Deck 14: Environmental Hazards and Human Health

Question 1

Which of the following infectious diseases is not among the four most deadly?

A) Flu
B) Measles
C) Tuberculosis
D) Diarrhea
E) AIDS

Answer 1

Measles

Question 2

Effectively combating the spread of malaria has become more challenging since the 1970s because:

A) The Anopheles mosquito has become genetically resistant to most pesticides.
B) Plasmodium parasites have become resistant to most antimalarial drugs.
C) The flea that transmits the disease has become resistant to pesticides.
D) None of these answers.
E) Two of these answers.

Answer 2

Two of these answers.

Question 3

Victims of ________________ must be permanently isolated from the rest of society.

A) AIDS
B) hepatitis B
C) multi-drug resistant tuberculosis
D) measles
E) SARS

Answer 3

multi-drug resistant tuberculosis

Question 4

AIDS has reduced the life expectancy of the 750 million people living in sub-Saharan Africa by

A) 5 years
B) 5 to 7 years
C) 10 years
D) 15 to 20 years
E) none of these answers

Question 5

____ is the scientific process of using statistical methods to estimate how much harm a particular hazard can cause to human health or the environment.

A) probability
B) risk assessment
C) lifecycle cost-pricing
D) risk pricing
E) none of these answers

Question 6

Malaria is spread by

A) Anopheles mosquitoes
B) flies
C) worms
D) snails
E) bacteria

Question 7

Risk is expressed as a probability of suffering from

A) disease
B) economic loss
C) death
D) injury
E) all of these answers

Question 8

The incidence of tuberculosis (TB) is increasing because:

A) Strains of the TB bacterium have developed resistance to antibiotics.
B) Population size and air travel have increased.
C) Immune systems have weakened from the spread of AIDS.
D) There is a lack of TB screening, especially in developing countries.
E) All of these answers.

Question 9

Ecological medicine is a relatively new field of study devoted to

A) finding a cure for AIDS
B) the ecology of sick people
C) diseases that are transmitted from one animal species to another
D) international diseases such as Asian flu
E) none of these answers

Question 10

Genetic resistance to antibiotics has

A) increased the spread of AIDS
B) been a factor in the development of MRSA
C) been favored by overuse of antibiotics
D) two of these answers are correct
E) all of these answers

Question 11

During the mid-1900s, the spread of malaria decreased sharply from

A) draining swamplands
B) draining marshes
C) spraying breeding areas with pesticides
D) using drugs to kill the parasites in the bloodstream
E) all of these answers

Question 12

About ____ of the world's people are at risk from malaria.

A) two million
B) 10 percent
C) 1 billion
D) 25%
E) Half

Question 13

Malaria is caused by

A) viruses
B) bacteria
C) Plasmodium parasites
D) parasitic worms
E) mosquitoes

Question 14

What percentage of Americans over the age of 6 have trace levels of BPA in their bodies?

A) 93%
B) 95%
C) 90%
D) 83%
E) This applies to citizens of other developed countries, but not America.

Question 15

All of the following statements about AIDS are correct except:

A) Globally, AIDS is the leading cause of death amongst young people aged 25-44.
B) The long incubation period for AIDS means that some people spread the virus for years before they realize they have the disease.
C) Currently there is no cure for AIDS
D) 90% of the people who suffer from AIDS do not use the drugs that can extend their life because they are not available in sub-Saharan Africa.
E) None of these answers.

Question 16

All of the following are considered to be biological hazards except

A) viruses
B) parasites
C) diet
D) bacteria
E) fungi

Question 17

Which of the following is not one of the major types of hazard?

A) biological hazards
B) cultural hazards
C) lifestyle choices
D) chemical hazards
E) All of these answers.

Question 18

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an estrogen mimic used in the production of hardened plastic products. This chemical is a problem when

A) It is embedded in plastic containers of food products.
B) Baby bottles that contain it are warmed before use.
C) Baby bottles that contain it are used for acidic juices, which may leach out the BPA.
D) Plastic containers with BPA end up as beach litter and cause harm to marine animals.
E) All of these answers

Question 19

Oral rehydration therapy

A) is less successful than expected
B) is too expensive to be practical
C) was a factor in saving about 3 million lives in 2008
D) can help prevent death by dehydration of a child with severe diarrhea
E) None of the above

Question 20

Which one of the following infectious diseases has been on the rise since 1990 and kills about 1.3 million people per year?

A) AIDS
B) West Nile virus
C) SARS
D) measles
E) tuberculosis

Question 21

Which of the following tools includes the other three?

A) risk assessment
B) risk management
C) risk analysis
D) risk communication
E) None of the choices includes any of the others.

Question 22

Carcinogens cause

A) genetic defects
B) birth defects
C) Cancer
D) chronic health effects
E) allergic reactions

Question 23

What percentage of synthetic chemicals commonly used today has been adequately tested to determine if they are mutagen, carcinogen, or teratogen?

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

Question 24

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 25

A person experiencing dizziness after using a strong household cleaner is showing

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

Question 26

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 process explains the high atrazine level in the birds?

A) antagonistic interaction
B) Persistence
C) chronic effect
D) biological magnification
E) none of these answers

Question 27

These diseases are the three largest viral killers.

A) malaria, AIDS, and SARS
B) tuberculosis, AIDS, and malaria
C) Lyme disease, West Nile virus, and SARS
D) flu, AIDS, and hepatitis B
E) flu, AIDS, and West Nile virus

Question 28

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

A) Mimic the action of estrogen in the human body.
B) Disrupt the reproductive system by binding to hormone receptors.
C) Soften the shells of wild birds and stop their reproduction.
D) Both disrupt the reproductive system by binding to hormone receptors and soften the shells of wild birds and stop their reproduction are correct.
E) Both mimic the action of estrogen in the human body and disrupt the reproductive system by binding to hormone receptors are correct.

Question 29

A person that develops asthma after living in a city with severe air pollution for decades is experiencing

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

Question 30

Mutagens

A) are fatal to humans in low doses
B) are technically non-toxic
C) are harmful because they are flammable, explosive, irritating to the skin or lungs, or cause allergic reactions
D) cause mutations
E) all of these answers

Question 31

The major cause of a reduced human life span today is

A) Poverty
B) Smoking
C) Cancer
D) high cholesterol
E) Driving

Question 32

The principal types of chemical hazards include

A) Carcinogens
B) Mutagens
C) Teratogens
D) all of these answers.
E) both carcinogens and mutagens.

Question 33

Examples of carcinogens include

A) ultraviolet radiation
B) certain chemicals in tobacco smoke
C) Arsenic
D) A and C are correct
E) All of the above are correct

Question 34

You were recently hired by WHO (World Health Organization) to investigate the current status of swine flu outbreaks in a certain part of the United States. Your job title would most likely be

A) ecological medicine specialist
B) restoration ecologist
C) remediation ecologist
D) recovery botanical specialist
E) M.D.

Question 35

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

A) mutagen, because of the nitrites
B) carcinogen, because of the nitrites
C) teratogen, because of the nitrites
D) mutagen, because of the phosphoric acid
E) carcinogen, because of the high fat content

Question 36

A delay of ____ years between initial exposure to a carcinogen and appearance of detectable symptoms is typical.

A) 1-2
B) 2-5
C) 5-10
D) 10-40
E) 40-60

Question 37

Which statement is true?

A) All chemicals are unsafe.
B) Natural chemicals are safe, and synthetic chemicals are deadly.
C) All chemicals are safe.
D) Some chemicals, whether synthetic or natural, are safe and others are deadly.
E) All chemicals are safe except those that cause cancer.

Question 38

Mutagens directly change molecules of

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

Question 39

Viral diseases are particularly difficult to combat because they

A) are not affected by antibiotics
B) kill large numbers of people
C) evolve rapidly
D) all of these answers
E) none of these answers

Question 40

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

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

Question 41

The overuse of ____________________ can cause bacteria to develop immunity.

Question 42

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

Question 43

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

Question 44

The strategy that would contribute most to longer lifespan would be

A) no smoking
B) regular exercise
C) safe driving
D) no alcohol consumption
E) never traveling by airplane

Question 45

Which environmental problem is among the five leading causes of death worldwide?

A) El Niño
B) air pollution
C) water pollution
D) toxic waste
E) nuclear waste

Question 46

The most preventable kind of hazard is smoking.

Question 47

Neurotoxins are always synthetic chemicals.

Question 48

The damage to human health from exposure to a chemical is called the response.

Question 49

DDT is a chemical that is persistent, or resistant to breakdown.

Question 50

Malaria is transmitted by the ____________________.

Question 51

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 52

Human reliability is generally ____ technology reliability.

A) much greater than
B) slightly greater than
C) slightly lower than
D) much lower than
E) none of these answers

Question 53

The reason 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 54

Common antimalarial drugs have become more effective against the Plasmodium parasites since about 1970.

Question 55

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

Question 56

All chemicals in commercial use were screened for toxicity before they were deemed acceptable for use.

Question 57

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

Question 58

Malaria cannot be transmitted by blood transfusions or by sharing needles.

Question 59

Research has indicated that long-term exposure to some chemicals at low doses may disrupt the body's immune, nervous, and endocrine systems.

Question 60

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

Question 61

Some individuals are sensitive to a multitude of toxins, a condition called ____________________.

Question 62

PCBs-methyl mercury, arsenic, and lead-are all examples of ____________________.

Question 63

Although it has been largely phased out in most countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) supports the limited use of ____________________ to control the spread of malaria.

Question 64

Match the items below with their correct description from the list a through f.
heroin

A)essentially nontoxic
B)slightly toxic
C)moderately toxic
D)very toxic
E)extremely toxic
F)supertoxic

Question 65

Match the items below with their correct description from the list a through f.
water

A)essentially nontoxic
B)slightly toxic
C)moderately toxic
D)very toxic
E)extremely toxic
F)supertoxic

Question 66

People with HIV are more susceptible to malaria, and people with malaria are more susceptible to ____________________.

Question 67

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

Question 68

Match the items below with their correct description from the list a through f.
nerve gas

A)essentially nontoxic
B)slightly toxic
C)moderately toxic
D)very toxic
E)extremely toxic
F)supertoxic

Question 69

Nitrites used in food processing and wine production can act as a mutagen and cause ____________________.

Question 70

A very effective and inexpensive defense against the spread of malaria is a(n) ____________________.

Question 71

Match the items below with their correct description from the list a through f.
mercury

A)essentially nontoxic
B)slightly toxic
C)moderately toxic
D)very toxic
E)extremely toxic
F)supertoxic

Question 72

Match the items below with their correct description from the list a through f.
DDT

A)essentially nontoxic
B)slightly toxic
C)moderately toxic
D)very toxic
E)extremely toxic
F)supertoxic

Question 73

____________________ gives an estimate of the likelihood that an event will occur.

Question 74

A viral killer that damages the liver and kills about 600,000 people each year is ____________________.

Question 75

Match the items below with their correct description from the list a through f.
mushroom toxin

A)essentially nontoxic
B)slightly toxic
C)moderately toxic
D)very toxic
E)extremely toxic
F)supertoxic

Question 76

Match the items below with their correct description from the list a through f.
ethyl alcohol

A)essentially nontoxic
B)slightly toxic
C)moderately toxic
D)very toxic
E)extremely toxic
F)supertoxic

Question 77

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

Question 78

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

Question 79

Carcinogens, mutagens, and ___________ are toxic agents.

Question 80

Because of the difficulty in evaluating the harm caused by exposure to chemicals, scientists recommend more emphasis on ____________________.