Marine pollution (2) Flashcards
What is solid waste commonly referred to?
It is commonly referred to as trash and garbage
What does solid waste consist of?
It consists of a large range of products and materials like plastic bottles, cups, bags which could block waterways and cause flooding in some areas
Who and what does plastic endanger?
Plastic endangers the safety and livelihood of fishermen and recreational waters
What can happen to animals with marine pollution and solid waste?(5)
- Sea birls become entangled in marine debris
- Birds feed on plastic pellets that resemble eggs but have no nutritional value so they are weakened and eventually die
- The leatherback turtle, an endangered species frequently swallows plastic bags, mistaking them for jellyfish. If ingested the plastics can prevent the assimilation of nutrients which can make the turtles too buoyant to dive for food
- Fishes and crabs can be entangled by nets
- Crabs can enter plastic bottles and can be stuck for life as they grow and cannot crawl out :(
What are some examples of heavy metals in the pollution of heavy metals?
- mercury
- acid waters
- heavy metals
Where does heavy metal pollution originate from?
Industrial plants
What effects does heavy metal pollution have?
- Become concentrated in the fatty tissues of animals along the food chain
- It may be toxic to aquatic organisms and concentrated in organisms as they move up to the food chain eg. tuna, shark
How long will it take to take out the mercury pollution?
It is estimated that it may take up to 100 years for mercury to work its way out of an ecosystem
What is water used as in industrial plants and power stations
Water is used as a coolant. As water removes heat, it becomes warmer and its ability to dissolve oxygen decreases and this can affect the number of animals able to survive in water.
With thermal pollution what will the direct effect of changing temps of the habitat do?
The direct effect of changing temps of the habitat will result in the death of animals and plants especially the death of coral or migration of marine life
How is pesticide pollution formed?
Farmers frequently use pesticides to control many different kinds of pests. Many have no serious side effects, but some tend to persist in the environment and aren’t degraded easily
Can traces of herbicides remain on crops?
Yes, traces of herbicides can remain in or on crops that were sprayed, with the risk that they can be eaten with food
Where do pesticides tend to be retained? And what is this process known as?
Pesticides tend to be retained in the fatty tissues of animals, where the amount builds up over a period of time.
This process is known as bioaccumulation
How can some of the effects of bioaccumulation be magnified?
Sometimes the effects of bioaccumulation can be magnified as a pesticide is passed along a food chain.
Name the most important case of bioaccumulation (and like the history etc.)
-DDT, an extremely effective insecticide used after ww2. It prevented many deaths from malaria by significantly reducing the mosquito population.
-However, DDT was passed along the food chain and accumulated in top carnivores in harmful amounts.
DDT persists in the environment for a long time.
- A single application can take over 20 years to degrade and is easily stored in living fatty tissues
