Questions regarding (4.2.1) Pesticides
Questions regarding introductory video
[True or False?] Pure caffeine is a more dangerous that the world’s most popular pesticide,
Round Up.
What does LD50 measure?
a) The number of days (50) it takes for a pesticide to decompose
b) The concentration in nanograms (50) at which a pesticide can be detected in food
c) The age of a human (50) at which they tend to really be sensitive to pesticide residues
d) The dose of a pesticide at which 50% of lab animals are killed
[True or False?] Dr. Norwood feels that if pesticide use is researched thoroughly and
regulated with diligence, their use in agriculture can be very safe.
[True or False?] People used to add the pesticide DDT to their food and drinks at the beach
to keep flies away from it.
What did Rachel Carson accomplish with her 1962 book, Silent Spring?
a) Setting a legal precedent for which pesticide companies could be sued for any health
problems they cause
b) Help the public understand that the benefits of pesticide use outweigh the cost
c) Help the public better understand the dangers of pesticides
d) Help scientists develop better methods for detecting pesticide residues in food
[True or False?] Rachel Carson was [falsely] accused of having communist sympathies in a
1962 letter to the New Yorker.
Questions regarding EPA article Protecting The Public From Pesticide Residues In
Food
[True or False?] The EPA sets thresholds of exposure to pesticides, above which harm
could come to the public.
[True or False?] The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates how much
pesticides are applied to a field, but not the amount of pesticide residues in food.
[True or False?] The EPA is not allowed to perform tests on laboratory animals to
determine the potential harm from a pesticide.
[True or False?] Is pesticide exposure of X amount is thought to harm animals, humans are
not allowed to be exposed to even 1/100 of that amount.
[True or False?] As the EPA learns more about the effects of a pesticide, they may change
previously-set threshold levels for older pesticides.
Questions regarding WebMD article
[True or False?] Organic farmers cannot use any pesticide, even natural ones.
[True or False?] Organic farmers can use chemical fertilizers, like synthetic nitrogen.
[True or False?] Organic pig farmers can feed their animals non-organic feed.
[True or False?] Organic farmers cannot give their animals antibiotics or growth hormones.
[True or False?] Organic farmers are only allowed to use specific genetically modified
organisms (GMOs).
Questions from Scientific American blog entry, Myth #1
[True or False?] There are only three chemicals organic farmers can use to deter pests.
[True or False?] A pesticide is considered “organic” or “natural” if it comes from natural
sources and undergoes minimal processing.
[True or False?] Copper and sulfur are examples of two organic pesticides.
[True or False?] If a pesticide comes from a natural, unprocessed source, it will be safer than
pesticides produced in a factory by a corporation.
Questions regarding NPR article Why You Shouldn't Panic About Pesticide In
Produce
[True or False?] Joseph Scharcz of McGill University stated that the presence of a chemical
does indicate the presence of health risks.
Of the 744 apple samples the USDA studied, how many had pesticide residues higher than
the government limit?
a) None
b) 1
c) 5
d) 15
e) 634
[True or False?] Pesticide residues can be found in baby foods with green beans and pears,
but in such small amounts that they pose little to no harm.