APES: Chapter 11 & 17

Worldwide human diet consists of:

#1 - Grains (corn/rice/wheat/rye) #2- Meat

NPA

...

anemia

iron deficiency. most widespread deficiency in the world

traditional subsistence agriculture

self-sufficiency farming where farmers focus on growing enough food to feed themselves/families. Usually has a range of crops and animals.

Economies of scale

average costs of production fall as the output increases-->hard for small farms to compete with large farms which can justify cost of machinery

Mutagen

A chemical or physical agent that interacts with DNA and causes a mutation. causes cancer: include chemicals or forms of radiation that cause mutations or changes in the DNA.

Salinization

Another consequence of irrigation. Occurs when the salt amounts of salts in irrigation water become highly concentrated on the soil surface through evaporation.

Leading health risks of developing countries

Associated with Poverty: malnutrition, high blood pressure, unsafe sex, unsafe water/sanitation/hygeine

waterlogging

Caused by irrigation. Soil degradation occurs when soil remains under water for prolonged periods and impairs root growth because roots cannot get oxygen.

Toxicity

Chemicals that are gases, liquids, or solids that, through their chemical properties, can produce injurious or lethal effects on contact with body cells

Teratogens

chemicals that interfere with the normal development of embryos or fetuses. Ex: Thalidomide given to preggo women to stop morning sickness made newborns have major birth defects. Alcohol is a teratogen (fetal alcohol syndrome)

malnourished

regardless of the number of calories they consume their diets lack the correct balance of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and they experience malnutrition

West Nile

virus that lives in hundreds of species of birds and is transmitted among birds by mosquitoes. Last 1/2 of century reported infection of horses and humans who have been bitten by mosquitoes.

epidemic

when a pathogen caused a rapid increase in disease

pandemic

when an epidemic occurs over a large geographic region such as an entire continent

undernutrition

not consuming enough calories to be healthy. Note enough food calories leads to energy deficit. We need 2200 kilocalories a day.

Five types of harmful chemicals/hazards

1- neurotoxins 2-carcinogens 3- Teratogens 4- Allergens 5- Endocrine Disruptors

bioaccumulation

accumulation of pesticides in fat and tissues of body

desertification

irrigation can cause salization and topsoil is eroded away because the shallow roots--> lead to desertification

CWA

Clean Water Act: restore and maintain chemical, physical, and biological integrity of nations waters and improve public wastewater treatment centers and protect wetlands

CERCLA

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund) 1980; To facilitate the cleanup of any abandoned or uncontrolled sites containing hazardous substances and to impose strict liability for cleanup costs on potentially responsible parties, over five years 1.6 billion was collected to be put in a trust used to clean hazardous waste sites

FSA

Farm Security Act of 2002: governs federal farm programs and includes agricultural conservation, domestic food programs, commodity price support etc.

FIFRA

Federal Insecticide Fungiside and Rodenticide Act, Requires EPA approval for use of all commercial pesticides (Insecticides, Fungicides, Rodenticides.): all pestisides in US must be registered with EPA, labeled properly, and not cause unreasonable harm to environment

Genetic engineering

GMO or genetically modified organisms, are created when scientists isolate a specific gene from one organism and transfer it into the genetic material of another, very different organism. Good: greater yield, better quality, higher profits, and less use of pesticides Bad: safety for human consumption, biodiversity, currently no regulation on labelling

HIV/AIDS (emergent disease)

HIV- virus that weakens immune system. Spread through dirty needles and unprotected sex. Life extended through antiviral drugs

Biomagnification

Increase in chemical concentration in animal tissues as the chemical moves up the food chain. Usually because of persistence, because the concentration increases as it moves up food chain (bioaccumulation), and little/no internal degradation. EX: DDT

Leading health risks of developed countries

Increased availability of tobacco and less active lifestyles combined with overeating and poor nutrition: tobacco use, high blood pressure, overweight and obesity, physical inactivity, high blood glucose

OFPA

Organic Foods Production Act, Organic Foods Production Act, regulates guidelines for organic food production, certifies the owners, and monitors the crops for chemical contamination

Diseases caused by poverty

Pneumonia, diarrhea--> both caused by malnutrition

RCRA

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Enacted in 1976 to give EPA "Cradle to Grave" authority on hazardous waste.: management of nonhazardous wastes- allows EPA to regulate disposal and storage

cradle to grave

The resource conservation and recovery act was enacted as public law in 1976. The purpose of RCRA is to protect human health and the environment. A secondary goal is to conserve our natural resources. RCRA completes the goal by regulating all aspects of hazardous waste management; generation, storage, treatment and disposal. This concept is referred to as________.

LD50

Toxic Substances Control Act gives EPA authority to regulate chemicals. They have developed a system for testing a few species that are among the most sensitive in the world ( bird, mammal, fish, invertebrate). LD50 values are used to determine the concentrations in the environment that should cause no harm. Calculate safe concentration by taking the LD50 value causes 50 percent of the animals to die, then 10 % of the LD50 value should cause few or no animals to die. To be safe the LD50 value obtained from rats and mice are divided by 1,000 to set the safe level for humans.

TSCA

Toxic Substances Control Act; for commercial chemicals, EPA has authority to identify, evaluate and regulate risks asociated with the full life cycle. Standard = "unreasonable risk of injury to health or environment."

Cause of Starvation

Unequal food distribution not scarcity

Industrial agriculture/agribusiness

applies techniques of the Industrial Revolution, mechanization and standardization, to the production of food

Endocrine Disruptors

are chemicals that interfere with the normal functioning of hormones in an animal's body. Found in herbicides, insecticides, plastics, cosmetics. Some effects include low sperm counts and increased risks of breast cancer

Malaria (historical disease)

caused by a infection from any one of several species of protists from genus Plasmodium. Spread by mosquitos where the protists spend one stage of life. efforts to kill mosquitos have been unsuccessful

neurotoxins

chemicals that disrupt the nervous system of animals. Lead and mercury exposure in humans can lead to nervous system disorders, death, damaged brain. EX: insecticides interfere with an insects ability to control its nerve transmissions.

Cafo

concentrated animal feeding operation which is a large feedlot to fatten animals before slaughter

food security/insecurity

condition in which people have/do not have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food

EBOLA (emergent disease)

disease caused by the Ebola virus, first discovered in the Congo in humans and primates. High death rate and quick. Not yet reached epidemic proportions

overnutrition

ingestion of too many calories ad improper foods--> overweight

crop circles

irrigation method that produces circular fields of crops

Monocropping/monoculture

mechanization of agriculture and use of synthetic fertilizers encourage large plantings of a single species or variety. dominant agricultural practice in the US. Good: Increased efficiency and productivity Bad: soil erosion, vulnerable to attacks by pests, removes habitat for predators that eat pests

Persistent Pesticide

remain in the environment for a long period of time. EX: DDT

Green Revolution

shift in farming methods . Triad of fertilization, irrigation and improved crop varieties which dramatically increased food production

Chemical Risk?

society uses chemicals to improve human life around the world, but large number of chemicals released into the environment raises questions about effects on humans and other organisms. some have proven harmful to both humans and environment

Pesticide Treadmill

the cycle of pesticide development, followed by pest resistance, followed by new pesticide development, and so on (positive feedback system)