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Environmental Science Chapter 20 Environmental & Human Health

Terms in this set (21)

World Health Organization
an organization that collects data on how the environment affects human health.
Toxicology
the study of the harmful effects of substances on organisms.
Dose
the amount of harmful chemical to which a person is exposed.
Response
the damage to health that results from exposure to a given dose.
Persistent Chemical
a chemical that breaks down slowly in the environment.
Dose Response Curve
shows the relative effect of various doses of a drug or chemical on an organism or organisms determined by experiments.
Threshold Dose
a dose of an amount of chemical that is between harmless and harmful.
Epidemiology
is the study of the spread of diseases.
Risk Assessment
is an estimate of the risk posed by an action or substance.
Particulates
particles in the air that are small enough to breathe into the lungs.
Heavy Metals
naturally occurring metals that if injested cause nerve damage.
Center for Disease Control
a center that conducts research and collects data on diseases and prevention.
Pesticides
chemicals designed to kill unwanted organisms.
Organophosphate
a type of pesticide that has replaced more persistent pesticides.
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
oily fluids that have been used for years as insulation in electrical transformers.
Pathogens
organisms that cause disease.
Host
an organism in which a pathogen lives all or part of its life.
Vector
organisms that transmit disease.
Cholera
deadly waterborne disease that causes the body to lose water by diarrhea or vomiting.
Malaria
a waterborne disease caused by parasitic protists, transmitted by mosquitoes.
Cross
species Transfer- pathogens that move from one species to another.
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