Risk Analysis and Mitigation Flashcards
7 cards from real CES practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Risk Analysis and Mitigation flashcards as text
In ecological risk assessment, what is the function of a 'conceptual site model' (CSM)?
Answer: A diagram linking sources, pathways, and ecological receptors to identify exposure routes
A Conceptual Site Model (CSM) visually and narratively links contaminant sources to exposure pathways and receptors, forming the foundation for both human health and ecological risk assessments.
Which metric is used in ecological risk assessment to express whether a chemical poses risk to wildlife through dietary exposure?
Answer: Hazard Quotient based on body-weight-normalized daily intake vs. toxicity reference value
For wildlife dietary exposure, a Hazard Quotient (HQ) is calculated by dividing the estimated daily intake (mg/kg-day) by a Toxicity Reference Value (TRV) derived from wildlife toxicity studies.
What is the significance of the 'slope factor' (SF) in carcinogenic risk assessment?
Answer: It converts lifetime average daily dose into incremental cancer risk probability
The cancer slope factor (CSF or SF) is the upper-bound estimate of increased cancer risk per unit of lifetime average daily dose, used to calculate incremental cancer risk.
A risk manager is deciding between monitored natural attenuation (MNA) and active remediation at a contaminated groundwater site. Which factor most strongly supports selecting MNA?
Answer: Stable or declining plume with documented evidence of natural degradation and no current receptors at risk
MNA is appropriate when natural processes demonstrably reduce contamination, the plume is stable or shrinking, and no current receptors are at risk, making active cleanup less necessary.
Which of the following is a key component of a Baseline Risk Assessment under CERCLA?
Answer: Evaluation of risks assuming no remedial action is taken
A Baseline Risk Assessment evaluates the current and potential future risks to human health and the environment under a 'no-action' scenario, establishing the need for remediation.
In risk communication, what is 'outrage' as defined by Peter Sandman's risk = hazard + outrage framework?
Answer: The non-technical, emotional, and social factors that amplify public perception of risk
Sandman's framework recognizes that public risk perception is driven not just by technical hazard but by outrage factors like trust, fairness, dread, and voluntary vs. involuntary exposure.
What does the 'weight of evidence' approach entail in environmental risk assessment?
Answer: Integrating multiple lines of evidence (toxicological, epidemiological, field data) to evaluate causation
The weight of evidence approach synthesizes diverse data types—animal studies, human epidemiology, mechanistic data, and site monitoring—to draw conclusions about causation and risk.