Question 1

In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency has authority to regulate both criteria air pollutants and hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

Accepted Answer

The Clean Air Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to regulate both criteria air pollutants, which are common pollutants found throughout the United States, and hazardous air pollutants, which are known to cause cancer and other serious health impacts.

Question 2

Which of the following weight classifications is defined as a body mass index BMI) of 30.0 or higher and is associated with high medical costs in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher and is associated with increased medical costs due to related health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Question 3

What is the term for a chemical that causes an adverse impact during development i.e., before birth)? Examples include lead and alcohol.

Accepted Answer

Teratogens are substances that can cause birth defects or other developmental problems in a fetus when a mother is exposed to them during pregnancy. Examples include lead, which can cause brain damage and developmental delays, and alcohol, which can result in fetal alcohol syndrome.

Question 4

Cancer is caused purely by a person's genetic factors and is not impacted by environmental exposures.

Accepted Answer

Cancer can be caused by both genetic factors and environmental exposures, such as smoking, radiation, viruses, and chemicals.

Question 5

Which of the following types of epidemiology focuses on the effect of physical, biologic, and chemical factors in the broadly defined external environment on human health?

Accepted Answer

Environmental epidemiology specifically studies the effects of environmental exposures (physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person) on the health and disease outcomes in populations.

Question 6

Asthma is a concern of environmental public health professionals because attacks of the disease often are related to environmental exposures like tobacco smoke or outdoor pollution.

Accepted Answer

Asthma attacks can be triggered by environmental factors such as tobacco smoke, outdoor pollution, dust mites, and pollen, making it a significant concern for environmental public health professionals who work to mitigate these exposures.

Question 7

Unlike other disciplines within public health, there are no surveillance data available for environmental exposures like pesticides in the United States so all environmental public health activities are in response to disasters rather than preventive actions.

Accepted Answer

The United States does have systems in place for the surveillance of environmental exposures, including pesticides, through agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which collect and analyze data to inform preventive actions and policies.

Question 8

A zoonotic disease is one that is caused by a microorganism of animal origin that is transmitted to humans.

Accepted Answer

Zoonotic diseases are caused by infectious agents that can be transmitted between animals and humans. These agents include viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi.

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of an environmental justice issue in public health?

Accepted Answer

Environmental justice issues focus on how environmental factors disproportionately affect certain populations, especially marginalized or low-income groups. The presence of lead paint in low-income neighborhoods and its impact on children highlights a disparity based on socioeconomic status, making it an environmental justice issue.

Question 10

Which of the following diseases is a vector-borne disease transmitted by mosquitoes?

Accepted Answer

Malaria is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes, making it a vector-borne disease.

Question 11

Which of the following types of radiation is the more harmful, ionizing radiation, which is capable of removing electrons from atoms?

Accepted Answer

Gamma rays are a form of ionizing radiation, which means they have enough energy to remove electrons from atoms, making them more harmful compared to non-ionizing radiation forms like visible light, microwaves, and radio waves.

Question 12

The concept of "one health" relates to the fact that unlike most other public health professionals, environmental health practitioners are only concerned about the health of the environment and not the health of people.

Accepted Answer

The concept of "one health" recognizes the interconnectedness of the health of humans, animals, and the environment, implying that environmental health practitioners, along with other public health professionals, are concerned with both the health of the environment and the health of people.

Question 13

Which of the following scenarios exemplifies a dose-response relationship?

Accepted Answer

A dose-response relationship is characterized by the principle that as the dose of a substance increases, the response to that substance also changes, typically in a predictable manner. Option D directly describes this relationship, indicating that with higher concentrations of a toxicant, the negative response also increases, which is a classic example of a dose-response curve.

Question 14

Which of the following sets of statements is true about the risk of developing cancer after a chemical exposure?

Accepted Answer

Cancer risk from chemical exposure is multifactorial, involving the dose, duration, route, and frequency of exposure. This complexity means that not all exposures lead directly to cancer, and various factors influence an individual's risk.

Question 15

Pesticide exposure can occur through multiple routes, including contact dermal), ingestion, and inhalation.

Accepted Answer

Pesticide exposure can occur through dermal contact (skin), ingestion (eating or drinking), and inhalation (breathing in), allowing these chemicals to enter the body through various routes.

Question 16

Radon is a public health concern because its decay products are common in the environment and can cause lung cancer in humans.

Accepted Answer

Radon decays into radioactive particles that can get trapped in the lungs when inhaled, potentially damaging lung cells and leading to lung cancer over time.

Question 17

The built environment - the man-made objects and structures that surround people - can influence the risk of developing an infectious disease, but is not related to the development of chronic diseases.

Accepted Answer

The built environment can influence both infectious and chronic diseases. For example, urban design and infrastructure can affect physical activity levels, access to healthy foods, air quality, and stress levels, which are all factors in the development of chronic diseases such as heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

Question 18

The term "environment" as used in environmental public health is broadly defined and refers to personal, occupational, global and natural environments.

Accepted Answer

The term "environment" in environmental public health indeed encompasses a broad range of contexts including personal, occupational, global, and natural environments, reflecting the diverse factors that can influence public health.

Question 19

Which of the following compounds is one of the six criteria air pollutants?

Accepted Answer

Particulate matter is one of the six criteria air pollutants identified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which also include ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and lead.

Question 20

Which of the following describes the highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water, a measure enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency under the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations?

Accepted Answer

The Maximum Concentration Level (MCL) is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water under the regulations enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This standard is part of the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations aimed at ensuring the safety of drinking water.

Quiz 9: Environmental Public Health