A. Overview Flashcards
What is the total volume of water on Earth?
1.4 billion cubic kilometres
How much of the water on Earth is freshwater?
23 million cubic kilometres
2.5% of the total water on Earth
What percentage of freshwater is stored as groundwater?
30% of freshwater stored as groundwater
How much usable freshwater is available to humans and ecosystems?
~ 200,000 km(3)
< 1% of total volume.
What percentage of industirla waste in developing countries is dumped untreated into waters.
70% of industrial waste in developing countries is dumped untreated into waters.
How many people “currently” live without basic sanitation?
2.5 billion people (nearly 1 billion of whom are children) currently live without basic sanitation.
Name 11 freshwater pollution sources . . .
Acidification: Precipitation Pathogens & Microbial Contaminants
Acidification: Runoff Salinization
Metals Silt and Suspended Particles
Mico Organic Pollutants Thermal Pollution
Nutrients Toxic Organic Compounds
Organic Matter
Give a definition of Pollution
Any substance in water, air or soil . . .
that degrades the natural quality of the environment . . .
offends sight / taste / smell or causes a health hazard.
The usefulness of the natural resource is impaired by its presence.
Name a Point Source Pollutant:
Sewage effluent pipe oulet
Name a Diffuse Source Pollutant:
Acid Rain
What is a Primary Pollutant?
A substance that exters a harmful effect when it enters the environment.
Carbon Monoxide,
What is a Secondary Pollutant?
A pollutant synthesied as a result of chemical processes in the environment from other precursors (often less harmful).
Ozone
Acid Rain
What is a Bioaccumulated Pollutant?
A pollutant that enters the food chain and builds up in the biological tissue of an organism.
DDT
PCBs
