

Read the following scenario and answer the questions 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 incoordination, and attention deficits. Pregnant women and children are especially sensitive to methyl mercury's toxic effects. Learning disabilities and developmental delays are common in children who have been exposed to significant levels of methyl mercury.
A naturally occurring substance that is potentially toxic to people is .

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

Question 40

Match the following.

A)bisphenol- A
B)arsenic
C)aldicarb
D)lead
E)asbestos
F)DDT
G)cadmium
H)atrazine
I)thalidomide
J)nicotine
K)mercury
Insecticide used to kill mosquitoes; banned in the United States in 1973 due to its toxicity

Question 41

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

Question 42

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 that depend on the research of this compound.

Question 43

Match the following.

A)bisphenol- A
B)arsenic
C)aldicarb
D)lead
E)asbestos
F)DDT
G)cadmium
H)atrazine
I)thalidomide
J)nicotine
K)mercury
Most widely used herbicide in the United States; an endocrine disruptor

Question 44

Explain what endocrine disruptors are, and give examples. Explain why endocrine disruptors are a problem for humans, and discuss why they have not been banned.

Question 45

Explain and give an example of biomagnification.

Question 46

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

Question 47

Match the following.

A)bisphenol- A
B)arsenic
C)aldicarb
D)lead
E)asbestos
F)DDT
G)cadmium
H)atrazine
I)thalidomide
J)nicotine
K)mercury
Explain risk assessment and risk management. Discuss how risk management combines science and other social factors.

Question 48

Briefly explain dose- response analysis.

Question 49

Debate over the use of DDT to control malaria is likely to continue. However, over the past several decades, much has been learned about how this insecticide works, and why its extensive use poses an environmental concern. Discuss three characteristics of this chemical that cause it to be problematic.

Question 50

What does the field of environmental health encompass?

Question 51

List the environmental factors and chemical properties that determine the rate of degradation of toxicants.

Question 52

Match the following.

A)bisphenol- A
B)arsenic
C)aldicarb
D)lead
E)asbestos
F)DDT
G)cadmium
H)atrazine
I)thalidomide
J)nicotine
K)mercury
Neurotoxin that magnifies within food webs; typically found in polluted bodies of water; it poisoned thousands of people when it was dumped into a Japanese bay; people who ate contaminated fish from the waters exhibited convulsions, slurred speech, loss of muscle control, and sudden fits of laughter; some people died

Question 53

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