Earth Science A, Unit 5

Select the types of organisms can be pathogens. Select all that apply.

- parasites - bacteria - protists - fungi - viruses

Select five category A microbes.

- smallpox - anthrax - plague - viral hemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola - botulism

Select the places asbestos be found.

- textured paint - heat-resistant fabrics - roofing and siding shingles - in house insulation

What four factors influence a chemical's toxicity.

- the age of the person - solubility of the toxin - genetics - persistence of chemical in environment

Select two causes of diarrhea.

- unsanitary water or lack of hygiene and proper sewage facilities - different pathogens including bacteria, viruses, and parasitic protists

geosphere

: chemical hazards that leach into the soil including pesticides and lead particles

hydrosphere

: contaminated runoff through human activity

atmosphere

: volcanic particles, sulfur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, pesticide drift

Name the category of chemical hazard for each element or compound.

lead - neurotoxin BPA - endocrine disruptor ultraviolet radiation - carcinogen alcohol - teratogen formaldehyde - carcinogen

What are the harmful effects of radon?

lung cancer

What are the harmful effects of asbestos?What are the harmful effects of asbestos?

lung disease, including lung cancer and mesothelioma

Where can radon be found?

many soils and rocks across the United States

LD50 refers to a substance's _____.

median lethal dose

What are the harmful effects of carbon monoxide?

nausea, dizziness, and death

The poverty-disease cycle is a ____ loop.

positive feedback

Complete the poverty-disease cycle diagram.

poverty -> A: malnutrition and lack of proper hygiene -> B: infectious diseases -> C: reduced physical, mental, and work capabilities -> D: reduced economic output -> poverty

How can we prepare for bioterrorism attacks?

prevention, which requires intelligence, both of the microbes and how to treat them and of potential terrorists

What are the harmful effects of VOCs?

range from irritation to the eyes and throat to cancer

What does the REACH legislation stand for?

registration, evaluation, and authorization of chemicals

Pesticide drift is compared to ____ since it has harmful health consequences for people who had nothing to do with the original application.

secondhand smoke

mutagen

substance or radiation that causes changes or mutations in the DNA inside the cell

allergen

substance that causes the immune system to overreact even though there is no need for it to do so

Chemicals are currently regulated in the United States under which legislation?

the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976

dose

the amount of a chemical that a person ingests, inhales, or absorbs through the skin

median lethal dose

the amount of toxin that kills 50% of the animals in a specified time period

lethal dose

the amount of toxin that will kill an animal

bioaccumulation

the building up of toxins in the tissues of a specific organism over time

toxicity

the measure of how harmful a substance is

biomagnification

the movement and increase in concentration of a toxin through each trophic level in a food web

environmental risk

the probability of someone suffering harm from a hazard

risk management

the process of deciding if and how a risk should be reduced and how much it will cost

risk assessment

the process of using statistics to evaluate how much damage a particular hazard might cause a person or the environment

bioterrorism

the purposeful introduction of harmful bacteria, viruses, and other microbes in order to cause injury or death

environmental health

the study of how different environmental factors affect human health and quality of life

epidemiology

the study of how disease affects humans

toxicology

the study of poisonous substances

What is pesticide drift?

the transportation of pesticides through air

What is meant by biological and chemical warfare?

the use of chemicals and harmful microorganisms in an act of war; can be aimed at civilians, an army, a region, or a country

What is meant by loss of healthy years?

time lost from being able to work and lead a more productive, pain-free life

carcinogen

toxin that causes cancer

teratogen

toxin that harms fetuses and causes birth defects

What are three reasons that animal rights groups oppose testing on animals?

- Animals and humans differ enough that the data from the tests is not reliable. - Animals feel pain, so it is unethical. - There are other ways to determine toxicity, such as computer simulations or using individual animal cells.

What two agencies concentrate on preventing emerging diseases? Who are they affiliated with?

- Center for Disease Control and Prevention - United States - World Health Organization - United Nations

What three factors cause children to be more at risk from environmental hazards than adults?

- Children breathe more air, eat more food, and drink more water per pound than adults. This exposes their smaller bodies to more chemicals at a greater rate than adults. - Children have less-developed immune systems than adults. - Children often play in dirt and water and are more likely to put their fingers in their mouths, potentially exposing them to more pathogens and toxins.

Select three infectious diseases caused by viruses.

- Ebola - HIV - diarrhea

Select two reasons why emerging diseases are especially harmful to humans.

- Emerging diseases are especially harmful to humans because we have little or no immunity to them. - There are often few, if any, medicines and vaccines developed to combat the diseases.

Select the two different ways that chemicals that might cause problems with sexual development and reproduction work.

- Hormone blockers keep certain hormones from attaching to their receptors. - Estrogen mimics disrupt the endocrine system by attaching to molecules that accept the hormone estrogen.

What five actions can be done to reduce infectious and emerging diseases?

- Improve drinking water and access to healthcare. - Immunize children. - Reduce poverty and malnutrition. - Reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics in humans and animals raised for food. - Increase funding and research.

Select the tragedy and the hope of infectious diseases.

- Most of the deaths could have been prevented. - Changes can be made to prevent death by infectious diseases, such as proper hygiene and sewage treatment, clean water, and adequate healthcare.

Select three ways humans increase the rate of antibiotic resistance in bacteria.

- People do not finish all of their medication. - People take antibiotics for the cold or flu. - People eat antibiotic-resistant food.

What are two different mechanisms for bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance?

- Some resistant bacteria actually transfer their resistant DNA to nonresistant bacteria. - A mutation in the DNA causes some bacteria to survive the antibiotic. These bacteria live and reproduce more resistant bacteria.

Select the three hypotheses that explain why being born in the United States leads to a higher chance of developing allergies.

- The hygiene hypothesis claims that children in the United States are not exposed to enough germs in their infancy and childhood to develop their immune systems properly. - Other factors which might influence why there are more children with allergies in the United States include climate, obesity, and the typical western diet with high amounts of processed foods. - Cultural practices may play a part because some cultural foods have different anti allergenic properties.

Select two reasons why multidrug-resistant tuberculosis such a problem.

- The new medications for resistant bacteria cost 100 times more than antibiotics for nonresistant tuberculosis. - People who contract tuberculosis from the antibiotic-resistant strain are more likely to die from the disease or take much longer to heal from the disease.

Why are populations living in poverty more at risk from environmental hazards?

- They often live in crowded conditions where diseases can spread rapidly. - They do not have proper sewage treatment, exposing them to more pathogens. - They lack access to clean water and health services.

Why do we know so little about the effect of chemicals?

- Toxicity levels might vary widely between individuals. - It's even more difficult and expensive to see how they work in the real world on humans instead of in a lab on rats. - Humans are not exposed to one chemical at a time. - It's very difficult and expensive to determine the toxicity of chemicals in a laboratory setting.

Select three facts about tobacco and cancer.

- Use of tobacco products accounts for 90% of all lung cancers. - Tobacco products are responsible for 33% of all cancers. - There are over 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke. About 100 of these are carcinogens. Some of the chemicals include arsenic, carbon monoxide, chromium, and formaldehyde.

Select the three different ways to determine a substance's toxicity.

- aboratory experiments - case reports - population studies

Select three reasons why individuals respond differently to risks.

- age - genetics - different sensitivity levels to different hazards

Select three infectious diseases caused by bacteria.

- anthrax - botulism - diarrhea

Select the four types of environmental hazards.

- biological hazard - social hazard - chemical hazard - natural or physical hazard

What are the three ways viruses emerge and spread?

- globalization - changing the environment - antimicrobial resistance

How can neglected tropical diseases be eliminated?

- improved living conditions - better hygiene

What are some of the possible effects of BPA?

- obesity - early puberty - diabetes - male impotence - developing cancer - heart disease - hyperactivity

Select the five different factors that influence how people see risk.

- optimism bias - fear - degree of control - catastrophe - instant gratifications

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, what percentage of cancer is attributable to environmental factors?

67%

What is asbestos?

a naturally occurring mineral found in rocks and soil

Tobacco use contributes to over _____ different diseases.

25

Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke have a 1 in 4 chance of developing heart disease. What is this risk in percentage?

25%

What percentage of antibiotics are given to animals used for human consumption in the United States and Europe?

50%

What is the difference between bioaccumulation and biomagnification?

Bioaccumulation is the buildup of a toxin in only one organism, while biomagnification is the buildup and transfer of a toxin throughout a food web.

____ is both a social hazard and a biological hazard.

Bioterrorism

Twenty-five percent of people with AIDS actually die of [blank 1], due to a [blank 2].

Blank 1 = tuberculosis Blank 2 = weakened immune system

How does the CDC characterize different bioterrorism microbes?

Category A = microbes that spread easily and have the highest potential for both killing people and instilling widespread panic Category B = microbes that are harder to spread and only cause moderate illness and low death rates Category C = emerging microorganisms that have the potential to spread easily and cause high death rates

Describe the type of substance that bioaccumulates better in ecosystems.

Fat-soluble toxins are stored in body tissues and they bioaccumulate and magnify through ecosystems.

Match the five different factors that influence how people see risk to the descriptions.

Fear = when people worry about the dangers of the unknown more than common dangers Degree of control = when people have greater fear of what they cannot control. Catastrophe = when people are very afraid of dying in a catastrophic event such as a plane crash or disease outbreak Optimism bias = when people believe they are immune to risks. Things might be risky for some people, but not for them. Instant gratification = when people believe the risk is worth it based on how the activity makes them feel in the moment

Why is bioterrorism especially threatening?

Harm can be widespread before health officials recognize it as a terrorist attack.

Describe the three different ways to determine a substance's toxicity.

Laboratory experiments = Lethal doses and median lethal doses are most often determined in laboratory experiments using animals, usually mice or rats. Case reports = Case reports include data of individuals suffering harm or injury after exposure to a chemical or pathogen. Population studies = These studies take a population, such as a town, which has been exposed to a certain chemical and compare it to a group of people, such as a neighboring town, which has not been exposed to the chemical.

Describe how malaria works.

Malaria is a disease caused by the parasitic protist plasmodium. Plasmodium is carried to its host (humans) by a vector (anopheles mosquitoes). Plasmodium lives inside the bloodstream, eventually clogging capillaries and destroying blood cells.

Why is it difficult to know exactly how harmful VOCs are?

Many people are exposed to various trace amounts of thousands of different VOCs over the course of their lifetimes.

Where did the following happen? A local company dumped 27 tons of methylmercury into the bay. The mercury was ingested by plankton and entered the food web. Everything that eats phytoplankton also gets the mercury and so on and so forth up the food chain. The higher an organism is on the food chain, the greater the mercury concentrations due to the amount of food they need to eat to survive. The increase in concentration is biomagnification. The harmful effects included deaths of wildlife and over 2 million people suffering mercury poisoning leading to 900 deaths.

Minamata, Japan

Why do most viral diseases stop at the first step?

Most viruses do not mutate to be allowed to spread from humans to humans.

How do obesity and inactivity influence cancer risk?

Obesity and inactivity possibly account for 25-30% of major cancers including colon, breast, kidney, and esophagus. Inactivity is especially associated with breast and colon cancers.

Why are persistent organic pollutants harmful?

POPs are especially harmful because they remain in the environment for long periods of time before being broken down. This allows them to bioaccumulate and biomagnify through ecosystems at greater concentrations.

How does drinking alcohol influence cancer?

People who drink more than two alcoholic beverages each day increase their risk for cancer.

What does it mean to move towards the precautionary principle when regulating chemicals?

Pollution prevention is key. Companies would have the burden to prove that their new chemicals or technology is safe before releasing it into the environment or to the general public.

What regulation calls for over 30,000 untested chemicals to be registered and does not approve the most toxic of these chemicals for use if there are safer alternatives available, and if none are available, forces companies to submit a plan to find one?

REACH

Describe the arguments for the viewpoint. "More regulation is better."

Regulation will increase human health, cause less environmental pollution, and decrease money spent on cleanup.

Describe the arguments for each viewpoint. "Less regulation is better."

Regulation will make it too expensive to produce new materials, chemicals, and technology.

____ is both a social hazard and a chemical hazard.

Smoking

Why are indoor chemical hazards generally more harmful than outdoor chemical hazards?

They are concentrated in a smaller area and most people spend more time inside than outside.

What are neglected tropical diseases?

a group of infections that cause ongoing illness in over 1 billion people each year, mostly in Africa, rural areas, slums, and conflict zones

What is lead?

a highly toxic heavy metal

What is radon?

a highly toxic, colorless, and odorless gas occurring naturally as a byproduct of uranium or radium decay

epidemic

a large outbreak of an infectious disease in a certain place or country

Which type of chemicals can be found surrounding a cell?

Water-soluble toxins get into the solutions that surround our cells.

What is carbon monoxide?

a colorless, odorless gas

What is sarin and how does it work?

a common nerve gas used in warfare; works on humans much like a pesticide works on insects

pandemic

a disease outbreak that rapidly affects a whole region, continent, or the world

communicable disease

a disease that can be passed from one person to another person

infectious disease

a disease that is caused by one organism entering another organism

noncommunicable disease

a disease that is not caused by living organisms and cannot be passed from one person to the next

emerging disease

a disease that shows up in human populations for the first time or has recently increased and spread rapidly around the world

What is cancer?

a disease where damaged cells form tumors

dose-response curve

a graph that shows the relationship between the dose and the effect of that dose on the organism

What are phthalates?

a group of chemicals that dissolve fragrances, thicken lotion, and add flexibility to plastics

pathogen

a microorganism that causes disease in another living organism

Write which country/countries (United States, European Union) best represent these statements.

a. European Union Chemicals are guilty until proven innocent. b. United States Chemicals are innocent until proven guilty.

Match the features of each natural disaster that cause loss of life, injury, or property loss with the natural disaster.

a. earthquakes : landslides, tsunamis b. volcanoes : hot ash, dust, and gases in the air, lava, mudslides c. hurricanes : strong winds, torrential rains, storm surges d. tornadoes : strong winds, flying debris e. sever winter storms : high winds, extensive precipitation of snow and ice f. fires : air pollution, flames g. floods : high water levels

toxin

an element or compound that can cause temporary or permanent harm or death to humans

vector

an organism that can carry a parasite and is responsible for infecting other organisms with that parasite

Biological hazard

any pathogen that can infect humans and cause disease

hazard

anything that threatens or harms human health

The EPA has tested [blank 1] chemicals out of [blank 2].

blank 1 = 200 blank 2 = 80,000

Communicable diseases are also referred to as [blank 1] or [blank 2].

blank 1 = contagious blank 2 = transmissible

RISK ASSESSMENT - Identify the [blank 1]. - Determine the [blank 2]. - List the [blank 4] of the hazard. RISK MANAGEMENT - Compare this hazard [blank 5]. - Determine [blank 3] the hazard should be reduced. - Suggest [blank 6] the risk should be reduced. - Estimate [blank 7] to reduce the risk.

blank 1 = hazard blank 2 = probability of risk blank 3 = consequences blank 4 = to other hazards blank 5 = how much blank 6 = how blank 7 = how much it will cost

According to the CDC, how do half of deaths by flooding occur?

cars trying to drive through flooded streets

neurotoxin

chemical that affects the nervous system

endocrine disruptor

chemical that interferes with the hormone system

persistent organic pollutant

chemical that remains in the environment for a long period of time before being broken down

What are the harmful effects of lead?

damage to most body organs, including the brain, liver, kidneys, and stomach; milder effects include learning and behavior problems, hearing loss, and anemia

The second-leading cause of death in children each year is ____.

diarrhea

"The ____ makes the poison."

dose

Most people who die in severe winter storms are killed due to ____.

driving on icy roads

Chemical hazard

elements and compounds in the environment that cause harm

What are the harmful effects of phthalates?

endocrine disruptors in mice, but data so far has not shown any risk to people

What type of endocrine disruptor is BPA?

estrogen mimic

What might be contributing to the rise of certain diseases such as autism and childhood cancers?

exposure to trace amounts of thousands of different chemicals

Most deaths from tornadoes are due to ____.

flying debris

What are Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)?

gaseous carbon-containing compounds

Natural or Physical hazard

harm caused by natural disasters or human-caused disasters such as fires and floods

Social hazard

harm that comes from the choices you make or someone else makes for you

Environmental hazards can result in loss of life and loss of ____.

healthy years

Where can carbon monoxide be found?

in gas furnaces, stoves, and car exhaust

Where can lead be found?

in old paints and contaminated soil

Where can VOCs be found?

in paints, waxes, varnishes, cleaning supplies, copiers, printers, fuel, glue, and adhesives

Where can phthalates be found?

in shampoos, conditioners, lotions, and plastics

In 1999, 900,000 people died of measles. In 2011, this number was reduced to 158,000 deaths. Why are the numbers decreasing?

increased vaccinations

The most deadly viral disease is _____.

influenza