Sanitarian Written exam Study Guide
Part 1 with complete solution
Infectious hepatitis is an important, but poorly understood disease according to present
day knowledge. Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding this disease?
Answer- The agent occurs in both the blood & feces of patients
Outbreaks of many diseases have been traced to un-pasteurized milk as the source of
transmission. Which of the following diseases would NOT be transmitted this way?
Answer- Dengue
An outbreak of trachoma (pink eye) was traced to a public swimming pool. Which of the
following is the MOST likely cause? Answer- The use of community towels.
Which of the following areas would be LEAST closely associated with infant mortality
rate in a community? Answer- Auto Accidents
Office of Health Service regulations require bacteriological drinking water samples to be
analyzed by the laboratory within __ hours after collection Answer- 30
The GREATEST advantage offered by the membrane filter technique over the multiple
tube test is Answer- Results are obtained in a shorter time
The primary purpose of rapid & filtration & coagulation in the water treatment process is
to remove Answer- Turbidity
How many pounds of calcium hypochlorite (70% available chlorine) are necessary to
make 25 gallons of 1% chlorine solution? Answer- 3
Recommended guidelines for protecting a water well against contamination would
include all EXCEPT which one of the following? Answer- The well should be protected
by a pump house
A water supply from which one of the following sources is the MOST likely to be safe for
human consumption Answer- Drilled well
The LEAST important public health reason for treating sewage is to prevent AnswerUnsightly conditions.
Digestion of organic matter in a septic tank is accomplished primarily Answer- By
anaerobic bacteria.
Problems with grease traps in restaurants are MOST often caused by Answer- Lack of
maintenance
Which one of the following would be the LEAST suspected cause of a tile field system
(absorption system) failure? Answer- Deterioration of the tile
Oxidation ponds operate on the principle of: Answer- Algae furnishing oxygen for
aerobic action
Water drawn from a swimming pool for filtration should come from Answer- Both the
surface & the deepest part of the pool
The recommended free chlorine residual to be maintained thru-out a water supply
distribution system is Answer- 4 ppm
Cross-connections in plumbing should be eliminated because they Answer- Have been
responsible for numerous cases of diseases such as typhoid fever & dysentery
The terms “vectors” and “vehicles” are Answer- Different because vehicles are usually
inanimate objects
Which of the following is the MOST effective fly control procedure? AnswerEnvironmental Sanitation
A restaurant operator wishes to properly sanitize, using a 3 compartment sink. If 4%
bleach is used, how much must be added to the 12 gallon sink to get 100ppm chlorine
concentration Answer- 3.84 ounces
Rodents may be economic factors of considerable magnitude. Which of following is
MOST significant economically Answer- They spoil or damage food & property
Although pasteurization kills pathogens but not all bacteria, (vegetative and spores) this
process can be considered as Answer- Disinfection
Which of the following is NOT a disinfectant? Answer- Cold
Which of the following would offer the SUREST method of trichinosis control? AnswerThorough cooking of all pork products
The temperature range considered safe for holding potentially hazardous foods as
stated in Chapter 23: Answer- 40 F or below or 140 F or above
Which of the following basic equipment is NOT routinely needed by a food sanitarian?
Answer- Pyrometer & thermocouples
Infectious hepatitis is an important, but poorly understood disease according to present day knowledge. Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding this disease?
The agent occurs in both the blood & feces of patients
Outbreaks of many diseases have been traced to un-pasteurized milk as the source of transmission. Which of the following diseases would NOT be transmitted this way?
Dengue
An outbreak of trachoma (pink eye) was traced to a public swimming pool. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?
The use of community towels.
Which of the following areas would be LEAST closely associated with infant mortality rate in a community?
Auto Accidents
Office of Health Service regulations require bacteriological drinking water samples to be analyzed by the laboratory within __ hours after collection
30
The GREATEST advantage offered by the membrane filter technique over the multiple tube test is
Results are obtained in a shorter time
The primary purpose of rapid & filtration & coagulation in the water treatment process is to remove
Turbidity
How many pounds of calcium hypochlorite (70% available chlorine) are necessary to make 25 gallons of 1% chlorine solution?
3
Recommended guidelines for protecting a water well against contamination would include all EXCEPT which one of the following?
The well should be protected by a pump house
A water supply from which one of the following sources is the MOST likely to be safe for human consumption
Drilled well
The LEAST important public health reason for treating sewage is to prevent
Unsightly conditions.
Digestion of organic matter in a septic tank is accomplished primarily
By anaerobic bacteria.
Problems with grease traps in restaurants are MOST often caused by
Lack of maintenance
Which one of the following would be the LEAST suspected cause of a tile field system (absorption system) failure?
Deterioration of the tile
Oxidation ponds operate on the principle of:
Algae furnishing oxygen for aerobic action
Water drawn from a swimming pool for filtration should come from
Both the surface & the deepest part of the pool
The recommended free chlorine residual to be maintained thru-out a water supply distribution system is
4 ppm
Cross-connections in plumbing should be eliminated because they
Have been responsible for numerous cases of diseases such as typhoid fever & dysentery
The terms “vectors” and “vehicles” are
Different because vehicles are usually inanimate objects
Which of the following is the MOST effective fly control procedure?
Environmental Sanitation
A restaurant operator wishes to properly sanitize, using a 3 compartment sink. If 4% bleach is used, how much must be added to the 12 gallon sink to get 100ppm chlorine concentration
3.84 ounces
Rodents may be economic factors of considerable magnitude. Which of following is MOST significant economically
They spoil or damage food & property
Although pasteurization kills pathogens but not all bacteria, (vegetative and spores) this process can be considered as
Disinfection
Which of the following is NOT a disinfectant?
Cold
Which of the following would offer the SUREST method of trichinosis control?
Thorough cooking of all pork products
The temperature range considered safe for holding potentially hazardous foods as stated in Chapter 23:
40 F or below or 140 F or above
Which of the following basic equipment is NOT routinely needed by a food sanitarian?
Pyrometer & thermocouples
The value of milk as a food is well known. Which of the following is NOT true?
It contains adequate amounts of all vitamins
Humans in an unventilated room have what following effect on the air:
Temperature increases.
The MOST effective means of disinfecting air in hospitals has been
Combination of the above measures
Of the following important activities at a school, which one is the sanitarians concern?
Sanitation of the cafeteria, food handling, water supply, etc
The disinfecting ability of chlorine is affected MOST by
Temperature
From the public health standpoint, the BEST floor covering in school kitchens & lunchrooms is
Linoleum or plastic tile
Which of the following areas of a hospital require the GREATEST degree of sanitation practices to prevent spread of communicable disease to hospital employees?
Isolation room
Those people MOST seriously affected by atmospheric pollution are
The very young
The elderly
Those w/ heart diseases
Those w/ lung diseases
Inspections of water supplies used by interstate carriers are made by personnel of the:
Office of Health Services
Which of the following would be the LEAST concern to a sanitarian making an inspection of a motel and its facilities?
Landscaping of ground
Emergencies & disasters often call for improvised facilities. Which of the following would NOT normally be required under emergency situations?
Safe drinking water under pressure
The radioactivity of a radioisotope w/ a half-life of 14 days would be reduced to about 6% in
8 weeks
Which of the following is MOST likely to be considered a function of sanitarian section of a local health dept?
Approval of small water supplies
The “right of entry” by health officials in performing their duties is clear except in a few situations. Which of the following would be the more QUESTIONABLE application of right of entry authority?
Residential property
Which of the following requires the HIGHEST foot-candle illumination ratings in a food establishments?
Food prep rooms
__ is an approved insecticide for use in a food establishment
Pyrethrin
After a well has been developed & tested & before placing it into service, it should be disinfected w/ __ ppm chlorine
50
In the environmental planning of a rural subdivision, what fundamental info would you utilize in determining if both individual water & sewage disposal systems could be placed on each home site?
The size of the lot
The major contribution to food-borne illness is
Abuse of the time/temperature relationship
Information on disease transmission, control & treatment is available from the
Center for Disease Control
If a bacteriological water sample from a domestic water supply indicates the presence of coliforms, which of the following conclusions is MOST accurate?
There is some source of environmental contamination
Fomites may be important certain types of diseases because:
They are inanimate objects which may indirectly transmit disease organisms
The Sanitary Code of Louisiana is
Regulations developed & enforced by the Office of Health Services & Environmental Quality having the force of law
What is the name of the organism that is used as an index of microbiological contamination of food & water?
Coliform
The menace of contaminated oysters is increasing due to
Increase in pollution of coastal waters
To maintain the quality of frozen foods, they should be stored at:
0 F
The only absolute method to prevent the possibility of back-siphonage is the use of a:
Air gap
The infection reservoir for Arthropod borne viral encephalitis is generally accepted to be:
Mosquitoes
Tastes & odors in water are more noticeable when the water is
Warm
The confinement period for a dog that has bitten someone is
10 days
Which of the following groups would be likely to have the highest incidence of hookworm infestation?
Sharecroppers in Alabama
A ski area reported 312 skiing injuries during a recent 120 day ski season. W/ 50,000 skier days during the season, what is the incidence of skier injury
6.24 per thousand
Sanitarians occasionally take part in court proceedings in their official capacity as
Expert witness
Flush valves should be protected against back-siphonage by installing a vacuum breaker
B/w the flush valve & the fixture at least 4 inches above the flood rim of the fixture
The effectiveness of disinfectants varies w/ the conditions under which they are used. Which of the following is INCORRECT?
Absolute alcohol is a powerful germicide & antiseptic
The MOST efficient method of sterilizing water sample bottles is
Steam under pressure
The usual median incubation period for staphylococcus intoxication is
B/w 2 & 4 hours
While the optimum storage temp for frozen foods is 0 F, temps may rise above that level. For example at 30F we expect:
Slow spoilage w/o danger to health
Cooked foods not immediately served
Should be cooled quickly & stored at 40 F until served
The expression “pH” means
Percent of hydrogen molecules in a solution
Because of the relationship of chlorine activity to pH, it may be said that generally
A higher pH requires a higher chlorine residual
Two types of water sources in LA are
Ground & surface
In public health, the MAJOR component of expenditures is for
Personnel
According to Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of human needs, which of the following sets of qualities or actions BEST fulfill the theory’s top two needs
Recognition & achievement
The two lab test used to analyze drinking water samples are the multiple tube test and the _ test.
Membrane Filter
A problem associated w/ the presence of a high iron concentration in drinking water is
Color
Odor (Rotten Egg)
“Red Water”
Staining of fixtures
_ is/are responsible for the production of dissolved oxygen in oxidation ponds
Algae
Bacilli
Botulism
Vibrio
Cholera
Streptococci
Scarlet Fever
Staphylococci
Food Poisoning
Spirochete
Syphilis
Diplococci
Gonorrhea
Rickettsia
Q Fever
Fungi
Histoplasmosis
ALL milk is required to be homogenized before final sale to the public
False
State health activities are largely advisory & cooperative rather than regulative
True
Because water usually atomizes at pressure above 25psi, dishwashing machine final rinse jet pressure should NOT exceed this figure
True
Pine oil is NOT only an efficient germicide but is also a good deodorant
False
Myiasis occurs more frequently in animals than in humans
True
Fumigation is more effective against rats than against microorganisms
True
Plans for improvements should be based primarily on temporary abatements
False
Bottled water need NOT be suspected of containing pathogenic bacteria, since it is put through a treatment process
False
There is little pain involved when humans have trichinosis
False
A commonly accepted standard of 100 colonies per utensil is acceptable for diab awab results
True
Drinking water should contain no more than 5 units of turbidity & 15 units of color.
True
Hospital outbreaks of staphylococcus infections are almost always caused by unclean instruments
False
Bats are NOT considered a public health pest
False
There are NO rules pertaining to mass gatherings.
False
Odors can best be controlled in pit privies by the addition of chlorine
False
Mortality deals w/ death, whereas morbidity deals w/ cases of illness
True
Storage morgue vaults are required to be maintained at a temp. of ___or lower
45 F
Prior to entering hospital operating rooms, delivery rooms, recovery rooms, intensive care units & nurseries what attire is a sanitarian required to wear?
Scrub Suits
What is the name of the monitoring device required to be worn by all hospital radiation equipment operators?
Film badges OR Dosimeters
What certificates of registration are required to be posted in the hospital radiology department?
DNR’s Nuclear Control Board
How often should spore testing be conducted on hospital gas & steam sterilizers
Each load for gas AND weekly for steam
Prior to burial in a landfill, all infectious waste must be?
Autoclaved OR incinerated
What agency regulates the disposal of hazardous waste?
DEQ
The proper Celsius range reading of a hospital blood refrigerator is?
2 C – 3 C