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Question 1

What is the definition of pollution?

Answer 1

The Eu Water Framework Directive states that pollution is “The direct or indirect introduction, as a result of human activity of substances or heat into the water or land which may be harmful to human health or the quality of aquatic ecosystems or terrestrial ecosystems, which result in damage to material property, or which impair or interfere with amenities and other legitimate uses of the environment”.

Question 2

What are the different types of pollution? (7)

Answer 2

Energy pollution (Thermal, Light), Chemical pollution (Natural/synthetic), Visual pollution, Water pollution, Soil pollution, Sediment pollution and Air pollution.

Question 3

What is the difference between contamination and pollution?

Answer 3

Contamination is elevated levels of chemical substances and energy in air, water or sediments. It is above background levels and statistically determined. It can be naturally or human induced. The difference is that contamination may not cause issues, whereas pollution is defined to result in harm to the environment.

Question 4

What are the two classification’s of pollutants?

Answer 4

Land-based activities and Marine-based activities

Question 5

What are the land-based sources of pollution? (4)

Answer 5

Agricultural waste, Industrial pollution, Transport and Municipal Waste

Question 6

What are the marine-based sources of pollution? (6)

Answer 6

Fisheries, Ship-based, Tourism and recreation, Offshore extraction, Military defence and Waste disposal.

Question 7

What is point source pollution?

Answer 7

Defined by the US protection agency as “Any transport, including by not limited to any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel etc. from which pollutants are/may be discharged”.

Question 8

What is non-point source pollution?

Answer 8

These are diffuse sources which cannot be measured/identified to a singe location. Generally results from land runoff, rain, atmospheric deposit of sediment, drainage, seepage or hydrological modifications.

Question 9

What are some issues with non-point source pollution?

Answer 9

Much harder to identify, monitor and regulate. The sources of pollution and the impact may be miles apart.

Question 10

What are some benefits to point source pollution when compared to non-point source pollution?

Answer 10

Easily monitored and controlled. Major reduction in point source pollution in the last few years due to legislation.

Question 11

What is acute pollution?

Answer 11

Short term pollution, single event e.g. sea empress

Question 12

What is chronic pollution?

Answer 12

Long term pollution and continuous event, with a build up of substances.

Question 13

What are the four classifications of longevity in pollution problems?

Answer 13

Conservative (property of substance), Persistent (property of synthetic substance), Degradable (naturally degrade through organic processes) and Dissipating (disperse from input source).

Question 14

What are other classifications of sources? (2)

Answer 14

Deliberate (split into regulated and non-regulated under legislation) and accidental pollution e.g. oil spills (risk assessments to reduce this).

Question 15

Explain the DPSIR model.

Answer 15

Driving forces (e.g. economic activity), Pressures (pollution input), State (pollution concentration), Impact (chemical, biological and economical), Responses (control of pollution and management).

Question 16

Explain the dose response curve.

Answer 16

Many elements have dose response curves. As the concentration of a certain nutrient increases, the function changes. Too much of a certain substance will result in contamination. The stages are as follows: Death, Deficiency, Marginal, Optimal, Marginal, Toxicity, Death.

Question 17

Name one method of testing for Toxicity

Answer 17

Inject certain organisms with a toxin and the time it takes to die usually measures its toxicity, it is used to calculate the LT50 or LTm, the median lethal time.

Question 18

What is median lethal time?

Answer 18

It is the average time interval in which 50% of a given population may be expected to die, at a given concentration under defined set of conditions.

Question 19

What are some sub-lethal effects of toxicity? (5)

Answer 19

There are 5 main sub-lethal effects, these include: 
Inhibitory effects (e.g. growth, reproduction and respiration), 
Morphological changes (e.g. vertebral damage), 
Behavioural Changes (include feeding habits), 
Tainting (Taste/colouration), 
Genetic changes can occur (mutations).

Question 20

What are some complications derived from Toxicity? (4)

Answer 20

Delayed impacts, Detoxification, Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification

Question 21

What are Hydrocarbons?

Answer 21

Sources of oil pollution from oil spills, oil dispersion and blow outs. They consist of 4-26 carbon atoms bonded. Can be straight, branched or cyclic chains, and are bound by hydrogen.

Question 22

What are the sources of oil pollution?

Answer 22

Oil is a mined globally for energy, it is a large fossil fuel and from 470,000 to 8.1m tonnes found globally per annum. From this high quantity around 4.6% are from natural sources, 37% by discharges from consumption of oils (shipping).

Question 23

What will happen to global production of oil in the next 50 years?

Answer 23

Oil is a non-renewable source of energy, and currently declining in production levels. We have already passed our peak oil production, this means that gradually less and less oil will be mined and alternatives must be found.

Question 24

What causes oil spills?

Answer 24

Groundings are the highest with 35% of all spills, collisions are then next, followed by hull failures, loading/discharges, fires and explosions. 80% are all due to human error.

Question 25

Name some case studies for large oil spills around the world.

Answer 25

Atlantic Empress - lost 287,000 tonnes, ABT Summer - lost 260,000 tonnes, and Sea Empress lost 72,000 tonnes. Some UK based spills include Torrey Canyon and Sea Empress.

Question 26

What is a blow out?

Answer 26

This is the uncontrolled release of crude oil and/or natural gas into the environment after systems have failed e.g. BP deep water horizon (2010).

Question 27

What are the ways in which oil is dispersed? (8)

Answer 27

SOMETIMES EVERY DOG DIGS ELOQUENTLY OR STABS BULBASAUR

Spreading - when oil is spilt is floats to the surface and spreads, influenced by weather.
Evaporation - lighter oil is heated by sun and evaporated
Dispersion - droplets of oil mixing into water column
Dissolution - the compounds of water dissolve the oil
Emulsification - waves can mix oil within water
Oxidation - As hydrocarbons react with oxygen, oxidation can either break down the oil or create tar balls
Sedimentation - oil sinks and mixes with sediment potentially forming tar mats
Bioaccumulation - organisms may feed on hydrocarbons

Question 28

What are the impacts of oil in a rocky shore environment?

Answer 28

Rocky shores are relatively impenetrable, and don’t usually have high oil content. Majority of oil put up in rocky shores would be remove by wave action. But it could damage intertidal communities.

Question 29

What are the impacts of oil in a sand beach environment?

Answer 29

In areas of fine sand, oil penetration can persist from months to years (depending on wave exposure). Oil can form asphalt pavements. Rich biological communities may be affected and can temporary decline faunal populations.

Question 30

What are the impacts of oil in a shingle beach environment?

Answer 30

Shingle beaches are a mixture of cobbles and pebbles.
Oil can penetrate to different depths, depending on stone size. The are high energy environments so surface material can be washed away quickly, but buried oil may persist.

Question 31

What are the impacts of oil in a muddy foreshore environment?

Answer 31

Little penetration in muddy foreshores due to its cohesiveness. Oil may persist on the surface however. This can effect biological utilisation of the mudflats.

Question 32

What are the impacts of oil in a salt marsh/mangrove environments?

Answer 32

These are sheltered from wave action with vegetation offering a large absorptive surface area. Oil can stay for a couple of years if it stays on leaves. If it penetrates marsh sediments is can become buried.

Question 33

What are the impacts of oil in a coral reef environment?

Answer 33

Instead of acute mortality, more likely that effects occur in sublethal forms. These include reduced photosynthesis, growth, or reproduction. Early developmental forms (like coral larvae) are particularly sensitive to oil spills.

Question 34

How are Seabirds, Cetaceans, Seals, Fisheries and Shellfish effected by oil spills?

Answer 34

Seabirds - ingestion, hypothermia and drowning
Cetaceans - skin/eye lesions, sensitive skin to oil
Seals - sub lethal impacts such as hypothermia and damaged tissue around eyes. Buoyancy problems and flippers can stick to the body
Fisheries - sub lethal - tainting, no spawning and damaged behavioural stimuli
Shellfish - poisoning, tainting, clogged feeding mechanisms and reduced reproduction

Question 35

What are the social-economic issues of oil spills?

Answer 35

One case study is the Sea Empress Disaster which was caused by human error. With £52-£109 million costs. Tourism Tourism - £2.9 million in compensation, tourists stay away from area too. Also affecting neighbouring areas.
Fisheries - Fish can be tainted, ruining fish stocks.
Recreation - activities would come to a halt.
Scientific/Educational/Historic Impacts - Difficult to evaluate, one of a kind features that would be irreplaceable.

Question 36

What are some methods that are used to clean up oil spills?

Answer 36

There are mechanical methods (booms, skimmers, hydraulic pressure), chemical methods (dispersing agents), biological methods (bioremediation), physical methods (burning).

Question 37

What are Halogenated Hydrocarbons?

Answer 37

These are hydrocarbons that contrain: F, Cl, Br, T and make up 1000s of artificial chemicals. They are stable, and can absorb into clays.

Question 38

What are the sources of halogenated hydrocarbons?

Answer 38

Agricultural sources - pesticides, insecticides, seed dressings, soil fumigants
Industrial sources - circuit boards, air pollution from burning
Marine sources - sewerage sludge

Question 39

What are the pathways for halogenated hydrocarbons?

Answer 39

Atmopsheric and Fluvial sources

Question 40

What are the impacts of halogenated hydrocarbons?

Answer 40

Biological - accumulate in fatty tissues/ starvation. For birds it can result in a weakening of the shells. It distrups normal activity between species.
Human’s health can also be affected, examples include the Yusho disease, Japan. From the introduction into rice.
Short-term exposure - nausea, lead to a damage to CNS
Long-term exposure - links to Parkinson’s.

Question 41

What is sewerage discharge?

Answer 41

Human (& industrial) waste with a complex addition. The waste will have suspended solids such as organic matter and sewage-related debris. This can also contain nutrients.

Question 42

What are the inputs of sewerage discharge to the coastal environment?

Answer 42

This can include Coastal outfalls (both short-sea & long-sea outfalls), Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO), Riverine inputs, Recreational vessels and Cruise ships effluents.

Question 43

What are the issues associated with sewage effluents? (5)

Answer 43

Direct environmental effects
Destruction of habitats/ biodiversity
Aesthetic pollution
Risks to human health 
Socio-economic impacts

Question 44

What happens to a river if the BOD alters?

Answer 44

BOD means the Biological Oxygen Demand, sewerage containing biological solids may react with oxygen in fluvial environments, this reduces oxygen from the river and kills fish species.

Question 45

What changes are there in habitats and biodiversity related to sewerage waste?

Answer 45

Both acute (Fish killed) and chronic pollution (coral reef damage) impacts

Question 46

What impacts are there from sewerage effluents? (2)

Answer 46

Aesthetic impacts (Sewage-related debris
Implications for tourism)
Health impacts (beaches closed, diseases in water)

Question 47

What does municipal waste treatment remove?

Answer 47

Phosphorus, Nitrogen, Viruses, Dissolved organics, pathogens and sewerage solids. 1.8m kids die under 5 die due to poor water related illnesses.

Question 48

What schemes are in place to reduce sewerage outfalls?

Answer 48

Sussex treatment scheme is a £300m scheme completed in 2013 that treats 95m litres a day.

Question 49

What is sewerage sludge?

Answer 49

This is the residual, semi solid material left at municipal treatment works, often water has been filtered out.

Question 50

Why do BOD’s change seasonally?

Answer 50

BOD’s are found higher in summer because of higher water temperatures facilitating greater bacterial diversity and activity rates.

Question 51

Outline four environmental factors which may influence the toxicity of heavy metals to biota.

Answer 51

These include salinity, change in pH, water hardness and temperature. This then alters the form of the heavy metals, solubility ability to accumulate and dispersion.

Question 52

Why is grain size an important factor when studying metal pollution in estuarine sediments?

Answer 52

Grain size is a determination factor of penetration. The larger the grain size, the more porous the sediment. Fine grains also provide larger surface area for pollutants.