GEOG 2200 Bio/Man-Made Hazards (Exam 3)
aral sea
*possibly the worst man-made environmental disaster in history* once the world's 4th larges lake, now dead and drying up result of irrigation for cotton farms two main rivers no longer feed it
seveso, italy chemical explosion
1976 chemical plant explosion release TCDD (dioxin) large-scale contamination gradual understanding of health effects recovery achieved through export of contamination, compensation of victims a long clean-up disaster (9 years later) mismanaged toxic release exported waste is externalization of environmental costs residents and local authorities do not suspect that the chemical plant was a source of risk most people do not know wha type of production process and chemical substances were produced at the plant
ignitability, corrosively, reactivity, toxicity
4 characteristics associated with hazardous waste
reducing threats, detecting threats, reducing vulnerability, improving responses
4 fundamental issues with mitigating terrorism
chernobyl nuclear accident
April 25-26, 1986 *world's worst nuclear power plant accident* released and est 100-150 billion BQ of radiation into the atmosphere 135000 people evacuated 1 million people monitored, 600,000 get bi-annual checkups
chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats
CBRN hazards
universal wastes
EPA classification batteries, pesticides, mercury-containing equipment (thermostats), lamps (fluorescent bulbs) (hazardous wastes)
mixed wastes
EPA classification waste that contains both radioactive and hazardous waste components (hazardous waste)
characteristic wastes
EPA classification wastes that do not meet any of the listings above (listed wastes) but exhibit ignitability, corrosively, reactivity, or toxicity (hazardous wastes)
listed wastes
EPA classification wastes that the EPA had determined are hazardous Includes F-list (wastes from common manufacturing and industrial processes), K-list (wastes from specific industries), and P- and U-lists (wastes from commercial chemical products). (hazardous wastes)
exxon valdez oil spill
March 24, 1989 *second largest spill in US history* Prince William Sound, AK 11 million gallons 9000 miles of shoreline in spill region top 10 globally in terms of environment the worst spill in terms of environment impact -remote location -miles of rugged shoreline -abundance of wildfire
lessons learned from three mile island
TMI reactor 2 permanently shut down cleanup efforts took a decade to complete public voted no to restart TMI 1 development of new nuclear power plants in the US ceased despite its record, the US public general fears and opposed nuclear power in their communities
environmental degradation
a decrease in the quality or provision of environmental goods or services human modification of the environment/landscape, environmental stress
acid rain
a mixture of wet and dry deposition from the atmosphere containing higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids
acute accidents
accidental release of chemical hazards industrial accidents
international terrorism
acts that are violations of criminal laws of US transcends national boundaries
fixed site
agriculture industrial facility household chemicals
alpha radiation
alpha particles consists of two protons and two neutrons, the penetrating power of alpha radiation is low and can be stopped with a sheet of paper (nuclear hazards)
dose
amount of radiation energy exposed to or absorbed by a subject 500 R in 5 hours is lethal for humans (nuclear hazards)
biological hazard (biohazard)
an agent of biological origin that has the capacity to produce deleterious effects on humans (i.e., microorganisms, toxins and allergens derived from those organisms; and allergens and toxins derived from higher plants and animals) an organism or a by-product from an organism that is harmful or potentially harmful to other living things, primarily human beings
toxic spills and releases
any chemical that enters the environment (chemical hazards)
radioactive material
any material that contains radioactive (unstable) atoms (nuclear hazards)
threshold effects
appear after a certain level of radiation exposure is reached and enough cells have been damaged to make the effect apparent occur when levels of radiation exposure are tens, hundreds, or thousands of time higher than background, and usually when the exposure is over a very short time, such as a few minutes (nuclear hazards)
deepwater horizon oil spill
april 20-july 15 2010 *largest US oil spill* explosion on deepwater horizon drilling rig 11 deaths 17 injuries leaking well 5000 feet below surface 35-60k of barrels leaked per day largest marine oil in industry's history affected shorelines from TX to FL impact: wildfire, fishing and oil industry, tourism, ocean floor
27819
average annual impact of industrial accidents: affected
490
average annual impact of industrial accidents: deaths
5098
average annual impact of industrial accidents: homeless
1904
average annual impact of industrial accidents: injuries
34821
average annual impact of industrial accidents: total affected
321216
average annual impact of industrial accidents: total damage
techocentric mitigation
belief that environmental problems can be solved or accommodated within current technical, social, political, and scientific frameworks science and technology can provide solutions to environmental issues
bacteria, viruses, animals, plants, humans
biohazard sources
level 2
biosafety level agents associated with human disease
level 1
biosafety level agents not known to cause disease
level 4
biosafety level dangerous/exotic agents of life threatening nature
level 3
biosafety level indigenous/exotic agents associated with human disease and with potential for aerosol transmission
blister agents, vesicants
blistering of eyes, respiratory tract, and skin on contact (chemical hazards)
caustics (acids)
burn or corned people's skin, eyes, and mucus membranes (lining of the nose, mouth, throat, and lungs) on contact (chemical hazards)
non threshold effects
can occur at lower levels of radiation exposure (nuclear hazards)
vomiting agents
cause nausea and vomiting (chemical hazards)
manufacturing, consumption of fossil fuels, volcanic eruptions, transportation
causes of acid rain
large scale clearing overharvest pesticides draining and filling of wetlands destructive fishing practices air pollution conversion of wild lands
causes of biodiversity loss
national response center
chemical and oil spills (accidental)
photochemical smog
chemical reaction of sunlight, nitrogen oxides, and VOCs resulting in airborne particles (particulate matter) and ground-level ozone
inhalation, skin contact, ingestion
common pathways radiation can enter humans
viruses, medical waste, toxins (created by a particular organism or microorganism)
common types of biological hazards
beta radiation
consist of beta particles (equivalent to electrons); have higher penetrating power than alpha radiation - can be stopped by a sheet of aluminum (nuclear hazards)
metals
consist of metallic poisons (chemical hazards)
ozone layer
contains ozone gas in the stratosphere where it protects life on Earth from the sun's harmful UV rays
lessons learned from 9 11
creation of dept of homeland security overhaul of nation's emergency management system and procedures (national incident management system) stricter immigration and border controls problems with intelligence community to share and connect information fight against terrorism wars: afghanistan and iraq
toxic alcohols
damage the heart, kidneys, and nervous system (chemical hazards)
organic solvents
damage the tissue of living things by dissolving fats and oils (chemical hazards)
global industrial accidents (1900-2015)
deaths: 56,892 injuries: 220,957 affected: 3,227,004 total affected: 4,039,351 homeless: 591,390 total damage: $43,061,040
bhopal, india accident
dec 9, 1984 *greatest industrial disaster in history* union carbide pesticide plant approx 40 metric tons of methyl isocyanate released 2000-8000 dead, 100000 injuries 50000 remain disabled dense population towns surrounding the plant poorest people affected result of legal, technological, and human errors
anthrax attacks
domestic terrorism biological hazard used as a weapon started 9/18/2001 letters containing anthrax spores sent via mail 5 fatalities, 17 others affected
who is exposed, absorbed dose, type of radiation, rate of exposure, how much of body is exposed, specific organs exposed (tissue that divides rapidly are particularly sensitive - blood forming tissue)
effects of radiation depend on (nuclear hazards)
radiation
emission and propagation of energy in the form of rays or particles (light, heat, radio, nuclear) (nuclear hazards)
H1N1
example of biohazard from animals
anthrax
example of biohazard from bacteria
hepatitis C
example of biohazard from humans
rabies
example of biohazard from plants
avian influenza
example of biohazard from viruses
acid rain, smog, pollution, chronic diseases, waste disposal and landfills, environmental modification, loss of biodiversity and species extinction
examples of environmental degradation
Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, 1986 Reduce emissions (Clean Air Act, 1963) Alternative energy Oil Pollution Act, 1990 Superfund (waste disposal) Aral Sea Rehabilitation Fund Emission trading Public Awareness
examples of hazard mitigation that were developed (acts, laws, public awareness, etc.)
production of chemical hazards
factories and urbanization
spatial extent, magnitude estimators, toxicity indicators
factors that influence the severity of a chemical release (chemical hazards)
aral sea impacts
fishing industry collapsed tourism industry collapsed agricultural difficulties flora and fauna disappearing human health problems from pesticides and fertilizers local climate change (colder, drier) salinization depopulation
toxic release inventory
fixed facility releases (including legal, chronic releases)
gamma radiation
gamma rays are waves - not particles - and have very high penetrating power; gamma rays can be stopped by thick layers of lead or concrete (nuclear hazards)
radioactive
giving off particular types of energy rays/particles through the spontaneous decay of the atomic nuclei, or through a controlled process (x-ray machine), nuclear radiation (nuclear hazards)
create fear, publicity for political, religious, and environmental causes, exploitation of the everyday
goals of terrorism
class 8
hazardous material placard corrosive substances
class 1
hazardous material placard explosives
class 3
hazardous material placard flammable liquids
class 4
hazardous material placard flammable solids
class 2
hazardous material placard gases
class 9
hazardous material placard miscellaneous
class 5
hazardous material placard oxidizing agents and organic peroxides
class 7
hazardous material placard radioactive substances
class 6
hazardous material placard toxic and infectious substances
9 11 attacks
hijacking of commercial flight in US 19 terrorist trained to fly jest and some lived in US for more than a year jets filled with fuel used as weapons over 2600 fatalities
chronic releases, acute accidents
how chemical hazards originate
50,000
how many species are dying per year
137
how many species become extinct per day
chernobyl human health effects
impact of radioactivity can be difficult to trace in population immediate deaths estimates of total deaths as a result controversial
acid lakes, kills trees, human health, corrosive, sinkholes
impacts associated with acid rain
pre cautionary principles
in the absence of scientific consensus on the risk, the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on those who advocate taking action - this approach is often employed in ecocentric cultures
incapacitating agents
inability to think clearly or altered state of consciousness (possibly unconsciousness) (chemical hazards)
ddt
insecticide used to control insect-borne diseases level of DDT still detectable today carcinogen toxic to aquatic life, birds, etc. (bioaccumulation)
chronic release
intentional release of chemical hazards long-term low level releases, illegal disposal, use in war or terrorist activities
lessons learned from chernobyl nuclear accident
international cooperation for nuclear safety regulations and design -contamination does not respect political boundaries clear communication and information dissemination is crucial
riot control agents, tear gas
irritating agents normally used by law enforcement for crowd control or by individuals for protection (chemical hazards)
issues learned from bhopal, india accident
issues of jurisdiction weak international laws and little ability to prosecute pollution, industrial hazards, and multinational business regulations government of India passed the bhopal gas leak disaster (processing of claims) act of 1985
alpha radiation, beta radiation, gamma radiation
least to most penetrating power (nuclear hazards)
more energy
longer wavelengths (nuclear hazards)
three mile island
march 28, 1979 10 miles from Harrisburg, PA partial reactor meltdown cause combination of technical malfunction and human error rate ad 5/7 on the international nuclear event scale increase in public fear and distrust mechanical failure of pumps pressure release valve opened and then failed to properly close coolant leak human error core overheats and meltdown began
film badge or dosimeter
measures personnel exposure in rems or sieverts (nuclear hazards)
gray, Gy
measures the absorbed radiation dose or the energy absorbed per unit mass effects on tissue vary depending on type of radiation (nuclear hazards)
seivert, Sv
measures the biological effect of absorbed radiation it is therefore the standard measure of biological effects of radiation (nuclear hazards)
explosives and weapons
most common type of terrorist attack
reactivity
national fire protection agency 704 standard 0 = stable 4 = may detonate
fire hazard
national fire protection agency 704 standard 0 = will not burn 4 = below 73F
health hazard
national fire protection agency 704 standard 0-4 0 = normal material 4 = deadly
special hazard
national fire protection agency 704 standard OX = oxidizer ACID ALK = alkali CORR = corrosive W with cross thru = use NO WATER Radioactive
love canal
neighborhood in Niagara Falls, NY canal built for water diversion in 1800s (hydropower, shipping) abandoned due to the great depression and technological advancements Hooker Company had control of canal industrial dump Niagara Falls board of education buys land for $1 residential development (miscarriages, birth defects, asthma, etc.) president declares deferral emergency, state of emergency families relocated
lessons still to be learned from deepwater horizon oil still
no clue of combined impacts of hurricane and oil spill long term impacts unknown total affected are unknown underwater oil plumes and seafloor oil use of dispersants
5200
number of animal species facing extinction
34000
number of plant species facing extinction
cosmic, gamma, x-ray, ultraviolet, visible light, infrared, microwaves, radio
order of the electromagnetic spectrum (nuclear hazards)
air, animal contact, food and water contamination, person to person
pathways of infection (biohazards)
10-20
percentage of species expected to be lost in the next 50 years
blood agents
poisons affecting the body by being absorbed into the blood (chemical hazards)
biotoxins
poisons from plants or animals (chemical hazards)
toxicity indicators
potential for producing illness (chemical hazards)
long acting anticoagulants
prevent blood from clotting properly (chemical hazards)
nerve agents
prevent the nervous system from working properly (chemical hazards)
CO and Nix (vehicle combustion), methane and VOCs
primary pollutants typically associated with photochemical smog
right to know act
provide information about possible chemical exposures to the public requires a facility to document, notify, and report information
national fire protection agency 704 standard
provides fire hazard, health hazard, special hazard, and reactivity information
cell dies, cell cannot reproduce, alteration of DNA (mutation, cancer)
radiation effects (nuclear hazards)
radioactive contamination
radioactive material that is in a form or location which may allow it to spread to unwanted locations (fixed, loose, airborne) (nuclear hazards)
bequerel, Bq
rate of radioactive decay from a source material measures the activity of the source (nuclear hazards)
electromagnetic radiation
refers to the larger family or wave-like phenomena and is the primary vehicle transporting energy through the vast reaches of the universe (nuclear hazards)
choking, lung, pulmonary agents
severe irritation or swelling of the respiratory tract (lining go the nose and throat, lungs) (chemical hazards)
lessons learned from seveso, italy chemical explosion
seveso directives -regulation and tracking of chemical hazards and right to know by communities passed -seveso disaster gives valuable comparative insight to the effects of agent orange on flora and fauna in vietnam
less energy
shorter wavelengths (nuclear hazards)
hazardous waste
solid waste that harms people or the environment
increases: Africa and Asia Constants: Americas and Europe Oceania: here and there
spatial prevalence between 1900 and 2007 (number of people killed by technological disasters by countries provided)
lessons learned from deepwater horizon oil spill
spill prevention restructuring of MMS -bureau of ocean energy management, regulation, and enforcement loss capped
lessons learned from love canal
superfund program spurred legislation and control essential problems not over today
half life
the amount of time for 1/2 of parent material to decay radioactive decay releases energy (nuclear hazards)
de minimis principles
the risk is so small that it can be ignored - this approach is often employed in technocentric societies
nuclear or radioactive hazard
the risk or danger to human health or the environment posed by ionizing radiation emanating from the atomic nuclei of a given substance, or the possibility of an uncontrolled explosion originating from a fusion or fission reaction of atomic nuclei
biodiversity
the totality of genes, species, and ecosystems in a region
safety standards and emergency protocol plans reporting requirements (right to know act) event reporting based on type of release: toxic release inventory national response center
tools used to monitor the handling of hazards
munitions explosion
top 10 industrial accidents number 1 Cali, Colombia 1956 2700 deaths
freighter grandcamps explosion
top 10 industrial accidents number 10 Texas City, United States 1947 561 deaths
gas leak pesticide plants
top 10 industrial accidents number 2 Bhopal, India 1984 2500 deaths
mine accident
top 10 industrial accidents number 3 Honkeiko, Manchuria, China 1942 1549 deaths
building collapse
top 10 industrial accidents number 4 Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2013 1127 deahts
mine explosion
top 10 industrial accidents number 5 Courieres, France 1906 1099 deaths
oil pipeline explosion
top 10 industrial accidents number 6 Attiworo, Nigeria 1998 1082 deaths
military installation explosion
top 10 industrial accidents number 7 Al-Hillah, Iraq 1989 700 deaths
pipeline explosion
top 10 industrial accidents number 8 Acha-Oufa, Soviet Union 1989 607 deaths
nitrate manufacturing explosion
top 10 industrial accidents number 9 Oppau, Germany 1921 600 deaths
increase
trends of reported deaths between 1900 and 2015
increase
trends of reported disasters between 1900 and 2015
sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and nitric acid (HNO3)
two principle acids that make up acid rain
sub-national groups (not the army of a country)
type of groups commonly associated with terrorism
chemical, biological, explosive devices, cyber attacks, nuclear or radiological
type of weapon used in terrorism attacks
chemical spill, collapse, explosion, fire, gas leak, oil spill, poisoning, radiation
types of industrial accidents (chemical hazards)
rontgen, R
unit of measurement for radiation and radiation exposure, measures intensity of a gamma source (nuclear hazards)
terrorism
use of force against people (or property)
ecocentric mitigation
views humankind as part of a global ecosystem, subject to ecological laws which act as constraints to human action fundamental, radical changes in society needed to address environmental issues
domestic terrorism
violence based and operating entirely in the US
refrigerators, fire extinguishers, solvents, industrial chemicals
what everyday appliances use this man-made chemical
stratosphere
what layer of the atmosphere is the ozone layer located at
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
what man-made chemical is depleting the ozone layer
less than 5
what pH level is classified with acid rain
hazardous waste landfills
where hazardous waste is typically disposed or placed at
oil refineries, fireworks factories, chemical plants, military bases, mining, transportation
where industrial accidents occur (chemical hazards)
fixed site, transportation
where toxic spills and releases happen (chemical hazards)
humans
who is primarily responsible for environmental degradation
civilians, non combatants
who is terrorism aimed at