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Chapter 14- Environmental Health & Toxicology

Terms in this set (48)

Stephan Vera, Period 5, 4/28/19, AN: 101, Ch. 14
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acute exposure
exposure to a toxicant occurring in high amounts for short periods of time
allergens
a toxicant that overactivates the immune system causing an immune response when one is not necessary
asbestos
any of several types of mineral that form long, thin microscopic fiber
asbestosis
a disorder resulting from lung tissue scarred by acid following prolonged inhalation of asbestos
bioacculumation
the buildup of toxicants in the tissues of an animal
biological hazards
human health hazards that results from ecological interactions among organisms
biomagnification
the magnification of the concentration of toxicants in an organism caused by its consumption of other organisms in which toxicants have bioacculumated
breakdown products
a compound that results from the degradation of a toxicant
carcinogens
a chemical or type of radiation that causes cancer
case history
medical approach involving the observation and analysis of individual patients
chemical hazards
chemicals that pose human health hazards including toxins produced naturally as well as disinfectants, pesticides, and synthetic chemicals that society produces
chronic exposure
exposure for long periods of time to a toxicant occurring in low amounts
cultural hazards
human health hazards that result from the place we live
dose response
the amount of toxicant a test animal receives in a dose-response test
dose-response analysis
a set of experiments that measure the response of test animals to different doses of a toxicant
dose-response curve
a curve that plots the response of test animals to different doses of a toxicant
ED50
the amount of a toxicant it takes to affect 50% of a population of test animals
endocrine disruptors
a toxicant that interferes with the endocrine system
environmental health
the study of environmental factors that influence human health and quality of life and the health of ecological systems essential to environmental quality and long term human well being
environmental toxicology
the study of toxicants that come from or are discharged into the environment
epidemiological studies
a study that involves large-scale comparisons among groups of people
infectious diseases
a disease in which a pathogen attacks a host
LD50
the amount of a toxicant it takes to kill 50% of a population of test animals
lead
a heavy metal that may be ingested through water or paint or that may enter the atmosphere as a particulate pollutant through combustion of leaded gasoline or other processes
lead poisoning
poisoning by ingestion or inhalation of the heavy metal lead causing an array of maladies including damage to the brain
mutagens
a toxicant that causes mutations in the dna of organisms
neurotoxins
a toxicant that assaults the nervous system
noninfectious disease
A disease that is not caused by a pathogen
pathway inhibitors
a toxicant that interrupts vital biochemical processes in organisms by blocking one or more steps in importnant biochemical pathways
physical hazards
physical porcesses that occur naturally in our environment and pose human health hazards
phthalates
a salt or ester of phthalic acid.
polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)
synthetic compounds that provide fire retardant properties and are used in a diverse array of consumer products
probability
a quantitative description of the likelihood of a certain outcome
radon
a highly toxic, radioactive, colorless gas that seeps up from the ground in areas with certain types of bedrock and that can build up inside basements and homes with poor air circulation
REACH
program of the European Union that shifts the burden of proof for testing chemical safety from national governments to industry and requires that chemical substances produced or imported in amounts of over 1 metric ton per year be registered with a new European Chemicals Agency
risk
the mathematical probability that some harmful outcome will result from a given action, event, or substance
risk assessment
the quantitative measurement of risk together with the comparison of risks involved in different activities or substances
risk management
the process of considering information from scientific risk assessment in light of economic, social, and political needs and values
synergistic effects
an interactive effect that is more than or different from the simple sum of their constituent effects
teratogens
a toxicant that causes harm to the unborn resulting in birth effects
threshold dose
the amount of a toxicant at which it begins to affect a population of test animals
toxicant
a substance that acts as a poison to humans or wildlife
toxicity
the degree of harm a chemical substance can inflict
toxicology
the scientific field that examines the effects of poisonous chemicals and other agents on humans and other organisms
Toxic Substances Control Act
a 1976 U.S. law that directs the Environmental Protection Agency to monitor thousands of industrial chemicals and gives the EPA authority to regulate and ban substances found to pose excessive risk
toxins
a toxic chemical stored or manufactured in the tissues of living organisms
vector
an organism that transfers a pathogen to its host
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