Pollutant properties and behaviour

Question 1

State of matter

Answer 1

solid liquid or gas and how that impacts persistence and dispersal

Question 2

Energy form

Answer 2

some pollutants are energy forms such as noise, ionising radiation or light.

Question 3

Density

Answer 3

mass per unit volume, the density of a pollutant affects deposition and dispersal.

Question 4

Biodegradable

Answer 4

A material that can be broken down by living organisms, usually bacteria.

Question 5

Bioaccumulation

Answer 5

The increase in concentration of a substance in living tissue as it is absorbed and stored faster than it is broken down and excreted - often liposoluble pollutants

Question 6

Biomagnification

Answer 6

The progressive bioaccumulation of a material along a food chain. Amount of pollutant increases with trophic level e.g. organochlorine insecticides, PCBs, heavy metals (liposoluble pollutants)

Question 7

Carcinogen

Answer 7

A substance or energy form that can cause cancer

Question 8

Degradability

Answer 8

A measure of the ease with which a material breaks down.

Question 9

Liposolubility

Answer 9

A measure of how easily a substance dissolves in (and stored in) fats and oils.

Question 10

Water solubility

Answer 10

A measure of how easily a substance dissolves in water. Water soluble pollutants are easily dispersed in water.

Question 11

Mobility

Answer 11

Mobility of a pollutant is caused by density, state of matter, solubility and environmental conditions. Highly mobile pollutants may travel great distances however become quickly diluted

Question 12

Mutagen

Answer 12

A material that can cause changes in DNA structure.

Question 13

Neurotoxin

Answer 13

A poison that affects the nervous system.

Question 14

Persistence

Answer 14

A measure of the rate at which a material breaks down and therefore the length of time it remains.

Question 15

Reactivity

Answer 15

How readily a pollutant will combine with other substances. Reactivity can cause degradation and reduce pollutant effects or produce secondary pollutants that increase pollutant effects.

Question 16

Specificity

Answer 16

variations in toxicity to different groups of organisms

Question 17

Synergism

Answer 17

The process where the presence of two materials produces a greater effect than the sum of their individual effects. Example NO2 + O3 + Hydrocarbons = PANs

Question 18

Teratogen

Answer 18

A substance that interferes with gene function in a growing embryo so that a non-inherited birth abnormality is produced.

Question 19

Toxicity

Answer 19

A measure of how poisonous a substance is, usually caused by its ability to cause enzyme inhibition.

Question 20

Gonadic mutagen

Answer 20

A mutation in an egg or sperm cell or in an embryo that may cause birth abnormalities in offspring

Question 21

Somatic mutagen

Answer 21

A mutagen in general body cells which can cause increased cell division to and tumours.

Question 22

Adsorption

Answer 22

The process where a substance fixes onto a surface.

Question 23

Primary pollutant

Answer 23

A pollutant released by human activities

Question 24

Secondary pollutant

Answer 24

produced from a chemical reaction between one or more primary pollutants often with non pollutants.

Question 25

Environmental factors that affect pollutant degradation

Answer 25

Temperature, Light levels, presence of oxygen, pH, interactions with other pollutants

Question 26

Environmental factors that affect pollutant dispersal

Answer 26

Wind velocity, water velocity/currents, temperature inversions, presence of adsorbent materials, topography

Question 27

Topography

Answer 27

The 3D shape of the land surface.

Question 28

Acute

Answer 28

Exposure to a substance or symptoms that appear rapidly.

Question 29

Chronic

Answer 29

Exposure to a substance or symptoms that appear over long periods of time.

Question 30

Contamination

Answer 30

Pollution caused by the pollutant staying in contact or mixing with materials such as soil, atmosphere, water or living organisms.

Question 31

Exposure

Answer 31

In ionising radiation control, this refers to an object or person receiving radiation, but not necessarily coming in contact with the source.