Deck 20: The Environment and Your Health

Question 1

Your personal environment includes all of the following elements EXCEPT

A) drinking water.
B) indoor air.
C) building materials at your school.
D) solar radiation.

Answer 1

solar radiation.

Question 2

You have the greatest control over factors in your _____________ environment.

A) community
B) regional
C) global
D) personal

Answer 2

personal

Question 3

Which of the following is accurate regarding carbon monoxide? It

A) has a distinct odor.
B) is colorless.
C) can be detected with our normal senses.
D) has a distinct taste.

Answer 3

is colorless.

Question 4

Carbon monoxide can kill you at concentrations greater than ______ ppm.

A) 50
B) 70
C) 100
D) 150

Question 5

Paint stripper, disinfectants, and cleaning solvents are sources of

A) biological pollutants.
B) water pollutants.
C) volatile organic compounds.
D) toxic metals.

Question 6

Long term exposure to volatile organic compounds such as paint and cleaning solvents are likely to do all of the following EXCEPT damage the

A) liver.
B) kidney.
C) skeletal system.
D) nervous system.

Question 7

Which of the following scenarios would MOST likely expose someone to asbestos?

A) putting insulation into a new building
B) knocking down walls and ceilings in an older building
C) installing a wood floor over cement in an old building's basement
D) putting new shingles over old shingles

Question 8

Lead has the most serious health effects for which group?

A) infants and children
B) adolescents and young adults
C) adults
D) older adults

Question 9

All of the following are sources of biological air pollutants EXCEPT

A) coughs or sneezes by infected humans.
B) nitrate from agricultural runoff.
C) mold growing on moist surfaces.
D) poorly maintained ventilation systems.

Question 10

Most documented health effects of non-ionizing radiation are associated with

A) DNA damage in brain cells
B) heating of tissues resulting in sunburn
C) certain cancers
D) dizziness, shortness of breath, and headache

Question 11

The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that exposure to radon gas is the _________ leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.

A) first
B) second
C) third
D) fourth

Question 12

If unsafe levels of radon are detected in your home, you should

A) ignore the problem.
B) work with a certified radon reduction contractor.
C) sell your home.
D) address the high levels yourself.

Question 13

About ____________ people in the United States obtain their drinking water from groundwater sources such as wells, streams, or cisterns.

A) 350,000
B) 700,000
C) 23 million
D) 30 million

Question 14

Private water supplies should be tested annually for

A) fecal coliform bacteria.
B) carbon monoxide.
C) sulfur dioxide.
D) radioactive contamination.

Question 15

Overexposure to UV rays can cause all of the following EXCEPT

A) skin cancer.
B) cataracts.
C) weakened immune system.
D) liver cancer.

Question 16

All of the following are threats to the regional environment EXCEPT

A) loss of rainforests.
B) loss of green spaces.
C) industrial development.
D) septic systems.

Question 17

Sarah is frustrated about the issues regarding her community environmental conditions. Which of the following actions is recommend within the text and is indicated to have a significant impact on the community environmental problems?

A) going door to door and complaining to the local neighbors
B) writing a letter to your local mayor
C) joining an organization whose focus is improving the environment
D) starting your own environmental group

Question 18

Electric power stations, industrial facilities, and chemical factories are classified as ________Sources.

A) nonpoint
B) point
C) electric
D) energy

Question 19

The brownish haze over communities where substances produced when hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and other small particulate matter chemically interact in the presence of sunlight is referred to as

A) haze matter.
B) smog.
C) precipitation.
D) clouds.

Question 20

______________ are a diverse collection of hazardous air pollutants produced mainly by electric power plants, industrial sources, and internal combustion engines that constitute a widespread environmental health risk in the United States.

A) Environmental toxics
B) Air toxics
C) Environmental contaminants
D) Air contaminants

Question 21

The largest sources of biological water pollutants in surface waters of the United States today is from

A) acid rain.
B) car pollution.
C) overflowing septic and storm sewers.
D) landfill runoff.

Question 22

Pregnant women should be especially careful of consuming shellfish, fish, or wild game because of which two contaminants?

A) mercury and folate
B) mercury and PCBs
C) iodine and PCBs
D) iodine and fluorine

Question 23

Most land pollution today is associated with the disposal of ________________ waste.

A) solid
B) biochemical
C) animal
D) biohazardous

Question 24

The hidden dark side of the technology evolution with respect to the environment is the increased

A) amount of paper usage.
B) electricity utilized.
C) accumulation of obsolete electronic equipment.
D) stay-at-home workers.

Question 25

Exposure to ionizing radiation can cause all of the following EXCEPT

A) cancer.
B) death.
C) birth defects.
D) weight gain.

Question 26

There are currently more than __________ people in the global population.

A) 900 million
B) 2 billion
C) 6 billion
D) 10 billion

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT one of the major concerns about the expansion of the human population?

A) the gradual depletion of natural resources
B) an increase in air and water pollution
C) a decrease in conflict and political upheaval
D) an increase in starvation

Question 28

There is very little the individual homeowner can do to reduce his contribution to community and regional water pollution.

Question 29

Excessively loud noise can physically damage the ears.

Question 30

Daily exposure to loud music at 110 to 120 decibels will cause permanent hearing loss.

Question 31

Air pollution is defined as substances produced by human activities, but not naturally occurring substances.

Question 32

The primary sources of human-caused air pollutants come from the everyday use of aerosol cans and cleaning detergents.

Question 33

Tropospheric ozone is an air pollutant that results in a brownish haze (also called smog).

Question 34

Weather conditions can have a strong influence on air pollution levels.

Question 35

A large source of biological water pollutants is the overflow from old septic sewers.

Question 36

The public health departments monitor local surface waters for the presence of fecal coliform bacteria in every county of the United States.

Question 37

Very few chemicals and pesticides have adverse consequences for natural systems.

Question 38

To reduce health risks associated with consuming high levels of mercury and PCBs, individuals should monitor their intake of shellfish, fish, and wild game.

Question 39

Most land pollution today is associated with the disposal of hazardous waste.

Question 40

The United States led the initiative to ban the practice of shipping toxic computer waste to underdeveloped countries.

Question 41

Non-ionizing radiation is produced by nuclear reactions and can cause damage to the DNA structure.

Question 42

Exposure to lower levels of nuclear reactions presents little health risk to the individual.

Question 43

Every year, five million children die from waterborne diarrhea diseases associated with unsanitary drinking water.

Question 44

The rate of population growth can be slowed simply by providing education opportunities to girls.

Question 45

The vast majority of the depletion of the ozone layer has occurred near the equator.

Question 46

Describe some of the ways you can reduce threats to your health in your personal environment.

Question 47

Discuss the hazards of endocrine disrupting chemicals. What are some common sources of these chemicals?

Question 48

Discuss ways that you can limit your own contribution to air pollution.

Question 49

How can one individual have an effect on the global warming problem?

Question 50

Discuss how the increase in human population has affected natural habitats and the rate of species' extinction.