Community Chapter 19 Environmental Health

4.Several important pieces of legislation have helped highlight the importance of environmental health and environmental protection. Which best describes Superfund? A) National program to control the damaging effects of air pollution B) Program that protects and enhances the quality of the nation's air by regulating stationary and mobile sources of air emissions C) Environmental program established to address abandoned hazardous waste sites D) Comprehensive framework of standards, technical tools, and financial assistance to address the many causes of pollution and poor water quality

C) Environmental program established to address abandoned hazardous waste sites

1.Which is the most accurate definition of an exposure pathway? A) The total amount of a contaminant that comes in direct contact with the body B) Factor that determines a person's level of exposure to a contaminant C) Method by which people are exposed to an environmental contaminant D) Process to determine whether exposure to an environmental contaminant has occurred

C) Method by which people are exposed to an environmental contaminant

16.Children may be more vulnerable to environmental exposures than adults. There are several factors that increase children's vulnerability. Which factors should be considered with children? (Select all that apply.) A) Their body systems are still rapidly developing. B) They eat less, drink less, and breathe more in proportion to their body size than do adults. C) Their bodies may be less able to break down and excrete contaminants. D) Their behaviors can expose them to more contaminants. E) Their breathing zone is further from the ground.

A) Their body systems are still rapidly developing. C) Their bodies may be less able to break down and excrete contaminants. D) Their behaviors can expose them to more contaminants.

20.Changes to water supplies and increased flooding, which are believed to result from climate change, may make some areas more vulnerable to diseases. Which diseases are expected to become more prevalent as a result of climate change? (Select all that apply.) A) Asthma B) Lung cancer C) Diarrhea D) Malaria E) Dengue fever

A) Asthma C) Diarrhea D) Malaria E) Dengue fever

10.Bioavailability is the amount of the contaminant that: A) Is absorbed into the body and becomes available at the site of physiological activity B) Initially escapes a container and becomes available for contact with living organisms C) Is airborne and available for inhalation D) Is waterborne and available for skin contact

A) Is absorbed into the body and becomes available at the site of physiological activity

3.. The nurse visits the home of client in a low-income community and notices that paint is flaking off the walls and forming a dust in the corners of some rooms. The nurse asks the client when the house was built, and she responds that it was built in 1959. Which contaminant should the nurse expect to find in this home? A) Lead B) Radon C) Asbestos D) Pesticide

A) Lead

12.The nurse asks a client, ìDo you wear the clothes you wear at work to home?î This is an example of which subject on the exposure history? A) Present work B) Past work C) Home/residence D) Concerns

A) Present work

17.Environmental justice is most accurately described as the belief that: A) Those who violate the environment should be required to pay significant fines or face extensive prison sentences. B) All the harms humans have committed against the environment will one day result in divine judgment. C) All people should have equal access to the environment. D) No group should suffer more from environmental health consequences than others.

D) No group should suffer more from environmental health consequences than others.

6.There are different methods for conducting risk assessment for environmental contaminants. Which formula determines the amount of risk? A) Hazard = exposure ◊ risk B) Exposure = risk ◊ hazard C) Risk = contaminant presence ◊ exposure D) Risk = hazard ◊ exposure

D) Risk = hazard ◊ exposure

11.The nurse conducts biomonitoring of residents of a community exposed to mercury vapor from a manufacturing facility nearby. Which form of biomonitoring is the method for the purpose of determining exposure to this contaminant? A) Measuring heart rate B) Collecting blood or urine C) Assessing respiratory rate D) Obtaining body weight and composition measures

B) Collecting blood or urine

2.The nurse travels to Nigeria with a humanitarian aid organization to assess and treat members of a remote community. The children all have high levels of lead in their blood, as a result of exposure to lead dust created by gold mining. Many children are dying. The nurse has never witnessed such a phenomenon in the United States. Which are the most likely reasons for this discrepancy? (Select all that apply.) A) Larger mining operations than in the United States B) Lack of environmental regulations or of their enforcement C) Lack of knowledge concerning environmental dangers D) Weaker immune systems than in the United States E) Need of the miners to earn a living and fewer work options

B) Lack of environmental regulations or of their enforcement C) Lack of knowledge concerning environmental dangers E) Need of the miners to earn a living and fewer work options

14.Which most accurately describes environmental epidemiology? A) Focuses on the amount of a contaminant that is absorbed into the body B) Involves monitoring the results of medical tests to determine whether a person has been exposed to a contaminant C) Focuses on the incidence and prevalence of disease or illness in a population from exposures in their environments D) Involves monitoring the number of adverse effects of chemical, physical, or biological agents on people, animals, and the environment

C) Focuses on the incidence and prevalence of disease or illness in a population from exposures in their environments

5.Which is the most accurate definition of a risk assessment? A) Assessment of the adverse effects of chemical, physical, or biological agents on people, animals, and the environment B) Process to help determine whether an individual has been exposed to environmental contaminants C) Assessment of factors that determine a person's level of exposure to an environmental contaminant D) Determination of the likelihood of adverse effects in a group exposed to an environmental contaminant

D) Determination of the likelihood of adverse effects in a group exposed to an environmental contaminant

13.The nurse applies the nursing process to a case in which a client has been exposed to an environmental contaminant. The nurse considers the question, ìHas the exposure pathway been interrupted?î This question would be considered during which phase of the nursing process to examine the impact of the environment on human health? A) Assessment B) Planning C) Intervention D) Evaluation

D) Evaluation

9.The nurse visits a community along a creek where residents have begun to report upper respiratory illnesses and asthma. After investigating, the nurse learns that several miles upstream is a hazardous material disposal site. In addition, chemicals have leached through the soil into the creek water and have been carried downstream to this community. Although children are not allowed into the creek, they do often play along the bank. Which represents the route of exposure in this situation? A) Creek water B) Chemicals C) Bank of the creek D) Inhalation

D) Inhalation

8.Which is an example of a radiological contaminant? A) Lead B) Mercury C) Ricin D) Radon

D) Radon

15.The information gained from environmental epidemiologic studies can be very helpful in trying to identify whether an exposure or what particular exposures have made people ill. Major challenges to most environmental epidemiology studies include: (Select all that apply). A) Resource intensive in terms of personnel and money B) Period between exposure and illness can be very short C) Weak ability to identify outbreaks of infectious disease D) Limited availability of data on many contaminants and their effect on people's health E) Time consuming to perform

A) Resource intensive in terms of personnel and money D) Limited availability of data on many contaminants and their effect on people's health E) Time consuming to perform

18.Environmental justice is an important consideration when working with tribal communities. In which way is traditional tribal practices most often directly affected by contaminated land and water? A) Spiritual practices B) Dietary practices C) Work opportunities D) Exercise opportunities

B) Dietary practices

7.Which exemplify environmental media and transport mechanisms within an exposure pathway? (Select all that apply.) A) Mercury B) Groundwater C) Pond D) Air E) Subsurface soil

B) Groundwater C) Pond D) Air E) Subsurface soil

19.. In the United States, most citizens have access to clean water and sanitation services and often take these services for granted. Worldwide, however, clean water and sanitation are not standard. How many people worldwide in 2010 lacked access to improved water sources? A) 7 million B) 78 million C) 783 million D) 7.8 billion

C) 783 million