ToxTown Worksheet – Module 3 - Unit 3
Name: ______________________
Directions: Go to the ToxTown page, click on "Brownfield". Then click on “Chemicals
in Brownfields.” You will see the same nine contaminants found on your worksheet.
Select these items to find the answers.
General Contaminants Description
Contaminants:
Arsenic
Asbestos
Benzene
Chromium
Lead
Mercury
Pesticides
Phthalates
Toluene
1) ________________ is a heavy, soft, bluish-gray metal that occurs naturally in the
rocks and soil of the earth's crust. It is also produced from burning fossil fuels, mining,
and manufacturing.
2) _________________ are substances that prevent, destroy, repel, or reduce the severity
of living things that occur where they are not wanted, or that cause damage to humans,
crops, or animals.
3) _________________ are groups of chemicals used in cosmetics, detergents,
insecticides, plastics, vinyl, and hundreds of other consumer products.
4) __________________ is a shiny, silver-white liquid used in some thermometers,
dental fillings, batteries, pharmaceuticals, electrical equipment, and agricultural
chemicals.
5) ___________________ is a naturally-occurring element found in several forms used in
making steel, manufacturing dyes and pigments, and copy toner.
6) _________________ is a colorless liquid with a sweet odor, known as a volatile
organic compound, and is a natural part of crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke.
7) _______________ has been used in building materials such as insulation and
fireproofing, roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles.
8) ___________________ is an element that occurs naturally in the earth's crust and used
in wood preservatives, in pesticides, and in the manufacture of certain kinds of glass.
9) ____________________ is a clear, colorless liquid with a strong, sweet, and pungent
odor which occurs naturally in crude oil and is used in to make aviation gasoline, paints,
medicine, dyes, explosives, and fingernail polish.
How Humans Are Exposed to Contaminants
Contaminant:
Arsenic
Asbestos
Benzene
Chromium
Lead
Mercury
Pesticides
Phthalates
Toluene
10) You can be exposed to _____________ by consuming contaminated food or water, or
using products such as kerosene, heating oil, paints, and lacquers.
11) Exposure to _______________ can come from living in areas near copper or lead
smelters or in industrialized areas where large quantities of this contaminant is disposed
of in landfills or hazardous waste sites.
12) You can be exposed to _______________ if you live near waterways that receive
industrial discharges from electroplating, leather tanning, and textile production.
13) Children can be exposed to _______________ by chewing on soft vinyl toys or other
products made with them in addition to consuming foods wrapped in plastics.
14) You can also be exposed by eating food that has been treated with _______________
, drinking water that has been contaminated, or working on a farm or outdoor facility in
which these are used.
15) You can be exposed to higher levels of ______________ near gas stations, although
about half the national exposure comes from smoking cigarettes or being exposed to
cigarette smoke, indoors or outdoors.
16) You can be exposed to _______________ if you work or live in a building where it
has been incorrectly or poorly removed. Your exposure can be higher if materials
containing it are disturbed during demolition work, building or home maintenance,
repairs, and remodeling.
17) You can be exposed to _____________ at home if old paints are flaking, chipping, or
deteriorating, and small children can be exposed by eating paint chips and chewing on
painted objects.
18) You can be exposed to ______________ by eating contaminated fish or shellfish.
Negative Health Affects
Contaminant:
Arsenic
Asbestos
Benzene
Chromium
Lead
Mercury
Pesticides
Phthalates
Toluene
19) Breathing high levels of ______________ can irritate the nose and cause nosebleeds,
ulcers, holes in the nasal septum, and asthma attacks. Industrial exposure to fumes can
cause "metal fume fever," which is a flu-like illness.
20) ________________ may harm a developing child by blocking the absorption of
important food nutrients necessary for normal healthy growth.
21) Repeated exposure to ____________, a known poison, can damage the liver and
kidneys, cause stomach problems, and cause a darkening of the skin.
22) The part of the body most sensitive to ________________ exposure is the central
nervous system, especially in children, who are more vulnerable to poisoning than adults.
23) The human health effects of ________________ are not yet fully known, but the use
of medical tubing and other plastic devices may affect the development of the male
reproductive system.
24) Repeatedly breathing _____________ over long periods of time at work, or through
deliberately "sniffing" or "huffing" glue or paint, can cause death, permanent brain
damage, or depression.
25) Exposure to high levels of ______________ can cause death or permanently damage
the brain and kidneys, while short-term exposure to high levels of vapors can cause lung
damage, increases in heart rate or blood pressure, and irritation or cloudiness of the eyes.
26) Long-term exposure to _____________ can decrease red blood cells, leading to
anemia.
27) Respiratory exposure to high levels of ____________ at work can cause chest pain,
wheezing, low oxygen content in the blood, weight loss, clubbing of the fingers, and
warts on the hands, though these affects do not develop immediately, but may appear
many years after exposure.