PUBLIC HEALTH CHAPTER 14 EXAM
Environmental health - correct answer the study and management of environmental
conditions that affect the health and well-being of humans
Environmental hazards - correct answer factors or conditions in the environment that
increase the risk of human injury, disease, or death Air pollution contamination of the air
that interferes with the comfort, safety, and health of living organisms
Primary pollutant - correct answer air pollutant emanating directly from transportation,
power and industrial plants, and refineries
Secondary pollutant - correct answer air pollutant formed when primary air pollutants
react with sunlight and other atmospheric components to form new harmful compounds
Photochemical smog - correct answer haze or fog formed when air pollutants interact with
sunlight (brown)
Industrial smog - correct answer haze or fog formed primarily by sulfur dioxide and
suspended particles from the burning of coal, also known as gray smog
Ozone (O3) - correct answer an inorganic molecule considered to be a pollutant in the
atmosphere because it harms human tissue, but considered beneficial in the stratosphere
because it screens out UV radiation
Thermal inversion - correct answer a condition that occurs when warm air traps cooler air
at the surface of the Earth
Clean Air Act (CAA) - correct answer the federal law that provides the government with
authority to address interstate air pollution
, National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQSs) - correct answer standards created by
the EPA for allowable concentration levels of outdoor air pollutants (emission standards for
automobiles, emission standards for new industries, and ambient air quality standards for
urban areas)
Three significant components of NAAQS - correct answer emission standards for
automobiles, emission standards for new industries, and ambient air quality standards for
urban area
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - correct answer the federal agency primarily
responsible for setting, maintaining, and enforcing environmental standards or authorizing
and overseeing state agencies that enforce established standards
Criteria pollutants - correct answer the most pervasive air pollutants and those of greatest
concern in the U.S.
Criteria pollutants consist of - correct answer sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen
oxides, ground-level ozone, respirable particulate matter, and lead
Air Quality Index (AQI) - correct answer an index that indicates the level of pollution in
the air and the associated health risks. (0-500)
Under 100 (AQI) - correct answer satisfactory
Coal-fired power plants - correct answer 37% of the nation's electric power and produce
significant pollution.
Greenhouse gases - correct answer atmospheric gases, principally carbon dioxide,
chlorofluorocarbons, ozone, methane, water vapor, and nitrous oxide, that are transparent
to visible light but absorb infrared radiation
Asbestos - correct answer a naturally occurring mineral fiber identified as a Class A
carcinogen by the EPA
Environmental health - correct answer the study and management of environmental
conditions that affect the health and well-being of humans
Environmental hazards - correct answer factors or conditions in the environment that
increase the risk of human injury, disease, or death Air pollution contamination of the air
that interferes with the comfort, safety, and health of living organisms
Primary pollutant - correct answer air pollutant emanating directly from transportation,
power and industrial plants, and refineries
Secondary pollutant - correct answer air pollutant formed when primary air pollutants
react with sunlight and other atmospheric components to form new harmful compounds
Photochemical smog - correct answer haze or fog formed when air pollutants interact with
sunlight (brown)
Industrial smog - correct answer haze or fog formed primarily by sulfur dioxide and
suspended particles from the burning of coal, also known as gray smog
Ozone (O3) - correct answer an inorganic molecule considered to be a pollutant in the
atmosphere because it harms human tissue, but considered beneficial in the stratosphere
because it screens out UV radiation
Thermal inversion - correct answer a condition that occurs when warm air traps cooler air
at the surface of the Earth
Clean Air Act (CAA) - correct answer the federal law that provides the government with
authority to address interstate air pollution
, National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQSs) - correct answer standards created by
the EPA for allowable concentration levels of outdoor air pollutants (emission standards for
automobiles, emission standards for new industries, and ambient air quality standards for
urban areas)
Three significant components of NAAQS - correct answer emission standards for
automobiles, emission standards for new industries, and ambient air quality standards for
urban area
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - correct answer the federal agency primarily
responsible for setting, maintaining, and enforcing environmental standards or authorizing
and overseeing state agencies that enforce established standards
Criteria pollutants - correct answer the most pervasive air pollutants and those of greatest
concern in the U.S.
Criteria pollutants consist of - correct answer sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen
oxides, ground-level ozone, respirable particulate matter, and lead
Air Quality Index (AQI) - correct answer an index that indicates the level of pollution in
the air and the associated health risks. (0-500)
Under 100 (AQI) - correct answer satisfactory
Coal-fired power plants - correct answer 37% of the nation's electric power and produce
significant pollution.
Greenhouse gases - correct answer atmospheric gases, principally carbon dioxide,
chlorofluorocarbons, ozone, methane, water vapor, and nitrous oxide, that are transparent
to visible light but absorb infrared radiation
Asbestos - correct answer a naturally occurring mineral fiber identified as a Class A
carcinogen by the EPA
