Environmental health: practice question

A PSM question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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PSM · Environmental health

Sample item

What is the most appropriate public-health response to elevated lead levels in a community water supply?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Identify the source and provide safe alternative water while remediation occurs

Lead exposure is harmful, especially to children, so source control, safe water provision, exposure assessment, and transparent risk communication are required.

Option by option

  • A. Identify the source and provide safe alternative water while remediation occurs (correct)

    Correct: immediate exposure reduction and remediation are required.

  • B. Reassure residents that lead is a harmless nutrient

    Lead is toxic and not a harmless nutrient.

  • C. Wait for symptoms before testing any household

    Waiting allows preventable exposure to continue.

  • D. Add sugar to improve the water taste

    Taste changes do not remove dissolved lead.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More PSM questions

Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is A, Identify the source and provide safe alternative water while remediation occurs. Lead exposure is harmful, especially to children, so source control, safe water provision, exposure assessment, and transparent risk communication are required.

Why is "Reassure residents that lead is a harmless nutrient" not the answer?

Lead is toxic and not a harmless nutrient.

Why is "Wait for symptoms before testing any household" not the answer?

Waiting allows preventable exposure to continue.

Why is "Add sugar to improve the water taste" not the answer?

Taste changes do not remove dissolved lead.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Environmental health in PSM. The correct option holds because: Correct: immediate exposure reduction and remediation are required.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Environmental health?

Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic. Then use the flashcards and the other PSM questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.