7) Water Pollution Flashcards
Name the two life processes that water supports.
1) photosynthesis
2) water in our blood
Name two uses of clean water.
1) eating and drinking
2) produce beverages and medicine
Name the 4 clean water sources (aka National Taps) of Singapore.
1) water from local catchment (reservoirs)
2) desalinated water
3) NEWater
4) imported water
What is NEWater produced from?
used watter
How is desalinated water produced?
removing salt from seawater
What is one disadvantage of desalinated water?
There are 2 disavantages.
1) high cost
2) requires a lot of energy to produce
Name 4 sources of water pollution.
1) untreated sewage and industrial waste
2) litter
3) oil spills
4) pesticide and fertiliser
Untreated sewage and industrial waste contains harmful bacteria. Name one of the effect of discharging these into bodies of water (e.g. lakes, canals, rivers, sea etc.)
There are 2 effects.
1) Cause people who drink from these water to become ill
2) kills aquatic plants and animals
Litter such as plastics, rubber and metal containers gets thrown into water bodies. Name one harmful effect this have on aquatic animals.
There are 2 effects.
1) turtles and birds got trapped by them and drown.
2) aquatic animals consume them and causes the animals to become sick
How are oil spills formed in the ocean?
When ships and/or oil tankers collided with one another.
Oil spills form a layer of oil on top of water. How does this affect the aquatic animals and plants? Name one effect.
There are 4 effects.
1) The oil layer prevents air from entering the water and thus killing the aquatic plants and animals.
2) The oil layer clogs the gills of fish thus killing them.
3) The oil layer coated the feathers of sea birds making them unable to fly or keep warm.
4) The oil layer restricts the amount of sunlight entering the water and aquatic plants cannot do photosynthesis.
Why do farmers use pesticides?
to keep pests away from their crops
Why do farmers use fertilisers?
to help their crops grow healthily
What is the harmful effect of using too much fertilisers?
Runoff containing fertilisers causes algae to grow rapidly and decrease the amount of sunlight entering the water.
What can we do to reduce water pollution? Name one way.
There are 4 ways.
1) throw litter into rubbish bins
2) clean up polluted areas around water bodies such as beaches and riverbanks
3) educate the public on the importance of keeping the waterways clean
4) enforce laws to prevent the public and industries from polluting waterways.
