Unit 6: Risk, Exposure, and Health // Visuals

Animation(s)

Children exposed to pesticides: Babies with the highest levels of the insecticide chlorpyfiros had significantly lower weight and length at birth and significantly poorer mental and motor development at age three. View animation
Flow rate: Ongoing research will explore the importance of mine seepage and chat pile run-off as sources of metal into Tar Creek. View animation
Lead poisoning: Lead inhibits the action of calcium, which plays an important role in the conduction of nerve impulses vital to normal brain function. View animation
Water contamination from mines: Hundreds of miles of abandoned mines are filled with contaminated water bubbling up to the surface. View animation

Photograph(s)

Backpack designed to measure exposure to indoor air pollutants: This backpack monitoring system, designed for studying exposure to air pollution, includes several pollutant detectors, a sampling pump, and a handheld Global Positioning System receiver. View image
Commercial king crab fisherman, Alaska: Commercial fishing is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States, but fishermen can make tens of thousands of dollars for one to three months' work. These rates represent a risk premium that is required to attract workers. View image
Four generations from one family participating in the Framingham Heart Study and associate studies: The Framingham Heart Study was designed to identify general causes of heart disease and stroke. Researchers have published more than 1,000 scientific papers on risk factors for cardiovascular disease based on Framingham data. View image
Sigmoid dose-response curve: All substances can produce responses that are beneficial, toxic, or lethal to an organism or population, depending on the dose. View image
Warning sign, Palos Verdes Peninsula, California: Chemical plants near the Palos Verdes Peninsula south of Los Angeles discharged contaminated sewage until the early 1970s. State agencies closed the local fishery for white croaker in 1990 due to health risks from eating fish contaminated with PCBs and pesticides. View image

Graphic(s)

Change in asthma symptoms among children participating in HPHI before and after intervention: Controlling exposure to environmental triggers produced significant decreases in respiratory symptoms among children with asthma in three Boston public housing developments. View image
Conceptual PBPK model for hexachlorobenzene exposure: PBPK modeling integrates the physiology and anatomy of the human body with the biochemistry of specific contaminants. View image
Exposure pathways for radioactive chemicals and materials from a nuclear waste storage facility: Humans can be exposed to environmental pollutants by many routes, so researchers need to know how contaminants move through various media such as air, water, and soil. View image
Inner city ER admissions for pediatric asthmatics: Children living in poor sections of inner cities are 5 times more likely to be hospitalized for asthma than children living in wealthier sections. View image
Label indicating that a product complies with the EU’s Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive: The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive was adopted to reduce generation of toxic waste from discarded electrical and electronic equipment. View image
Relationship between judged frequency and actual number of deaths per year: Many people overestimate risks from high visible and sensational threats like tornadoes and underestimate risks from common illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. View image
Risk management model: Judging risks in terms of both their probability and their likely consequences can make risk management more systematic and can help regulators focus time and resources on the most urgent risks. View image
Snow's original map (shows cases of cholera around water pumps): Mapping has become a standard technique in epidemiology, using statistical methods to account for variations in population density. View image
Techniques for reducing home radon gas levels: Radon exposure, which kills thousands of Americans annually, can be prevented by testing homes and making repairs where radon is detected. View image
The risk assessment/risk management paradigm: Assessing and managing risks are two distinct steps, each of which involves multiple decisions. View image
X-ray fluorescence intensity from Pb in hair: Composer Ludwig von Beethoven suffered from lifelong symptoms that included abdominal pain, irritability, and depression. Lead poisoning could account for these symptoms, and may have contributed to his early death at 57. View image

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