Session 4

Chapter 5

Producing Manufactured Goods

 

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Chapter Five Flashcards

Chapter Five Slides:
 
Key Concepts:
  1. Most synthetic organic chemicals are made from oil.
  2. Organic solvents, as the name suggests, are used to dissolve other substances.
  3. Phthalates and bisphenol A are used in the production of a range of consumer products.
  4. One large group of synthetic organic chemicals is of particular concern in public health because the chemicals are both persistent in the environment and toxic to humans.
  5. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in which chlorine atoms are substituted for hydrogen atoms, were manufactured mainly as insulating material for electrical equipment. U.S. production stopped in 1977. Dioxins were created as byproducts of the manufacture of PCBs.
  6. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in which bromine atoms are substituted for hydrogen atoms, are manufactured and used as flame-retardant chemicals.
  7. Perfluorochemicals (PFCs), in which fluorine atoms are substituted for hydrogen atoms, have been used in the production of stain- or water-resistant coatings.
  8. Another group of chlorine-containing synthetic organic compounds affects human health indirectly by upsetting the natural dynamic equilibrium among oxygen atoms(O), molecular oxygen (O2), and ozone (O3) in the stratosphere—specifically, by tipping the balance toward the destruction of ozone.
  9. Toxics use reduction is a preventive approach to chemical hazards.
  10. The six metals described in the text—inorganic lead, mercury (elemental and inorganic), arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and beryllium—have substantial public health impacts, especially in the workplace.
  11. This new technology takes advantage of the fact that the physical and chemical properties of a given material are sometimes different when the material is formed into extremely fine particles.
  12. Workers generally have much higher exposures to particles and fibers than the general public does.
  13. There are parallels between the stories of asbestos and cotton as respiratory hazards in the workplace.
  14. Mechanical hazards in the workplace are usually more visible than harmful substances. They are also more fatal. Exposure to noise in the workplace can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss and has been linked to coronary heart disease and heart attack.
  15. Shift work that increases workers’ exposure to light during the biological night is now deemed likely to increase the risk of cancer.
  16. Certain organic chemicals, metals, and physical agents in the workplace are known to cause asthma in workers; that is, occupational asthma.
  17. At both the national and international scales, socially disadvantaged populations bear a heavier burden of exposure to industrial wastes; in the more developed countries, social differences in exposure to newer industrial chemicals in household or consumer products (e.g., BPA, PFCs, and PBDEs) are more complex.
  18. A framework exists for managing the international trade in hazardous wastes.
  19. Examining the U.S. regulatory framework in stepwise fashion, moving generally upstream in a conceptual sense, highlights missed opportunities for preventing public health impacts of industry.
Links: 

 Learning Objectives:

  • Define or explain the key terms introduced throughout the chapter.
  • Characterize the uses, common sources of environmental exposure, and toxicity of these groups of synthetic organic chemicals: organic solvents, phthalate plasticizers and bisphenol A, PCBs, dioxins and furans, PBDEs, and PFCs.
  • Describe in simple terms the effect of chlorofluorocarbons in the stratosphere and the implications for human health.
  • Articulate how the objectives and approaches of toxics use reduction can benefit workers and the broader community.
  • Appreciate the toxicity of certain metals to workers and others.
  • Summarize briefly the current status of nanotechnology and what is known about its risksto human health.
  • Discuss the occupational exposures to and health effects of major physical hazards: asbestos, cotton dust, mechanical hazards, noise, and light during the biological night.
  • Appreciate that certain occupational exposures cause asthma.
  • Give examples of social patterns in exposure to the products and byproducts of manufacturing, both within the United States and internationally.
  • Describe key approaches to managing the public health risks associated with industry.
  • Describe the U.S. regulatory framework for managing the public health risks associated with industry.

Homework:

Answer all of the following study questions and email the attached questions and answers in Word of pdf format to the instructor by Canvas email no later than 5 pm on Sunday the last day of Session 4. In the beginning of your emial message identify the class session for the homework being submitted.

Study Questions

1. What are the distinctive features of the workplace as a setting where exposure to chemical and physical hazards occurs?

2. In your view, do people have a right to both a healthy working environment and a healthy ambient environment? Why or why not?

3. Look up some recent articles on nanotechnology in the mainstream print and electronic media, and evaluate how these articles present the potential benefits and health risks of this new technology.

4. What factors do you see as barriers to a more precautionary approach in the development and use of new technologies in the United States?

5. In your view, do the more developed countries have any special responsibility in the international trade in hazardous wastes?