1B3 Impacts on Environment and Society Flashcards
Define:
pollution
The introduction of contaminants that harm nature and human health into the environment.
Contaminants can be found in water, air, or land, and can affect human survival.
List three main types of pollution.
- Water pollution
- Air pollution
- Land pollution
Each type poses unique challenges and requires different strategies for mitigation.
List four causes of water pollution.
- Industrial discharge
- Municipal wastewater
- Acid rain
- Natural erosion
Inadequately treated wastewater and oil spills are significant contributors to water contamination.
List five sources of air pollution.
- Automobiles
- Airplanes
- Factories
- Power plants
- Wildfires
What strategies have countries implemented to reduce air pollution?
- Reducing toxic chemicals in gasoline.
- Promoting cleaner energy sources like wind and solar.
These measures help decrease emissions from vehicles and power plants.
What health risks are associated with long-term air pollution?
Increased risk of respiratory disorders, including lung cancer.
What city in the U.S. is known for high levels of air pollution?
Los Angeles
This is partly due to its large population and heavy automobile use.
List three sources of land pollution.
- Landfills
- Hazardous waste
- Construction waste
These contribute significantly to public health threats.
Define:
greenhouse effect
A process that traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere, keeping the planet warm enough to support life.
It involves greenhouse gases that trap infrared radiation, allowing life to thrive.
List three examples of greenhouse gases.
- Carbon dioxide
- Methane
- Water vapor
All of these gases occur naturally, but human activity has increased the levels of these gases. These increased levels of gas causes the greenhouse effect.
True or False:
Oxygen and nitrogen make up 99% of the atmosphere by volume.
True
Oxygen is crucial for life, while nitrogen plays a role in the fertilizer industry. Interestingly enough, it’s estimated that oxygen makes up 21% of the atmosphere, whereas nitrogen makes up around 78% of the atmosphere.
List four consequences of the greenhouse effect.
- Ocean warming
- Sea level rise
- Habitat loss
- Altered precipitation patterns
These changes threaten ecosystems and species with extinction.
What measures can be taken to reverse the greenhouse effect?
- Cutting dependence on conventional fuels.
- Protecting forests and land.
- Utilizing renewable energy sources like solar and wind.
These actions aim to achieve net-zero emissions.
Which gases are introduced solely by human activities and have no natural source?
Fluorinated gases
They include hydrofluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride.
They are potent and long-lasting in the atmosphere, and contribute to the greenhosue effect.
These gases are emitted during the manufacturing, use, or disposal of certain products such as air conditioning units or electrical equipment.
True or False:
Ozone is a greenhouse gas that has a significant impact on climate.
True
Ozone’s impact is difficult to estimate due to its uneven distribution and brief existence.
What chemicals primarily cause ozone layer depletion?
Chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs)
CFCs, found in older refrigerators and air conditioners, break down ozone in the stratosphere.
True or False:
The ozone layer is essential for regulating Earth’s climate.
False
The ozone layer primarily protects against harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, not directly regulating Earth’s climate.
What is one long-term consequence of ozone layer depletion?
Increased skin cancer rates.
Prolonged exposure to UV radiation increases the risk of skin cancers, including melanoma, and can also lead to cataracts and weakened immune systems.
How does ozone layer depletion affect the environment?
Increased UV radiation exposure.
This can harm human health and disrupt ecosystems, especially marine life.
Define:
acid rain
It is any precipitation that contains increased sulphuric and nitric acid levels.
It includes wet deposition (rain, dew, fog, snow, hail) and dry deposition (gases and particles like smoke and dust).
List three natural causes of acid rain.
- Volcanoes
- Forest fires
- Rotting vegetation
These natural events release sulfur and nitrogen compounds into the atmosphere.
List five man-made causes of acid rain.
- Carbon emissions from vehicles
- Burning of fossil fuels
- Chemical factories
- Oil refineries
- Industrial processes
What are the primary components of acid rain?
- Nitric acid
- Sulphuric acid
- Carbonic acid
These acids form when gases such as nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide react with water in the atmosphere.
Fill in the blank.
Acid rain can damage buildings by reacting with materials like ________ and marble.
limestone
Acid rain corrodes materials, especially those containing calcium carbonate.
Why is acid rain harmful to aquatic ecosystems?
It increases water acidity, disrupting the survival of aquatic species and food chains.
Vulnerable species like snails, shrimps, and fish suffer the most due to increased acidity.
Acid rain also leaches toxic metals like aluminum into water bodies, harming aquatic life.
List two effects of acid rain on human health.
- Respiratory problems
- Exposure to harmful toxins
One common harmful toxin related to acid rain is methyl mercury. Dry deposition forms of methyl mercury can aggravate asthma and other lung conditions.
Why is reducing fossil fuel use important in combating acid rain?
They release sulfur and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, which can cause acid rain.
Switching to cleaner energy sources reduces these harmful emissions.
True or False:
Acid rain is limited to the areas near industrial sites.
False
Acid rain can be transported by wind and affect regions far from the pollution source.
List three solutions to reduce acid rain.
- Use alternative energy sources like solar, wind, and hydropower.
- Implement pollution control methods.
- Promote public transport to reduce carbon footprint.
These measures lower emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides.
Define:
waste disposal
The process of managing waste from generation to final disposal.
Proper waste management includes:
- Collection
- Treatment
- Disposal
List three methods of waste disposal.
- Landfilling
- Incineration
- Recycling
Each method has different environmental impacts.
How does incineration manage waste?
It burns waste to reduce volume and generate energy.
Incineration can release harmful pollutants if not properly controlled. On the other hand, it can also generate usable energy through a steam-turbine engine.
What are the 3 Rs?
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
These three steps are the best ways to decrease the amount of waste produced.
Why is ‘Reduce’ considered the most effective of the 3 Rs?
It eliminates waste at the source.
Reducing minimizes the need to harvest new materials or create new products.
List three benefits of reducing waste.
- Conserves resources
- Reduces pollution
- Saves energy
Waste reduction minimizes environmental impact and promotes sustainability.
How does ‘Reuse’ help the environment?
It extends the life of resources by repurposing items instead of discarding them.
Reusing reduces demand for new materials and cuts down waste.
Fill in the blank.
Recycling involves creating new products from ____ ________ .
old materials
Recycling transforms waste into usable materials.
Why is ‘Recycle’ considered the least effective of the 3 Rs?
- It is inefficient.
- A large percentage of recyclable materials are not successfully recycled.
System inefficiencies and contamination lower the success rate of recycling. To recycle successfully, properly sort items.
Define:
composting
It turns organic waste like food scraps into nutrient-rich soil.
It is an eco-friendly way to recycle biodegradable materials.
Define:
polymers
They are large molecules made of repeating subunits called monomers.
Polymers include natural ones like DNA and synthetic ones like plastics. Synthetic polymers can lead to environmental problems when they accumulate in the environment, and often take a very long time to degrade naturally.
List two challenges of recycling plastics.
- Different types of plastics require separate processing.
- Contamination can prevent proper recycling.
Only about 14% of plastics are successfully recycled due to these complexities.
List three common types of plastics.
- Polyethylene (PE)
- Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
- Polystyrene (PS)
Plastics are versatile but contribute significantly to environmental pollution.
PE is used in packaging, PS in insulation, and PVC in pipes.
How does human use of plastics affect marine life?
Marine animals can ingest or become entangled in plastic waste.
Small fragments of plastics (often called microplastics) are ingested by sea life and can block digestive tracts, leading to starvation and death.
True or False:
All plastics are biodegradable.
False
Most plastics are not biodegradable and persist in the environment for centuries.
