module58REVIEW

In this module, we learned that we can examine the environmental hazards faced by humans by using the process of risk analysis. Risk analysis begins with a risk assessment, which can be either qualitative or quantitative. Quantitative risk assessments are typically preferred because a person’s perception of risk can be quite different from the actual risk. Once we assess the level of risk posed by a hazard, we need to determine how much risk humans are willing to accept. With this information on risk assessment and risk tolerance from environmental scientists, government regulators balance the risk of a particular environmental hazard against numerous other factors including economic, social, ethical, and political issues. Balancing this risk can be done using the innocent-until-proven-guilty principle or the precautionary principle, with each principle having different costs and benefits. In recent years, there has been worldwide agreement on a number of hazardous chemicals that will be banned, phased out, or reduced.

Module 58 AP® Review Questions

Question 1

1. Which is NOT an environmental hazard?

  1. Air pollutants

  2. Driving a car

  3. An earthquake

  4. Smoking tobacco

  5. Cancer

Question 2

2. What does the EPA consider the limit of acceptable risk for environmental hazards?

  1. 1 in 10,000

  2. 1 in 100,000

  3. 1 in 1,000,000

  4. 1 in 10,000,000

  5. 1 in 100,000,000

Question 3

3. The Stockholm Convention

  1. was an international agreement to ban a number of endocrine disruptors.

  2. led to the REACH agreement on chemical evaluation.

  3. was a European Union agreement to use the precautionary principle.

  4. was an international agreement on asbestos and other hazardous materials.

  5. was an agreement between the United States and the European Union to ban many carcinogens.

Question 4

4. Which risk has the highest probability of death in the United States?

  1. Motor vehicle accident

  2. Drowning

  3. Fire

  4. Firearm assault

  5. Earthquake

Question 5

5. The precautionary principle

  1. decreases financial incentives for chemical development.

  2. was used in considering the use of asbestos.

  3. causes faster adoption of new products.

  4. is primarily used in the United States.

  5. increases the risk of harmful chemicals being used.