final exam

tractor rollovers are the most important cause of injuries resulting in fatalities in agriculture. list two examples of ergonomic hazards associated with the use of tractors by farmers

1) power take off: means of transferring mechanical power between farm tractors and implements 2) noise: damage to ear drums etc. because of increased exposure 3) whole body vibration

List three features of hazards that tend to generate public outrage.

1. kills many people at once 2. new or unfamiliar 3. involuntary victims nearby

The OSHA PEL (permissible level) for noise is 90 dBA for an 8 hour shift. If the noise is raised to 100 dBA, how long can a worker legally be subjected to this level of noise? a)4 hours b)2 hours c)6 hours d)It is too loud for industrial work.

2 hours

what are most farms in the US like today

2.2 million farms in US, average size is 421 acres, 97% operated by families, 2% of US population

Name the most important routes by which a toxicant can be absorbed by the human body:

GI tract, skin, lung

complete the following statement: ensuring that wastes are managed in an environmentally-sound manner is one of the national goals set under _______ (hint: the correct answer is an environmental US law)

RCRA

The ozone layer protects us from which type of electromagnetic radiation? a. Microwaves b. Gamma rays c. Visible light d. UV radiation

UV radiation

if high levels of a pesticide were found in a river what would one expect to find

a farm, a water treatment facility

how can water pollution adversely affect our food? List two examples

animals drink the water and then we eat the animals, the water is used in agriculture and spreads into the plants we eat, sea animals that we eat ingest pollution and get sick

What was the contaminant found in the wells of the small Iowa town of Buckeye, the example Professor Osterberg used as an example of risk communication with citizens?

arsenic

According to studies of the CDC, the pesticide cypermethrin is found in higher levels in the blood of children compared to adults. Suggest one reason for this observation.

children have less developed immune system, they detoxify toxicants slowly, and lower body weight

Most mercury in the environment in the Iowa most likely comes from: a. Air pollution from China b. Coal powered electric plants c. Artisan gold mining in western Iowa d. Volcanoes

coal powered electric plants

Name three things that would decrease the fertility rate in a country

education of women, equality for women, introduction of family planning methods

Give one example of a Primary Prevention approach that reduces the susceptibility of workers to a hazard

eliminating the hazard greatly reduces susceptibility because it is no longer there to cause issues, PPE greatly reduces exposure and therefore susceptibility, or vaccination

Global warming may lead to a shutdown of the global oceanic conveyor belt. List one example by which changes in the movement of oceanic waters may affect public health

europe is going to get very cold, will effect food supply, and farming and fish stocks

True or false: The No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) serves as basis for risk assessment calculations. The NOAEL is based on all available scientific evidence and can be perceived as risk free.

false

True or False: According to the World Health Organization "Health is the absence of disease or infirmity."

false it is the overall wellbeing of an individual

True or False: Hazard = Risk x Exposure

false risk= hazard x exposure

True or False: Extremes in "winter/summer temperatures" are one example of a physical agent that can cause disease in the workplace

false, not physical

A Tragedy of the Commons is a situation "where individuals acting independently and rationally according to their own self-interest behave contrary to the best interests of the whole by depleting some common resource". Discuss one example that could be considered a Tragedy of the Commons (1 extra point if you provide an example that was not discussed in class):

gulf of mexico deadzone, waters and nutrients/fertilizers that are found in central US enter the mississippi river and enter the gulf of mexico that has led to a deadzone. cod fishery collapse in newfoundland

NOx and VOCs are two parts of the formation of ozone. What more is necessary for ambient ground level ozone to form?

heat and sunlight

Carbon monoxide is a toxic indoor air pollutant. Name the primary route of human exposure to carbon monoxide.

incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels, urban traffic up to 80% of CO, stalled traffic, cigarette smoke, biomass used for cooking and heating

what was US agriculture like in the early 1900s

labor intensive, large number of small diversified farms, employed close to half of the workforce, around 22 million work animals

Flint, MI, was in the news because of which problem? a. Mercury in fish b. Lead in drinking water c. Cadmium in locally grown lettuce and spinach d. Arsenic in well water

lead

The English physician Percival Pott is famous for discovering the "association" between an occupation and a certain diseases. Name the occupation and the disease.

linked scrotal cancer to chimney sweep jobs

what percentage of injuries are cause by animals

nearly 50%, not as pressing of an issue as tractor safety though because the injuries are typically more mild

Dr. Fethke discussed risk factors for MSDs in his lecture. List one example of an occupational and one example of a non-occupational risk factor for a MSD

occupational: low back and upper extremity MSD among dairy farmers non-occupational: gardening

Smoke produced by indoor burning of biomass (e.g., dung, crop residues or wood) contains a lot of harmful constituents. Name one harmful constituent that can be found in this smoke?

particulate matter, irritant vapors, bioaerosols

define agricultural safety and health

prevention of death, injury or illness among agricultural working populations by the elimination or mitigation of hazards

List two natural sources of chemical hazard present in the environment

radon and arsenic

List one advantage and one disadvantage of using mosquito coils.

release things to get rid of mosquitos, also releases PM10

List one way by which toxicants are eliminated from the body.

respiration, kidneys, intestines

Which is NOT one of the basic U.S. environmental laws? a) Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) b) Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) c) Clean Water Act (CWA) d) Safe Air Act (SAA)

safe air act

The objective of risk management to "make the risk of a hazard negligible". List two factors that, in addition to reducing risk, need to be considered by risk managers:

statutory requirements, technology, public concerns, political concerns

Define the term "Biomagnification"

the concentration of toxins in an organism as a result of its ingesting other plants or animals in which the toxins are more widely disbursed

Pesticides are used to prevent diseases. For example, insecticide-treated bed nets prevent the death from malaria of 230 children every day. List two other reasons why pesticides are used:

they are used in agriculture to destroy insects or other organisms that are harmful to cultivated plants or to animals

Radon is a toxic gas that occurs naturally outdoors. How does it primarily enter buildings?

through cracks in floors/crawlspaces underground

True or False: "Farmer's lung" is an example of an occupational illness.

true

True or False: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression will be the second largest cause of death by 2020.

true

True or False: Americans eat far fewer fruits and vegetables and far more refined grains and added sugars than recommended by the USDA dietary guidelines.

true

True or False: An epidemiological study can establish the causal link between an exposure to a hazard and a disease outcome.

true

True or False: Incidence rates of MSDs are high in farm operators

true

True or false: Coal fired power plants are a major source of human exposure to mercury

true

True or false: The assumption of Public Health professionals and government agencies is that if a chemicals causes cancer in animals it will also cause cancer in humans.

true

True or False: Without exposure there is no risk

true flintfli

what are special features of occupational illness

1) occupational illness is clinically indistinguishable form non-occupational disease ex. occupational asthma, contact dermatitis 2) a latent interval may separate in time the beginning of exposure from the first clinical expression of disease 3) the clinical manifestations of occupational disease are related to the dose and timing of exposure 4) occupational factors can act synergistically with non-occupational factors 5) individual susceptibility and work practice increase the range of expression of occupational disease

what percent of the worlds pesticides are used by developing countries

25%, but developing countries experience 99% of the deaths because more toxic chemicals are used and safety equipment is not available

what is an occupational illness

An interruption, cessation, or disorder of body function, system, or organ. Synonyms: disease, sickness

what is the BLS

Bureau of Labor Statistics, keep strack of work related injuries

what does the government do in order to help ensure the safety of our food

CDC (non regulatory): disease surveillance, outbreak detection and investigation, analyzing burden, trends and effectiveness of prevention efforts and policy change, attribution to sources FDA and USDA (regulatory): inspection, enforcement, investigating farm and production facilities, product recall, product traceback, risk assessment and management

Botulinum toxin and dioxin are toxic chemicals. Botulinum toxin has a LD50 of 1 ng/kg body weight, and dioxin has a LD50 of 0.001 mg/kg bodyweight. a) what is the LD 50 of a chemical? b) Explain why the LD50 is adjusted for bodyweight c) Which chemical is more toxic: Botulinum toxin or dioxin?

LD50: the amount of a toxic agent (as a poison, virus, or radiation) that is sufficient to kill 50 percent of a population of animals usually within a certain time. it is adjusted for bodyweight because that helps determine how much toxin someone can handle, dioxin is more toxic

Please complete the sentence: _____________________ disorders are a wide range of inflammatory and degenerative conditions affecting the muscles, tendons, joints, peripheral nerves and supporting blood vessels

MSD's

what is the FFDCA

federal food, drug, and cosmetic act: says that FDA has regulatory authority over food that is introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce. FDA monitors for natural toxins, pesticides, anthropogenic contaminants

what are some hazards associated with livestock farming

getting struck or charged by the animals, acute and chronic respiratory hazards: gasses H2S and NH3 (organic dust exposure), zoonoses, noise, livestock insecticides, low back and upper extremity MSD

Which of the following is NOT on the list of the top ten hazardous substances according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?a) Glucose b) Arsenic c) Mercury d) Cadmium

glucose

compare agricultural worker fatality rates with all other occupations

has at least 5 times greater risk of occupational deaths than other occupations, all other occupations = 3.3/100,000, agricultural occupations = 38.5/ 100,000 in US about 4000 occupational deaths, and in iowa about 50 deaths, and 2300 disabling injuries

what are some hazards associated with crop farming

heavy machinery has a high risk for injury, grain storage, pesticides/agricultural chemical inhalation, noise, grain dust inhalation, ergonomic exposure through whole body vibration, UV radiation

how can we prevent roll over deaths

if roll-over protective structures are put on the tractor, less than 60% of tractors have them

pesticides are used to destroy pests to...

increase the production of food and fiber and stop things like weeds and fungi, also allows the storage of foods and aesthetic reasons like lawn care and perfect fruit

how do STEC infections spread

infections start when swallowing STEC in tiny amounts of human or animal feces, exposures include contaminated food, unpasteurized milk, water that hasn't been disinfected, contact with cattle or contact with poop of infected people

what are some examples of zoonotic diseases

influenza variants (h1n1,h3n2), HIV, bubonic plague, ebola, zika

Exposure to chemical hazards at work can occur, for example, by inhalation, ingestion or skin contact. Name a fourth route of exposure that occurs frequently in hospitals

injection

what are the types of pesticides

insecticides, larvicide, rodenticide, fungicide, herbicide, fumigants, disinfectants

Name one disadvantage of using chlorine to disinfect water to make it safe to drink.

it doesn't kill everything ex. protozoan cysts, and when it is combined with organic compounds trihalomethanes are produced and they are toxic

Why is it challenging to determine the human carrying capacity of our planet? Give two reasons.

its impossible to know what technologies will develop to house more people, it's impossible to know what natural disasters will happen that will make more places inhabitable

describe e. coli

large and diverse group of bacteria, some e. coli can make a toxin called shinga toxin. symptoms: diarrhea 2-5 days after food is eaten, can also cause acute kidney failure

is low back pain common among agricultural workers

low back pain twice as common among farmers compares with workers, 31% of iowa/colorado farmers are effected annually and around 51% pf iowa dairy farmers are effected

what are physical risk factors for low back pain physical among farmers

manual material handling, lifting, whole body vibration

how do pathogens get in food

may be present on products when you purchase them (raw meat, poultry, seafood), foods can be cross contaminated from raw products, meat juices

how do we know when somebody was exposed at work?

measure biomarkers of exposure pesticide or metabolite possibly through blood tests, urine or hair samples

what is US agriculture like in the 21st century

mechanized, small number of large specialized farms, employ a amll number of workforce, 5 million tractors instead of animals hauling things

what percentage of workers in commercial animal production have chronic lung conditions

more than 25%, exposures through agricultural organic dust, gases (hydrogen sulfide)

Waste is an important environmental health problem in Kerala, India. How does the management of waste in Kerala differ from waste management in Iowa City? And why does this difference adversely affect people's health in Kerala? Provide one example:

no gathers in one pace for an area, no trash bins or people coming and picking up community members trash. this could adversely affect them in terms of air quality and water quality because nothing is regulated and trash can end up anywhere when it storms potentially effects the quality of food because animals in the area are consuming garbage

what virus is often nicknamed the stomach bug

norovirus, comes from eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated liquids, can also get it through touching contaminated surfaces. causes inflammation of the stomach and intestines and symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain

how many people get sick in US from foodborne illnesses

one in six americans (48 mil) every year, 128,000 people are hospitalized every year and 3000 die from foodborne diseases

what are some respiratory diseases associated to the agricultural field

organic dust toxic syndrome, farmers lung, bronchitis, asthma. agricultural dusts are the primary agent for acute and and chronic respiratory disease

what are classes of insecticides

organochlorine, organophosphates, carbamates, pyrethroids, avermectins

What criteria air pollutant is generated in the picture below? a. Particulate matter b. Carbon dioxide c. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons d. Sulfur peroxide (Boat on fire)

particulate matter

what is the leading global means of suicide

pesticide ingestion, it accounts for approx. 1/3 of the estimated 1 million cases annually

A visual representation of age and sex composition of a population whereby % of each age group is represented by a horizontal bar length is called: a) Population triangle b) ADP plot (Age Development Picture) c) Schuster diagram d) Population pyramid

population pyramid

Give a one sentence explanation of each of the following: precautionary principle and polluter pays concept

precautionary principle: the principle that the introduction of a new product or process whose effects are disputed or unknown should be resisted polluter pays: the people who are producing the pollution should suffer the consequences of it

describe slamonella

primarily transmitted by raw or undercooked eggs, bacterium can infect the ovaries of chickens and infect the egg. symptoms: typical symptoms lasting 1 to 2 days, can produce arthritic conditions 3-4 weeks after acute symptoms

what are the goals of occupational health

primary prevention: exposure reduction, elimination/substitution, engineering/enclosure, personal protection secondary prevention: early detection/ intervention of preclinical illness screening programs for selected illness tertiary prevention: treatment of clinically apparent occupational disease, rehab

How would you prevent opioid overdoses? Give one example for the three types of prevention that you would use: a) primary prevention b) secondary prevention c) tertiary prevention

primary: eliminate the drug on the streets secondary: do a better job at targeting susceptible populations (homeless) and screen them to see if its in their symptoms tertiary: rehab

The Trump administration is expected to repeal the Clean Power Plan, a set of emission standards aimed at reducing anthropogenic CO2 emissions from power plants. List one argument pro and one argument contra the repeal of the Clean Power Plan.

pro: increased production of domestic oil, economic benefits con: co2 is proven to intensify global warming, which is something that needs immediate action to combat

Low levels of antibiotics are frequently used in livestock. List one reason pro and one reason contra the use of antibiotics in livestock operations

pro: it allows for more animals to be contained in a small space, therefore increased production to meet demands con: it makes more nutrients get in the water, which hurts water health, accumulation of antibiotics in livestock

Ecosystem services are positive benefits that wildlife or ecosystems provides to people. There are different types of ecosystem services. Provide one example for each of the following types of services (1 point each): a) Provisioning service: b) Regulating service: c) Cultural service: d) Supporting services:

provisioning: food regulating: climate regulation cultural: creativity supporting: photosynthesis

what are the main goals of the worker compensation law

rapid and fair compensation for workers, predictable costs to employers, internalize cost of occ. illness/injury to create incentive, predictable costs to employers. key elements were partial replacement of wages lost due to occ. illness and injury

what are the top five pathogens causing domestically acquired foodborne illnesses resulting in death

salmonella, toxoplasm gondii, listeria monocytogenes, norovirus, campylobacter

Water quality regulations protect public health by interrupting the carrier→feces→water→victim cycle. Describe in a brief example how the following two U.S. laws prevent waterborne diseases by breaking this cycle: a) SDWA b) CWA

sdwa: requires EPA to set primary drinking standards that ensure safety by overseeing water suppliers and determining max. contaminant level goal CWA: regulated waste water effluents and the water quality in the receiving body of water by establishing national pollutant discharge elimination system that require permits for discharging from a point source

what are some methods of integrated pest management

set action thresholds: sighting of a single pest doesn't mean control is needed monitor and identify pests: accurately identify if it matters that they are there prevention: crop rotation, pest resistant varieties control: less risky version = mechanical control, targeted chemicals last resort = broadcast spraying of pesticides

define grain engulfment and entrapment

sinking into grain silos, within 4 seconds you will sink knee-deep and you can't be freed without help, buried within 20 seconds and most people do not survive. can be caused by flowing grain, bridged grain, vertical grain wall avalanche

Asbestos is an occupational risk factor for lung cancer. Which sort of non-occupational behavior in individuals increases their lung cancer risk?

smoking

define susceptibility in terms of foodborne illnesses

some people may become ill after ingesting only a few harmful microbes; others may remain symptom free after ingesting thousands

complete the following statement: _________ is the secret to industrial agriculture and allows it to support a very large (>7 billion) population.

specialization

Industrial agriculture produces "products" that have certain characteristics. I am giving you the first one. Please list the two missing characteristics. A) uniform

storable and tradable

Secondary treatment processes in a wastewater treatment facility are typically applied for the removal/treatment of... a. Nitrogen and phosphorous b. Suspended solids c. Organic waste d. Dissolved salts

suspended solids

Radon contributed to 55% of the annual ionizing radiation dose in the US population in 1987. In 2009, Radon's contribution to this dose has decreased to 37%. Why did Radon's relative contribution to the ionizing radiation exposure decrease between 1987 and 2009?

the national academy of sciences released BEIR VI in 1999, that was a pooled analysis of 11 miner studies that without a doubt proved that radon exposure increased the chances a miner of any kind would get lung cancer, and that the hours worked in the mines directly correlated to the likelihood a worker would get cancer. this book estimated that 18,600 lung cancer deaths each year were from residential radon exposure. increase in research and results that proved that radon was harmful helped people take better precautionary methods and decrease the amount of people effected

It is easy to diagnose an occupational injury. Why is it much more challenging to diagnose an occupational illness

there are a lot of confounding factors, hard to determine if its because of exposure at home or work or through personal habits

Radon decays with a half-life of 3.8 days. The resulting radioactive decay products, such as Polonium-218 and Polonium-214, are a human health concern. Explain why these decay products are a human health issue.

they are easily inhaled and give off no warning sign of being in the air around you (invisible, odorless, tasteless). these products go through alpha decay and have the ability to latch to human single and double strands of DNA where they irradiate sensitive cells, alter cells, and increase the potential for cancer by causing DNA breaks, and free radical formation

Since their discovery in the early 20th century, organochlorine insecticides, such as DDT, have been replaced with organophosphate, carbamates, and, more recently, pyrethroid and neonicotinoid pesticides. List one key advantage of current use insecticides over organochlorine insecticides.

they are used in agriculture to destroy insects or other organisms that are harmful to cultivated plants or to animals.

Children are highly susceptible to lead toxicity. Describe one example how lead exposure in a child can be reduced in its home

they eat more food per kg of body weight (proportionally higher ingestion of contaminants, ingestion of things that adults would not eat (soil, paint chips), they breathe more rapidly (inhale of more of a toxicant per kg of body weight), more exposure to house dust

Why is indoor air quality more important today than in previous generations? List two reasons:

tighter building construction techniques, increased use of synthetic building materials, new recognition of the risks, lower acceptance of small health risks, more sensitive analytical methods in use

what is the most important cause of fatalities in the agricultural field

tractor-related injuries, account for 50% of all agricultural deaths, and tractor roll-overs account for 50% of the tractor deaths

True or False: Ionizing radiation, such as alpha particles, emitted from several radon decay products can directly and indirectly damage DNA.

true

True or False: Most sulfur dioxide pollution comes from mobile sources (cars, SUVs, trucks) as opposed to stationary sources (coal fired power plants)

true

True or False: NIOSH is the main regulatory agency charged with assuring "safe and healthy working conditions for working men and women" in the United States

true

True or False: Some toxicants are only toxic if absorbed by a particular route.

true

True or False: The Fair Labor Standards Act exempts farm family children from limits on hours and hazardous conditions

true

One third of the global burden of mental illness is found in two countries. Name both countries:

u.s. and australia

Name one environmental trigger (exposure) that could contribute to an asthma reaction in a child inside a home?

using biomass as fuel for heating and/or cooking, environmental tobacco smoke, exposure to radon through basement and cracks in the structure, eating lead paint chips

list the three major classes of gastrointestinal pathogens.

water-borne, water-washed, water-based

what are vulnerable populations in the ag field

youth, migrant workers, older workers, women

The EPA has established a hierarchy to deal with municipal solid waste. Name the approach that is a) preferred over all other approaches and b) the last resort (or least preferred method of dealing with waste):

a) source reduction b) burning, or putting it in a landfill

Complete the following sentence: The content of the gastrointestinal tract is external to the body and a toxicant needs to be _________________ before it enters the blood stream and causes a harmful effect.

absorbed

what is the most important concern in agriculture?

acute injuries typically caused by heavy equipment (combine, corn picker, auger), animal-related injuries, slips and falls

what can insecticides that inhibit cholinesterase cause

acute poisoning, immune dysfunction, endocrine dysfunction,

what is an example of a naturally occurring toxin

aflatoxins can be found in corn and corn products, peanuts and tree nuts, cotton seed, acute disease is called aflatoxicosis and symptoms include hemorrhage, acute liver damage, edema, and possibly death

who is at risk to foodborne illnesses?

age and physical condition place some people at higher risk than others, no matter what type of microbe is implicated. infants, pregnant women, elderly, people with compromised immune systems

define occupational injury

an adverse health consequence resulting from a work related event or from exposure to a single instantaneous exposure in the work environment

According to the U.S. EPA, what is the definition of a point source of surface water contamination?

any single identifiable source of pollution from which pollutants are discharged, such as a pipe, ditch, ship or factory smokestack ex. sewage treatment plants nonpoint source pollution generally results from land runoff, precipitation, atmospheric deposition, drainage, seepage, or hydrologic modification

define blood borne pathogens

bacteria and viruses that are present in human blood and cause disease in humans, hepatitis B virus, hep C, and HIV

List ALL factors determining population growth rates in the United States:

birth rate, death rate, migration

School lunches are subsidized by the Farm Bill and usually not very healthy. List one challenge that prevents a food service director from providing "real" food and describe one solution to overcome this challenge

challenge: too expensive to feed that many children solution: provide more funding for school lunches

livestock farming exposes farmers to chemical, biological, and physical hazards. list one example for each of these hazards associated with growing corn: a) chemical hazard b) biological hazard c) physical hazard

chemical hazard: exposure to pesticides biological hazard: zoonotic diseases physical hazard: heavy machinery and equipment

Name the major environmental U.S. law(s) that protect the quality of ground and surface water.

clean water act, resource conservation and recovery act, CERCLA, SDWA

Cyanotoxins are toxins formed by harmful algae blooms (HAB). Cyanotoxin levels in surface waters, such as Lake Erie, are enhanced by which of the following? a)Climate warming and nutrients b)Climate warming and sediment c)Pesticides and nutrients d)Climate warming and pesticides

climate warming and nutrients

what is integrated pest management

combination of common-sense practices, uses information on the life-cycles of pests, economically manage pest damage, least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment, series of pest management evaluations

Define the term "waterborne disease".

conditions caused by pathogenic micro-organisms that are transmitted in water. pathogen in the water is ingested through drinking/recreation or by eating food exposed to contaminated water

what side effect are herbicides primarily associated with

contact dermatitis

Please complete the following statement: PM10, SO2, NOx, carbon monoxide, ozone and lead are _______________ _____ pollutants regulated by the U.S. EPA.

criteria air

what are common illnesses among agricultural workers

dermatitis and skin cancer

Dr. Baker introduced the F-Diagram of fecal transmission pathways. Flies are vectors for transmitting a diarrheal disease from the feces of an infected person to a new victim. Describe one approach that could be used to interrupt the transmission of a diarrheal disease by flies.

eliminating open defacation, teaching children to swat at the flies when they are landing on their faces, increase knowledge of how food has the ability to spread

what is the hierarchy of controls in pesticides

elimination: don't use them at all substitution: replace the hazard, or use less engineering controls: nozzle placement, equipment calibration admin. controls: background checks on training, training with certification PPE

True or False: Risk = Hazard x Susceptibility

false risk= hazard x exposure

True or False: The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the regulatory agency that ensures the safety of our food

false the FDA and USDA are

True or False: Opioids are the leading vector used in suicide globally?

false, pesticides are

who are farm workers

farm operators (major decision makers), unpaid family members of farm operators, hired farm workers (local resident workers, migrant farm works, seasonal farm workers)