Chapter 29 Notes
Environmental Health
Lesson 1-Air Quality
Air pollution is linked to an estimated 50,000-120,000 1._________________ deaths
each year. The US health care costs associated with outdoor air pollution cost $40-$50
2.________________ per year. One goal of Healthy People 2010 is to reduce the
proportion of person’s exposed to air that does not meet the EPA standards for the ozone.
Air pollution is the contamination of the earth’s 3._________________ by substances
that pose a health threat to living things. The EPA monitors air quality and sets US air
quality 4.__________________. The EPA has identified 5 major air pollutants that need
to be regulated to have cleaner air 5.________________________.
See page 767 fig 29.1
The clean air act of 1990 regulates the 5 pollutants on page 767. The Air Quality Index is
an index for reporting daily air 6.______________________. Figure 29.2 on page 768
shows the air quality index. To help reduce air pollution you can reduce 7._______ use.
Walk, ride a bike, or take the 8._______. You can also conserve energy by turning off
9.____________. Keep the air conditioner set higher or the heat set lower. Use air
friendly machinery. Mowers, saws, and leaf blowers can cause air pollution. Use manual
machinery when possible, such as a rake, hand saw, etc.
Most people spend 10._________of their time inside. The EPA studies say that indoor
levels of air pollution can be 2-5x higher than 11._______________ levels. Sources of
indoor air pollution are wood furnishings, asbestos, cleaning products, stoves, heaters,
and 12._______________. Asbestos are a fibrous material that has
13.________________ properties. When asbestos deteriorate they are released into the
air. Health concerns of indoor air pollution are eye, nose, and throat irritations,
headaches, dizziness, and 14._______________. Long term exposure can lead to
15.________________. Radon which is an odorless 16.___________ gas causes at least
14,000 lung cancer deaths per year. To manage indoor air pollution check appliances,
foundations, and provide air circulation. A carbon monoxide detector can detect toxic
buildup.
Noise pollution is harmful and unwanted sufficient intensity to damage 17. ___________.
Sources are traffic, 18._____________________, and power tools. A person can lose
some of their hearing from noise pollution. When hearing is lost it is permanent. A
decibel is a unit used to express the relative intensity of 19._________________ of
sound. Normal conversation is about 20.________ decibels. Exposure to 85 decibels and
above can lead to total haring loss. Page 771 fig 29.3
To control air pollution turn down your radios, don’t honk, and don’t use power tools all
the time.
Lesson 2-Protecting Land and Water
There are many things people can do to reduce the amount of air and land pollution.
Many wastes are biodegradable. This means they are able to be 21.______________
down by microorganisms in the environment. When biodegradables are too large to
handle or when materials are not biodegradable other waste solutions can and must be
found. Solid waste end up in 22._______________. A landfill is an area that has been
safeguarded to prevent waste form contaminating groundwater. Landfills must be located
from certain areas and lines with special materials to prevent 23.______________.
Ex: I 71 to Louisville
Landfill operators must follow practices to reduce 24._______and control
25.___________ carrying insects and rodents. A hazardous waste is a substance that is
26._______________, corrosive, highly reactive, and or toxic to humans or other life
forms. Industrial processes generate 27.______________hazardous wastes. Others are
generated from common activities like on Page 773 figure 29.4. Batteries also contain
hazardous wastes. Many of these wastes are 28.________________ from landfills and
must be disposed of at special collection sites so they don’t 29._________________ the
environment. Nuclear wastes are a collection of radioactive materials that pose serious
hazards to humans and other life forms. Exposure to radiation can increase your risk of
30.__________. It can alter a person’s sex cells and cause genetic abnormalities. These
materials may be isolated for 1,000s of years because of long decay rates.
It took a half a million years for humankind to reach a population of 31.___________.
The next billion were born in 80 years and another 1.5 billion more have been born since
1975. Where population growth is rapid there is low quality of 32.______ and there is
human suffering. Rapid population growth leads to swift deterioration of the land and to a
severe drain on resources such as 33._________. As new cities are built room for them
must be cleared. This clearing has been at the expense of wilderness and 34.__________.
In nations such as Central America, Africa, and Southeast Asia are rapidly expanding
which leads to clearing of rain forests on a massive scale. They scale the forest for
35.___________ and to make way for farms. This is called deforestation-the destruction
of trees. The forest of the world are home for plants and animals, but also control soil
36._____________, flooding, and sediment pickup. Deforestation interferes with these
processes, and also alter patterns of rainfall. Without trees precipitation 37._________
and the region gets hotter and drier, desert like conditions prevail.
The spreading of city development (houses, shopping centers, and schools) onto
undeveloped land is called 38.____________________. Runoff from parking lots and
fertilized lawns may contaminate drinking water. Citing planners are rethinking the way
to organize suburbs. They are trying to locate schools and businesses within
39.____________ distance and sidewalks are required. These will hopefully reduce are
use.
The EPA required water suppliers to monitor and test water before sending it through
40.________ or community waters systems. All drinking water is susceptible to
pollution. About 40% of the nation’s rivers, lakes, and costal waters are not safe for
recreation. Water pollution can be caused by illegal 41.__________ of chemical wastes.
Most pollution comes from runoff. Runoff is rainwater, snowmelt, fertilizers, and wastes.
Runoff can contaminate ground water which is the primary source for drinking water for
millions of people.
Wastewater is water that has been used in homes, communities, farms, and businesses.
Wastewater contains animal and human 42.________________. The EPA regulates
treatment and discharge of wastewater under the Clean Water Act. Treated waster is
released back into the environment must be 43._________ for humans and other living
organisms. Other sources of water pollution are sediment from land erosion. Oil comes
from cleaning oil tankers and offshore drilling. To keep our land and water clean you can
44.____________, dispose of all materials properly. (Don’t put batteries or oil in the
trash). Follow directions when using chemicals. Finally you can reduce water usage. Turn
off water when brushing your teeth or 45.______________________.
Lesson 3—Advocating for a Healthy Environment
Most of our resources do not have an endless supply. The coal, gas, and petroleum we
use took millions of years to form. It took 20 years to grow trees big enough to cut for
paper. Conservation is the protection and preservation of the environment by managing
natural 46._____________ to prevent abuse, destruction, and neglect. The actions you
and your family take can help impact the environment.
To help you can keep doors, windows, and vents closed when not in use. During cold
weather wear an extra layer instead of turning up the heat. In the winter you should keep
the heat at 68 degrees and turn it down further at bed time. In the summer keep the air
conditioner at 78 degrees and use a 47._________ to keep air circulating. Wash clothes in
warm or cold weather. Make sure when doing laundry it is a full load and when running
the dish washer do the same. Turning off water while brushing your teeth and shaving
can save 48.____________gallons of water per minute. Use fluorescent light bulbs
because they use less energy. Turn off lights when you leave the 49.________. Also turn
off tv, radios, computers and appliances. Use a microwave instead of the regular oven
when cooking small amounts of food. Precycling is reducing wastes before it is
generated. Reduce your risk of products that are used once and disregarded. For example
use a cloth napkin instead of a paper one. Same thing for plates. Reusing paper or plastic
bags can help. Ex. Cloth bags. Donating unneeded household goods or clothing to
charities instead of throwing them away is precycling.
Recycling is the processing of waste materials so they can be 50.______________.
Making a can from recycled aluminum only takes 10% of the energy needed to make a
new can from new materials. Landfill space is 51.____________ and they cannot keep up
with demands. More than 52.___________ of household waste can be recycled. Page
781-781.