Read: Toxic Air Pollution and Human Health: Story of a Southeast Houston Neighborhood 1: What are some of the

chronic health effects of exposure to Benzene? Blood disorders, reduction of red blood cells, reproductive problems. 2: What are some of the potential sources of Benzene in the environment? A by-product of refining oil. 3: Why is it so hard to link health problems to toxic air pollution? Data on air pollution is difficult to collect and to link to people that are constantly moving and being exposed to other chemicals throughout their day. Its also difficult because different people have different reactions to the same chemical. 4: Why it is said that between a state of health and a state of disease is a gray zone of suboptimal health, a state of imbalance? A person may not be diagnosed with a specific disease yet may not be completely healthy either. 5: Explain what happened at Lake Nyos, Cameroon. A nearby volcano close to the lake would release carbon dioxide through its vents where eventually accumulated at the bottom of the lake. A small earthquake causes this collected carbon was released and moved towards nearby village killing 1,800 people. 6: What is the difference between a pollutant and a contaminant? Pollution refers to unwanted change in the environment caused by the introduction of harmful material or the production of harmful conditions. While contamination is making something unfit for a particular use or function through the introduction of undesirable materials. 7: Define the following: Toxin: substance poisonous to living things. Toxicology: the study of toxins. Carcinogen: a toxin that increase the risk of cancer. Synergism: the interaction of different substances together having greater effects than a single substance alone. Point sources: Give example: small stream entering the ocean Area sources (non-point): Give example: agricultural runoff Mobile sources: Give example: automobile exhaust. 8: Define the following: (Identify when they are used) ppm: parts per million. Measuring pollution.volume, mass weight ppb:parts per billion. Measuring pollution.volume mass, weight mg/L: milligrams per liter. Concentration in water g/m3:micrograms per liter. Concentrations in water. 9: What is an Infectious Agent? (Give examples): dengue fever A Closer Look 10.1 Sudbury Smelters: A Point Source 10: Explain what happened to the area surrounding the Sudbury Smelter as a result of the release of heavy metal pollution into the air? The forest surrounding the area were devastated with decades of acid rain. 11: What are some common heavy metals found in the environment? What health hazards can they pose to humans?

Mercury,c hromium, lead, nickel, gold, platinum, silver 12: What is the concept of Body Burden? Is the amount of heavy metal in our human bodies. What are the body burdens for the following? Antimony: 8mg Mercury: 13mg Arsenic:18mg Cadmium:30mg Lead:150mg 13: Define biomagnification/bioaccumulation: The accumulation of chemical elements in living tissue as it moves though the food web. 14: Describe how Cadmium is a good example of biomagnification. Cadmium is a good example of biomagnification because as it moves up in the food chain, the abundance of it in the living organism increase or becomes more concentrated. 15: How does Mercury enter the environment? Volcanic eruptions,erosion of natural mercury deposit,burning coal. 16: Define Methylation: a process that changes inorganic mercury into methyl mercury. 17: Define Volatilization: the conversion of liquid mercury to vapor form. Read: A Closer Look 10.2- Mercury and Minamata, Japan What are the 4 major factors that must be considered in evaluating and treating toxic environmental pollutants? Read: A Closer Look 10.3- Dioxin: How Dangerous is it? How is Dioxin produced? What happened in Times Beach, Missouri? 19: Give some examples of HAAs: herbasides and pesticide. 20: Explain how PCBs are harmful (found in plastics): pcbs are harmful because they interfere with development and growth. Cancers such as breast cancers maydevelope as well. Read: A Closer Look 10.4- Demasculinization and Feminization of Frogs 22: What are examples of particulates? The burning of coal, fires, dust storms and volcanic eruptions. 23: Why is asbestos harmful to humans? Asbestos is harmful because it encourages disease such as cancers. 24: How can EMF (Electromagnetic Fields) be harmful to humans? Electromagnetic fields may be harmful because people get higher risks of lukimia, lymphoma and nervous system cancers. 25: How is noise pollution measured? It is measured by decibels dB. 26: What are some voluntary exposures to pollutants? Voluntary exposer to pollutants include every single drug.( alcohol and tobacco) 27: What is meant by the quote, everything is poisonous, yet nothing is poisonous? Explain.

This quote means that substances depend on how much we take in to actually be accountable as poisonous or as an antidote. 28: Describe the dose-response. Draw and label the generalized dose-response curve. Explain each step. 29: Define the following: LD-50:crude approximation of a chemicals toxicity ED-50: a does that causes effects on half of the observed subjects TD-50: dose that is toxic to half of observed subjects LD-0: maximum does that has no deathly effects 30: Explain the concept of a threshold dose: the threshold dose is the amount of a substance that just starts to have effects on its subject. If a does lower than the threshold does is given, there will be no effects. 31: Define: Behavioral tolerance: results from changes in behavior Physiological tolerance: when a body of an individual developes a tolerance to a higher concentration of a substance. Genetic tolerance: a resistance to the effects of a toxin due to a generations natural strength against the toxin and passed on to its desendents. 32: Explain the difference between an acute and chronic effect. 34: What is the precautionary principle? This principle states that if an action or policy is believed to be unhealthy for the public people or the environment then by this principle, the action or policy is in fact poisonous. Read: Is Lead in the Urban Environment Contributing to Antisocial Behavior 35: What is the main point of the discussion about lead in the bones of children and behavior? The main point of discussing lead in the bones of children is how abundant the effects of lead really are on a childs health and behavior. 36: Why is it difficult to establish standards for acceptable levels of pollution? In giving your answer, consider physical, climatological, biological, social, and ethical reasons