Pesticides and Other Organic Chemicals
Water Quality
Air Quality
Food Safety
Solid and Liquid Wastes
Selected Presentations
200

In her book, “Silent Spring,” this author educated the public about the potential hazards of commonly used pesticides, such as DDT, and led to increased awareness of the issue among the American public.

Rachel Carson

200

This term is also known as the scientific study of water.

Hydrology

200

This phenomenon occurs when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react in the air with water and oxygen before settling on the earth’s surface and harming the environment.

Acid Rain

200

This contagious term is used to denote the occurrence of a similar illness among two or more people linked to consumption of a common meal or food item.

Foodborne illness outbreak

200

This term is used to describe materials that are perceived to be of negative value

Waste

200

According to Group 9, CSO stands for...

Combined Sewer Overflows

400

This class of pesticide is used to kill or prevent the growth of insects.

Insecticide

400

This chemical is sometimes added to public drinking water supplies due to its ability to prevent tooth decay.

Fluorine/Fluoride 

400

Often associated with dust, soot, and smoke, this criteria air pollutant gets deep into the lungs and may result in airway irritation, lung damage, and early mortality.

PM 2.5

400

One of “the Big Six” foodborne illnesses, this virus is the most common cause of foodborne illness in the United States, affecting an estimated 19-21 million people each year.

Norovirus

400

This practice, defined as “the aerobic biological decomposition of organic materials to produce a stable humus-like product,” is commonly performed in someone’s backyard, and is an effective way of preventing food waste from entering the landfill.

Composting

400

This is the most appropriate method of disposing unused prescription medication

Drop off at a takeback station

600

This group of workers is most likely to be exposed to pesticides.

Agricultural workers

600

This hydrological term is used to describe a layer of earth or rock that contains groundwater.

Aquifer

600

Contributing to the creation of smog, this atmospheric condition occurs when a warm layer of air settles above a cool layer of air that is closer to the earth’s surface.

Temperature inversion

600

According to our slides, this is the minimum internal cooking temperature of raw whole muscle meats to prevent the occurrence of foodborne illness. 

145 F

600

According to the EPA, this is the most environmentally preferred strategy of reducing waste.

Source reduction

600

Due to its ability to act as a vector for a multitude of infectious diseases, this is considered the most deadly animal on earth

Mosquito

800

A persistent organic pollutant, this family of chemical compounds is the by product of combustion, is associated with chloracne, and is a known human carcinogen.

Dioxins

800

The last of four stages of water treatment, this stage of water treatment sometimes uses UV light or chemicals to remove pathogens.

Disinfection

800

This scale, created by the EPA, reports ozone and PM 2.5 levels to communicate outdoor air quality and health.

Air Quality Index (AQI)

800

In the United States, this agency regulates meat, poultry, and eggs.

United States Department of Agriculture

800

This is the term used to describe the water that collects contaminants as it trickles through a landfill and can result in hazardous substances entering the ground or surface water if the landfill is not properly constructed.

Leachate

800

This is the federal agency that coordinates the federal response to both natural and human made disasters

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)

1000

Derived from chlorinated hydrocarbons, this group of pesticides includes DDT, and bioaccumulates because it is very fat soluble.

Organochlorines

1000

This legislation, amended in 1972, gave the EPA authority to regulate water quality standards of surface waters and prohibited discharging untreated wastewater into navigable waters without a permit.

The Clean Water Act 

1000

This radioactive gas is a decay product of radium and uranium, is one of the largest sources of human exposure to ionizing radiation, and is thought to be one of the leading causes of lung cancer in the United States.

Radon

1000

This seafood toxin, which is produced in some fin-fish (such as tuna) that are time and temperature abused, creates a histamine reaction in consumers almost immediately after ingesting the contaminated fish. 

Scombroid toxin

1000

Also known as Superfund, this federal act mandates the cleanup of hazardous waste sites in the United States (the abbreviation is fine).

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)

1000

Lead, as well as ground level ozone, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide are all classified by the EPA as this type of air pollutant. 

Criteria air pollutant(s)