SCI-170 Unit #5

Ionizing radiations such as X-rays, gamma rays, and alpha particles can cause DNA breakage and other changes the genetic material of a cell. As such, it could be classified as a(n):

mutagen

a physical or chemical agent that changes DNA that leads to genetic mutations

mutagen

A new pesticide has been developed that blocks the transmission of signals between nerve cells. As such, this chemical would be classified as a:

neurotoxin

type of toxin that attacks nerve cells

neurotoxins

Some household wastes are hazardous and should not be disposed of through the garbage, in a drain, or on the ground. Select ALL of the following that are hazardous waste.

paint thinner, pesticide, motor oil, items containing mercury

microorganisms that can cause disease

pathogens

Which of the following wastes could NOT be composted?

plastic food wrap

Increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases cause warming at the surface. Methane gas is trapped in and under frozen tundra. When the tundra thaws methane is release into the atmosphere. This causes more warming, which in turn causes more thawing, and this cycle continues. This is an example of:

positive feedback

A shift from fossil fuels to green sources of energy would:

reduce both carbon emissions and other environmental impacts

This phenomena is caused primarily by two factors related to global warming; the added water from melting land ice and the expansion of sea water:

sea level rise

Consider the following food chain. algae → filter feeding clam → Arctic codfish → ring seal Which trophic level would have the highest level of a toxin that exhibits biomagnification?

seal

Suppose that two commonly used chemicals each produce a 10% mortality in salmon fry. When exposed to both chemicals simultaneously, there is a 30% mortality rate in the young salmon. The effects of the two chemicals would be considered:

synergistic

toxicity of two substances combined is greater than the sum of their individual toxicities

synergistic effect

A new medicine was discovered to cause birth defects during safety testing. As such, this chemical would be classified as a(n):

teratogen

type of toxin that causes abnormalities during embryonic growth

teratogens

Which of the following are considered in evaluating the toxic effects of a substance on humans? Select all that apply.

the length of exposure, the concentration or dosage

What is the name for a poison produce by humans or as a by-product of human activity?

toxicant

the degree to which a substance can damage an organism (or ecosystem)

toxicity

__________________ is the study of how toxic substances affect humans and other organisms

toxicology

What is the name for a poison produced by a living organism?

toxin

A changing climate has a range of potential ecological, physical and health impacts, including extreme weather events; sea-level rise; altered crop growth; and disrupted water systems.

true

A glacier is considered "in balance" when the amount of snow that falls and accumulates at its surface is equal to the amount of ice lost through melting, evaporation, and calving.

true

A large amount of CO2 is embedded in traded goods. This means some countries' emissions increase while others decrease when emissions based on consumption rather than production are compared.

true

Atmospheric CO2 concentrations are now well over 400ppm, their highest levels in over 800,000 years.

true

Bacteria can be both beneficial and pathogenic to you and your body.

true

Bacteria can evolve resistance to antibiotics.

true

CO2 is a potent greenhouse gas and plays a vital role in regulating Earth's surface temperature through radiative forcing and the greenhouse effect.

true

China is now the world's largest CO2 emitter, accounting for more than one-quarter of annual emissions.

true

Glacier meltwater is lighter (less dense) than the surrounding ocean water because it doesn't contain salt. So it rises toward the surface, mixing the warm ocean water upward in the process. The warm water then rubs up against the bottom of the glacier, causing even more of the glacier to melt. This can lead to to calving, when ice cracks and breaks off into large ice chunks (icebergs).

true

Global annual emissions of CO2 are over 36 billion tons, and this amount continues to increase.

true

Global average temperatures have increased by about 1°C since pre-industrial times.

true

Greenland and Antarctica are home to most of the world's glacial ice.

true

High-tide flooding is exacerbated by sea level rise.

true

High-tide flooding is likely to become a story of haves and have nots. Some areas will have the means to afford the massive funding required to protect against it; others won't.

true

High-tide flooding is not just a beachfront problem. It's a problem that will increasingly impact urban areas like New York City, Philadelphia, Charleston and Miami, but also smaller communities along the coast.

true

Human civilization is built on the presumption of stable climate.

true

In areas with 40+ high-tide flood events occurring each year, there are hundreds of high tides that are just a few inches below this level.

true

Prior to the late 19th century, diseases such as cholera, chlamydia, and the Black Death were erroneously thought to be caused by a "miasma", a noxious form of:

bad air

The largest source of hazardous waste in the United States today is:

basic chemical manufacturing

the buildup of substances in an organism during its life

bioaccumulation

DDT is a fat-soluble pesticide. It was discovered that the concentration of DDT increased from the bottom to the top of the food chain. What phenomena does this demonstrate?

biomagnification

the tendency of pollutants to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to the next

biomagnification

A physical or chemical agent that changes the genetic material, usually DNA, of an organism is a(n):

mutagen

How will the reduction in the amount of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean impact global warming?

?

In what year did Arrhenius publish a paper demonstrating that emissions of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels and other combustion processes were large enough to cause global warming.

1,896

What term describes is an old dump for domestic waste that may consist of animal bones, plant material, shells, and other artifacts associated with past human occupation.

midden

Name the FDA pharmacologist who received the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service from President John F. Kennedy for blocking sale of thalidomide in the United States.

Frances Oldham Kelsey

Regular waste from institutions, businesses, and households are classified as:

municipal solid waste

This person was a French chemist and microbiologist renowned for their discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization, and is remembered for their remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and preventions of diseases.

Louis Pasteur

toxicity of two chemicals is their sum

additive effect

type of toxin that causes a mild or sever allergic reaction

allergens

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) is a federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances. What is the common name for these sites?

Superfund

This site, located in Bullitt County, Kentucky, near Louisville became one of the motivations for the passage of the Superfund Act of 1980.

The Valley of the Drums

A(n) _____ effect is when the toxicity of a chemical is reduced by the presence of a second chemical.

antagonistic

toxicity of one chemical is reduced by exposure to a second

antagonistic effect

Which of the following best describes climate?

average weather conditions across a region over a long period of time

Suppose that two commonly used chemicals each produce a 15% mortality in salmon fry. When exposed to both chemicals simultaneously, there is a 30% mortality rate in the young salmon. The effects of the two chemicals would be considered:

additive

All organic compounds contain what element?

carbon

The cycling of this element is one of the most important biogeochemical cycles on earth, and includes the processes of photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and combustion.

carbon

Which of the following gases, when dissolved in seawater, contributes to ocean acidification?

carbon dioxide

Any agent directly involved in causing cancer is a(n):

carcinogen

type of toxin that damages cells in a way that causes cancer

carcinogens

__________seeks to reduce green gas emissions while__________ seeks to adjust to and reduce the impacts and hazards associated with climate change.

climate mitigation; climate adaptation

Changes in Earth's orbit and tilt over long periods in Earth's history are thought to be responsible for the occurrence of:

cyclic ice ages and warmer interglacial periods

A chemical that mimics reproductive or thyroid hormones is a(n):

endocrine disruptor

type of toxin that mimics hormones and disrupts body signaling

endocrine disruptors

Chemicals are always dangerous.

false

Less than half of the actively publishing climate scientists agree that climate-warming trends over the past century are extremely likely due to human activities.

false

Natural substances are safe.

false

The world's poorest citizens contribute most of the world's total CO2 emissions.

false

Select ALL of the following properties that characteristic of hazardous waste?

flammable, toxic, corrosive, reactive

In the late 19th century, the miasma theory of disease was replaced by the ______________ of disease, which states that some diseases are caused by microorganisms, which are too small to see without magnification.

germ theory

We have several overarching themes that have run the duration of the semester. Select a theme that we have revisited over multiple units. First, state the theme that you are choosing. Then, write one full paragraph where you list some of the places where this theme has come up, addressing the importance of the theme in the class. Then write at second full paragraph where you address how your selected theme will have importance to you beyond this class.

habitat loss

Which of the following has the lowest preference in waste management?

landfill

In the 2010 non-fiction book Merchants of Doubt, historians of science Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway catalog the parallels between climate change denialism with earlier efforts to obfuscate the dangers of tobacco smoking, acid rain, DDT, and the hole in the ozone layer. They demonstrate that a small group of contrarian scientists joined forces with conservative think tanks and private corporations to spread doubt and confusion on many contemporary problems as a tool to prevent action on these issues, long after a clear scientific consensus was reached that action was needed.

true

Landfills do not compost organic material, so this food waste is not recycled back to the soil and instead generates methane, a greenhouse gas.

true

Most of society's waste ends up in a landfill.

true

The United States has contributed most to global CO2 emissions to date, accounting for about 25% of the worlds cumulative emissions.

true

The Unites States is currently world's second largest CO2 emitter, accounting for 15% of annual emissions.

true

The absorption of infrared radiation by atmospheric gases is called the greenhouse effect.

true

The term anthropogenic means caused or produced by human activity.

true

The world is not on-track to meet its agreed target of limiting warming to 2°C. Under current policies, expected warming will be in the range 3 to 4°C .

true

Unlike early societies, today's waste stream is bigger and mostly not decomposable.

true

We must learn about the hazards associated with a substance and treat it appropriately.

true

When warm summer air melts the surface of a glacier, the meltwater bores holes down through the ice. It makes its way all the way down to the bottom of the glacier where it runs between the ice and the glacier bed, and eventually shoots out in a plume at the glacier base and into the surrounding ocean.

true