Environmental Health Officer (EHO) Exam
Practice Questions
1. The primary objective of environmental health is to:
A. Control population growth
B. Promote industrial development
C. Prevent disease and promote healthy environments (Correct Answer)
D. Regulate medical practice
Rationale: Environmental health focuses on preventing illness by managing environmental
factors that affect human health.
2. Which of the following duties BEST represents the role of an Environmental
Health Officer?
A. Treating patients in clinics
B. Inspecting premises to ensure public health compliance (Correct Answer)
C. Prescribing medication
D. Conducting laboratory diagnosis
Rationale: EHOs enforce environmental and public health regulations through inspections and
monitoring.
3. Which type of hazard includes bacteria, viruses, and parasites?
A. Chemical hazards
B. Physical hazards
C. Biological hazards (Correct Answer)
D. Ergonomic hazards
Rationale: Biological hazards are living organisms capable of causing disease.
4. Food poisoning caused by improper food handling is primarily an example of:
,A. Air pollution
B. Occupational hazard
C. Environmental health risk (Correct Answer)
D. Genetic disorder
Rationale: Unsafe food handling creates environmental conditions that promote disease
transmission.
5. What is the MOST effective way to prevent cross-contamination in food
premises?
A. Frequent tasting of food
B. Separating raw and cooked foods (Correct Answer)
C. Increasing cooking time only
D. Storing food at room temperature
Rationale: Separation prevents pathogens from raw foods contaminating ready-to-eat foods.
6. The minimum safe internal temperature for cooked poultry is:
A. 145°F (63°C)
B. 155°F (68°C)
C. 165°F (74°C) (Correct Answer)
D. 180°F (82°C)
Rationale: Poultry must reach 165°F to destroy harmful microorganisms.
7. Which organism is commonly used as an indicator of fecal contamination in
water?
A. Vibrio cholerae
B. Salmonella typhi
C. Escherichia coli (Correct Answer)
D. Staphylococcus aureus
Rationale: E. coli indicates recent fecal pollution in water supplies.
,8. Potable water refers to water that is:
A. Used only for irrigation
B. Filtered but untreated
C. Safe for human consumption (Correct Answer)
D. Stored in reservoirs
Rationale: Potable water meets safety standards for drinking and domestic use.
9. The MAIN purpose of chlorination in water treatment is to:
A. Improve color and taste
B. Remove suspended solids
C. Destroy disease-causing microorganisms (Correct Answer)
D. Increase mineral content
Rationale: Chlorine disinfects water by killing or inactivating pathogens.
10. Which waste category poses the highest risk of infection?
A. Domestic waste
B. Industrial waste
C. Biomedical waste (Correct Answer)
D. Inert waste
Rationale: Biomedical waste may contain infectious materials and sharps.
11. Vector control is primarily concerned with:
A. Eliminating all animals
B. Preventing disease transmission by vectors (Correct Answer)
C. Increasing pesticide sales
D. Beautifying the environment
Rationale: Vector control reduces populations of organisms that transmit disease.
12. Which disease is MOST commonly transmitted by mosquitoes?
, A. Tuberculosis
B. Typhoid fever
C. Malaria (Correct Answer)
D. Cholera
Rationale: Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease of major public health importance.
13. A sanitary landfill is designed to:
A. Burn waste materials
B. Dump waste openly
C. Isolate waste from the environment (Correct Answer)
D. Recycle all waste
Rationale: Sanitary landfills prevent contamination of soil, air, and water.
14. Noise pollution levels are measured using:
A. Lux
B. Hertz
C. Decibels (Correct Answer)
D. Parts per million
Rationale: Decibels are the standard unit for measuring sound intensity.
15. Overcrowded housing conditions MOST increase the risk of:
A. Road traffic injuries
B. Communicable diseases (Correct Answer)
C. Genetic disorders
D. Occupational accidents
Rationale: Overcrowding facilitates the spread of infectious diseases.
16. Which of the following is an example of a physical hazard in food premises?
Practice Questions
1. The primary objective of environmental health is to:
A. Control population growth
B. Promote industrial development
C. Prevent disease and promote healthy environments (Correct Answer)
D. Regulate medical practice
Rationale: Environmental health focuses on preventing illness by managing environmental
factors that affect human health.
2. Which of the following duties BEST represents the role of an Environmental
Health Officer?
A. Treating patients in clinics
B. Inspecting premises to ensure public health compliance (Correct Answer)
C. Prescribing medication
D. Conducting laboratory diagnosis
Rationale: EHOs enforce environmental and public health regulations through inspections and
monitoring.
3. Which type of hazard includes bacteria, viruses, and parasites?
A. Chemical hazards
B. Physical hazards
C. Biological hazards (Correct Answer)
D. Ergonomic hazards
Rationale: Biological hazards are living organisms capable of causing disease.
4. Food poisoning caused by improper food handling is primarily an example of:
,A. Air pollution
B. Occupational hazard
C. Environmental health risk (Correct Answer)
D. Genetic disorder
Rationale: Unsafe food handling creates environmental conditions that promote disease
transmission.
5. What is the MOST effective way to prevent cross-contamination in food
premises?
A. Frequent tasting of food
B. Separating raw and cooked foods (Correct Answer)
C. Increasing cooking time only
D. Storing food at room temperature
Rationale: Separation prevents pathogens from raw foods contaminating ready-to-eat foods.
6. The minimum safe internal temperature for cooked poultry is:
A. 145°F (63°C)
B. 155°F (68°C)
C. 165°F (74°C) (Correct Answer)
D. 180°F (82°C)
Rationale: Poultry must reach 165°F to destroy harmful microorganisms.
7. Which organism is commonly used as an indicator of fecal contamination in
water?
A. Vibrio cholerae
B. Salmonella typhi
C. Escherichia coli (Correct Answer)
D. Staphylococcus aureus
Rationale: E. coli indicates recent fecal pollution in water supplies.
,8. Potable water refers to water that is:
A. Used only for irrigation
B. Filtered but untreated
C. Safe for human consumption (Correct Answer)
D. Stored in reservoirs
Rationale: Potable water meets safety standards for drinking and domestic use.
9. The MAIN purpose of chlorination in water treatment is to:
A. Improve color and taste
B. Remove suspended solids
C. Destroy disease-causing microorganisms (Correct Answer)
D. Increase mineral content
Rationale: Chlorine disinfects water by killing or inactivating pathogens.
10. Which waste category poses the highest risk of infection?
A. Domestic waste
B. Industrial waste
C. Biomedical waste (Correct Answer)
D. Inert waste
Rationale: Biomedical waste may contain infectious materials and sharps.
11. Vector control is primarily concerned with:
A. Eliminating all animals
B. Preventing disease transmission by vectors (Correct Answer)
C. Increasing pesticide sales
D. Beautifying the environment
Rationale: Vector control reduces populations of organisms that transmit disease.
12. Which disease is MOST commonly transmitted by mosquitoes?
, A. Tuberculosis
B. Typhoid fever
C. Malaria (Correct Answer)
D. Cholera
Rationale: Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease of major public health importance.
13. A sanitary landfill is designed to:
A. Burn waste materials
B. Dump waste openly
C. Isolate waste from the environment (Correct Answer)
D. Recycle all waste
Rationale: Sanitary landfills prevent contamination of soil, air, and water.
14. Noise pollution levels are measured using:
A. Lux
B. Hertz
C. Decibels (Correct Answer)
D. Parts per million
Rationale: Decibels are the standard unit for measuring sound intensity.
15. Overcrowded housing conditions MOST increase the risk of:
A. Road traffic injuries
B. Communicable diseases (Correct Answer)
C. Genetic disorders
D. Occupational accidents
Rationale: Overcrowding facilitates the spread of infectious diseases.
16. Which of the following is an example of a physical hazard in food premises?
