The sample exam questions provided are derived from the 2004 and
2005 Recertification examinations. Not all question categories are
represented, largely because those exams contained more than 50% of Type
B questions, which are no longer being used on certification
examinations. Happy practiciing, and good luck!
PART A SAMPLE QUESTIONS
1. The major toxic effect of hydrogen cyanide exposure is
A) lung damage
B) hemoglobin alteration
C) hemolysis of RBCs
D) inhibition of mitochondrial respiration
E) lipid peroxidation
2. Which of the following ionizing radiations has the shortest range (i.e.,
travels the shortest distance in tissue) for the same initial energy?
A) alpha particle
B) beta particle
C) gamma ray
D) x ray
E) cosmic ray
3. Which of the following agents would NOT likely produce reactive airways
dysfunction syndrome (RADS)?
A) carbon monoxide
B) chlorine
C) ammonia
D) toluene diisocyanate
E) acetic acid
4. Exposure to fumes of which of the following metals is most likely to cause
acute chemical pneumonitis and pulmonary edema?
A) lead
B) zinc
C) cadmium
D) copper
E) magnesium
5. An individual exposed to 10 rads (0.1 Gy) of whole body x-irradiation
would be expected to
A. have a severe bone marrow depression
B. die
C. be permanently sterilized
D. exhibit no symptoms
E. vomit
6. Benzene is similar to toluene
A) in its metabolism to redox active metabolites
B) regarding covalent binding of its metabolites to proteins
C) in its ability to produce CNS depression
D) in its ability to produce acute myelogenous leukemia
E) in its ability to be metabolized to benzoquinone
7. Consumption of milk from goats which have grazed on lupine plants
containing the alkaloid, anagyrine, may cause
A) birth defects when ingested by women during early pregnancy
B) severe liver damage characterized by centrilobular necrosis
C) dizziness, nausea, headaches and hallucinations
D) numbness of the extremities
E) aphrodisia and a general increase in sexual awareness
8. Sorbitol and other sugar alcohols have been associated with
A) respiratory distress syndrome
B) osmotic diarrhea
C) hepatotoxicity
D) immediate hypersensitivity reaction
E) CNS depression
9. Which of the following is NOT true regarding Amanita phalloides mushrooms?
A) toxic components are phalloidin and amatoxins
B) produces liver and gastroiintestinal toxicity
C) cardiovascular toxicity is responsible for mortality
D) common name is "death cap"
E) no specific antidotal treatment of poisoning is available
10. Chloroform is NOT
A) a central nervous system depressant
B) hepatotoxic
C) metabolized to phosgene
D) a peroxisome proliferator
E) a contaminant of chlorinated water
11. Increasing the casein content of a partially purified diet up to a level
of 36%
A) reduces the spontaneous hepatoma incidence below background in mice
B) increases the spontaneous hepatoma incidence above background in mice
C) has no effect on the incidence of mouse hepatomas
D) reduces the spontaneous incidence of kidney tumors below background in mice
E) reduces the spontaneous incidence of lung tumors below background in mice
12. All of the following may cause metabolic acidosis EXCEPT
A) renal failure
B) salicylates
C) methanol
D) diuretics
E) diarrhea
13. A patient is admitted to the emergency room with the following symptoms:
dry mouth and skin; weak, rapid pulse (130 beats/min); elevated body temperature
(103 degrees F); and mydriasis. He is excited and disoriented. In his pocket is
a bottle of pills labelled: "take one as necessary for stomach pain". This
patient is most likely to be suffering from an overdose of
A) a narcotic analgesic
B) a non-narcotic analgesic
C) an antacid
D) an antimuscarinic agent
E) a benzodiazepine tranquilizer
14. Each of the following solvents is paired with a correct target organ of
toxicity EXCEPT
A) methanol:retina
B) ethylene glycol:kidney
C) ethylene glycol monomethyl ether:kidney
D) dichloromethane:central nervous system
E) carbon tetrachloride:liver
15. Which of the following is NOT true about arsine?
A) it is a gas at room temperature
B) it produces acute intravascular hemolysis
C) it has a garlic-like odor
D) acute renal failure is a common manifestation of arsine poisoning
E) significant hepatotoxicity often occurs as part of arsine poisoning
16. No specific antidote is available for poisoning by
A) sodium fluoroacetate
B) warfarin
C) chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides
D) rotenone
E) cyanide
17. Which of the following is NOT commonly associated with mercury vapor
poisoning?
A) acute, corrosive bronchitis
B) interstitial pneumonitis
C) tremor
D) increased excitability
E) vomiting and bloody diarrhea
18. Compounds containing beryllium are NOT readily absorbed from the
gastrointestinal tract because
A) they form insoluble phosphate precipitates at the pH of the intestinal tract
B) they are chelated by bile salts in the small intestine
C) their size prevents passage through cell membranes
D) they are converted to an oxide form
E) exposures rarely occur to the soluble metallic form
19. Which of the following is NOT associated with spermatotoxicity in rats?
F) ethylene glycol monomethyl ether
G) ethylene glycol monoethyl ether
H) ethoxy acetic acid
I) methoxy acetic acid
J) propylene glycol monomethyl ether
20. Which form of mercury was the predominant cause of Minamata Bay disease?
A) metallic mercury
B) mercuric salts
C) mercurous salts
D) organic mercury compounds
E) mercury was not the causative agent
21. Methyl bromide (CH3Br)
A) is a liquid used primarily as a fumigant
B) has essentially no warning properties, even at physiologically hazardous
concentrations
C) is extremely flammable
D) is of greater concern from its oral toxicity than from its inhalation
toxicity
E) would not be expected to be readily absorbed through the lungs
22. The chloronicotinyl compound imidacloprid demonstrates a high
insecticidal potency and exceptionally low mammalian toxicity due to
A) its high affinity for insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and low
affinity for mammalian nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
B) the blood-brain barrier in mammals
C) the first pass effect in the liver in mammals
D) the low pH in the stomach of monogastric mammals
E) the presence of true acetylcholinesterase in mammals
23. The most commonly used pyrethroid synergist is
A) silica
B) piperonyl butoxide
C) methyl butyl ether
D) n-octyl bicyloheptene dicarboximide
E) toluene
24. Paraquat and diquat differ substantially in their
A) metabolism to a free radical
B) ability to initiate lipid peroxidation in vivo
C) uptake by the lung
D) generation of superoxide anion in vivo
E) mechanism of cytotoxicity
PART A ANSWERS
1. D
2. A
3. A
4. C
5. D
6. C
7. A
8. B
9. C
10. D
11. B
12. D
13. D
14. C
15. E
16. C
17. E
18. A
19. E
20. D
21. B
22. A
23. B
24. C
