Human Health and Environment

University of Toronto

at Scarborough Winter 2015

EESA10 H3-S L30

"HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT" Assignment #1

Issued: Monday, Jan. 26th

To be completed: By Monday Feb. 9th at 5pm, box outside SW-511A

You should use a word processor for your written responses. Your document should conform

to the following: normal (1’’) margins, single-spaced, 12-point print size. Calculations (if any)

may be handwritten neatly.

Remember to write your name, student number, date and TAs name. Use APA style for reference citations. Only reliable websites belonging to governmental organizations

(e.g. the US EPA, Environment Canada, the WHO) and peer-reviewed journal articles are acceptable

sources. No random websites, newspapers or magazines will be accepted and remember to reference

citations within the text as well.

Link to APA citation guide: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/.

PLAGIARISM IS A SERIOUS ACADEMIC OFFENSE AND WILL BE DEALT WITH

ACCORDINGLY. Check UofT website to see rules: http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/using-

sources/how-not-to-plagiarize

Please print double sided, save paper: save environment Total Marks: 24

1. We often take our water supply for granted. The following questions may challenge us to think

more carefully about water in our communities:

A. What are the major sources of your community's water supply? (1 mark)

B. How is water use divided among residential, commercial, industrial and other uses? Which

sector consumes the largest volume of water? Provide at least ONE reference (3 marks)

C. How have water prices changed in the past 20 years? Do water prices encourage conservation?

(2 marks)

D. Studies have found that some bottled water comes from municipal water supplies and that

bottled water frequently contains contaminants. Considering also waste and energy

associated with bottling, under what conditions does it make sense to drink bottled water or to

avoid drinking it? Create an advantage/disadvantage chart with at least 5 reasons/conditions

for each. Also provide at least ONE reference (6 marks)

2. If you were a public health official in a developing country, would you authorize the spraying of

DDT to control mosquitoes that spread malaria? Why or why not? Provide reasons in a

paragraph or bullet point format providing at least 5 reasons. Also provide at least ONE

reference (6 points)

3. Suppose that a surveillance biomonitoring program has measured concentrations of

polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in women’s breast milk, with the goal of describing

exposure at a population level. Would you recommend that the results of biomonitoring be reported

back to the study participants? Why or why not? Provide reasons in a paragraph or bullet point

format providing at least 3 reasons. Also provide at least ONE reference (6 marks).