AP Environmental Science : Health Impacts
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Health Impacts
Each of the following is an example of a waterborne disease EXCEPT:
meningitis
typhoid
cholera
polio
tuberculosis
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis has an airborne mechanism of transmission. Cholera, typhoid, polio, and meningitis are all diseases capable of waterborne transmission.
Example Question #2 : Health Impacts
Which of the following is NOT an example of bioaccumulation?
Nuclear fallout from atomic weapon tests conducted in the South Pacific has been found in samples of local coconuts and fish populations, leaving several islands uninhabitable.
Most commercial fruit and vegetable producers spray chemical herbicides, which accumulate in human consumers when we don't wash our produce before eating it.
Mishandled or spoiled food can contain toxins that result in illness and cause vomiting and diarrhea, the body's natural method of expelling said toxins.
Up until the 1980s, hunters used lead shot to hunt waterfowl, and the lead was consumed by the waterfowl, accumulating in their tissues and heightening risk of lead poisoning.
Mercury found in industrial waste enters the ocean, where it is absorbed by plankton and subsequently absorbed by fish that eat plankton, and bigger fish that eat the smaller fish. It thus accumulates at the higher trophic levels.
Mishandled or spoiled food can contain toxins that result in illness and cause vomiting and diarrhea, the body's natural method of expelling said toxins.
Bioaccumulation is the process of a toxin entering an organism at a rate faster than it is evacuated. Toxins from food poisoning are expelled by the body's response to evacuate the substance, while mercury in seafood or lead in waterfowl populations tend to accumulate over time.
Example Question #1 : Health Impacts
Which of the following is NOT a primary pollutant?
CFCs
A primary pollutant comes from a direct source, while a secondary pollutant is formed by chemical reactions from primary pollutants in the environment. 
Example Question #31 : Pollution
Which of the following toxins is most likely to cause a birth defect?
Mutagen
Carcinogen
None of these
Teratogen
Teratogen
A teratogen is most likely to cause a birth defect. Exposure to a teratogen specifically causes deformities in an embryo.
Example Question #39 : Pollution
Smog is primarily made up of __________.
carbon dioxide
nitrous oxides
ozone
carbon monoxide
ozone
Ozone is created when sunlight reacts with nitrous oxides and other pollutants, many of which originate from gasoline vapors, combustion products, etc. It is harmful when breathed. On hot days, some metropolitan areas issue smog warnings.
Example Question #2 : Health Impacts
This pollutant is not easily excreted. Accumulations of this pollutant in the body can affect the kidneys, liver, and nervous system. The largest concentrations of this pollutant are found near battery plants and smelters.
Lead
Ozone
Carbon monoxide
Iron
Lead
Lead, a heavy metal, accumulates in the body. Children are especially susceptible to airborne lead. Iron, also a metal, can be problematic in large quantities, but is also necessary in extremely small amounts for proper function.
Example Question #2 : Health Impacts
This pollutant is typically credited for promoting dental health, but in water in high quantities, health impacts include yellowing teeth and spinal cord damage.
nitrate
arsenic
fluoride
chlorine
fluoride
Fluoride in high doses is extremely problematic, making it a concerning pollutant. It is extremely prevalent in products used in dental health. Because these are products that are generally washed away, fluoride is of special concern as a water pollutant.
Example Question #3 : Health Impacts
Excessive fertilizer use creates abundances of __________ in soil and groundwater.
chlorinated solvents
nitrates
sewage
arsenic
nitrates
Nitrates, a form of nitrogen, are a severe problem in drinking water that has been contaminated with fertilizers. Sewage and fertilizer often go hand in hand from agricultural areas. Arsenic and chlorine are concerning pollutants, but generally not present due to fertilizer use.
Example Question #424 : Ap Environmental Sciences
A skull and crossbones symbol on a container indicates that the contents are __________.
alcoholic
flammable
toxic/poisonous
corrosive
toxic/poisonous
Skull and crossbones indicates poison. Corrosive materials are labelled "corrosive" and signs indicating the substance corroding metal may be present. Flammable materials are marked with flames.
Example Question #4 : Health Impacts
Carbon monoxide limits oxygen delivery to the body's organs and tissues. 95% of carbon monoxide emissions in cities comes from __________.
coal burning
automobile exhaust
None of these
industrial facilities
automobile exhaust
Only 5% of carbon monoxide in cities does not originate from car exhaust. Though industrial facilities are a major concern as a source of pollution, regarding carbon monoxide specifically, automobiles have a much higher impact.
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