Unit 3 Humans and the Environment Questions

Why is it important that international and local government agencies work together to control the spread of emerging diseases?

Because emerging diseases can surface and spread quickly around the globe.

Infectious diseases are caused by pathogens, which are ____________ hazards.

Biological

What is biomagnification?

Biomagnification occurs as organisms feed on other organisms and toxic chemicals accumulate in their bodies as the levels progress up the trophic levels and the concentration of toxic chemicals increase.

True or False Many diseases have EITHER genetic OR environmental factors.

Both; and

What are some ways to prepare for a hurricane?

Secure your home before the storm hits and evacuate if the local authorities tell you to.

What are the safety measures for storms?

Seek shelter, or evacuate if possible.

True or False If global temperatures FALL, tropical diseases will expand into new, formerly cool areas.

Rise

How can scientists help people prepare for a volcanic eruption?

Scientist can monitor volcanoes and try to predict when a volcano will erupt, if scientists can predict an eruption in time to send out a warning, people can evacuate before the eruption.

Define "chemical hazard."

A chemical hazard is a toxic substance that may harm human health.

Provide two examples of an indoor chemical hazards.

1.) Carbon Monoxide 2.) Lead

List three types of tests you could do at your house to protect against chemical hazards.

1.) Carbon Monoxide detectors 2.) Look or test for lead paint or lead sources in the home 3.) Radon tests for Radon gas

What are three ways pathogens can spread?

1.) From one person to another 2.) From drinking contaminated water 3.) Through a Tick or Mosquito bite

Name three examples of social hazards.

1.) Living near a toxic waste site 2.) Smoking 3.) A job that requires you to work with harmful chemicals (Nuclear power plant)

List three examples of physical hazards.

1.) Tornadoes 2.)Fires 3.) UV Radiation

Provide two examples of an outdoor chemical hazards.

1.) Water contaminant 2.) Toxic substances in soil

Globally, infectious diseases cause nearly ___________ deaths annually.

18 million

Storm surge

A dome of water that crashes along the coast.

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

A gas that can cause headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and eventually death.

Explain what a mutagen is and describe possible effects.

A mutagen is a chemical that causes genetic changes in the DNA of an organism. Some can cause cancer or some serious problems, some cause mutations in sperm or egg cells which show up as problems in offspring.

Explain how climate change may encourage an increase in the spread of disease.

As global temperatures rise, tropical diseases could expand into areas that used to be cooler.

Which of the following is not considered to be a biological hazard?

A. flu virus B. cigarette smoke C. pet dander D. bacterium that causes strep throat Answer is B

Environmental health is the study of how environmental factors affect human health and

A. length of life. B. population size. C. quality of life. D. population growth. Answer is C

People who are infected with tuberculosis release bacteria-laden droplets into the ________ when they cough, sneeze, speak, and spit.

Air

Scientists cannot predict when earthquakes will occur, but in the United States, they occur most often in the states of __________ and ___________.

Alaska; California

Describe some common allergens and explain how they harm people.

Allergens include animal proteins, tobacco smoke, antibiotics, mold, and bacteria. Allergens cause harm by activating the immune system of people without it being necessary.

Explain why someone who eats healthy food and does not smoke may still develop a disease such as cancer.

Although the environment is a large factor in the health of an individual, genetics is also a considerable factor. Some people have genes that make them more prone to certain diseases.

What is an endocrine disruptor?

An endocrine disruptor is a chemical that interferes with the endocrine or hormone system and the endocrine disruptor causes problems by blocking chemical hormones or by mimicking other hormones to cause a response.

How do avalanches start?

An unstable snow-pack slides down a slope.

True or False Some diseases, such as tuberculosis, are becoming resistant to PATHOGENS due to natural selection.

Antibiotics

Describe the conditions that cause an avalanche.

Avalanches occur on steep slopes when there is a layer of hard, strong snow over a layer of soft, weak snow, this makes an unstable snow-pack, if the soft layer gives, the snow breaks apart and slides down the slope. Weather conditions such as a heavy snowfall, or warm temperatures also influence when an avalanche occurs.

Describe some actions that a skier could take if he or she is caught in an avalanche.

Avoid risky slopes as much as possible. If caught in an avalanche, try to stay near the surface and attempt to swim up through the sliding snow, stay calm, and conserve air.

What are the safety measures for avalanches?

Avoid risky slopes, if caught, try to stay near the surface.

True or False In the United States, the WHO is the primary national center for responding to emerging diseases.

CDC

Lead

Can be in air, water, soil, paint, or dust and damages organs of the body.

Why are carcinogens difficult for toxicologists to identify?

Carcinogens are difficult to identify because there may be a long lag time between exposure to the agent and the detectable onset of cancer.

Define the different types of chemical hazards.

Carcinogens cause cancer, chemical mutagens cause genetic changes, teratogens harm embryos and fetuses, neurotoxins affect the nervous system, allergens cause a response in the immune system, and endocrine disruptors interfere with the hormone system.

Explain why citizens of one town might need to be concerned with the chemical hazards in the air of a town many miles away.

Chemical hazards in the air can be a concern for humans and organisms far away because winds can carry chemicals for long distances.

What is the mode of transmission for AIDS?

Contact with the blood or body fluids of a person infected with the HIV virus.

VOCs

Contain carbon and are released into the air by products such as plastics.

What damage does volcanoes cause?

Cover large areas of land, trigger mud-flows and landslides, and create large ash clouds.

True or False A volcano can spew clouds of gas, ash, and cinders into the atmosphere, causing global temperatures to RISE.

Drop

How do earthquakes and volcanoes affect humans and Earth's surface?

Earthquakes can cause the Earth to shake, the ground to sink, and soil to liquefy, they can also trigger landslides and tsunamis that can destroy structures and kill people. Volcanoes erupt molten lava, ash, gas, and cinders that can cover large areas of land where people once lived and farmed. Eruptions also set of dangerous mud-flows and fill valleys with thick deposits of ash, they also add layers of rock to Earth's surface.

Describe how the choices you make concerning what you eat can increase or reduce the social hazards you face.

Eating a high fat diet can put you at risk of a heart attack or stroke. Eating healthy foods and exercising can reduce your risk for obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Why are emerging diseases a cause for concern?

Emerging diseases are dangerous because vaccines have not been developed and because humans have little to no resistance to the pathogens.

What are epidemiology and toxicology?

Epidemiology is the study of diseases in human populations Toxicology is the study of how poisonous organisms affect organisms.

Why do people respond differently to environmental hazards?

People respond differently to environmental hazards because they have different genetics and sensitivity, and they live in different environments.

Describe the steps that a scientist takes when doing a risk assessment for a chemical hazard.

First, scientists would identify the chemical, next they would determine how toxic it is, and how much exposure humans have to it. They may use animal testing to determine the effects of the chemical. They may also investigate the degree of contact between chemical and humans.

The fish in a stream running by a small town are dying in large numbers. Why might chemical hazards be suspected?

Fish and other aquatic animals are indicators of pollutants because they drink and absorb water soluble chemicals into their tissues.

How did high concentrations of DDT affect bird populations?

High concentrations of DDT affect bird populations by making their eggshells weak so when birds sit on their eggs to keep them warm, they end up crushing the eggs which can put the species at risk for extinction.

How do storms start?

High winds create storm conditions on the surface.

Why was the damage to New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina (2005) so extensive?

Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans with 201 km/h winds and at least an 8 meter storm surge. The powerful forces caused the levee system to break so the city flooded.

What is the process of risk assessment used to determine?

It determines the amount of risk associated with a particular hazard.

What is a dose-response relationship?

It is the relationship between different doses of a substance and the responses they generate in an organism.

Earthquakes can trigger a(n) ___________ , causing rock and soil to slide down a slope.

Landslide

Earthquakes can be strong enough to cause the ground to sink and soil to ________.

Liquefy

Describe how a volcanic eruption actually creates new rock layers on Earth's surface.

Molten rock may seep out of the volcanic opening, or explode out onto Earth's surface, when the rock cools, it hardens to create a new layer of rock.

How do volcanoes start?

Molten rocks, ash, and gases are ejected inside Earth.

How do governments and organizations respond to emerging diseases?

Monitored world health events, identity emerging disease, post the information on the internet, develop and apply disease prevention and control measure, and develop vaccines.

True or False People with compromised immune systems are often LESS sensitive to biological and chemical hazards than healthy people.

More

Describe the dangers of a tornado and explain what actions people should do to stay safe if a tornado is predicted.

Most people die in a tornado due to objects flying through the air, the actions people should take if they are outdoors, is they should find a ditch or a low spot in the ground and lie face down on the ground and cover your neck and head. If they are indoors, they could seek shelter in the bathtub and put a mattress over the tub with you inside of it.

Pathogens spread through the human population by humans, water or food, or by ___________.

Organisms

Explain why a persistent organic pollutant (POP) is a problem that is often handled by international agreements or treaties.

POP's last for a long time in the environment and can travel long distances meaning that these toxins can cause damage in countries far away from where the toxins were originally released.

Explain the difference between social hazards such as smoking cigarettes and living near a factory that releases harmful chemicals into the water.

People can make a lifestyle choice of whether or not to expose themselves to the hazards of smoking, but they may have no control over what may happen to where they live.

Describe how chemical hazards can get into soil and some of the ways that they can cause harm to humans.

People could spray their crops with pesticides and then it would get absorbed into the soil and they can cause harm to humans by the pesticides poisoning them and killing them.

How are risk assessments of environmental hazards useful to policymakers?

Policymakers can use risk assessment to help them shape policies that protect both the people and the environment.

What is pollution?

Pollution is matter or energy that is released into the environment that has some harmful impact on people and other organisms.

How do earthquakes start?

Pressure of contact of Tectonic Plates.

True or False An emerging disease is a disease that appears for the first time or has existed for a while and is increasing SLOWLY around the world.

Rapidly

Explain why alcohol use may cause damage to a developing fetus even though it may not harm the health of the mother.

Sensitivity can vary with age and weight. Although the alcohol may not harm the mother, the fetus is much smaller and it's organ systems are still developing. This causes a fetus to be more sensitive to alcohol and more susceptible to damage.

What is the mode of transmission for tuberculosis?

Spreads through bacteria-laden droplets in the air, released when infected people cough, sneeze, speak, or spit.

What are the safety measures for volcanoes?

Stay ready to evacuate if an eruption is likely to happen.

What damage does storms cause?

Strong winds, rain, hail, and lighting may cause damage to property and people.

What damage does earthquakes cause?

Strong, shaking forces can destroy structures and harm people.

What are the safety measures for earthquakes?

Take cover under something sturdy, away from windows.

Earthquakes are created when large sections of Earth's crust, called _______________, move and energy is released.

Tectonic plates

Describe the series of events in Earth's crust that lead up to an earthquake.

Tectonic plates scrape against each other as they float on hot rock, sometimes the plates get stuck on each other and the stress builds up. When the plates finally move, energy is released which causes the surface to shake, creating an earthquake.

Describe ways that the CDC has helped contain the spread of diseases like the H1N1 flu virus. You may use the internet.

The CDC has worked with states to help develop the Pandemic Plans, it has tested the virus and assisted with workshops on various ways to detect the virus. The CDC also helped develop the vaccine against the H1N1 virus.

Explain how cigarette smoke can be a hazard to someone even if he or she does not smoke.

The person who does not smoke would inhale the smoke from the cigarette and get lung cancer from it even though they did not smoke the cigarette.

What damage does avalanches cause?

The snow can bury people and structures.

Are chemical hazards and pollutants the same thing? Why or why not? Explain.

They are not the same thing because chemical hazards do not harm the environment.

Describe the different types of storms that can damage property and threaten human lives.

Tornadoes are wind storms in the form of funnels of rotating air, hurricanes are powerful storms that form over the ocean and can come ashore with very fast winds and storm surges. Thunderstorms produce lightning, thunder, and sometimes hail.

Which two factors does toxicity depend on?

Toxicity depends on what the substance is, and how much of a substance is needed to cause harm.

What is the mode of transmission for malaria?

Transmitted when an anopheles mosquito pick up a pathogen that causes Malaria from an uninfected person and then bites a non infected person.

True or False A volcanic eruption can also cause damage by triggering LANDSLIDES AND MUDFLOWS.

True

True or False H1N1 is an example of an emerging disease.

True

True or False People respond DIFFERENTLY to the same environmental hazards.

True

True or False A PANDEMIC is an outbreak of a disease that becomes widespread and affects a whole region or even the entire world.

True

True or False Volcanoes are often located NEAR THE EDGES of tectonic plates.

True

When an earthquake occurs at the bottom of the ocean, it can create a(n) ______________ that can cause massive damage and loss of life if it hits coastal areas.

Tsunami

Organisms such as ticks and mosquitoes serve as __________ for infectious diseases by carrying pathogens.

Vectors

What are three examples of pathogens?

Viruses Bacteria Fungi

Developed nations greatly reduce the risk of infectious diseases through the use of ____________ treatment facilities that treat sewage to reduce the incidences of diseases such as cholera.

Wastewater

What is the mode of transmission for cholera?

Water contaminated with human feces that contain the bacterium vibrio cholerae.

The bacterium that causes cholera is a __________ pathogen.

Waterborne

Explain why you should not tear down asbestos and simply throw it away if you find it in your home.

When it is disturbed, fibers can be released into the air and inhaled, and then the fibers can lodge in lung tissue and cause lung disease and cancer.

An earthquake is an example of a

physical hazard.