1.
Acute exposure: high exposure to a hazard for short
periods of time
- Easy to recognize
- Stem from discrete events: ingestion, oil spills, nuclear
accident, etc.
- Toxicity tests reflect effects of acute toxicity
2.
Allergens:: overactivate the immune system
3.
Bioaccumulation:: fat-soluble
toxicants build up in animal
tissues
- Can transfer toxins to others
through the food chain
4.
Biological hazards: result from ecological interactions
5.
Biomagnification:: toxicant
concentrations are magnified
through trophic levels
- Near extinction of peregrine
falcons and bald eagles
6.
Carcinogens: cause cancer
- Hard to identify because of the long time between
exposure and onset of cancer
7.
Chemical hazards: synthetic chemicals such as
pharmaceuticals, disinfectants, pesticides
8.
Chronic exposure: low exposure for a long time
- More common but harder to detect and diagnose
- Affects organs gradually: lung cancer, liver damage
- Cause and effect may not be easily apparent
9.
Comparative risk management: decisions and
strategies to minimize risk may sometimes include
personal decisions compared to those chosen for you
10.
Cultural hazards: result from where we live, our
socioeconomic status, occupation, or behavioral choices
11.
Dose-response analysis: quantifies a substances toxicity
- Measures the strength of toxicants effects or the number of
animals affected at different doses
12.
Endocrine disruptors: affect the endocrine (hormone)
system
• Hormones stimulate growth, development, sexual maturity
- Regulate brain function, appetite, sex drive, etc
13.
Environmental health: assesses environmental factors
that influence human health and quality of life
- Includes natural and human-caused factors
14.
Environmental toxicology: deals with toxic substances
that come from or are discharged into the environment
- Studies animals and plants to see if they indicate human
health threats
15.
Epidemiological study: compares a group of people that
was exposed to a hazard to a group that was not
- Studies can last for years
- If rates of death, cancer, etc., are higher in the exposed
group, the hazard may be responsible
- Does not show that the hazard caused the effect
- These are observations
16.
Infectious disease: viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens
parasitize humans (e.g., malaria, cholera)
- We cant avoid risk, but we can reduce infection through
monitoring, sanitation, and treatment
17.
LD50/ED50 (lethal dose/effective dose): the amount of
toxicant required to kill/affect 50% of the subjects
- A high number indicates low toxicity
18.
Mutagens:: cause DNA mutations
- Can cause cancer and harm sperm or egg cells
19.
Neurotoxins: affect the nervous system (lead, mercury)
20.
Pathway inhibitors: interrupt biochemical processes
- Rat poison (coumadin) stops blood clotting
21.
Pesticide drift:: airborne
transport of pesticides
22.
Physical hazards: occur naturally in our environment
- UV radiation, earthquakes, volcanoes, fires, floods,
landslides, hurricanes, droughts, etc
23.
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs): used in
computers, televisions, plastics, and furniture
- Act as hormone disruptors
24.
POPs: toxic, persistent chemicals
- Bioaccumulate and biomagnify
- Can travel long distances (they are even found in polar
bears)
25.
Precautionary principle: assumes a substance is
harmful until it is shown to be harmless
26.
Risk assessment: the quantitative measurement of risk
- Compares risks involved in different activities or
substances
- It identifies and outlines problems
- It helps determine which substances and activities pose
health threats to people or wildlife
27.
Risk management: decisions and strategies to
minimize risk
28.
Synergistic effects: interactive impacts that are greater
than the sum of their constituent effects
29.
Teratogens: cause birth defects in embryos
30.
the
dose plotted against the
response: the
dose plotted against the
response
31.
The EUs REACH program (Registration, Evaluation,
Authorization, and Restriction of CHemicals): Shifts the burden of proof for safety to industry
- 30,000 chemicals will have to be registered with the
European Chemicals Agency
32.
Threshold dose: the level where a response occurs
- Organs can metabolize or
excrete low doses of a
toxicant
33.
Toxic Substances Control Act (1976):: the EPA
monitors chemicals made in or imported into the U.S.
- The EPA can ban substances that pose excessive risk
34.
Toxicity:: the degree of harm a chemical can inflict
35.
Toxicology:: the study of the effects of poisonous
substances on humans and other organisms
36.
Toxins: toxic chemicals made in tissues of living
organisms (e.g., aflatoxin in peanuts)
37.
Vector: an organism that
transfers disease to a host
