Midterm health 303

The NIEHS is a part of the

A. NIH B. CDC C. US DOL D. EPA E. none of these are correct Ans: A

Which of the following agencies was establishes under the Superfund Law?

A. NIOSH B. NIEHS C. ATSDR D. US EPA E. OSHA Ans: C

Which of the following abbreviations is used to describe toxic effects of chemicals?

A. OEL Occupational exposure limit (acceptable level of airborne hazard agents) Not used as often as TLV, BEL, PEL B. LD50 Lethal dose C. VOC (not a thing) D. BEI Biological exposure indices (measure of amount of chemicals absorbed into the body) E. TLV Threshold limit value (airborne concentration of substances. Tells the conditions under which all workers are not affected by substance). Ans: B (LD-50 means lethal dose)

Which of the following agencies is primarily responsible for enforcement of regulations that protect worker health and safety?

A. OSHA B. NIOSH C. EPA D. ATSDR E. NIEHS Ans: OSHA

The father of the field of occupational medicine was which of the following?

A. Paracelsus B. Hamilton C. Pott D. Pliny the Elder E. Ramazzini Ans: E

Identify the historical figure who was among the first to expound the tole of environmental factors in causing diseases

A. Socrates B. Paracelsus C. Hippocrates D. Pliny the Elder E. Pott Ans: C

Choose the correct answer: National Labor Relations Board

A. The National Labor Relations Board protects the rights of employees but not those of employers with respect to certain private-sector labor and management practices B. The National Labor Relations Board protects only the rights of unionized private-sector employees to improve their wages and working conditions C. The National Labor Relations Board protects the rights of both employees and employers with respect to certain private-sector labor management practices D. The National Labor Relations Board is affiliated with OSHA E. The National Labor Relations Board protects rights of employers but not those of employees with respect to certain private-sector labor and management practices Ans: C

The limitations of occupational epidemiology include the fact that

A. accurate assessment of exposure is difficult B. low-level chemical exposure that involve mixtures are challenging C. long latency period often occur between initial exposures and disease outcomes D. the effects of exposure are often nonspecific E. all of these are correct Ans: E

Which of the following forms of radiation can penetrate up to 2-cm layer of skin tissue?

A. alpha particles B. beta particles C. gamma rays D. x-rays E. none of these is correct Ans: B

All of the following substance are classified as heavy metals except

A. cadmium B. arsenic C. beryllium D. chromium E. nickel Ans: B

Workers who have potential exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) include

A. coal distillers B. shale oil workers C. cotton mule spinners D. wax pressmen E. all of these are correct Ans: E (PAHs are carcinogenic)

The contribution of epidemiology to occupational health include

A. concern with populations B. use of observational data C. methodology for study designs D. descriptive and analytic studies E. all of these are correct Ans: E

Alexandria Hamilton

A. created awareness of occupational hazards B. created awareness of phosphorus necrosis C. called attention to industrial plumbism D. was a reowned contributor to occupational health E. all of these are correct Ans: E

A measure used to describe the amount of radioactivity in a sample of material is the

A. curie or becquerel B. rad or gray C. rem or sievert D. roentgen or coulomb per kilogram E. none of these are correct Ans: A

The OSH Act

A. delineates rights and responsibilities for employers B. delineates rights and responsibilities for employees C. all inspection without advance notice D. offers information and education E. all of these are correct Ans: E

Read the following statement: "The combined effect of several exposures is greater than the sum of the individual effects." This statement refers to a(n)

A. dose-response effect B. additive effect C. antagonistic effect D. synergistic effect E. none of these are correct Ans: D

WBV (Whole Body Vibration) is most likely to occur among people who

A. drive transport vehicles B. use hand-held and arms continuously C. take breaks in cold environments D. all of these are correct Ans: A

Examples of purely observational epidemiologic studies usually include all of the following except

A. experimental studies B. counts C. case studies D. cross-sectional studies E. cohort studies Ans: A

Which occupational group was most affected by the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire?

A. female seamstresses B. children in the main floor daycare center C. managers who were trapped on the upper floors D. bystanders and firefighters E. male packing and shipping employees Ans: A

All of the following concerning the Black Lung Benefits Act of 1972 are correct except it

A. funded medical treatment for mining-associated lung conditions B. provided for monthly benefits to miners totally disabled as a result of pneumoconiosis C. is administered by the Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation D. established the federal black lung benefit program E. provided survivors' benefits should pneumoconiosis cause a miners' death D

Which type of conditions can affect workers in developing countries?

A. hazards associated with primary and extractive activities B. building collapse C. fires in factories D. stampeding workers E. all of these are correct Ans: E

Which of the following is not typically a symptom of heat stroke?

A. high temperature B. confusion C. fainting D. sweaty skin E. convulsions Ans: D

A substance of agent that causes cancer in mammals, including humans is a(n)

A. immunological agent B. asphyxiant C. carcinogen D. asthmagen E. dermatopathic agent Ans: C

atrazine is used in the United States as a(n)

A. insecticide B. fungicide C. rodenticide D. herbicide E. none of these is correct Ans: D Altrazine is a chemical herbicide used to control plant. 75 million pounds/yr is used in the US.

Which of the following is an example of severe adverse health outcome associated with exposure to solvents?

A. neurologic injuries B. potential for carcinogenicity C. hearing loss D. adverse reproductive outcomes E. all of these are correct Ans: E

Alpha radiation is non-penetrating and therefore is

A. not dangerous below 100 rem B. dangerous only to the skeletal structures of radiation technicians C. dangerous only to the lungs of current or former smokers D. dangerous when ingested or inhaled and localizes in certain tissues E. none of these are correct Ans: D

DDT is classified as which one of the following categories of chemical pesticides?

A. orangochlorines (DDT) B. organophosphates C. carbamates D. pyrethroids E. none of these is correct Ans: A (DDT is no longer used, carcinogenic)

The FECA (1916)

A. provided compensation for lost wages B. provided compensation for lost wages and provided survivors' benefits C. provided survivors' benefits D. affected wages and hours of workers E. expanded the 1908 law and include all civilian employees in the United States Ans: B

Sources of non-ionizing radiation include

A. radiation from power lines B. radio waves C. infrared radiation D. visible light radiation E. all of these are correct Ans: E

Public health is a part of occupational health because of all of the following except

A. the workplace is ideal for introducing health promotion activities B. profits and productivity should take precedence over workplace hazards C. one of the concerns of public health is health disparities among workers D. conditions that occur in the work environment can affect the larger community E. conditions of work affect so many people Ans: B

Occupational activities associated with hypobaric environments include

A. underwater diving B. working in chambers used for pressurized medical treatments C. working in underground pressurized chambers D. underwater diving, working in underground pressurized chambers, and working in chambers used for pressurized medical treatments. E. conducting astronomical research in high-altitude observations Ans: E

A relative risk of less than 1 means that there is no association between exposure and outcome

False

Ingestion of low levels of inorganic arsenic is generally harmless

False

Occupational exposure to low-frequency magnetic fields is uncommon

False

The primary impetus for globalization was the goal of transferring the most hazardous occupations outside of U.S. borders.

False

Unhealthful working conditions are found in many developing countries but not in the developed European countries and the United States.

False

The term hertz refers to a measure of sound pressure

False Hertz is the number of cycles per second of the oscillation of a sound wave

OSHA standards are recommendations for methods that employers at their own option may follow to protect their workers from hazards.

False Not recommendations. Employees and employers must abide by OSHA standards. it is the law.

The term stochastic means that there is a decreased probability of the occurrence of an adverse health event associated with radiation exposure

False Stochastic means there is an increased probability of the ocurrence of an adverse health event

PEL (permissible exposure limit)

Set by OSHA. Allowable exposure levels in the air over 8 hours. The average is called the 8 hour time weight average.

Epidemiology supplies the methods-- measures of morbidity, mortality, and risk--used to portray the distribution of health outcomes from work-related factors

True

Exposure assessment is one of the crucial and difficult issues for both toxicology and epidemiology

True

High levels of benzene exposure are associated with leukemia

True

Occupational health is concerned with protecting the health of workers from diseases and injuries associated with hazardous work-related exposure

True

Occupational health policies typically are designed to protect workers from hazardous work environments.

True

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are sometimes present in soot, tars, and mineral oils

True

The US DOL is the federal agency charged with administration and enforcement of federal laws that pertain to workplace activities

True

The iceberg concept gives credence to the unrecognized nature of most occupational illnesses and injuries.

True

The incidence rate of disease is define as the number of new cases of a disease over a time period divided by the total population (at risk) durinng the same time period times a multiplier (e.g., 1000,000).

True

Used in cohort studies, the relative risk is a measure of the strength of association between a possible risk factor and a disease

True

Dioxins and furans are POPs (perisistent organic pollutants)

True POPs are toxic chemicals that stay in the environment for a long time and can be passed from one species to the next in the food chain. Dioxins and furans are not intentional. They are byproducts. They have a similar chemical structure.

Odor threshold

lowest level of a chemical at which an odor can be detected.