Occupational and Environmental Health: Recognizing and Preventing Disease and Injury - Multiple Choice Questions - Learn & Prevent

What events in the mid-twentieth century demonstrated that air pollution could cause excess deaths?

1. The Great Smog of London

2. Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster

3. Mount St. Helens Eruption

4. The Montreal Protocol

The correct answer is: The Great Smog of London

The Great Smog of London was a severe air pollution event that occurred in the mid-1950s, causing thousands of excess deaths and bringing attention to the dangerous effects of air pollution. Chernobyl, Mount St. Helens, and The Montreal Protocol, while significant events in the mid-twentieth century, were not directly related to air pollution causing excess deaths as seen in The Great Smog of London. The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster was a result of a nuclear power plant explosion, Mount St. Helens was a volcanic eruption, and The Montreal Protocol was an international treaty aimed at reducing ozone depletion. Therefore, A is the correct answer as it directly refers to an event demonstrating the harmful effects of air pollution on human health.