Studied by 47 peopleDefine pesticide
substance used to kill, repel, or control plant or animal life considered a pest
What are compounds used for?
control mice and rats
What are disinfectants used for?
preventing the spread of bacteria
List some examples of pesticides
disinfectants, fumigants, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, repellents, rodenticides
What are POPs?
chemicals of global concern
Why are POPs an issue? (4)
long-range transport, persistence in environment, biomagnification in the food chain, overall negative human/environmental impacts
Organophosphates pesticides pros
inexpensive, control wide range, do not persist in environment
Organophosphates pesticides issues
frequent cause of fatal poisonings
What are organophosphates pesticides used in?
sprays, baits, flea collars, pet shampoo, indoor foggers
How do organocarbamates (or carbmates) act in the environment?
dissipate quickly due to breaking down into other substances
Where are organocarbamates used?
controlling garden pests (wasps, hornets, snails) and flea/tick prevention in pets
What happened in the MIC release in Bhopal, India?
accidental release of MIC (organocarbamates) in industrial accident
acute exposure extremely toxic to all life
Where are pyrethoids derived from?
natural sources (chrysanthemum flowers)
Why are organochlorides harmful?
fat-soluble and stay in the environment, bioaccumulate in the food chain
What are negative health outcomes are organochlorides associated with?
supression of the immune system and cancer
The ‘golden age of discovery” of insecticides generally refers to what time period?
mid-1900s
When did DDT become widespread and used the most?
use begun: 1940s
max use: 1960s
What was DDT used to control?
mosquitos carrying malaria
What positive thing is DDT credited with?
saving millions from malaria
When was DDT use prohibited and why?
1972 because of concern for adverse effects of human health and wilflife
Who is responsible for approving pesticides for use in the US?
EPA
When was agent orange used?
Vietnam War
What are concerns of using pesticides (4)?
harm to agriculture workers, undesirable effects on cattle, drift into school/homes, unintentional killing of pets
How was Southern California positviely impacted by pesticide use?
cyanide extraction techniques saved citrus industry from pet-induced collapse, cheap way to keep pests away
Why is it difficult to determine the effects of endocrine disruptors?
people usually exposed to multiple
What are PFAS used for?
industrial applications and non-stick pans, paper, textile coatings
What are PCBs used for?
electrical equipment (transformers, heat transfer fluids, lubricants)
What are the health effects of PCBs?
cancer in animals, probable human cancer, possibly impact on immune/reproductive system and chilren’s cognitive function
What is atrazine used for?
herbicide on farms
What are the issues with atrazine?
washed from soil into streams and other bodies of water, long lasting in water
How did the government control atrazine use?
require license to purchase
What act makes the EPA responsible for regulating pesticides?
Fungicide and Rodenticide Act and Food Quality Protection Act
Summarize the video about Dr. Tyrone Hayes.
research on frogs that shows the potential harmful effects of atrazine use
argued for environmental justice and gov/large companies cover up
Non ionizing radiation
form of radiation on the left of the electromagnetic spectrum
ionizing radiation
energy that acts by removing electrons from atoms and molecules
Event that became symbol for antinuclear movement
Chernobyl
What in residential areas can cause negative health outcomes through non-ionizing radiation?
high tension power lines
Difference between harm in UVA and UVB radiation
UVA radiation is weaker but penetrates deeper into skin, more constant throughout the year
What is radioactive decay?
radioactive atom spontaneously gives off radiation to reach a more stable state
What is ionizing activity?
alter molecules within body cells that can eventually cause cancer
What is the easiest radioactive isotope to block?
alpha particles
Which radioactive isotope requires concrete/steel/lead to block?
gamma rays
If you ingested/inhaled a radioactive isotope, which would be the most harmful? the least?
Most: alpha
Least: gamma
What geologic formations naturally contain radioactive elements?
uranium and radon
Anthropogenic sources of ionizing radition
diagnostic radiation, nuclear power plants, industry, production/testing of nuclear weapons
Curie (Ci)
unit of measure to describe amount of radioactivity in a sample material
Rad
radiation absorbed dose
former unit of absorbed dose of ionizing radiation
Becquerel (Bq)
corresponds to radioactivity
Gray (Gy)
corresponds to absorbed dose
Exposure
describe amount of radiation traveling through the air
Adsorbed dose
amount of radiation absorbed by an object or person
effective dose
amount of radiation absorbed by person adjusted for type of radiation and organ
Factors effecting amount of radiation exposure
amount of time, distance from source, rate of energy emission
Stochastic
random
nonstochastic effects (acute)
tissue burn, radiation sicknes
What type of study was the Hiroshima & Nagasaki article?
retrospective/prospective cohort
What is the hydrological cycle?
natural cycle that water evaporates from bodies of water and accumulates as water vapor, returns to oceans, and other water bodies as precipitation
Why do freshwater lakes become salty?
evaporation (especially in arid areas)
Surface water examples
lakes, rivers, reservoirs, ponds
What is groundwater?
water contained in connected pores of aquifer
What is an aquifer?
section of Earth that contains freshwater(groundwater)
Water withdrawal
removal of freshwater for human use from any natural source/reservoir
if not consumed water may return to environment to be used again
Renewable water
freshwater coninuously replenished by hydrological cycle (water in rivers, lakes)
Nonrenewable water
water in aquifers that is not recharged by the hydrological cycle or slowly that human use causes depletion
What parts of the world have severe water shortages and experience high population growth rates (2)?
sub-Saharan/Northern Africa and the near east Asia
Define waterborne disease
conditions transmitted through ingestion of contaminated water, water acts as passive carrier of infectious agent
Define aeration
increase in dissolved oxygen that improves overall quality and reduces corrosiveness
What does coagulation do in drinking water treatment?
removes suspended material
What does sedimnetation do in drinking water treatment?
cause heavy particles to settle to bottom of tanks for collection
What does filtration do in drinking water treatment?
remove smaller particles
What does disinfection do in drinking water treatment?
destroys pathogens
What does the Surface Water Treatment Rule enforce?
water systems must filter and disinfect surface water sources to reduce illnesses caused by pathogens in drinking water
What does the Ground Water Rule aim to acheive?
approach to target ground water systems vulnerable to fecal contamination, systems at risk must take corrective action when water systems will use ground water as source of drinking water
What are the downsides of conventional wastewater treatment?
relatively expensive and energy intensive
What are the benefits of ecological wastewater treatment?
low energy input and costs
What is the downside of ecological wastewater treatments?
increase land space requirements and not suitable for all climates
What is the benefit of conventional wastewater treatment?
effective pathogen inactivation
Main concern for beach and coastal pollution
runoff sewage contamination in ocean can expose people to waterborne diseases
Note
Flashcard