Environmental Hazard and Risk Assessment Concepts

Question 1

What is Love Canal?

Answer 1

Site of a significant environmental disaster.

Question 2

What does MSW stand for?

Answer 2

Municipal solid waste from households and businesses.

Question 3

What is closed loop recycling?

Answer 3

Recycling process that reuses materials indefinitely.

Question 4

What is cradle to grave analysis?

Answer 4

Assessment of a product’s environmental impact throughout its lifecycle.

Question 5

What is Thalidomide?

Answer 5

Drug causing birth defects when taken during pregnancy.

Question 6

What are carcinogens?

Answer 6

Substances that can cause cancer in living tissue.

Question 7

What are mutagens?

Answer 7

Agents that cause genetic mutations.

Question 8

What are teratogens?

Answer 8

Substances that cause developmental malformations in embryos.

Question 9

What are endocrine disruptors?

Answer 9

Chemicals interfering with hormonal systems.

Question 10

What is BPA?

Answer 10

Chemical used in plastics, linked to health risks.

Question 11

What does acute exposure mean?

Answer 11

Short-term exposure to harmful substances.

Question 12

What does chronic exposure mean?

Answer 12

Long-term exposure to harmful substances.

Question 13

What is thermal inversion?

Answer 13

Weather condition trapping pollutants close to the ground.

Question 14

What is acid rain?

Answer 14

Precipitation with high levels of sulfuric and nitric acids.

Question 15

What is a pathogen?

Answer 15

Microorganism causing disease in hosts.

Question 16

What does LD50 refer to?

Answer 16

Lethal dose for 50% of a test population.

Question 17

What does ED50 refer to?

Answer 17

Effective dose for 50% of a test population.

Question 18

What is a sublethal effect?

Answer 18

Effects that do not cause death but impair function.

Question 19

What is a synergistic interaction?

Answer 19

Combined effect of substances greater than individual effects.

Question 20

What was the Bhopal gas tragedy?

Answer 20

1984 industrial disaster in India causing thousands of deaths.

Question 21

What is biomagnification?

Answer 21

Increasing concentration of toxins in organisms higher in food chain.

Question 22

What is bioaccumulation?

Answer 22

Accumulation of substances in an organism over time.

Question 23

What is Malathion?

Answer 23

Insecticide used to control pests.

Question 24

What are phthalates?

Answer 24

Chemicals used to make plastics flexible.

Question 25

What is Atrazine?

Answer 25

Herbicide used to prevent weed growth.

Question 26

What is DDT?

Answer 26

Pesticide banned due to environmental persistence.

Question 27

What is the innocent until proven guilty principle?

Answer 27

Assumes substances are safe until proven harmful.

Question 28

What is the precautionary principle?

Answer 28

Acting to prevent harm when risks are uncertain.

Question 29

What is sick building syndrome?

Answer 29

Health issues linked to time spent in certain buildings.

Question 30

What is the Stockholm Convention?

Answer 30

International treaty to eliminate persistent organic pollutants.

Question 31

What does REACH stand for?

Answer 31

EU regulation for chemical safety and management.

Question 32

What is the dirty dozen?

Answer 32

List of harmful chemicals to human health.

Question 33

What is an epidemic?

Answer 33

Widespread occurrence of an infectious disease.

Question 34

What is a prion?

Answer 34

Infectious agent causing neurodegenerative diseases.

Question 35

What is a neurotoxin?

Answer 35

Substance damaging nervous system.

Question 36

What is swine flu?

Answer 36

Influenza virus affecting pigs and humans.

Question 37

What is bird flu?

Answer 37

Avian influenza virus affecting birds and humans.

Question 38

What are physical hazards?

Answer 38

Environmental factors causing harm without chemical exposure.

Question 39

What are chemical hazards?

Answer 39

Substances posing risks to health or environment.

Question 40

What are biological hazards?

Answer 40

Biological substances posing threats to health.

Question 41

What are cultural hazards?

Answer 41

Lifestyle choices impacting health and safety.

Question 42

What are PBDEs?

Answer 42

Flame retardants linked to health issues.

Question 43

What is the circle of poison?

Answer 43

Cycle of pesticide use and contamination.

Question 44

What is a linear dose-response curve?

Answer 44

Graph showing direct relationship between dose and effect.

Question 45

What are POPs?

Answer 45

Persistent organic pollutants resistant to environmental degradation.

Question 46

What is PET?

Answer 46

Plastic used in bottles and containers.

Question 47

What is risk assessment?

Answer 47

Process to evaluate potential health risks.

Question 48

What is risk management?

Answer 48

Strategies to minimize identified risks.

Question 49

What are PFAS?

Answer 49

Group of man-made chemicals resistant to degradation.

Question 50

What is photochemical smog?

Answer 50

Air pollution from sunlight reacting with chemicals.

Question 51

What is hormone mimicry?

Answer 51

Substances mimicking natural hormones in the body.

Question 52

What is the Paris agreement?

Answer 52

International treaty on climate change mitigation.

Question 53

What is Pb pollution?

Answer 53

Lead contamination affecting health and environment.

Question 54

What is Hg pollution?

Answer 54

Mercury contamination causing toxic effects.

Question 55

What is asbestos pollution?

Answer 55

Exposure to asbestos fibers causing health risks.

Question 56

What is point source pollution?

Answer 56

Pollution from a single identifiable source.

Question 57

What is non-point source pollution?

Answer 57

Pollution from diffuse sources, hard to trace.

Question 58

What does VOC stand for?

Answer 58

Volatile organic compounds contributing to air pollution.

Question 59

What is incineration?

Answer 59

Burning waste to reduce volume and generate energy.

Question 60

What is UV radiation?

Answer 60

Ultraviolet light causing skin damage and health risks.