Semestre 1 2024 Final Test Review ES PDF

Summary and Review of Chapter 14: Environmental Science Case Study: A Toxic Flood Hurricane Harvey highlighted the vulnerabilities of areas with facilities that produce hazardous substances. Stormwater leached chemicals into the environment, illustrating the dangers of residual pollutants. Sectio...

Summary and Review of Chapter 14: Environmental Science Case Study: A Toxic Flood Hurricane Harvey highlighted the vulnerabilities of areas with facilities that produce hazardous substances. Stormwater leached chemicals into the environment, illustrating the dangers of residual pollutants. Section 14.1: Environmental Health  Definition: Environmental health examines physical, social, cultural, and technological factors a ecting health.  Key Terms: o Morbidity: Illness. o Mortality: Death. o Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs): Measures disease burden. Shifts in Global Disease Burden:  Chronic diseases (e.g., cancer, cardiovascular disease) are now global concerns.  Infectious diseases like malaria and diarrhea remain significant in developing nations. Environmental Health Perspective:  Transmission Pathways: o Waterborne, airborne, foodborne, and vector-borne diseases.  Risk Factors: o Poor sanitation, climate change, pollution, urbanization.  Prevention: o Improved hygiene, clean water, vaccination, and vector control. 1 Section 14.2: Toxicology  Study of Toxins: Examines harmful e ects of chemicals, radiation, and diet.  Categories of Harmful Agents: o Neurotoxins: Damage nerve cells. o Mutagens: Alter DNA. o Teratogens: A ect embryonic development. o Carcinogens: Cause cancer.  Endocrine Disruptors: o Interfere with hormonal functions, a ecting reproduction and development. Key Concepts:  Bioaccumulation: Toxins build up in an organism.  Biomagnification: Toxins concentrate up the food chain.  Persistence: Some chemicals (e.g., heavy metals) remain in ecosystems for decades. Section 14.3: Movement and Fate of Toxins  Solubility: o Water-soluble toxins spread quickly through environments. o Fat-soluble toxins require carriers but persist longer.  Exposure Routes: o Air, water, food, and skin contact.  Factors A ecting Toxicity: o Chemical stability, dose, exposure duration, and organismal factors (age, health, genetic predisposition). 2 Section 14.4: Risk Assessment and Perception  Principle: "The dose makes the poison."  Testing: Toxic e ects are often tested on lab animals.  Key Metrics: o LD50: Dose lethal to 50% of a test population.  Challenges: o Public perceptions of risk are often irrational. o Policy decisions require balancing scientific data with socioeconomic factors. Conclusion  Progress has reduced historical diseases, but new challenges arise from chronic conditions, emerging diseases, and industrial chemicals.  Increased connectivity and environmental changes amplify global health risks. Part 1: True or False Concepts  Environmental Health: o Covers biological, chemical, and physical factors influencing human health, including climate change and pollution. o Diseases: Communicable diseases are caused by pathogens (e.g., bacteria, viruses). o Antibiotic resistance arises through natural selection of resistant pathogens. o Zoonotic diseases (e.g., Ebola) can be linked to deforestation and environmental disruption.  Toxins and Chemical Processes: o Bioaccumulation: Toxins accumulate in an organism over time. o Biomagnification: Toxin concentration increases as it moves up the food chain. 3  o Endocrine disruptors mimic or block hormonal functions, a ecting growth, reproduction, and metabolism. o Persistent toxins, like POPs, degrade slowly, causing long-term environmental impacts.  Health and Environmental Risks: o Chronic exposure to toxins can cause long-term health e ects without immediate symptoms. o Synergism: Combined e ect of two substances is greater than the sum of their individual e ects. o Sick building syndrome: Poor indoor air quality causes health problems. Part 2: Matching Key Terms  Pathogen: Disease-causing agent (e.g., bacteria, virus).  Bioaccumulation: Toxins stored in an organism (e.g., mercury in fish).  Biomagnification: Increasing toxin levels at higher food chain levels.  Neurotoxin: Damages the nervous system (e.g., mercury).  Teratogen: Causes developmental defects (e.g., alcohol a ecting embryos).  Carcinogen: Cancer-causing substance (e.g., tobacco smoke).  Endocrine Disruptor: Interferes with hormonal systems (e.g., BPA).  DALY (Disability-Adjusted Life Year): Measures disease burden.  Chronic E ect: Long-term impact from prolonged toxin exposure.  Synergism: Interaction amplifies the harmful e ects of substances. Part 3: Multiple Choice Focus Areas  Environmental Health: o Communicable diseases like malaria and influenza are spread by vectors or contaminated resources. o Urbanization and reduced sanitation can promote the spread of diseases. o Clean drinking water reduces waterborne diseases (e.g., cholera). 4   Toxins: o Persistence: Long-lasting toxins (e.g., POPs) remain in ecosystems for years. o Fat-Soluble Toxins: Stored in fatty tissues, leading to bioaccumulation. o Examples:  Neurotoxin: Mercury.  Carcinogen: Tobacco smoke.  Endocrine disruptor: Mimics hormones (e.g., BPA).  Ecosystem E ects: o Biomagnification is most significant in aquatic ecosystems. o Teratogens (e.g., alcohol) primarily a ect embryos.  Environmental Risks: o Sick building syndrome results from indoor pollutants (e.g., formaldehyde). o Antibiotic resistance arises from mutations and overuse. o Synergistic interactions between chemicals increase toxicity. Part 4: Fill in the Blanks  Key Concepts: o Persistence: Toxins like POPs last decades in the environment. o Bioaccumulation: Storage of toxins within an organism. o Biomagnification: Increasing concentration of toxins up the food chain. o Endocrine Disruptors: A ect hormonal systems, leading to reproductive or developmental issues. o Neurotoxins: (e.g., mercury) damage the nervous system. o Pathogens: Microorganisms causing diseases. o Carcinogens: Substances causing cancer (e.g., asbestos, tobacco smoke). 5  o Chronic Exposure: Long-term e ects from prolonged contact with toxins. o Synergism: Interaction of toxins amplifying their e ects. o DALY: Metric for disease burden in populations. Key Takeaways 1. Understand how diseases are linked to environmental factors. 2. Recognize di erent types of harmful agents and their impacts. 3. Learn how toxins move and persist in ecosystems. 4. Evaluate how perception and assessment of risks influence health policies. 6