PH 604 Final Exam Study Guide
Brownfield site definition - ANSWER Brownfields are often abandoned, closed or
under-used industrial or commercial facilities, such as an abandoned factory in a town's
former industrial section or a closed commercial building or warehouse in a suburban
setting.
Define Superfund - ANSWER A fund created by Congress in 1980 to clean up hazardous
waste sites. Money for the fund comes from taxing chemical products.
Who oversees the CERCLA Priority List of Hazardous Substances - ANSWER The
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has identified about 20
hazardous substances, known as the CERCLA Priority List of Hazardous Substances.
Why is CERCLA really bad? - ANSWER Have known or suspected toxicity and
Have potential for human exposure at National Priority List (NPL) sites
Name 3 CERCLA metals/elements - ANSWER Arsenic
Lead
Mercury
Cadmium
Chromium, hexavalent
Phosphorus, white
Name 2 CERCLA pesticides - ANSWER DDT, P, P'
Aroclor 1260
Aroclor 1254
Dieldrin
ionizing radiation - ANSWER enough energy to dislodge electrons from atoms, forming
ions; capable of causing cancer
non-ionizing radiation - ANSWER Radiation that has enough energy to move atoms in a
molecule around or cause them to vibrate, but not enough to remove electrons (e.g.
am/fm, TV waves, microwave, visible light)
describe the wavelength of ionizing radiation - ANSWER high frequency and short
wavelength
, examples of ionizing radiation - ANSWER tanning booth, x ray, gamma ray, medical x
rays, alpha and beta particles
examples of non-ionizing radiation - ANSWER static field, power line, am radio, fm radio,
mobile phones, MW oven, heat lamp
Three types of non-ionizing radiation - ANSWER non-thermal, thermal and optical
examples of optical radiation - ANSWER infrared (heat lamp),
examples of thermal radiation - ANSWER radio (am/fm RF) and microwave (MW)
ionizing radiation effects - ANSWER broken bonds -> DNA damage -> cancer, mutation,
birth defects
What type of non-ionizing radiation produces ionizing effects? - ANSWER UV radiation
especially UVC
Order of size for different wavelengths - ANSWER Radio -> Microwave > Infrared >
Visible > Ultraviolet > X-ray > Gamma
RedMice InVisible UseXraysG
ionizing radiation is used for? - ANSWER to generate electric power, to kill cancer cells,
and manufacturing processes
what is the largest anthropogenic source of ionizing radiation? - ANSWER x rays
(medical tests and therapies) 38%
natural sources of ionizing radiation - ANSWER cosmic rays (like the sun), geological
formations e.g. decay from uranium in the ground into radon gas.
anthropegenic sources of ionizing radiation - ANSWER x rays, radioactive substances
used in industry,
nuclear power generators,
radioactivity from nuclear weapons, consumer products (smoke detectors)
what % of ionizing radiation received annually by us residents is anthropogenic? -
ANSWER 54%; 46% is natural
what is the largest source of natural ionizing radiation? - ANSWER radon (30%)
types of ionizing radiation - ANSWER alpha, beta, gamma, x-ray, neutrons from fission
What gets ejected in an alpha particle - ANSWER two neutrons and two protons are
ejected which makes it slow moving and not penetrating
what gets ejected in a beta particle - ANSWER one electron gets ejected. the neutron
becomes a proton
Brownfield site definition - ANSWER Brownfields are often abandoned, closed or
under-used industrial or commercial facilities, such as an abandoned factory in a town's
former industrial section or a closed commercial building or warehouse in a suburban
setting.
Define Superfund - ANSWER A fund created by Congress in 1980 to clean up hazardous
waste sites. Money for the fund comes from taxing chemical products.
Who oversees the CERCLA Priority List of Hazardous Substances - ANSWER The
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has identified about 20
hazardous substances, known as the CERCLA Priority List of Hazardous Substances.
Why is CERCLA really bad? - ANSWER Have known or suspected toxicity and
Have potential for human exposure at National Priority List (NPL) sites
Name 3 CERCLA metals/elements - ANSWER Arsenic
Lead
Mercury
Cadmium
Chromium, hexavalent
Phosphorus, white
Name 2 CERCLA pesticides - ANSWER DDT, P, P'
Aroclor 1260
Aroclor 1254
Dieldrin
ionizing radiation - ANSWER enough energy to dislodge electrons from atoms, forming
ions; capable of causing cancer
non-ionizing radiation - ANSWER Radiation that has enough energy to move atoms in a
molecule around or cause them to vibrate, but not enough to remove electrons (e.g.
am/fm, TV waves, microwave, visible light)
describe the wavelength of ionizing radiation - ANSWER high frequency and short
wavelength
, examples of ionizing radiation - ANSWER tanning booth, x ray, gamma ray, medical x
rays, alpha and beta particles
examples of non-ionizing radiation - ANSWER static field, power line, am radio, fm radio,
mobile phones, MW oven, heat lamp
Three types of non-ionizing radiation - ANSWER non-thermal, thermal and optical
examples of optical radiation - ANSWER infrared (heat lamp),
examples of thermal radiation - ANSWER radio (am/fm RF) and microwave (MW)
ionizing radiation effects - ANSWER broken bonds -> DNA damage -> cancer, mutation,
birth defects
What type of non-ionizing radiation produces ionizing effects? - ANSWER UV radiation
especially UVC
Order of size for different wavelengths - ANSWER Radio -> Microwave > Infrared >
Visible > Ultraviolet > X-ray > Gamma
RedMice InVisible UseXraysG
ionizing radiation is used for? - ANSWER to generate electric power, to kill cancer cells,
and manufacturing processes
what is the largest anthropogenic source of ionizing radiation? - ANSWER x rays
(medical tests and therapies) 38%
natural sources of ionizing radiation - ANSWER cosmic rays (like the sun), geological
formations e.g. decay from uranium in the ground into radon gas.
anthropegenic sources of ionizing radiation - ANSWER x rays, radioactive substances
used in industry,
nuclear power generators,
radioactivity from nuclear weapons, consumer products (smoke detectors)
what % of ionizing radiation received annually by us residents is anthropogenic? -
ANSWER 54%; 46% is natural
what is the largest source of natural ionizing radiation? - ANSWER radon (30%)
types of ionizing radiation - ANSWER alpha, beta, gamma, x-ray, neutrons from fission
What gets ejected in an alpha particle - ANSWER two neutrons and two protons are
ejected which makes it slow moving and not penetrating
what gets ejected in a beta particle - ANSWER one electron gets ejected. the neutron
becomes a proton
