Deck 19: Risk, Toxicology, and Human Health

Question 1

How many deaths in Canada are attributed to tobacco?

A)one in every ten deaths
B)one in every seven deaths
C)one in every five deaths
D)two in every seven deaths

Answer 1

C

Question 2

How toxic is a substance with an LD50 of 1 milligram/kilogram of body weight?

A)essentially nontoxic
B)moderately toxic
C)toxic
D)extremely toxic

Answer 2

D

Question 3

What type of exposure would have been experienced by a person who received a lifetime of background radiation from a low-level radioactive dump site?

A)a subacute exposure to radioactive substances
B)a chronic exposure to radioactive substances
C)a subchronic exposure to radioactive substances
D)an acute exposure to radioactive substances

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which statement best describes chemicals?

A)All chemicals are unsafe.
B)Natural chemicals are safe, and synthetic chemicals are deadly.
C)Some chemicals, whether synthetic or natural, are safe, and others are deadly.
D)Both synthetic and natural chemicals are safe.

Question 5

What is the best reason for animal use in developing dose-response curves?

A)It is non-controversial.
B)Researchers can extrapolate data from test animals to humans.
C)Researchers can extrapolate data from low-dose levels to high-dose levels.
D)It is usually nonlethal.

Question 6

Which of the following is considered a cultural hazard?

A)floods
B)drugs
C)drought
D)pollen

Question 7

What would people most likely have experienced if they flew over the Chernobyl site two days after the explosion?

A)an acute exposure to radioactive substances
B)a subchronic exposure to radioactive substances
C)a subacute exposure to radioactive substances
D)a chronic exposure to radioactive substances

Question 8

What is used to generate dose-response curves?

A)epidemiological studies comparing animal responses to various doses
B)laboratory studies comparing experimental and control groups of test animals
C)field studies with groups of test subjects
D)computer models comparing different groups of people

Question 9

What is one reason why case studies are very useful?

A)because acute dosages of harmful substances are documented
B)because the health status of the individuals studied is clearly known
C)because they provide clues about possible environmental hazards
D)because exposure of individuals to a variety of harmful substances is controlled

Question 10

Which hazard is among the four main types of hazards?

A)industrial hazards
B)climate change hazards
C)chemical hazards
D)global hazards

Question 11

Which suggestion is most likely to lead to an increase in the health risks associated with smoking?

A)eliminate federal subsidies to tobacco farmers and companies
B)ban cigarette advertising
C)legalize the sale of tobacco products to all age groups
D)ban cigarette vending machines

Question 12

What dose-response curve would be implied in an epidemiological study that shows a standard increase in physical effects for each rise in the dose of a toxic substance?

A)a linear dose-response curve
B)an exponential dose-response curve
C)a threshold dose-response curve
D)no dose-response curve

Question 13

Who regulates research involving animals in Canada?

A)the NRA
B)the SPCA
C)the DNR
D)the CCAC

Question 14

Which type of effect is occurring if a person is experiencing dizziness after using a strong household cleaner?

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

Question 15

Which pricing approach is being used if a further tax is added to the price of a pack of cigarettes?

A)externalizing internal costs approach
B)full-cost pricing approach
C)user-pays approach
D)life-cycle cost pricing approach

Question 16

Which statement best describes dose-response curves?

A)They are extrapolated from humans to other primates.
B)They show the effects of various doses of toxic agents on a group of test organisms.
C)They are extrapolated using mathematical models to project possible effects of high doses.
D)They are linear graphs.

Question 17

Which of the following is considered a biological hazard?

A)an earthquake
B)bacteria
C)a hurricane
D)diet

Question 18

Which type of effect would be displayed by a person experiencing liver damage after a lifetime of alcohol abuse?

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

Question 19

Which of the following is considered a physical hazard?

A)driving
B)chemicals
C)poor diet
D)a hurricane

Question 20

Which type of effect would be displayed by a person with kidney damage after an immediate exposure to a toxic chemical?

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

Question 21

Which statement best describes a threshold dose-response model?

A)It implies there is a dose below which no detectable harmful effects occur.
B)It implies that each dose of ionizing radiation or toxic chemical carries a risk of causing harm.
C)It is useful for assessing chronic toxicity.
D)It errs on the side of safety.

Question 22

Which of the following is a transmissible disease?

A)malnutrition
B)hepatitis B
C)cancer
D)heart disease

Question 23

Which of the following is a type of chemical hazard?

A)a hormone
B)LC50
C)a zymogen
D)a mutagen

Question 24

What medical problem is caused by carcinogens?

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

Question 25

Which synthetic chemical acts as a hormone mimic?

A)adrenalin
B)estrogens
C)PCBs
D)ethyl alcohol

Question 26

Which system is responsible for the human body's defense against disease and harmful substances?

A)the immune system
B)the circulatory system
C)the excretory system
D)the endocrine system

Question 27

Which of the following is a line of defense in the human body's immune system?

A)hormones
B)antibodies
C)neurotoxins
D)neurohumors

Question 28

Which system can be severely disrupted when a person intakes synthetic mimics?

A)the circulatory system
B)the digestive system
C)the endocrine system
D)the respiratory system

Question 29

Which population of a large lake system would be most affected by the dumping of PCBs into the water?

A)algae
B)zooplankton
C)small fish
D)predatory birds

Question 30

Who would be most affected by bioaccumulation of a hormone disrupter?

A)a tertiary consumer
B)a producer
C)a primary consumer
D)a secondary consumer

Question 31

Which type of molecule is directly changed by mutagens?

A)carbohydrate
B)RNA
C)protein
D)DNA

Question 32

What is metastasis?

A)the process of dying from cancer
B)the result of coming into contact with a carcinogen
C)the surgical removal of a tumour
D)when malignant cells break off from tumours to other parts of the body

Question 33

What is the best definition of a vector?

A)an agent of disease transmission
B)a parasitic organism
C)a dosage level
D)an agent of infection

Question 34

What is a characteristic of mutagens?

A)They cause mutations.
B)They are harmful because they are flammable, explosive, irritating to skin or lungs, or cause allergic reactions.
C)They are fatal to humans in low doses.
D)They cause physical deformities.

Question 35

What is the study of the pattern of disease in a population called?

A)epidemiology
B)ecology
C)pathology
D)oncology

Question 36

Which class of chemicals causes birth defects?

A)iodized sodium chloride
B)teratogens
C)carcinogens
D)glycogens

Question 37

What is least likely to cause a transmissible disease?

A)a hazardous chemical
B)a virus
C)bacteria
D)a parasite

Question 38

What plays the most important role in causing or promoting cancer, according to the World Health Organization?

A)cigarette smoke
B)genetic factors
C)viruses
D)environmental pollutants

Question 39

How many years of delay is typical between initial exposure to a carcinogen and appearance of detectable symptoms?

A)2 to 5 years
B)5 to 10 years
C)10 to 40 years
D)40 to 50 years

Question 40

What is a characteristic of teratogens?

A)They are harmful because they are irritating to skin or lungs.
B)They cause birth defects.
C)They cause mutations.
D)They are fatal to humans in low doses.

Question 41

What causes tuberculosis?

A)mosquitoes
B)viruses
C)houseflies
D)bacteria

Question 42

What led to a sharp decrease in the spread of malaria?

A)the use of herbicides
B)the spraying of breeding areas with DDT and other pesticides
C)the creation of a vaccine
D)administering a solution of boiled water, salt, and sugar or rice

Question 43

Which statement best describes an epidemiologic transition?

A)It happens before a demographic transition.
B)It happens when mortality is due mainly to childhood infectious diseases rather than adulthood chronic diseases.
C)It happens when mortality is due mainly to adulthood chronic diseases rather than childhood infectious diseases.
D)It is the same as a demographic transition.

Question 44

What is a symptom of malaria?

A)curvature of the spine
B)weakened immune system
C)blindness
D)elevated red blood cell count

Question 45

What is the greatest contributor to reducing a person's life span?

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

Question 46

Which one of the following has been a low-cost investment that has saved millions of lives from diarrheal diseases annually?

A)postnatal care
B)immunization against preventable infectious diseases
C)family-planning counseling
D)oral rehydration therapy

Question 47

What causes malaria?

A)viruses
B)plasmodium parasites
C)bacteria
D)parasitic worms

Question 48

What would be most effective for improving healthcare in developing countries?

A)implementing better cooking technology
B)implementing better exercise programs
C)immunizing people against the measles
D)implementing oral rehydration therapy

Question 49

Which of the following is a physical hazard?

A)poverty
B)a flood
C)poor diet
D)allergens

Question 50

Which malaria reduction strategy would be most harmful to humans?

A)spraying heavier doses of DDT on swamps and estuaries
B)using mosquito nets dipped in permethrin
C)increasing water flow in irrigation systems
D)cultivating fish that feed on mosquito larvae

Question 51

Which strategy has the most potential to help curtail the increasing resistance of bacterial strains to antibiotics?

A)if humans wear protective masks
B)if humans continue using antibiotics
C)if humans decrease their use of pesticides
D)if humans use improved sanitation procedures, especially hand washing

Question 52

What presents the greatest risk to humans, in terms of the number of deaths per year and reduced life span?

A)poverty
B)TB
C)unhealthy life choices
D)cultural hazards

Question 53

Which of the following is a viral disease?

A)tuberculosis
B)Lyme disease
C)influenza
D)malaria

Question 54

Which factor contributes most to the rise in the incidence of bacterial diseases that were once controlled by antibiotics?

A)the genetic adaptability of bacteria
B)the increased amount of ultraviolet light that is entering the Earth's atmosphere due to the thinning ozone layer
C)the increased amount of virus around the globe
D)the underuse of antibiotics by doctors

Question 55

What presents the greatest health risk to a person living in a developing country?

A)unsanitary drinking water
B)diabetes
C)hantavirus
D)Ebola virus

Question 56

What is a key characteristic of bacteria?

A)They have a low reproductive rate.
B)They cannot adapt to changing environments.
C)They can develop resistance to antibiotics.
D)They are K-strategists.

Question 57

What percentage of global deaths are caused by infectious and parasitic diseases?

A)about 8%
B)about 18%
C)about 28%
D)about 38%

Question 58

Which organism spreads malaria?

A)flies
B)worms
C)mosquitoes
D)snails

Question 59

Which of the following is part of the process of risk assessment?

A)determining the types of hazards involved
B)informing decision makers and the public about risks
C)determining how much money should be spent
D)communicating risk to the general public

Question 60

What is a leading cause of death in developed countries?

A)bacteria
B)vectors
C)environmental and lifestyle factors
D)viruses

Question 61

Which question can be answered by risk management?

A)How much will sea levels rise by 2100?
B)How can risk be eliminated entirely?
C)How much is a life worth?
D)When will peak oil be reached?

Question 62

Case reports, epidemiological studies, and animal testing can all be used to estimate toxicity.

Question 63

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

Question 64

A transmissible disease is caused by something other than a living organism and can spread from one person to another.

Question 65

After poverty and gender, the greatest risks faced by people are related mainly to lifestyle choices.

Question 66

A nonlinear dose response model applies if a harmful effect occurs when the dosage exceeds a threshold level.

Question 67

Which statement best describes why regulators who set human exposure levels for toxic substances usually divide the results to ensure a margin of safety?

A)because of technological unreliability
B)because the results of risk analysis are uncertain
C)because of strict government regulations
D)because the majority of individuals are unable to evaluate the relative risks they face

Question 68

Under the precautionary principle approach, chemicals are assumed to be safe until scientific research can determine otherwise.

Question 69

Cigarette smoking is an example of a preventable hazard.

Question 70

The three most pervasive viral diseases are influenza, hepatitis B, and SARS.

Question 71

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

Question 72

All chemicals intended for commercial use are screened for toxicity before being deemed acceptable for use.

Question 73

How does human reliability compare to technological reliability?

A)Human reliability is much greater than technological reliability.
B)Human reliability is slightly greater than technological reliability.
C)Human reliability is slightly lower than technological reliability.
D)Human reliability is much lower than technological reliability.

Question 74

What is required to calculate the risk of a new technological system?

A)a careful economic analysis
B)an assessment of its reliability
C)the system's energy efficiency
D)an assessment of human intelligence

Question 75

What is one reason why risk assessment and risk-benefit analyses are useful?

A)They focus on areas of investment that can make money.
B)They help regulators decide how money for reducing risks should be allocated.
C)They increase technological reliability.
D)They eliminate uncertainties about planning the future.

Question 76

Although the threat of infectious diseases has decreased, human health is still threatened by pesticide-resistant insects and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Question 77

The three types of toxic chemicals are mutagens, teratogens, and carcinogens.

Question 78

Chemical hazards are defined by their pervasiveness in the environment; the toxicity of the chemicals is not important.

Question 79

Evaluating the relative health risks for an individual involves looking at the environmental conditions, food resources, and the military security of that individual's population.

Question 80

Most case reports provide reliable sources for estimating the toxicity of harmful chemicals to humans.