Deck 14: Environmental Hazards and Human Health

Question 1

____ 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

Answer 1

risk assessment

Question 2

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

A)two million
B)10 percent
C)1 billion
D)25%
E)40%

Answer 2

40%

Question 3

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.

Answer 3

All of these answers.

Question 4

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 5

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 prevent death by dehydration of a child with diarrheal disease
E)was a factor in saving about 3 million lives over a 26-year period]and can prevent death by dehydration of a child with diarrheal disease

Question 6

Malaria is spread by

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

Question 7

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 8

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 9

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.

Question 10

All of the following statements about AIDS are correct except:

A)90% of the people who suffer from AIDS cannot afford to use the drugs that can extend their life.
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 vaccine to prevent HIV infection.
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 11

Which one of the following infectious diseases has been on the rise since 1990 and kills about 1.8 million people per year?

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

Question 12

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 13

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an estrogen mimic used in the production of hardened plastic products. a.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 14

What percentage of Americans 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

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

A)flu
B)measles
C)malaria
D)diarrhea
E)AIDS

Question 16

Malaria is caused by

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

Question 17

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

Question 18

Risk is expressed as a probability of suffering from

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

Question 19

All of the following are considered to be biological hazards except

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

Question 20

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 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

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 23

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. a.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 24

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 25

Viral diseases are particularly difficult to combat because they

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

Question 26

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 27

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 28

Carcinogens cause

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

Question 29

The U.S. a.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 30

You are an aquatic biologist studying a small lake. a.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 31

The principal types of chemical hazards include

A)carcinogens
B)mutagens
C)teratogens
D)all of these answers.
E)both carcinogens and mutagens.

Question 32

Carcinogens may be

A)viruses
B)radiation
C)chemicals
D)radiation and chemicals only
E)viruses, radiation, and chemicals

Question 33

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 34

Mutagens directly change molecules of

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

Question 35

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 36

Mutagens

A)are fatal to humans in low doses
B)cause birth defects
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 37

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 38

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 39

The major cause of a reduced human life span today is

A)poverty
B)smoking
C)cancer
D)high cholesterol
E)driving

Question 40

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 41

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

Question 42

The overuse of ____________________ can cause bacteria to develop immunity.

Question 43

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

Question 44

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

Question 45

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

Question 46

The most preventable kind of hazard is smoking.

Question 47

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 48

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 49

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 50

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

Question 51

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 52

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

Question 53

Malaria is transmitted by the ____________________.

Question 54

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 55

Neurotoxins are always synthetic chemicals.

Question 56

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

Question 57

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

Question 58

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

Question 59

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

Question 60

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

Question 61

A viral killer that damages the liver and kills about a million people each year is ____________________.

Question 62

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 63

In 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the use of ____________________ to control the spread of malaria.

Question 64

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 65

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

Question 66

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

Question 67

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

Question 68

Because populations of mosquitoes are expected to expand to different parts of the planet due to climate change, the incidence of ____________________ is expected to spread to warm temperate areas of the globe.

Question 69

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 70

Some chemicals, radiation, and certain ____________________ are carcinogens.

Question 71

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

Question 72

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 73

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 74

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

Question 75

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

Question 76

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

Question 77

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

Question 78

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

Question 79

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 80

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