Ch 15.1 Environmental Hazards and Human Health
Two risk evaluation processes?
1. Risk assessment 2. Risk management
Biological hazards
> 1,400 pathogens: microorganisms, viruses, parasites, prion.
Pathogen
An agent (i.e., bacterium, virus, or fungus, or parasite) that can cause disease.
Five major types of hazards
Biological hazards Chemical hazards Natural hazards Cultural hazards Lifestyle choices
Hazard
a potential source of harm.
Risk management
decisions made about whether and how to reduce a particular risk to a certain level and at what cost
Cultural hazards
exist in daily life, such as unsafe working conditions, risks of criminal assault, and living in poverty.
Natural hazards
fire, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, and severe storms.
Chemical hazards
harmful chemicals found in air, water, soil, food, and human-made products.
Lifestyle choices
smoking, making poor dietary choices, and having unsafe sex can also be hazardous.
Risk assessment
statistical method used to estimate how much harm a particular hazard may cause to human health or the environment.
Risk
the probability of suffering harm from a hazard that can cause injury, disease, death, economic loss, or damage.