Deck 14: Environmental Hazards and Human Health

Question 1

Because case reports give detailed information about a single individual, they are often used to estimate the toxicity for a chemical on a more general level.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The three infectious diseases that cause the majority of deaths worldwide are influenza, hepatitis B, and malaria.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Toxicology is a science devoted to the study of all risks to human life.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Although it is normally transmitted by mosquitoes, malaria could potentially be transmitted by blood transfusions as the parasite that causes it lives in the blood.

Question 5

The chemical pesticide DDT is persistent, or resistant to breakdown, and can be biologically magnified.

Question 6

The majority of chemicals in commercial use have been screened for toxicity before they were made available to the public.

Question 7

E-cigarettes have been demonstrated to be considerably safer than conventional cigarettes.

Question 8

Smoking is an example of a lifestyle choice health hazard.

Question 9

Unless people work in chemical industries, they generally are exposed to relatively few chemicals that could be harmful.

Question 10

It is difficult to study all of the possible harmful effects caused by interactions of industrial chemicals. Such a study would be too expensive to be realistic even for a subset of several hundred chemicals.

Question 11

Laboratory-bred mice and rats are widely used for toxicity studies because their systems have many functional similarities to human systems.

Question 12

A basic principle of toxicology is that any synthetic or natural chemical can be harmful if ingested or inhaled in a large enough quantity.

Question 13

When estimating and calculating the reliability of a given system, experts quantify the reliability of the technology involved and divide that number by the reliability of the human using the technology.

Question 14

In the United States, the leading cause of preventable death is tobacco use.

Question 15

Since 1990, it has become increasingly easy to treat tuberculosis using antibiotic medications.

Question 16

A reason that mercury is so persistent in the environment or living organisms is that it is an element and thus cannot be broken down or degraded.

Question 17

Epidemiological studies can generally be conducted very quickly, making them useful for testing new chemicals before their release to the market.

Question 18

After poverty and gender, the greatest risks people face are mainly from lifestyle choices.

Question 19

Synthetic chemicals are always more harmful compared to natural chemicals.

Question 20

Only water-soluble toxins can accumulate in body tissues and cells.

Question 21

What is expected to happen to malaria-carrying mosquitoes in the coming century?

A) Their populations may crash due to the destruction of their habitats by climate change.
B) They may evolve into mosquitoes that are unable to carry malaria due to changes in selection pressures.
C) They are expected to greatly increase their population sizes due to their increased ability to withstand cold temperatures.
D) Their populations may migrate into northern areas made warmer by climate change.
E) Their populations may crash due to expanded use of DDT and other pesticides.

Question 22

Which of the following is a type of chemical hazard?

A) Unsafe working Conditions
B) Parasites
C) Pollution
D) Bacteria
E) Fungi

Question 23

Ecological medicine is a relatively new field of study devoted to ____.

A) understanding the ecology of microbes
B) understanding how to treat animal diseases
C) understanding ways that humans and animal interactions can affect disease transmission
D) preventing the international spread of diseases through public transportation
E) preventing illegal international trade in wild species

Question 24

Why has the percentage of deaths due to infectious diseases dropped from 1970 to 2010?

A) The use of pesticides has become increasingly effective at killing biological threats.
B) There are fewer people living in poverty as nations become more developed.
C) Fewer people live in disease-prone areas.
D) Public health education campaigns have been successful at prevention.
E) A growing number of children were immunized against the major infectious diseases.

Question 25

In addition to overuse of antibiotics for colds and flu, what else has caused bacterial resistance to antibiotics?

A) The demolition of forest lands
B) The draining of marshes
C) The use of pesticides to control malaria-infected mosquitoes
D) Improved sanitation, including better water quality
E) The use of antibiotics to control disease and promote growth in animals raised for meat

Question 26

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an estrogen mimic used in the production of ____ products.

A) pharmaceutical
B) textile
C) food
D) metals
E) plastic

Question 27

What is the name for the scientific process used to estimate the potential harm of a particular hazard using statistical methods?

A) Probability
B) Risk assessment
C) Lifecycle cost-pricing
D) Mitigation
E) Prevention

Question 28

Manufacturers have started using BPS as a replacement for BPA due to concerns about the health effects of BPA. BPS appears to ____.

A) cause similar health effects to BPA
B) be much safer than BPA
C) be too new to draw conclusions about its safety
D) to result in significantly higher production costs than using BPA
E) to result in antibiotic resistance in exposed microbes

Question 29

Why have pesticide producers failed to produce new mosquito-killing insecticides in recent years?

A) Existing pesticides are sufficient to fully control malaria.
B) Resistance to pesticides is not a concern, so new pesticides are not needed.
C) Vaccination efforts have been so effective that there is no need for insecticides to kill mosquitoes.
D) Treatment for malaria is now so effective that it is only a minor illness even in developing parts of the world.
E) It is much more expensive to develop and market new pesticides than the producers would make in sales of the pesticides in the United States.

Question 30

Biological hazards are those specifically caused by ____.

A) industrial chemicals
B) medical errors
C) lifestyle factors
D) inorganic or organic mutagens
E) living organisms such as pathogens

Question 31

Some researchers estimate that one out of every five people infected with ____ is not aware of the infection.

A) E. coli
B) Influenza
C) Malaria
D) HIV
E) HBV

Question 32

Malaria is caused by____ that is carried by mosquitoes.

A) a virus
B) a bacterium
C) a parasite
D) a chemical toxin
E) multiple types of pathogens, including viruses and bacteria

Question 33

Why is it a concern that antibacterial hand soaps have become so popular?

A) They are so much more effective than regular soaps that they do not leave enough healthy bacteria on hands.
B) They are highly toxic if ingested.
C) They are too expensive for general use.
D) They are less effective in removing dirt from hands than other soaps, even though they kill microbes.
E) They seem to be no more effective than other soaps and may promote the development of resistant bacteria

Question 34

What do we call the probability of suffering harm from a hazard?

A) Disease
B) Economic Loss
C) Death
D) Injury
E) Risk

Question 35

Approximately 2.6 billion people do not have sanitary toilet facilities. Partly as a result of this, more than one billion people have their drinking water polluted by ____.

A) malaria parasites
B) carcinogens
C) mutagens
D) feces
E) chemicals

Question 36

What is the leading cause of death worldwide for people ages 15-49?

A) E. coli infection
B) Malaria
C) Hepatitis
D) AIDS
E) Influenza

Question 37

A deadly, multidrug resistant form of ____ has been spreading and is difficult to treat. Because of the high risk of this illness, those affected must be quarantined and treated with care by healthcare workers.

A) influenza
B) HIV
C) avian bird flu
D) malaria
E) tuberculosis

Question 38

To help prevent worsening of risks from infectious diseases, it is important to reduce the use of _____.

A) antibiotics
B) DDT
C) toxic chemicals
D) MRSA
E) blood transfusions

Question 39

A ____ disease, such as asthma, is not caused directly by a living organism and does not spread from one person to another.

A) chemical
B) transmissible
C) nontransmissible
D) natural
E) cultural

Question 40

The majority of cases of malaria (90%) occur ____.

A) in Asia
B) in sub-Saharan Africa
C) in South America
D) on Pacific islands
E) in North America

Question 41

Single-celled organisms that are abundant in even extreme environments and that do not require a host cell to reproduce are called ____.

A) carcinogens
B) mutagens
C) parasitic worms
D) bacteria
E) viruses

Question 42

A person that develops asthma after living in a city with severe air pollution for decades is experiencing a(n) ____.

A) chronic effect
B) subchronic effect
C) acute effect
D) subacute effect
E) superacute effect

Question 43

What is the greatest threat to global human health?

A) Poverty
B) Air pollution
C) Cancer
D) Tobacco
E) Pneumonia and flu

Question 44

A person experiencing dizziness after using a strong household cleaner is showing a(n) ____.

A) chronic effect
B) subchronic effect
C) acute effect
D) subacute effect
E) superacute effect

Question 45

The system responsible for defense against disease and harmful substances is the ____.

A) circulatory system
B) endocrine system
C) immune system
D) excretory system
E) cardiovascular system

Question 46

What is the term for a toxic agent that causes harm or birth defects in a fetus or embryo?

A) A carcinogen
B) A mutagen
C) Pathogens
D) A teratogen
E) A neurotoxin

Question 47

What percentage of synthetic chemicals commonly used today have been adequately tested to determine if they are mutagens, carcinogens, or teratogens?

A) 90%
B) 75%
C) 50%
D) 25%
E) 2%

Question 48

What is a disease where malignant cells can multiply uncontrollably and form tumors?

A) Impaired immune function
B) Genetic disorder
C) Thyroid disease
D) Cancer
E) Mutation

Question 49

____ can be limited in many cases, because too few people have been exposed to high enough levels of a toxic agent to detect statistically significant differences.

A) Risk assessment
B) Risk management
C) Epidemiological studies
D) Persistence samples
E) Toxicological studies

Question 50

What is a chemical's median lethal dose?

A) This is the dose where an animal would be expected to show an acute response.
B) This corresponds to the highest point on a dose-response curve.
C) This is the level that a chemical becomes slightly toxic.
D) This is the dose that can kill 50% of the animals in a test population within a given time period.
E) This is the dose that will kill most of the medium sized animals in a test population.

Question 51

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency currently recommends that regulators assume children face a risk factor ____ times that of adults when exposed to carcinogenic chemicals.

A) 5
B) 10
C) 25
D) 50
E) 100

Question 52

If you typically consume large amounts of processed foods, and certain wines, which category of chemical hazard is introduced into your system?

A) Mutagens
B) Antitoxins
C) Teratogens
D) Neurotoxins
E) Antibodies

Question 53

Hormonally active agents (HAAs) are a category of chemical hazards that can do what?

A) They can cause poor balance and coordination, muscle weakness, tremors, memory problems, insomnia, hearing loss, loss of hair, and loss of peripheral vision.
B) They can cause birth defects, liver cancer, kidney and liver damage, premature breast development, immune system suppression, and abnormal sexual development in these animals.
C) They have been suggested to cause brain damage, early puberty, decreased sperm quality, certain cancers, heart disease, obesity, liver damage, impaired immune function, type 2 diabetes, hyperactivity, impaired learning, impotence in males, and obesity in unborn test animals.
D) They cause genetic resistance to drugs like antibiotics.
E) They are pollutants that can act as thyroid disrupters and cause growth, weight, brain, and behavioral disorders.

Question 54

Mutagens can cause or increase the frequency of mutations in the ____ molecules found in cells.

A) water
B) carbohydrate
C) DNA
D) fat
E) RNA

Question 55

The immune system consists of specialized cells and tissues that protect the body against disease and harmful substances by forming ____.

A) bisphenol A
B) endocrine
C) hormones
D) antibodies
E) phthalates

Question 56

______ is an example of a bacterium that is highly resistant to antibiotics.

A) MRSA
B) Hepatitis B
C) Influenza
D) HIV
E) The malaria parasite

Question 57

Of the choices below, a hepatitis infection often causes _____.

A) itchy rashes
B) impaired liver function
C) damage to red blood cells
D) tuberculosis
E) diarrheal diseases

Question 58

Why do some people often not believe that their present day habits and exposure to carcinogens will lead to cancer?

A) Most mutations of carcinogens cause no harm.
B) Carcinogens do not cause pain until the very last stages.
C) Initial exposure to a carcinogen and the appearance of detectable cancer symptoms has a 10- -40-year time lapse.
D) Most carcinogens are found in highly addictive substances.
E) Carcinogens cannot be seen or touched, and therefore, people do not think about their impact.

Question 59

Vinyl chloride is found in many plastics and is an example of a _____.

A) pathogen
B) neurotoxin
C) teratogen
D) antitoxin
E) carcinogen

Question 60

You are an aquatic biologist studying a small lake. The stream that drains into this lake runs by croplands. You are detecting a pesticide called atrazine in the insects and worms that live in the lake. The predatory birds such as herons and egrets have very high concentrations of atrazine in their blood. The birds prey on the frogs and small fish. What condition best explains the high atrazine level in the birds?

A) Acute effects experienced by the birds
B) Consumption in amounts larger than the lethal dose
C) Chronic residual effects in the birds
D) Biological accumulation and magnification
E) An increase in ecological toxicity

Question 61

Some organisms live on or inside other organisms and feed on them, and can cause serious infectious diseases, including malaria. These are known as ____________________.

Question 62

Nitrous acid (HNO₂), formed by the digestion of nitrite (NO₂) preservatives in foods, can cause ____________________ that are linked to increases in stomach cancer in people who consume large amounts of processed foods and wine containing such preservatives.

Question 63

A(n) ____________________ is the probability of suffering harm from a hazard that can cause injury, disease, death, economic loss, or damage.

Question 64

A(n) ____________________ effect is an immediate or rapid reaction to exposure to a harmful substance.

Question 65

The process of using statistical methods to estimate potential harm from a particular hazard is called ____________________.

Question 66

What is a principle that can help us evaluate risk?

A) When faced with a risk, make comparisons with other risks.
B) Focus on the lowest level of risk in every situation.
C) Consult with a risk evaluation expert.
D) Follow media reports on current risk levels of emerging technologies.
E) Avoid all synthetic chemicals.

Question 67

An important breakthrough to help prevent death from dehydration for victims of severe diarrhea has been the development of _________________________.

Question 68

An alternative approach to combating _____________ is to provide free or inexpensive insecticide-treated bed nets to poor people in the regions most affected.

Question 69

The chemicals PCBs, arsenic, and lead are all examples of ____________________.

Question 70

Human reliability is generally ____ technology reliability.

A) much greater than
B) slightly greater than
C) slightly lower than
D) much lower than
E) the same as

Question 71

Malaria is transmitted by species of ____________________.

Question 72

A(n) ____________________ is a disease caused by a pathogen such as a bacterium, virus, or parasite that invades the body and multiplies in its cells and tissues.

Question 73

A(n) ____________________ is a toxic agent that can cause birth defects.

Question 74

Some research indicates that ____ causes people to overestimate risks and to worry more about unusual risks more so than common risks.

A) a lack of control
B) fear
C) the level of catastrophic risk
D) optimism bias
E) instant gratification

Question 75

A global-scale outbreak of an infectious disease such as tuberculosis or AIDS is called a(n) ______________________________.

Question 76

How would decreasing human reliability while maintaining the same level of technological reliability affect the system reliability?

A) The answer would depend on what kind of system is being used.
B) The system reliability would stay the same.
C) The system reliability would increase.
D) The system reliability would decrease.
E) The system would become increasingly stable.

Question 77

What is the preventive strategy that would contribute most to longer lifespans?

A) Do not smoke.
B) Get regular exercise.
C) Practice safe driving techniques.
D) Avoid alcohol consumption.
E) Avoid risky practices such as flying.

Question 78

The overuse of ____________________ can cause bacteria to develop genetic resistance.

Question 79

The ________ Convention is designed to reduce the amount of mercury released into the environment.

Question 80

The third largest viral killer in the world is ____________________.