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ENGR 202 > Lecture 2 > Flashcards

Lecture 2 Flashcards

1
Q

Name 4 major sources of lead in the air.

A

Metals processing, waste incinerators, utilities, and lead-acid battery manufacturers.

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2
Q

Depending on the level of exposure of what criteria air pollutant can affect the nervous system, kidney function, immune system, reproductive & developmental systems and the cardiovascular systems.

A

Lead.

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3
Q

What demographic of people are especially sensitive to lead exposures?

A

Infants/children.

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4
Q

What effect can lead have on infants?

A

Behavioral problems, learning deficits and lowered IQ.

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5
Q

What effect does elevated levels of lead in the environment have on plants and animals?

A

Decreased growth and reproduction.

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6
Q

What effect does lead have on vertebrates?

A

Neurological effects.

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7
Q

Air toxics can be gases, compounds, or elements. Name a compound air toxic.

A

Asbestos.

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8
Q

Acid deposition is better known by what other name?

A

Acid rain.

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9
Q

What 2 types of acid deposition is there?

A

Wet deposition and dry deposition.

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10
Q

Rain and snow are already naturally acidic, but their acidity becomes problematic below what pH level?

A

5.

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11
Q

Which acid forms from sulfur dioxide, and becomes a major cause of acid deposition?

A

Sulfuric acid.

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12
Q

Current government regulations and changes in industrial practices are expected to reduce the rate of SO2 and nitrogen emissions in what sector?

A

Electricity.

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13
Q

What does acid deposition do to metal, paint, and stone?

A

Corrodes metal, deteriorates paint and stone.

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14
Q

What is the effect of acid deposition on algae and seagrass?

A

Acid deposition may increase their photosynthetic and growth rates.

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15
Q

What marine species may be harmed by acid deposition?

A

Molluscs, corals and some varieties of plankton.

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16
Q

What is the effect of acid deposition on coral reefs?

A

They may become vulnerable to storm damage and slow the recovery rate.

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17
Q

What is common in the chemical compounds that thin the Earth’s ozone layer in the upper atmosphere?

A

They contain gaseous chlorine or bromine from industry and other human activities.

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18
Q

Where is the thinning of the ozone layer most pronounced?

A

In polar regions, especially over Antarctica.

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19
Q

How is ozone-destroying chlorine liberated from CFCs?

A

UV radiation.

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20
Q

What are CFCs?

A

Chlorofluorocarbons are a major source of chlorine in the stratoshpere.

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21
Q

Which protocol began the phaseout of CFCs in 1987?

A

The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer.

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22
Q

The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer sought to achieve a 50% reduction in global consumption from 1986 by what year?

A

1998.

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23
Q

In the countries that were parties to the Montreal protocol, how much had the consumption of ozone-depleting chemicals fallen by 2005?

A

90% - 95%.

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24
Q

GWP is the ratio of the radiative forcing from emissions of one kg of a GHG to that from the emission of one kg of what other GHG?

A

Carbon dioxide.

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25
Q

GWP is a ratio that is measured over a period of time. What is the usual period of time considered?

A

100 years.

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26
Q

Describe a form of water pollution, besides the release of substances into bodies of water.

A

The release of energy, in the form of radioactivity or heat.

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27
Q

Name 4 major water contaminants.

A

Pathogens, organic waste, nutrients, and toxic organic chemicals.

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28
Q

What is the primary source of water-contaminating pathogens?

A

Domestic sewage.

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29
Q

Sewage-treatment processes reduce the wastewater levels of pathogens and what other pollutant?

A

Organics.

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30
Q

Besides untreated sewage, from where else can pathogens enter waterways? (3)

A

Runoff from naturally vegetated areas, malfunctioning septic systems, and stormwater drains.

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31
Q

Pathogens can lead to health issues ranging from mild impacts to serious life-threatening illnesses. Name 2 such serious illnesses.

A

Typhoid and cholera.

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32
Q

Organic pollution (the release of organic compounds into water courses) can lead to the depletion of what in surface waters?

A

Oxygen.

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33
Q

Organic pollutants consist of what 4 organic compounds?

A

Proteins, carbohydrates, fats and nucleic acids.

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34
Q

Organic waste originates from what 4 sources?

A

Domestic sewage (raw or treated), urban run-off, industrial (trade) effluents and farm wastes.

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35
Q

What nutrients can be considered as a major water contaminants?

A

Nitrogen and phosphorous.

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36
Q

Nitrogen and phosphorous support the growth of which water based organisms?

A

Algae and aquatic plants.

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37
Q

Nitrogen and phosphorus are nutrients that are natural parts of aquatic ecosystems.

A

True.

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38
Q

When are nutrients such as nitrogen or phosphorous considered pollutants?

A

When they are present in excess.

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39
Q

Infants are vulnerable to what nitrogen-based compound in drinking water?

A

Nitrates.

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40
Q

What pollutants are produced by excess nitrogen in the atmosphere?

A

Ammonia and ozone.

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41
Q

What are the 3 potential harms of ammonia and ozone in the atmosphere?

A

Impaired ability to breathe, limited visibility and altered plant growth.

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42
Q

Can excess atmospheric nitrogen harm the health of forests, soils, and waterways?

A

Yes, when the excess nitrogen comes back to earth.

43
Q

The 4 primary sources of excess nitrogen and phosphorus are?

A

Agriculture, stormwater, wastewater, and fossil fuels.

44
Q

What additional substance is found in toxic synthetic organic chemicals?

A

Chlorine.

45
Q

Some organic chemicals are known or suspected carcinogens, meaning what?

A

Meaning they are cancer causing.

46
Q

Some organic chemicals are known or suspected mutagens, meaning what?

A

Meaning they produce genetic mutations.

47
Q

Oil spills count as water contamination via an organic compound.

A

True.

48
Q

Pesticides count as a class of toxic organic compounds.

A

True.

49
Q

Name 3 observed effects of pesticides (such as DDT) on organisms.

A

Reduction in reproductive capacity, birth defects, and tumors.

50
Q

VOCs count as a class of toxic organic chemicals.

A

True - volatile organic compounds.

51
Q

VOCs are often used as what 2 things?

A

Industrial or household solvents, and as ingredients in chemical manufacturing processes.

52
Q

Many VOCs are known/suspected mutagens.

A

False - carcinogens.

53
Q

Solid waste falls under what two categories?

A

Hazardous solid waste, and nonhazardous wastes.

54
Q

Which act passed in 1976 was established to set up a framework for the proper management of hazardous waste?

A

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

55
Q

Hazardous wastes are classified on the basis of which of their properties?

A

Their biological, chemical, and physical properties.

56
Q

What are the 6 possible characteristics of hazardous solid waste?

A

Toxic, reactive, ignitable, corrosive, infectious, or radioactive.

57
Q

What characteristic of liquids makes them ignitable?

A

Flashpoints below 140 degrees Fahrenheit .

58
Q

Can nonliquids or gasses also be considered ignitable?

A

Yes - nonliquids with the potential to ignite via the specific conditions and compressed gases.

59
Q

Corrosive waste can do what?

A

Corrosive waste can rust and decompose materials.

60
Q

Corrosive waste can be basic, rather than acidic.

A

True.

61
Q

Aqueous waste with what acidity level is considered corrosive?

A

2 pH (or less).

62
Q

When is waste is considered reactive?

A

When it’s capable of explosion and detonation that may produce toxic gases.

63
Q

When is waste considered toxic?

A

When it’s fatally poisonous to ingest or absorb.

64
Q

What kind of batteries are considered toxic?

A

Lithium-sulfur batteries.

65
Q

What chemical analysis process is used to determine whether there are hazardous elements present in a waste?

A

The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP).

66
Q

The TCLP involves a simulation of what?

A

Of leaching through a landfill.

67
Q

Is Municipal solid waste (MSW) considered hazardous?

A

No - MSW is nonhazardous.

68
Q

Radioactive waste in Canada is defined as any material (liquid, gaseous or solid) that contains what?

A

A radioactive nuclear substance.

69
Q

Can radioactive waste contain hazardous substances that are not radioactive?

A

Yes.

70
Q

List the 5 activities that produce radioactive waste.

A

Nuclear medicine, nuclear research, nuclear power generation, rare-earth mining, and nuclear weapons reprocessing.

71
Q

The storage and disposal of radioactive waste to protect human and environmental health is regulated by who?

A

Government agencies.

72
Q

What are the 3 broad categories of radioactive waste?

A

Low-level waste, (LLW), intermediate-level waste (ILW), and high level waste (HLW).

73
Q

High-level radioactive wastes are the highly radioactive materials produced as a byproduct of what?

A

The reactions that occur inside nuclear reactors.

74
Q

What are the two types of high level waste?

A

Spent nuclear fuel and reprocessing extracts isotopes from spent fuel.

75
Q

Spent nuclear fuel is used fuel from a reactor that is no longer efficient in creating electricity. Why then is it considered high-level waste?

A

It is still thermally hot, highly radioactive, and potentially harmful.

76
Q

Reprocessing extracts isotopes from spent fuel (that can be used again as reactor fuel) are characterized by what? (2)

A

Intensive radioactivity and very long half-life.

77
Q

What is transuranic waste?

A

Waste that contains manmade elements heavier than uranium on the periodic table.

78
Q

When is transuranic waste produced?

A

During nuclear fuel assembly, nuclear weapons research and production, and during the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel.

79
Q

Transuranic waste falls into what two categories?

A

Contact-handled and remote-handled.

80
Q

What can be said about the radionuclide content found in low-level radioactive waste?

A

LLW contains material with radionuclide content above the established clearance levels.

81
Q

Low-level radioactive waste is free of long-lived radionuclides.

A

False - but there are limited amounts.

82
Q

The radioactivity of low-level radioactive waste is necessarily just above background levels found in nature.

A

False - LLW can be highly radioactive.

83
Q

When is low-level waste typically removed from on-site storage by licensees?

A

Either when it is no longer radioactive, or when amounts are large enough for shipment to a low-level waste disposal site.

84
Q

What are the four classes of low-level radioactive waste?

A

Class A, Class B, Class C, and Greater than Class C.

85
Q

Which of the four classes of low-level radioactive waste are generally acceptable for near-surface disposal?

A

Classes A, B, and C.

86
Q

What is the Initial step in refining uranium ore dug from the ground?

A

Milling.

87
Q

What are the residues from uranium ore milling called, and what do they contain?

A

Mill tailing contains radioactive decay products from the uranium.

88
Q

Where are mill tailings and raffinates stored?

A

In specially designed ponds called impoundments.

89
Q

Resource depletion occurs when the rate of consumption is greater than the rate of what?

A

Replenishment.

90
Q

Natural resources fall under what two categories?

A

Renewable and non-renewable.

91
Q

Humans consume resources for what 3 primary needs?

A

Food, energy, raw materials.

92
Q

The term “land use” refers to what?

A

The human use of land.

93
Q

Land use activities are necessarily economic.

A

False - they may also be cultural.

94
Q

How are the uses different for public and private lands?

A

Urban development is rare on public land, and private land is rarely protected for wilderness users.

95
Q

What 2 land use activities are major drivers of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation?

A

Agriculture and forestry activities.

96
Q

Give 3 examples of ecological services that biodiversity provides?

A

Cleaning water, absorbing chemicals, providing oxygen.

97
Q

Name 2 natural disturbances that biodiversity allows ecosystems to adjust to.

A

Fires and floods.

98
Q

What are the benefits to genetic diversity?

A

Preventing diseases and helping species adjust to changes in their environment.

99
Q

When is change and degradation of an area considered habitat loss?

A

When the area can no longer serve as a home to native species.

100
Q

What are the 3 major types of habitat loss?

A

Habitat destruction, fragmentation, and degradation.

101
Q

Filling in wetlands, dredging rivers, mowing fields, and cutting down trees are examples of what kind of habitat loss?

A

Habitat destruction.

102
Q

Roads, development, dams and water diversions are examples of what kind of habitat loss?

A

Habitat fragmentation.

103
Q

Pollution, invasive species, and disruption of ecosystem processes are examples of what kind of habitat loss?

A

Habitat degradation.

104
Q

What are the 5 main causes of habitat loss?

A

Agriculture, land conversion for development, water development, pollution, climate change.

ENGR 202 (8 decks)

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