APES Unit 8 Flashcards
1
Q
Point source pollution
A
single, identifiable source of pollutants
EX smoke stack, waste discharge pipes
2
Q
non-point source pollution
A
pollutants entering the environment from many places at once
EX runoff; pesticide spraying
3
Q
Point source examples
A
– Emissions from smokestack of coal PP
– BP oil spill
4
Q
non-point source examples
A
– animal waste runoff from CAFO
– urban runoff
– large areas of land (agricultural land/ urban land)
5
Q
coral reef relationship with what
A
mutualistic relationship with coral and photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellea
6
Q
photosynthetic algae
A
zooxanthellae
7
Q
what does zooxanthellae provide
A
sugar, oxygen
8
Q
what does coral provide
A
CO2, detritus (nutrient containing organic mattter)
9
Q
how does coral bleaching occur
A
when coral are stressed they expel their zooxanthellae. coral lose color and may die without algae (main food source)
pollutants from runoff and incr. temp can stress coral
10
Q
3 threats to coral reefs
A
- incr ocean temp/ decr. ocean pH
- runoff of sediment
– can smother corals and block sunlight for photosynthesis - destructive fishing methods
– blast fishing can destroy entire reefs
– use of cyanide to stun fish and capture for live aquarium trade
11
Q
how can oil spills occur with example of both
A
– underwater oil well explodes/ blows out oil (example: BP gulf spill)
– when a tanker runs in to a rock/ iceberg and is punctured (example: Exxon Valdez)
12
Q
how to clean an oil spill on ocean
A
– can involve booms on a surface to contain spread and ships with vacuum tubes to siphon oil off of the surface or devices to skim off
– chemical dispersants are sprayed on oil slicks to break up and sink to the bottom. Clears surface but can smother bottom dwellers. can be harmful
– burn oil off surface
13
Q
how to clean oil spill on animals/ beach
A
physical removal iwth towels/ soap/ shovels from beach sand and rocks
14
Q
oil spill effects
A
– death of organisms (hydrocarbons are toxic)
– oil coats feathers of marine birds and fur of marine mammals; they ingest when they clean it off
– some oil sinks and kills bottom dwelling organisms
– oil can enter the ocean food chain via plankton uptake
– oil can wash ashore and decr. tourism revenue and kill fish, decr. fish revenue and huting restaurants that serve fish/ sea food
15
Q
how does the endocrine system work?
A
hormones travel through the body searching for target cells. once it finds its target cell, it binds with specific protein receptors, which signal the cell to express a gene or alter protein activity.
16
Q
endocrine disruptors
A
chemicals that interfere with the endocrine system. bind to cellular receptors meant for hormones, blocking the hormone from being recieved, or amplifying its effects
17
Q
atrazine
A
herbicide leads to feminization in frogs and can contaminate human drinking water
18
Q
DDT
A
insecticide and is a carcinogen. (causes cancer)`
19
Q
phthalates
A
found in plastics and cosmetics. causes learning and attention difficulties in children, increases risk in cancer and alleriges
20
Q
arsenic
A
a natural element in rocks, released through coal combustion.
is a carcinogen but can be removed through waterfilters
21
Q
lead
A
found in old paint, and released through coal combustion.
is a neurotoxin and damages the nervous system but can be removed by water filters
22
Q
coal ash
A
coal ash is stored in ponds that can leach into groundwater or can overflow and runoff.
23
Q
mercury
A
released by coal combustion. ]
is deposited in soil/water. is a teragon (chemical that causes malformation in fetuses)
24
Q
mehtylmercury
A
bacteria in water sources convert mercury to methylmercury which is highly toxic to animals
25
what is a wetland
land that is covered with water most of the year but shallow enough for submergent plants.
26
human activities that disrupt ecosystem wetlands
water pollution, development, etc.
27
process of eutrophication
and positive feedback loop
access N and P leads to eutrophication that fuels algae growth.
1. algal bloom can cover surface of water, blocking sunlight
2. algae eventually die off, bacteria that break down dead algae use up O2 in water
3. lower 02 levels kill aquatic animals, esp. fish
4. bacteria use up even more 02 to decompose dead aquatic animals
positive feedback loop because steps 2 to 4 is a loop that feed into each other
28
cultural eutrophication
anthrophogenic eutrophication
1. sewage treatment plants
2. animal waste
3. synthetic fertilizer
29
oxygen sag curve
1. DO is normally high and BOD is lower.
2. when a pollutant enters the stream, DO goes way down and BOD goes up because there are lots of bacteria that require O2.
3. as the distance from the pollutant increases, the DO goes back up and BOD decreases again.
30
dead zones
decreases in DO (hypoxia) results in dead zones because nothing can live there.
- oceanic dead zones are causes by nutrient pollution
31
Harmful algal blooms
can result from nutrient pollution - bloom of toxic species of algea that can kill consumers in the area
32
oligotrophic waterways
low nutrient levels, stable algae pop., high DO
33
natural eutrophication
sediment buildup on bottom leads to higher nutrients
over time ponds naturally shift form oligotrophic to mesotrophic to eutrophic.
34
solubility
the ability of a solid/liquid/gas to dissolve into a liquid (O2 into water in this case)
35
inverse relationship between DO and water temp.
as water temp incr., DO decr.
36
thermal pollution
when heat released into water has negative effects on organisms living in water
37
negative impacts of incr water temp for organisms
- heat increases respiration rate of aquatic organisms
- hot water has less O2 which can lead to suffocation without enough O2 to support respiration
38
sources of thermal pollution
-- PP, steel mills, paper mills, other manufacturing plants
-- urban stormwater runoff due to heat from asphalt
-- Nuclear PP require especially large amounts of water
39
cooling towers
used to cool steam back into water and to hold warmed water before returning to local surface waters
- standard in nuclear PP but can be optimized to be more efficient
40
POPs
persistent organic pollutants
- synthetic compounds that do not easily breakdown in the environment, accumulate and buildup in water and soil
- are fat-soluble: accumulate in fat tissue instead of passing thru body
- can slowly be released from fatty tissue into blood stream and impact brain and other organs over time
41
examples and sources of POPs
- DDT (outdated insecticide)
- PCBs (carbonless copy paper, linked to cancer)
- PBDEs (fire proofing)
- BPA (plastic additive)
- dioxins (fertilizer production and combustion of waste and biomass)
- phthalates (plastics)
- perchlorates (rocket / missile fuel, fireworks)
- medications
42
transport of POPs
travel long distances through wind and water
- wastewater release from industrial processes, fertilizer/pesticide production
43
bioaccumulation
absorbtion and concentration of compounds (esp. fat soluble ones like POPs) in the cells and fat tissues of organisms.
-- talking about accumulation of chemicals inside of the same organism
44
biomagnification
increasing concentrations of fat-soluble compounds like methylmercury and POPs in each level up the trophic pyramid or food chain/web
-- large predators have the highest POP levels
45
biomagnification DDT example
DDT was banned in many developed nations but still persists in sediments of many bodies of water
- reach highest level in top predators, especially predatory birds like eagles
46
biomagnification methylmercury example (natural source of mercury)
mercury is emitted from burning coal and by volcanoes, carried by the wind and deposited in water where bacteria convert it into toxic mehtylmercury
- reach highest levels in top predators like tuna, sharks and whales
- human exposure from eating large predatory fish
47
MSW
(Waste stream)
municipal solid waste
- waste stream refers to flow of solid waste to recycling centers, land fills or trash incineration facilities
48
E-waste
-old computers, electronics
- considered hazardous waste due to metals like cadmium, lead, mercury, and PBDEs
- can leach endocrine disrupting chemicals out of landfills if thrown away with regular MSW
49
sanitary landfills have
- clay/plastic bottom liner : prevents pollutants from leaking out into soil/groundwater
- leachate collection system : system of tubes/pipes at bottom to collect leachate for treatment/ disposal
- methane recovery system : tubes and pipes to collect methane produced by anearobic decomposition in the landfill - methane can be used to gen. electricity or heat buildings
- clay cap : clay soil mixture used to cover landfill once its full ; keeps out animals, keeps in smell and allows vegetation to regrow
50
landfills decomposition rate
landfills have low rates of decomposition due to low O2, moisture and organic material combination
51
things that should not to landfills
- hazardous waste (antifreeze, motor oil, cleaners)
- metals like copper & aluminium (should be recycled)
- old tires : can hold standing water, ideal for mosquito breeding
- food, yard waste, paper can got to landfill but should be recycled
52
things that should got to landfills
/ (can't be recycled)
- cardboard/food wrappers that have too much food residue and can't be recycled
- rubber, plastic films / wraps
- styrofoam
53
landfill issues environmental issues
- groundwater contamination (heavy metals etc.)
- release of GHGs (CO2, CH2, etc)
54
landfills issues NIMBY
not in my backyard: communities don't want landfills near their homes
- smell and sight
- can attract animals
- groundwater contamination concers
landfills are often placed near low-income communities that don't have the resources to fight against these desicions
55
waste incineration
- can be burned to reduce volume that needs to be landfilled
- can be burned to gen. electricity
56
ocean dumping trash
illegal ocean dumping occurs in some countries with few environmental regulations or lack of enforcement
- plastics esp. created garbage patches
- can suffocate animals if they ingest it or entangle them so they can't fly or swim and may starve
57
water treatment proccess primary treatment
physical removal of large debris with a screen or grate
- filter out plastics, paper, wood, etc.
- grit chamber allows sediment (sand,gravel) to settle out and be removed
58
water treatment proccess secondary treatment
biological breakdown of organic matter by bacteria; aerobic process
- O2 is bubbled into an aeation tank filled with bacteria
- doesn't remove all but most of N and P
- does not remove POPs such as medications or pesticides
59
water treatment proccess tertiary treatment
ecological or chemical treatments to redce pollutants left after primary and secondary
- (optional step)
- critical step because effluent that is discharged into surface waters with elevated N/P leads to eutrophication
- expensive and not always used
60
water treatment proccess disinfectant
UV light, Ozone or chlorine is used to kill bacteria or other pathogens, such as E.coli
61
effluent
liquid waste (sewage) discharged into a surface body of water, typicaly from a wastewater treatment plant
62
sludge
solid waste that collects at the bottom of tanks in primary and secondary treatment
- dried and collected to be put in landfills, burned or turned to fertilizer
63
sewage treatment issues
(combined sewage and stormwater)
(raw sewage contains:)
-- combined sewage and stormwater runoff systems can cause wastewater treament plants to flood, releasing raw sewage into surface waters
-- raw sewage contains: E.coli, ammonia, nitrates, phosphates, endocrine disruptors
-- even treated wastewater often has high levels of N/P and endocrine disruptors
64
Most sustainable of the 3 Rs
Reducing consumption decreases nat. resource harvesting and the enrgy inputs to creating, packaging and shipping goods
- EX: metal/reusable waterbottle to reduce plastic use
- riding bike/walking to reduce gasoline use
65
Reusing
doens't require additional energy to create a product
EX buying secondhand clothes, using old wood palletes for furniture, washing plastic takeout containers and reusing
66
recycling
processing and converting solid waste material into new products
- EX glass being turned into glass again (closed-loop)
-EX waterbottles being turned into fabric for clothes (open-loop)
least sustainable due to the amount of energy it requires to process and convert waste material
67
pros of recycling
-reduces demand for new materials
- reduces energy required to ship raw materials and produce new products
- reduces landfill volume
68
cons of recycling
- costly and still requires significant energy
- cities that offer recycling services need to process, sort and sell colected materials;prices change rapidly, leading to "recylced" materials often being thrown away
- when citizens recycle items that shouldn't be, it incr. cost for cities
69
composting
organic matter being decomposed under controlled conditions
70
pros of composting
-- reduces landfill volume and produces rich, organic matter that enhances water holding capacity, nutrients
-- reduces the amount of methane released by anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in landfills
71
proper mix of "browns" to "greens"
30 : 1
72
E-waste
waste from electronics
can:
-leach toxic metals into soil & groundwater
- be recycled and reused to create new electronics, but often to developing nations due to health hazards, less strict envir. and worker protection laws
- be dismanteled and sold to countries that extract valuable metals
73
how to generate electricity from waste and other pros of it
waste can be incinerated to reduce volume . Contain high amounts of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen so easily combust at high temp.
water--> steam-->turbine-->generator
- produce electricity without mining or fracking.
74
methane gas and gen. electricity from waste
methane gas can be collected with pipes and burned
75
dose response study
independent and dependent variables
studies that expose an organism to different doses of a chemical in order to measure the response of the organism.
- independent variable: concentration of chemical
- dependent variable: response measured in organisms (usually death)
76
LD50
the dose of the chemical that kills 50% of the tested pop.
77
LD50 data expressed as
-mass of chemical (g,mg) / body mass (kg)
- ppm (parts per million) (in air)
- mass /volume (in water or blood)
78
dose response curve
y-axis, x-axis
data from a dose response study, graphed with percent mortality of effect on y-axis and dose on x-axis.
usually "s-shaped"
79
threshold
dose above which an effect starts to occur (where graph starts upturn)
80
ED50
effective dose 50%: the dose of a toxin or chemical that causes a non-lethal effect in 50% of tested pop.
- same general "s-shape" as LD50 but at a lower dose concentration
81
human health (dose response studies)
not done on humans; data from other mammals are used to simmulate human toxicity.
- to determine maximum allowable levels for humans, we generally divide LD50 dose by 1,000 for extreme caution
82
acute vs. chronic studies
most response studies are acute
acute is short period of time effects
chronic studies are longer term and follow developmental impacts.
83
why is it difficult to establish a cause and effect between pollution and human health issues
because humans experience exposure to a variety of chemicals and pollutants so studying the effects of just one pollutant is difficult
84
synergism
the interaction of two or more substances to cause an effect greater than the sum of individual effects
EX asthma caused by PM from coal PPs and COVID 19 damaging lungs
85
dysentery
gastroenteritis (leads to diarrhea containing blood
- caused by bacterial infection from food or water contaminated with feces
- results in severe dehydration
- kills 1.1 million ppl. annually but mostly in developing nations
- can be treated with antibiotics
86
mesothelioma
type of cancer caused by asbethos
87
pathogen
an organism that causes and infectuos diseas
pathogens adapt and evolve to take advantage of humans as hosts
EX COVID 19
88
vector
organisms that carry and transmit infectuos pathogens to other organisms EX mosquitos
89
zoonotic diseases
originate in animals
- 75% of new diseases are zoonotic
