Chapter 17 Human Health and Environmental Risks

Key Ideas Three major categories of human health risk: physical biological chemical Historical vs Emerging infections Plague, Malaria, Tuberculosis HIV/AIDS, Ebola, Mad Cow, Bird Flu, West Nile Five Major Toxic Chemicals Neurotoxins Carcinogens Teratogens Allergens Endocrine disruptors

Key Ideas cont. Chemical concentration studies: Dose-response Retrospective Prospective Chemical concentrations factors Routes Solubility Bioaccumulation Biomagnification Two philosophies of chemical regulation Innocent-until-proven-guilty Precautionary

Leading causes of death in the world:

Biological Risks _______________________ those caused by infectious agents, known as pathogens. Examples: pneumonia and venereal diseases

Biological Risks Infectious diseases- those caused by infectious agents, known as pathogens. Examples: pneumonia and venereal diseases

Biological Risks ________________ disease- slowly impairs the functioning of a person’s body. _________________ diseases- rapidly impair the functioning of a person’s body.

Biological Risks Chronic disease- slowly impairs the functioning of a person’s body. Acute diseases- rapidly impair the functioning of a person’s body.

________________ Diseases Plague Malaria Tuberculosis

Historical Diseases Plague Malaria Tuberculosis

____________________ Diseases HIV/AIDS Ebola Mad Cow Disease Bird Flu West Nile Virus

Emergent Diseases HIV/AIDS Ebola Mad Cow Disease Bird Flu West Nile Virus

Chemical Risks ______________________- chemicals that disrupt the nervous system

Chemical Risks ____________________- chemicals that cause cancer

Chemical Risks _____________________ - chemicals that interfere with the normal development of embryos or fetuses

Chemical Risks ________________ - chemicals that cause allergic reactions

Chemical Risks _______________________ - chemicals that interfere with the normal functioning of hormones in an animal’s body

Chemical Risks Neurotoxins- chemicals that disrupt the nervous system (LEAD & MERCURY) Carcinogens- chemicals that cause cancer (ASBESTOS & RADON) Teratogens- chemicals that interfere with the normal development of embryos or fetuses (ALCOHOL) Allergens- chemicals that cause allergic reactions (PEANUTS, MILK & MEDICINES) Endocrine disruptors- chemicals that interfere with the normal functioning of hormones in an animal’s body (Bisphenol A - BPA)

Dose-Response Studies ___________________- dose that kills 50% of the individuals ______________- dose that causes 50% of the animals to display the harmful but nonlethal effect

Dose-Response Studies LD50- lethal dose that kills 50% of the individuals ED50- effective dose that causes 50% of the animals to display the harmful but nonlethal effect

______________________ - when two risks come together and cause more harm that one would. For example, the health impact of a carcinogen such as asbestos can be much higher if an individual also smokes tobacco.

Synergistic interactions- when two risks come together and cause more harm that one would. For example, the health impact of a carcinogen such as asbestos can be much higher if an individual also smokes tobacco.

Routes of Exposure

_______________________- an increased concentration of a chemical within an organism over time

Bioaccumulation bioaccumulation- an increased concentration of a chemical within an organism over time

___________________- the increase in a chemical concentration in animal tissues as the chemical moves up the food chain.

Biomagnification Biomagnification- the increase in a chemical concentration in animal tissues as the chemical moves up the food chain.

______________________- how long a chemical remains in the environment

Persistence Persistence- how long a chemical remains in the environment

This is known as:_____________

Risk Analysis

________________ Risk Assessment Making a judgment of the relative risks of various decisions – low, medium, or high Probability- the statistical likelihood of an event occurring and the probability of that event causing harm

Qualitative Risk Assessment Making a judgment of the relative risks of various decisions Probability- the statistical likelihood of an event occurring and the probability of that event causing harm

_______________ Risk Assessment The approach to conducting a ______________________ risk assessment is: Risk= probability of being exposed to a hazard X probability of being harmed if exposed

Quantitative Risk Assessment The approach to conducting a quantitative risk assessment is: Risk = (probability of being exposed to a hazard) X (probability of being harmed if exposed)

Probabilities of death in the United States

This is known as:_______________ In 2001, a group of 127 nations gathered in Stockholm, Sweden, to reach an agreement on restricting the global use of some chemicals 12 chemicals were to be banned, phased out, or reduced These include DDT, PCBs, and certain chemicals that are by-products of manufacturing processes. This is known as:_______________

Stockholm Convention In 2001, a group of 127 nations gathered in Stockholm, Sweden, to reach an agreement on restricting the global use of some chemicals 12 chemicals were to be banned, phased out, or reduced These include DDT, PCBs, and certain chemicals that are by-products of manufacturing processes.