Unit 2 - AOS1 - Impacts & Managment of Pollution Flashcards
Scales of the environmental impact
Local - Contaminated soil
Regional - smog, acid rain
Global - greenhouse effect
Determines which authority is responsible for managing the site etc.
Exposure
“Measurement of how much pollutant a person experiences in a given time”
Different ways substances can be absorbed into the body
ingestion, inhalation, dermal absorption, injection
Persistent pollutants
Do not break down and persist longer in the environment which increases risk of exposure.
Degradable pollutants
Break down easily through reactions with sunlight, soil and water.
Dosage
The amount of chemical absorbed per unit of body
Is effected by exposure
Factors that effect the dosage of a chemical
- Respiration Rate
- Concentration
- Frequency of exposure
- Length of exposure
- Properties of pollutant
- Body weight
Toixicity
“The effect of a certain dose of pollutant depends on how harmful the substance is”
Threshold
“Is the level of chemical exposure below which there is no adverse effect and above which there is significant toxicological effect”
Lethal Dose (LD)
“Is the term used to describe the dose of a substance that is sufficient to kill a percent of the population of a given period of time. “
template for reporting
- Species of animal,
- method of administrating
chemical - value is expressed in mg/kg of body weightE.g. Dermal LD80 (rabbit) - 37mg/kg; tells us that the test animals were rabbits, the chemical was administrated through skin absorption, the dose required to kill 80% of the population as 37mg/kg
Chronic hazards (issues in health)
“Hazards of which their impacts take a long time to materialize”
- More difficult to manage as they are a result of complex interactions involving a number of variables
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs)
“Disrupts or effects the hormonal system in animals and humans
- Can be synthetic and naturally occurring chemicals
Endocrine System
The collection of glands that produce hormones that regulate metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep and mood.
Endocrine Disrupting chemical sources:
- Plastic products (water bottles)
- Natural Hormones (testosterone or estrogen)
- Industry (paint solvents and flame retardants)
- Medications (for thyroid or birth control)
- Personal care products (toothpaste)
- Pesticides (for insects, plants and fungi)
