Environmental Health Pt. 2

Question 1

3 main pollutants that are of concern during wildfire smoke events

Answer 1

particulate matter (most concerning)
ground level ozone
CO

Question 2

Effects of particulate matter exposure

Answer 2

range from eye and respiratory tract irritation to more serious disorders including reduced lung function, bronchitis, exacerbation of asthma, heart failure, and premature death

Question 3

Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) are present in wildfire smoke and may contribute to

Answer 3

adverse health effects in infants, children, pregnant women and their fetuses, elderly persons, those with existing lung, heart, or liver diseases, and persons engaging in physical activity
-ie acetaldehyde, acrolein, formaldehyde, benzene

Question 4

Noise abatement regulations

Answer 4

-Noise control act of 1972 (unfunded)
-Quiet communities act of 1978 (unfunded)
-Aviation safety and noise abatement act of 1979

Noise regulation enforcement is up to the states and local jurisdictions

Question 5

3 factors of sound

Answer 5

amplitude (loudness)
frequency (pitch)
time pattern

Question 6

noise pollution

Answer 6

noise that has characteristics and duration injurious to public health and welfare or unreasonably interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of life and property

Question 7

dimensionless unit that expresses the intensity of sound

Answer 7

decibel

Question 8

dBA vs. dBC vs dBD

Answer 8

dBA: attempts to measure the way the human ear hears loudness in normal situations
dBC: attempts to measure the way the human ear hears loudness in noisy situations
dBD: attempts to measure and compare the effect of airplane noise on the human ear

Question 9

Sone

Answer 9

measure of a perceived loudness by an observer

Question 10

Phon

Answer 10

loudness of a 1kHz tone at 40dB
(40 phons = 1 sone)

Question 11

Sabin

Answer 11

measure of the sound absorption ability of a surface

Question 12

Temporary Threshold Shift (TTS)

Answer 12

temporary hearing loss of sensitivity or acuity
-recovers after 12 hours after leaving source
-repeated exposure can lead to permanent shift

Question 13

Permanent Threshold Shift (PTS)

Answer 13

occurs when sensory cells in the inner ear are destroyed

Question 14

Standard Threshold Shift (STS)

Answer 14

-average hearing loss
-reportable to OSHA if the average change is >/= 25 dB and work-related

Question 15

70 dBA is safe for how many hours exposure?

Answer 15

24 hrs

Question 16

When combining sound from multiple sources, how much do you add if the two sources have the same decibels?

Answer 16

Add 3 dB
(ie. 90 dB + 90 dB = 93 dB)

Question 17

When combining sound from multiple sources, how much do you add if the two sources have a difference in 2-4 decibels?

Answer 17

2 dB to the higher one

Question 18

When combining sound from multiple sources, how much do you add if the two sources have a difference in 5-9 decibels?

Answer 18

1 dB to the higher one

Question 19

When combining sound from multiple sources, how much do you add if the two sources have a difference in 10 or more decibels?

Answer 19

0 to the higher one

Question 20

combining 3 identical sounds will always result in __ dB gain

Answer 20

5 dB

Question 21

when is moisture in the air considered a problem?

Answer 21

when it exceeds the relative humidity range of 60-75% preferred for animals

Question 22

2 factors that can be significant in the relationship between microbial aerosols and disease incidence

Answer 22

1) survival time of the aerosolized pathogen
2) total number of pathogens per volume of air

survival is influenced by conditions of the ambient air, conditions of the ambient air and concentration

Question 23

most important factor influencing pathogen survival and concentration

Answer 23

relative humidity
(a relative humidity of 60-75% results in the shortest survival time for the greatest number of potential pathogens)

Question 24

ammonia is produced by decay of feces and urine and is the most significant air pollutant in cattle barns

Answer 24

T

Question 25

T/F: minimal ventilation rate is required in animal housing in cold weather, regardless of outside temperature.

Answer 25

T

Question 26

Cold barns vs. warm barns vs. modified environment barns

Answer 26

Cold barns: barns where indoor temps are allowed to fluctuate with outdoor temps Warm barns: insulated barns with well-controlled ventilation systems Modified environment barns: usually have indoor temps in winter above freezing. have some insulation and are naturally ventilated, but may have more dramatic temp fluctuations

Question 27

temp range for dog breeding facilities per APHIS

Answer 27

45-85F

Question 28

consequences of mismanaged ventilation in winter

Answer 28

-reduced dilution of ambient air (ie. adjusting ventilation for severe winter weather but not adjusting it back) -building components affected by poor ventilation

Question 29

T/F: water should be added to animals’ environment only if ample air movement is present

Answer 29

T

Question 30

Lighting considerations in barns

Answer 30

lighting should be sufficient for inspection, cleaning, and observation of animals. Lighting should also be uniform and on a diurnal cycle, either natural or artificial

Question 31

Greenhouse effect

Answer 31

process that results in the warming of the earth’s atmosphere. Radiation from the sun reaches the earth’s surface and some is reflected back to space. The rest of the radiation, however, is reabsorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases trapped within the earth’s atmosphere

Question 32

most important greenhouse gases

Answer 32

CO2, methane, nitrous oxides

Question 33

sources of indoor air pollution

Answer 33

-fuel-burning combustion appliances -tobacco products -building materials -newly installed flooring/carpentry/upholstry -cleaning/household products -personal care/beauty products -central heating and cooling systems -excess moisture

Question 34

sources of outdoor air pollution

Answer 34

-radon -pesticides -outdoor air pollution

Question 35

How is ground-level ozone created?

Answer 35

by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds (VOC), when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, etc. chemically react in the presence of sunlight