Chapter 14 Practice Questions – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
The use of insecticides (such as DDT) that have been banned by many developed countries goes on in some developing countries _______.
answer
because the benefits to human health are believed to outweigh the environmental costs
question
To establish causation, _____ experiments are needed.
answer
manipulative
question
Which of the following types of hazards spread quickly worldwide because of human mobility?
answer
biological hazards
question
Biomagnification _______.
answer
is the increase in toxicant concentration as it moves up to the top trophic levels in the food chain
question
Exposure to low amounts of a chemical over long periods of time is _______.
answer
chronic exposure
question
The leading cause of death in the world today is _________.
answer
disease
question
Which of the following statements is true regarding toxins?
answer
Toxic exposures can be natural or as a result of exposure to man-made chemicals.
question
Which of the following is NOT assessed by a toxicologist to determine the potential for environmental damage of a new chemical?
answer
the methods for counteracting the new chemical in the environment
question
The important environmental book called __________ exposed the hazards of using the insecticide DDT.
answer
Silent Spring
question
A low LD50 indicates _______.
answer
a high toxicity
question
A child enters the pediatrician's office with symptoms that include anemia, hearing loss, kidney, and stomach problems. The family has just recently moved into a 50-year-old home and is doing renovations. What might be the problem with this child?
answer
lead poisoning
question
Synthetic pesticides _______.
answer
can be distributed through the global circulation system and are therefore an international problem
question
International regulation of toxicants _______.
answer
has resulted in the proposal of conventions for toxicant regulation
question
If an evaluating committee places the burden of proof of the safety of a new chemical on the manufacturer of the chemical, then the committee is using the _________.
answer
precautionary principle
question
A _____ LD50 indicates low toxicity while a _____ LD50 indicates high toxicity.
answer
high; low
question
Which of the following statements about the United States and Europe are true regarding toxins?
answer
European nations tend to use the precautionary principle, whereas the United States follows the innocent-until-proven-guilty approach.
question
Scientists are interested in the effects of environmental hazards on wildlife because _________.
answer
animals can serve as an early warning to the damage of environmental toxins
question
Risk _____ includes decisions and strategies that will minimize risk.
answer
management
question
The "precautionary principle approach" to chemical testing ______________.
answer
prevents products from entering the marketplace until well tested
question
Dose-response curves are developed by _______.
answer
graphing the response of model systems or organisms to specific doses of toxicants
question
We have good information about how some toxicants affect human health because _________.
answer
accidental exposures (chemical spills, poisonings) have been noticed immediately allowing the development of case histories that track the patient from exposure to the problems caused by the chemical
question
How do endocrine disruptors affect human health at very low doses?
answer
They mimic or block hormones that direct reproductive and developmental processes.
question
Environmental health advocates criticize the process of risk management, saying that it gives too much weight to _______.
answer
economic interests
