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Environmental Science > Test 4 > Flashcards

Test 4 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the chemical composition of the atmosphere?

A

78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 1% other gases including CO2

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2
Q

Atmosphere 1st layer:

A

Troposphere

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3
Q

Atmosphere 2nd layer:

A

Stratoshpere

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4
Q

How thick are the troposphere/stratosphere?

A

T = 11 miles at equator, 5 miles at poles. S - bove T to @ 30 miles

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5
Q

What gas filters out Uv?

A

Ozone

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6
Q

What atmospheric layer does the most filtering?

A

Stratosphere

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7
Q

What are some examples of natural air pollution?

A

volcanoes, forest fires, dust storms, seas salt nuclei form wave action, pollen ,mold spores.

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8
Q

What is the difference between primary and secondary air pollutants?

A

Primary added directly to air, secondary is formed as a result of chemical and physical reactions between the primary pollutants and other atmospheric components such as water vapor or each other..

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9
Q

What are some examples of each?

A

Primary includes carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen and their oxides and hydrocarbons. Secondary include oxides and salts of the primary and compounds such as ozone and PAN.

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10
Q

What is a VOC and what are some examples?

A

Volatile organic compound – methane , propane, CFC’s, gasoline.

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11
Q

What is the difference between London smog and LA smog?

A

London is a mixture of fog and smoke it occurs in cool foggy areas, LA is caused by a photochemical reaction between the pollutants (mostly from auto exhaust and industry) and light and occurs in warm sunny areas.

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12
Q

Why is LA smog called photochemical?

A

It is caused by the interaction between chemical pollutants and sunlight.

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13
Q

What is acid deposition?

A

Secondary air pollution of acidic compounds such as sulfuric acid and nitric acid which ultimately settles out on land or on water.

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14
Q

Where is acid deposition the worst in the US?

A

The Northeast

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15
Q

Why is acid deposition a better term than acid rain?

A

The acidic compounds often settle out in the form of solids or snow not just rain.

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16
Q

What are the major sources of outdoor pollution?

A

The burning of fossil fuels by autos, power plants and industry. Metal refineries.

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17
Q

What effects does air pollution have on (a) Health: animals , plants and (b) Materials

A

(a) Health: animals , plants – can sickens or kill them. Major problems in animals are respiratory problems such as asthma and lung cancer.
(b) Materials –acid deposition causes major deterioration

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18
Q

What helps protect humans from air pollutants?

A

Our noses have hairs and mucus to filter out the larger pollutants, the repiratory tract is also lined with cells that have cilia that constantly beat and force stuff up and out.

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19
Q

What is a thermal inversion?

A

the trapping of a cool air near the surface by a warmer upper layer which is a reverse of the normal condition

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20
Q

How do thermal inversions relate to air pollution “ events”?

A

Air pollutants are trapped in the cooler air and can’t be dispersed away form the area so they build up and become more of a health hazard.

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21
Q

What are some examples of thermal inversion events?

A

1880 London – killed 2200, Donora, PA 1948 first major event in the US 7000 sick.

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22
Q

How can we cut down or prevent air pollution?

A

Use cleaner fuels. Use alternative energy sources. Use devices to trap pollutants before they are released.

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23
Q

Is dilution a solution to pollution?

A

only when you have few pollutants and small populations.

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24
Q

How much can indoor pollution be worse than outdoor pollution?

A

2 to 5 times higher and in some cases 100 times.

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25
How much can indoor pollution be worse than outdoor pollution in a car in clogged city traffic?
18 times higher
26
Why should people in developed countries be more concerned over indoor than outdoor pollution?
Our homes are more air tight and the materials we build them out of and furnish them with produce more pollutants. Also there are better air pollution standards in most developed countries for outside air but few for indoor.
27
What are the major indoor pollutants?
Formaldehyde, chloroform, para-dichlorobenzene, styrene, tobacco smoke, radon, asbestos
28
Where do the following indoor pollutants come form? (a) Formaldehyde (b) Radon (c) Smoke (d) Asbestos (e) Molds
(a) Formaldehyde -- glues in plywood, particle wood, OSB, carpet, furniture (b) Radon -- uranium rock surrounding the basement (c) Smoke -- fireplaces, smoking tobacco and other stuff (d) Asbestos - best dealt with by simply covering it with paint or plastic not by removing. It was also used as a sound proofer and as an insulator for steam pipes and chimneys. (e) Molds - mold spores are in the air - you really can't get rid of them -- you can slow their growth by keeping the humidity down.
29
What is “sick building syndrome”?
health problems caused by building materials -- most often associated with newer buildings.
30
How can you prevent or control indoor pollutants?
Have air to air exchangers so there is less buildup in the house, don't smoke, have well vented stoves use fewer products with formaldehyde glues or seal them well so out-gasing doesn't occur. Use less polluting cleaners.
31
How are lichens/canaries and reindeer associated with air pollution?
Lichens are very sensitive to air pollution and if there are none in your community then the air is most likely polluted., canaries were used by miners to detect harmful gases -- if they quit singing (died) the miners knew to get out of the mine. Thousands of reindeer in Lapland became too radioactive to eat after the Chernoble nuclear reactor melt-down because they feed on tundra lichen.
32
How much air pollution does a jet ski make in reference to an average automobile?
a one hour ride creates more air pollution than the average car does in a year. (Pollution control devices required on autos are not required on recreational vehicles.)
33
What are the major categories of water pollutants?
Infectious agents, oxygen demanding wastes | Inorganic and organic chemicals, plant nutreients sediment radioactive materials, thermal.
34
Where do these pollutants come from?
Point – sewer pipe, pipe from factory. Non-point --farm field, runoff from city streets.
35
How is water quality measured?
by looking at E. coli %, BOD tests, chemical analysis, indicator species
36
What is the difference between a point source of pollution and a non-point source?
Point – from specific locations that can be traced easily, non-point cannot be traced to any specific source
37
What was the old solution to water pollution?
Dilution
38
How do streams purify themselves?
By the activities of the organisms in them mostly decomposers and filter feeders.
39
How many times is the water in the Ohio River used?
8
40
What Ohio river has literally burned because of pollutants?
Cuyahoga
41
Can lakes purify themselves as readily as streams?
No - moving water helps because more oxygen is added.
42
What is eutrophication?
The natural aging of a lake or pond.
43
Cultural eutrophication?
Eutrophication speed up because of man’s activities.
44
What biological pollutant has affected the great lakes?
Zebra mussel and sea lamprey. Both have displaced native species . The mussel has clogged pipes.
45
Why is groundwater pollution a worse problem than stream or lake pollution?
It takes hundreds of years for the slow moving water to “purify” itself.
46
What are some of the major groundwater contaminants?
Mercury, lead, pesticides, oil, arsenic
47
What % of US ground water is known to be contaminated?
45% of those tested –100% in New Jersey
48
What affects does water pollution have on the ocean?
All water pollutants ultimately end up there. One of the major effects is the creation of oxygen depleted zones.
49
What part of the ocean is known to be most severely affected?
Estuaries and coastal areas
50
What is an HAB?
Harmful algal bloom. They deplete oxygen and some of them cause Red Tides which secretes toxins.
51
What was the Exxon Valdez, the Prestige?
The Valdez was an oil tanker crash that occurred off the coast of Alaska that caused $6 billion worth of damage. The Prestige was an oil tanker that broke off of the coast of Spain/Portugal 3 years ago.
52
Where does most of the oil that gets into the ocean come from?
Runoff from city streets and highways, parking lots.
53
How is sewage water treated? In Searcy?
Primary (screened and then bacteria allowed to break organic materials down) then secondary treatment (which aerates it, allows sediments to settle and then it is chlorinated before it is released into the Little Red River.
54
How is water purified for use? In Searcy?
It is filtered and then allowed to stand in tanks for sediments to settle out and then chlorinated.
55
How can we reduce water pollution?
Treat used water better before it is released. Cut down on air pollution. Prevent contamination in the first place. Prevent groundwater contamination.
56
Is the use of bottled water assurance of water quality?
No, many water bottling companies simply use tap water and filter it. You can do the same with a Brita or Pur filter for a lot lot less.
57
Why do some people say that the next war in the Middle East might be over water rather than oil?
It is a desert area and with an increasing population more water is needed and the rivers flow through many countries.
58
What countries control the headwaters of the Tigris-Euphrates, Nile, Jordan?
Turkey, Ethiopia and Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, in that order.
59
Why is water vital to life and to the operation of ecosystems?
All living things are mostly water. 50-99%
60
What % of the earth is covered by water?
71%
61
How much of the total supply of water is fresh?
2.6%
62
Where is most of the fresh water?
Frozen in ice caps and glaciers
63
How much of the fresh water is readily available?
.014%
64
What relationship is there between global warming and water supplies?
GW can change weather patterns
65
What is runoff?
Water that doesn’t sink into the ground
66
What is a watershed?
a drainage basin.
67
What is groundwater?
The water in the voids in the ground.
68
What is a water table?
The top of the groundwater
69
What is an aquifer?
Porous water saturated areas underground
70
What is the second largest known aquifer in the world?
Ogallala
71
Where is Ogallala?
W. US from Texas to N. Dakota
72
Where is the world's larges aquifer?
South America
73
How does water get into an aquifer?
By percolating down through the soil and rocks
74
What % of the world’s fresh water is used in agriculture?
70%
75
What % of the world’s fresh water is used in industry?
20%
76
What % of the world’s fresh water is used by the public?
10%
77
What % of the U.S.'s fresh water used by agriculture?
41%
78
What % of the U.S.'s fresh water used by power plant cooling?
38%
79
What % of the U.S.'s fresh water used by industry?
11%
80
What % of the U.S.'s fresh water used by the public?
10%
81
What specific areas in the US have inadequate water supplies and why?
The western states because most are in a desert or semi-desert biome
82
What are the four causes of water scarcity?
Dry-climate, drought, too many people for the available water, deforestation and over-grazing which leads to desiccation of the ground
83
What is water stress?
Not having enough water to meet basic needs.
84
What are the five ways by which fresh water supplies can be increased?
Dams, water diversion projects, use groundwater, desalinate salt water, improve the efficiency of use
85
What is the Yangtze River an example of? What are some of the pros and cons of that project?
Dam building , pro = supply power, provide irrigation water, reduce downstream flooding con = flood farmland, displace 1.9 million people, will ultimately fill with sediment, reduce fertility of flood plains below dam
86
What has happened to the Aral Sea?
It has shrunk dramatically 54%, salinity tripled, reduced fishing, created a salty desert in old sea-bed. Blowing salty soil has caused health problems and less water = climate change = hotter in summer colder in winter.
87
What are the pros and cons of the California water transfer project?
Gets water where it is abundant to were it is needed. Who has the right to the water? The farmers or the increasing population in LA etc.
88
What happens as groundwater is overdrawn?
The land subsides, wells have to be dug deeper and deeper, it will eventually run out,near sea shores salt water intrusion can take place.
89
What % of US drinking water comes from aquifers?
51%
90
In the US how much faster is groundwater being used than it is replaced?
15X
91
What is desalination? What are the major drawbacks to desalination?
The removing of salt from salt water. It is expensive, requires lots of energy, and what do you do with the salt.
92
Are cloud seeding and iceberg towing good options?
Cloud seeding robs other places of rain and what would a large iceberg do to the local climate?
93
What are some ways that water use can be reduced in agriculture? Industry? Public use?
Agri.:More efficient watering in agriculture ( such as drip irrigation), line irrigation canals, only water when necessary etc. Industry: redesign manufacturing process to use less, recycle more Public: fix leaks, use water efficient toilets and washers, water lawn only when necessary, use gray water, have a cistern to collect rain water
94
What human activities have contributed to an increase of flooding?
Draining wetlands, building in flood plains, removing water absorbing vegetation in watersheds, covering the ground with asphalt, concrete and buildings
95
Why do people settle on floodplains?
They are flat therefore easier to build buildings, close to water for recreation, irrigation, transportation, esthetics.
96
What means have been used to attempt to control flooding?
Flood walls, dykes, levees, channelization of streams, dams
97
Are there any problems associated with these control methods ( Flood walls, dykes, levees, channelization of streams, dams)?
Major floods can break or overtop the first three, channelization creates worse flooding downstream, dams can break or be filled with silt etc.

Environmental Science (5 decks)

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