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ENVS232 Marine Pollution > Emerging Threats > Flashcards

Emerging Threats Flashcards

1
Q

What types of substances are included in Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs)?

A

PPCPs encompass pharmaceuticals like antibiotics, birth control pills, tranquilizers, painkillers, as well as personal care products such as soaps, sunscreens, and cosmetics.

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2
Q

Why are PPCPs a concern?

A

PPCPs are concerning because they’re found in plankton and fish tissues, potentially impacting aquatic life. Risks include antibiotic resistance, endocrine disruption (e.g., from birth control pills), and altered fish hormones leading to reproductive issues

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3
Q

How does tourist sunscreen impact coral reefs?

A

Tourist sunscreen contributes 4,000 to 6,000 tonnes of runoff into oceans annually. Swimmers, particularly around coral reefs like the Great Barrier Reef, may contribute to reef death. Chemicals in sunscreens put 10% of coral reefs at risk of bleaching

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4
Q

How do chemicals in sunscreens impact coral reefs?

A

Chemicals like parabens, cinnamate, benzophenone, and camphors cause viruses to replicate in algae hosts until they explode, releasing viruses into the seawater. Without algae, coral bleaches and dies. A study examined sunscreen effects on corals across various ocean regions

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5
Q

How does sunscreen impact coral reefs despite being necessary for tourists?

A

Sunscreens can cause rapid bleaching and death of coral reefs even at low concentrations, posing an economic threat to tourism, which values the Great Barrier Reef at $2.31 billion annually.

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6
Q

What are alkylphenols?

A

Alkylphenols are chemicals used in detergents, cleaning products, hair care items, and plastics.

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6
Q

What are some known effects of alkylphenols?

A

They are known to disrupt hormones in both humans and wildlife, including marine life.

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7
Q

How do alkylphenols affect marine organisms?

A

They have been found at toxic levels in lobsters near urban areas, affecting their shell development, growth, and survival.

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8
Q

What is BPA (Bisphenol-A)?

A

BPA is a well-known alkylphenol found in polycarbonate plastic used for various products like bottles, food containers, and CDs.

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9
Q

What are some uses of BPA?

A

It is also used in epoxy resins for water pipes, food cans, marine coatings, and ship hulls.

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10
Q

What are the health risks associated with BPA exposure?

A

BPA is classified as a reproductive, developmental, and systemic toxicant, often acting as an endocrine disruptor. It can lead to metabolic disorders, immune toxicity, and neurotoxicity.

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11
Q

How does BPA affect marine organisms?

A

BPA interferes with the reproductive system of marine organisms, causing hormone disruption and decreased fertility

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12
Q

How is Bisphenol A (BPA) classified in the EU?

A

BPA is classified as a substance causing toxic effects on reproduction, and it may also cause respiratory irritation, serious eye damage, and skin allergies.

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13
Q

What restrictions apply to BPA in the EU?

A

BPA has been restricted for consumer use since March 2018, and companies supplying it must classify and label the substance accordingly.

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14
Q

Why is BPA listed as a substance of very high concern (SVHC)?

A

BPA is listed as an SVHC due to its toxic effects on reproduction and its endocrine-disrupting properties, which can have adverse effects on both human health and the environment.

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15
Q

When was BPA banned in certain products in the EU?

A

BPA has been banned in infant feeding bottles since June 2011 and in plastic bottles and food packaging for babies and children under three years since September 2018

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16
Q

Is BPA completely banned in materials that come into contact with food in the EU?

A

No, BPA can still be used in materials that contact food, but only a limited amount (0.05 mg/kg) is allowed to leach from the material into food.

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17
Q

What is the situation regarding BPA in France?

A

France has implemented a comprehensive ban on BPA in all food packaging, containers, and utensils

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18
Q

What is EFSA doing regarding BPA?

A

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is re-evaluating the risks associated with BPA in foodstuffs, with the results expected in late 2021 or early 2022

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19
Q

What actions were taken regarding neonicotinoids in the EU?

A

Neonicotinoids, including Fipronil, were heavily restricted from 2013 and completely banned by the EU in 2018, except for specific uses in greenhouses and as flea treatment for pets

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20
Q

When were neonicotinoids banned in the EU?

A

Neonicotinoids were banned by the EU in 2018, with exceptions for their use in greenhouses and as flea treatment for pets

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21
Q

Where were the highest levels of pesticides found according to the researchers?

A

The highest levels of pesticides were found downstream from wastewater treatment (WTW) plants, indicating that urban areas, not farmland, were the main source.

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22
Q

What did the researchers conclude about the main source of pesticides?

A

The researchers concluded that urban areas, particularly wastewater treatment plants, were the main source of pesticides, rather than farmland.

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23
Q

How much pesticide, contained in a single flea treatment for a medium-sized dog, is sufficient to kill 60 million bees?

A

Just one flea treatment for a medium-sized dog with imidacloprid contains enough pesticide to kill 60 million bees

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24
Q

What are the potential impacts of flea treatments on aquatic life according to the researchers?

A

The researchers suggest that flea treatments can harm aquatic life in rivers, estuaries, and potentially offshore areas

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25
Q

What recommendations do the researchers make regarding the use of flea treatments?

A

The researchers recommend discouraging the blanket use of flea treatments and suggest the need for new regulations. Currently, these treatments are approved without an assessment of their environmental damage

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26
Q

What are nanomaterials?

A

Nanomaterials are particles where at least one dimension is less than 100 nanometers

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27
Q

What types of materials are included in the category of nanomaterials?

A

Nanomaterials encompass nanoparticles, nanofibers, nanotubes, composite materials, and nano-structured surfaces

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28
Q

How small is a nanometer?

A

One nanometer is equivalent to
10−9 meters, or 0.000000001 meters.

29
Q

What are the sources of nanoparticles?

A

Nanoparticles originate from both anthropogenic (human-made) and natural sources

30
Q

What are examples of unintentional sources of nanoparticles?

A

Unintentional sources include road transport, combustion processes, fires, and volcanic eruptions.

31
Q

Where are engineered nanomaterials commonly found?

A

Engineered nanomaterials are utilized in various applications across industries, including electronics, medicine, cosmetics, and environmental remediation

32
Q

Where are nanoparticles commonly used?

A

Nanoparticles find applications in various everyday products such as paints, batteries, fuel, catalysts, transistors, lasers, lubricants, sunscreens, cosmetics, and food additives.

33
Q

What materials are nanoparticles made of?

A

Nanoparticles can be composed of various materials, including carbon (such as nanotubes and fullerenes), metals (like gold, platinum, and silver), metal oxides (such as titanium dioxide TiO2, zinc oxide ZnO, copper oxide CuO, and nickel oxide NiO), plastic (such as polystyrene), or silica

34
Q

What are methane hydrates composed of?

A

Methane hydrates consist of molecules of natural gas, mainly methane, enclosed within a solid lattice of water molecules.

35
Q

What happens when methane hydrates are brought to the earth’s surface?

A

When brought to the earth’s surface, one cubic meter of gas hydrate releases 164 cubic meters of natural gas

36
Q

Where are methane hydrate deposits typically found?

A

Deposits are found where methane occurs under elevated pressures and at relatively low temperatures, such as beneath permafrost or in shallow sediments along deep water continental margins

37
Q

What are the two types of methane hydrate formation?

A

Methane that forms hydrate can be either biogenic or thermogenic.

38
Q

What is the current understanding regarding the abundance of gas hydrates?

A

Once assumed to be rare, gas hydrates are now thought to occur in vast volumes.

39
Q

How much methane do gas hydrates include, approximately?

A

Gas hydrates include 250,000–700,000 trillion cubic feet of methane

40
Q

What is the typical thickness of gas hydrate formations?

A

The formation thickness can be several hundred meters thick.

41
Q

What is the structure of methane hydrates?

A

Methane hydrates consist of a clathrate structure, formed by one molecule enclosing another, with the outer cage made of water molecules

42
Q

How is methane hydrate visually represented?

A

Methane hydrates appear as a white area that resembles ice

43
Q

Why are methane hydrates considered a potential threat?

A

Methane hydrates are considered a potential threat due to the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere if they are destabilized

44
Q

How do methane hydrates form?

A

Methane hydrates form under conditions of high water pressure and cold temperatures. Higher pressure is required at warmer temperatures for their formation

45
Q

Where are methane hydrates typically found in terms of depth and temperature?

A

Methane hydrates can be found at depths less than 200 meters in the Arctic. In typical waters with temperatures of 2-3 degrees Celsius, they begin forming at depths of 300-400 meters.

46
Q

Where are methane hydrates primarily distributed in the ocean?

A

Methane hydrates are predominantly found in marine sediments of continental slopes, constituting about 99% of the total CH4 hydrate present

47
Q

How do methane hydrates form?

A

Methane hydrates form from the breakdown of organic matter, primarily in sediment that was or is rich in organic material

48
Q

What are the two main types of methane hydrates based on their formation processes?

A

Methane hydrates can be classified into two main types: biogenic, which are derived from the microbial reduction of CO2, and thermogenic, which are created by geological processes deeper within the earth.

49
Q

What is the estimated fuel potential of methane hydrates?

A

Methane hydrates are believed to hold more potential fossil fuel than traditional coal, oil, and natural gas reserves combined

50
Q

Which countries are considering the mining of methane hydrates as a potential energy source?

A

The USA, India, Japan, and Korea are among the countries considering the mining of methane hydrates

51
Q

What are some concerns associated with extracting methane hydrates as a fuel source?

A

Despite its energy potential, extracting methane hydrates would contribute to climate change as a fossil fuel, and it would eventually be depleted

52
Q

What potential problem is associated with the stability of methane hydrates?

A

The warming of oceans may destabilize methane hydrates at depth, leading to the release of methane gas

53
Q

How does water temperature affect the formation and containment of methane hydrates?

A

Warmer water requires deeper depths to form and contain methane hydrates

54
Q

Why is it difficult to predict the exact potential effects of methane hydrate release?

A

There is a large uncertainty in the amount of methane hydrates, making it challenging to predict the precise consequences of their release.

55
Q

What did a study focus on regarding methane hydrates below the Gulf Stream?

A

The study focused on the release of methane into the ocean from methane hydrates once locked up in the seafloor below the Gulf Stream.

56
Q

How does the temperature of the overlying water influence the stability of methane hydrates?

A

The temperature of the overlying water, which was around 8°C cooler 5000 years ago, influences the stability of methane hydrates.

57
Q

Why is the boundary of methane hydrate stability significant in relation to past ocean temperatures?

A

The boundary of methane hydrate stability reflects the temperature of the overlying water about 5000 years ago, as heat penetrates the seafloor very slowly.

58
Q

How has the temperature rise affected methane hydrates in the seabed?

A

The temperature rise has destabilized the methane hydrate in the seabed, allowing methane gas to rise up through the water in plumes of bubbles.

59
Q

What is the estimated amount of destabilizing methane in the area?

A

An estimated 2.5 gigatonnes of methane are currently destabilizing in an area 10,000 km² in size.

60
Q

How long might this methane destabilization continue, and what factors could mitigate it?

A

This destabilization may continue for centuries unless the Gulf Stream shifts location or the temperature cools by several degrees

61
Q

What typically happens to most of the methane released from hydrates in the ocean?

A

Most of the methane actually dissolves or is oxidized by microbes and never reaches the atmosphere.

62
Q

Are there any exceptions to this rule?

A

Yes, in shallow areas like the East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS), methane release can occur more rapidly

63
Q

Over what timescale is methane release from hydrates and permafrost likely to occur?

A

Methane release from hydrates and permafrost is likely to happen over timescales of thousands of years rather than decades.

64
Q

How does the release rate of carbon from methane hydrates and permafrost compare to present-day methane emissions from tropical wetlands?

A

The release rate of carbon from both methane hydrates and permafrost is fairly slow compared to present-day methane emissions from tropical wetlands.

65
Q

How does the release rate of carbon from methane hydrates and permafrost compare to fossil fuel carbon release as CO2?

A

The release rate of carbon from methane hydrates and permafrost is also slow relative to fossil fuel carbon release as CO2

66
Q

What implication does this slow release rate have on climate change in the coming centuries?

A

Methane released from hydrates is likely to have a much smaller impact on climate change in the coming centuries than carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels

67
Q

What happens to methane after it is released from hydrates?

A

Methane oxidises to carbon dioxide after about a decade

68
Q

What is the consequence of carbon dioxide dissolving in seawater?

A

Carbon dioxide dissolving in seawater makes it more acidic, which has consequences for marine life

69
Q

Why is there uncertainty about the global inventory of methane hydrates?

A

Assessing the role of methane in future climate change is still a relatively young science, and there is uncertainty about how big and how sensitive the global inventory of methane hydrates might be

ENVS232 Marine Pollution (24 decks)

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