SPHL498N Final Exam

Friis Chapters 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11

Toms River Chapters 6-13
Articles:
Bullard on environmental justice
Israel on risk assessment
Yuen on health Impact Assessment
MIAEH Fracking Report
Air Pollution
6 Criteria Air pollutants
o Lead
o Ozone
o Carbon Monoxide (CO)
o Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
o Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
o Particulate Matter
Know health effects associated w/ these six criteria air pollutants
o Lead
nervous system
renal system
cardiovascular system
o Ozone
Respiratory and pulmonary system issues
o Carbon Monoxide (CO)
adverse cardiovascular outcomes
extremely high doses can result in death
o Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
primarily respiratory and cardiovascular health effects
o Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
primarily respiratory and cardiovascular health effects
o Particulate Matter
numerous adverse health effects from short-term and long-term exposure
increased mortality
increased hospitalization
cardiovascular and pulmonary
susceptible subpopulations
children with asthma
Know air pollutants found indoors and associated health effects
o air pollutants:
particulate matter
lead (sometimes; old houses with lead paint)
o health effects:
respiratory issues
particle deposition
asthma (?)
This slide is a bit unclear since it is just a picture, if anyone has any more information on
it.
Cookstoves initiative, indoor air issues and health effects
o cookstove initiative

increase the use of clean, reliable, affordable, efficient, and safe home cooking and
heating practices that reduce exposure to indoor air pollution
o indoor air issues
poverty
reduces ability to switch to cleaner fuels
inefficient use of polluting solid fuels restricts economic development
income
simple fuels restrict opportunity
poor lighting & home environment
lack of time
environment
local: deforestation, erosion, desertification
global: black carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions
women
opportunity cost of lost time
injuries and assault during fuel collection
decision making
health
see below
o health effects
ARI, COPD, lung cancer (coal)
TB, low birthweight
burns
poisoning (kerosene)

Environmental Justice
EPA Definition
Describe how epidemiological and exposure assessment methods can be used to investigate an
environmental justice problem
Benefits of community involvement in environmental decision-making
Toxic Metals
Be able to name toxic metals and their sources
o lead
bone
gasoline
paint
o mercury
released into environment through
coal-fired power stations
residential heating systems
waste incinerators
result of mining for mercury, gold, and other metals
accumulates up food chain
elemental mercury is naturally transformed into methylmercury that
bioaccumulates in fish and shellfish
o arsenic
inhalation, dermal, ingestion
o cadmium
inhalation, dermal, ingestion
Be able to describe health effects
o lead

in children
lower IQ, decreased ability to pay attention, underperform in school
in adults
peripheral neuropathy, fatigue/irritability, impaired concentration
renal (kidneys)
chronic nephropathy with proximal tubular damage
hypertension
reproductive effects
miscarriage/stillbirths
reduced sperm count & motility
abnormal sperm
o mercury
methylmercury (through diet [fish])
brain and nervous system effects
impaired neurological development
elemental mercury (vapors from spills)
tremors
emotional changes (mood swings, irritability, nervousness)
neuromuscular changes
headaches
inorganic mercury (ingestion or use of homeopathic remedies/skin bleaching creams)
gastrointestinal tract
nervous system
kidneys
skin rashes and dermatitis

Risk Assessment
Know the four steps of risk assessment and the objective/goal of each step
1. Hazard Identification: What health problems are caused by the pollutant?
1. Single agent effect: what determines the effect?
2. Human data potential human health endpoints (cancer and noncancerous)
3. Toxicology data
4. Weighing the evidence judgment regarding adequacy of available evidence to support a
conclusion that a substance poses a hazard to humans, including judgments regarding any
limitations in the conditions under which the substance may pose those hazards
5. Output
1. Summary of the results of the hazard assessment
2. identification of any likely susceptible populations and life stages
3. identification of the evidence used, quality of the data, weight of evidence
4. Strength and limitations, data gaps
b. Dose-response assessment: What are the health problems at different exposures?
i.
Dose effect
b. Exposure assessment: How much of the pollutant are people exposed to during a specific time period? How
many people are exposed?
c. Risk Characterization: What is the extra risk of health problems in the exposed population?
Know the difference between LOAEL and NOAEL and which is preferred by EPA in deriving a reference
dose
o NOAEL highest exposure level at which no statistically or biologically significant increases in
effects are seen. No Observable Adverse Effect Level.
o LOAEL lowest exposure level at which there are biologically significant increases in frequency
or severity of adverse effects. Lowest Observable Adverse Effect Level.
o Reference Dose - estimated daily dose that is likely to have no adverse effects during a lifetime
exposure LOAEL

Be able to identify key points on a dose-response curve

Non-carcinogen - NOAEL Approach

Be able to calculate cancer risk estimate

o LADD (mg/kg-day) = (Concentration*Intake Rate*Exp Freq (days/yr)*Exp Duration(Years) )/
(Body Weight*Lifespan)
LADD Lifetime Average Daily Dose where averaging time is lifetime
Risk Assessors use default assumptions for intake rates, body weights and lifetime
Be able to describe environmental justice critiques of risk assessment
o Narrow scope
o Inability to characterize the full breadth of risk that burdens the vulnerable population groups
o Current rethinking of the HHRA framework advocates for a more integrated approach to
understanding how risk assessment can be utilized to evaluate the merits of the various risks
management options
Know the differences between risk assessment and Health Impact Assessment
o Risk assessment: hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, risk
characterization
o Steps in HIA: Screening, scoping, assessment, recommendations, reporting, evaluation &
monitoring
o HIA works to judge health effects of a proposed plan/project or policy, whereas risk assessment
focuses on an existing problem and assessing the damage it causes
o Risk assessment tend to focus biophysical risks from exposure to hazardous substances, whereas
HIA evaluates a broader range of health impacts and are generally used to inform policy, project
or program decisions.

Built Environment
Review your responses to the discussion questions for Unnatural Causes
o Safe and healthy housing
o Food access

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Walkability
Green space
Safety
Transportation system
Community assets and resources
Community design
Social connections

Environmental Policy Decision-making

Know the difference between regulations and statutes
Explain how risk assessment feeds into policy/regulatory development
Climate change and health
Know the difference between climate, weather and climate change
Be able to identify potential impacts of climate change on food safety, vector-borne diseases
Food Safety
Know definitions for foodborne illness, foodborne outbreak
o Foodborne illness: Adverse health effects resulting from consumption of any solid food or
beverage
o Foodborne outbreak: similar foodborne outbreak among 2 or more individuals
Name two important foodborne pathogens
o Gastroenteritis and cancer
Describe how food may become contaminated
o handlers/preparers
o contaminated fish/meat
fish: contaminated seas
meat: unhealthy animals, contaminated crops due to pesticide use
Food can be contaminated through the hands of its handlers and preparers. contamination can also be routed in the
contaminated fish or meat that we conserve for example, fish contamination from contaminated seas; meat
contamination from unhealthy animals and contaminated crps from pesticide use.
Vectors
Explain transmission cycle

Sustainability and Health

List characteristics of conventional agriculture and how those characteristics could negatively impact
public health

CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), positive and negatives

Know the benefits of composting and cover crops
Definition of a healthy diet
Be able to describe a potential public health intervention at a point (inputs, farming, processing and
manufacturing, distribution, retail, food service) in the food system to promote healthier and sustainable
diet.

Energy
Name sources of energy used in the US, what are the trends
o petroleum (35%)
o natural gas (28%)
o coal (18%)
o removeable gas (10%)
o nuclear electric power (8%)
Define hydraulic fracturing
o Shale gas extraction
drilling into the ground to extract gas.