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.