BHS Environmental Health 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal agency is primarily responsible for setting and enforcing environmental health regulations in the United States?
- FDA
- CDC
- EPA (Correct answer)
- OSHA
Correct answer: EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the primary federal agency responsible for setting and enforcing regulations to protect human health and the environment.
Question 2: What is the most common route of lead exposure in young children in the United States?
- Drinking contaminated water
- Ingestion of lead-based paint chips and dust (Correct answer)
- Breathing contaminated air near roadways
- Contact with lead-contaminated soil outdoors
Correct answer: Ingestion of lead-based paint chips and dust
Ingestion of lead-based paint chips and household dust contaminated with lead is the most common exposure pathway for young children, particularly in homes built before 1978.
Question 3: Which of the following is classified as a 'criteria air pollutant' under the Clean Air Act?
- Radon
- Carbon monoxide (Correct answer)
- Benzene
- Mercury vapor
Correct answer: Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide is one of the six criteria air pollutants regulated under the Clean Air Act's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
Question 4: The process by which concentrations of a contaminant increase in organisms at successively higher trophic levels of the food chain is called:
- Bioaccumulation
- Biodegradation
- Biomagnification (Correct answer)
- Biotransformation
Correct answer: Biomagnification
Biomagnification describes the increasing concentration of a pollutant (such as DDT or methylmercury) in organisms at higher trophic levels as predators consume multiple contaminated prey.
Question 5: Which disease is most directly associated with occupational exposure to asbestos?
- Silicosis
- Mesothelioma (Correct answer)
- Byssinosis
- Anthracosis
Correct answer: Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the pleural lining caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure, with a latency period of 20–50 years.
Question 6: Under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), which agency is authorized to establish Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for public water systems?
- FDA
- CDC
- EPA (Correct answer)
- USDA
Correct answer: EPA
The EPA is authorized under the Safe Drinking Water Act to establish Maximum Contaminant Levels and treatment techniques to protect public drinking water quality.
Question 7: Which type of ionizing radiation has the greatest penetrating power and requires dense shielding such as lead or thick concrete?
- Alpha particles
- Beta particles
- Gamma rays (Correct answer)
- Infrared radiation
Correct answer: Gamma rays
Gamma rays are highly penetrating electromagnetic radiation that can pass through most materials and require dense shielding like lead or thick concrete for adequate protection.
BHS Environmental Health 1
Which federal agency is primarily responsible for setting and enforcing environmental health regulations in the United States?