Unit 4 quiz 2

Question 1

primary treatment of water

2 examples?

Answer 1

uses physical processes to remove large solids and grit

screening (using bars) and sedimentation (letting heavier particles settle) are two good examples

Question 2

sludge?

Answer 2

concentrated solid material that settles during primary and secondary treatment

Question 3

secondary treatment of water?

examples?

Answer 3

applies biological and physical processes

can use bacteria by sustaining good conditions (aeration basins) and physical settling such as sedimentation to further remove heavy particles

Question 4

tertiary treatment of water

examples?

Answer 4

chemical and physical, removes residual solids and pathogens by using chemical and physical methods.

big useful example to remember is UV rays to kill bacteria chemically
filtration, denitrification, chemical precipitation, disinfection, etc.

Question 5

what happens to sludge?

Answer 5

pumped into digestors where anaerobes break down organics and stabilize solids. Biosolids are then used as fertilizer or sent to landfills/incinerators

Question 6

what happens to sewage during periods of heavy rainfall?

Answer 6

untreated or partially treated sewage mixed w/ stormwater is discharged directly into waterways to prevent overload… yuck!

Question 7

manure from CAFOs is collected in _____

how is the animal waste treated?

what are some concerns w/ manure from CAFOs?

Answer 7

manure lagoons

microbial decomp reduces organic load, solids settle, and liquid effluent is later applied as fertilizer…

nutrient runoff —> eutrophication
pathogen/antibiotic residues can leach
odors, CH4, etc.

Question 8

septic system for homes

composed of?

how is wastewater managed in a septic system?

Answer 8

decentralized waste water treatment

composed of septic tank and drain/leach field where effluent is dispersed.

septic tank: solids settle and form sludge, scum floats, and anaerobes breakdown solids
drain/leach field: clarified effluent flows into perforated pipes and soil microbes further treat and filter before groundwater recharge.

Question 9

point source vs. non-point source

Answer 9

a DISTINCT location from which pollution is directly produced
you can “point to it”

a more diffuse area that produces pollution

Question 10

relationship between air and water pollutants

Answer 10

an air pollutant can become a water pollutant through contact or wet deposition

wet depo: precipitation lol

Question 11

organisms have a ____ __ ____ for various pollutants. outside of this, they may experience _____

indicator species:

Answer 11

range of tolerance
physiological stress, reduced growth, reduced repro, and maybe death

a species who’s presence indicates the state of the environment w/ respect to certain pollutants and/or conditions

Question 12

3 main source of N & P pollution

Answer 12

waste water
manure lagoons from CAFOs
fertilizer from agriculture

Question 13

natural vs. cultural eutrophication

Answer 13

natural: increased fertility over time as nutrient rich sediments are depoed in a body of water. Allows for ALGAL GROWTH, not algal BLOOM!!!! Main difference is speed at which is happens

cultural: increased fertility in a body of water over short time period due to anthropogenic nutrient inputs, can cause algal blooms

Question 14

whats so bad about an algal bloom?

biochemical oxygen demand

when BOD increases…

dead zones?

oxygen sag curve

Answer 14

can temporarily block sunlight, harm fish gills but when the algae dies…
aquatic decomposes breakdown the dead algae, and consume a lot of O2 in the process

BOD: amount of O2 required by microbes for decomp

dissolved O2 can deplete rapidly, causing many organisms to leave or suffocate and die. This death feeds into more increasing of the BOD, and is a positive feedback loop

chronically low levels of O2 that can no longer support most aquatic life due to positive feedback loop mentioned earlier

plot of dissolved O2 vs. distance from a point of pollution.
shows extent of damage.

Question 15

dysentery

fecal coliform bacteria

Answer 15

caused by untreated sewage in streams or rivers… can be caused by many things and have various symptoms

a harmless gut bacteria in humans and other mammals which serves as an indicator species for fecal matter in water & its associated pathogens

Question 16

3 heavy metals?

they can all enter waterways through what 3 main ways

major source & toxicity (how is it bad?, concentration req for poisoning?) for each?

keep in mind one is converted by bacteria to something else

Answer 16

lead, arsenic, and mercury

dry depo from atmosphere (combustion of oil and coal), natural mineral deposits in crust (& mining), and industrial waste products.

Lead:
major source is distribution of municipal water through lead-lined pipes. Specific chemicals are now added to water to prevent lead corrosion.
>5ppb can cause poisoning
neurotoxin

Arsenic:
major source is deep mineral deposits & mining so deep wells have high contamination risk
>10ppb can be toxic.
Carcinogen

Mercury:
major source is dry deposition from coal and oil combustion. Correlates STRONGLY w/ coal use.
mercury enters water, bacteria convert it to methylmercury, and this can bioaccumulate and bio magnify in fish and shellfish!
>2ppb can be poisonous
neurotoxin

Question 17

water POPs (persistent organic pollutants)?

some of particular concern? why?

Answer 17

chemicals that do not break down easily and bioaccumulate/magnify in both aquatic and terrestrial food webs. Most POPs are acc not organic compounds as the name implies, but they pollute the organic world?

-persistent pestides
-PCBs: industrial compounds, carcinogens
-Perchlorates: found in rocket fuel, endocrine disruptors
-PFAS: used in many consumer goods, carcinogenic forever chemical

Question 18

acid deposition in water:

major sources?

ecological effects?

Answer 18

atmosphere pollutants react to form sulfuric and nitric acid which can enter bodies of water through dry deposition or wet deposition (acid rain)

coal (SO2) and petroleum (NO2)

low pH can make waterways unlivable

Question 19

major source of pharmaceutical water pollutants?

endocrine disruptors?

Answer 19

wastewater, even after treatment!

hormone based pharmas that can disrupt endocrine systems

Question 20

major sources of oil pollution in water? why bad?

clean up options?

bioremediation?

Answer 20

natural seeps, extraction, transport, and ships. Contains toxic impurities which disrupts breathing and/or thermoregulation in some cases.

containment and skimming
containment and combustion
chemical dispersants

genetically engineered microbes digest oil, still being developed and is not yet used

Question 21

solid waste pollution in water:
why bad?

Answer 21

garbage, esp. plastics/fishing nets. Also coal tailings and coal ash (these also introduce chemicals).

can trap, suffocate, and dismember animals
can be consumed and are toxic + can starve the animals w/ a full belly of nothin frl

Question 22

siltation?
caused by?

Answer 22

sediment pollution

water impoundment dams or anything that spikes erosion

Question 23

thermal water pollution?

why bad?

Answer 23

human activities cause substantial temp change in water

can cause thermal shock (kills aquatic organisms)
increased temp reduces dissolved oxygen!

Question 24

noise pollution in water…

why bad?

Answer 24

sounds emitted by ships and subs and air guns can interfere w/ animal communication and echolocation.

can prevent mating, migrating, and even leads to beaching.

Question 25

best and 2nd best ways to decrease air pollution?

Answer 25

energy conservation and efficiency switch to clean and renewable energy

Question 26

3 lines of pollution reduction:

Answer 26

1. source modification (prevention) 2. emission controls (production stage, such as catalytic converters) 3. post emission clean up

Question 27

describe emissions allowance sys. for SO2 and its efficacy

Answer 27

allowance = 1 ton of SO2 emitted permitted companies that go below can sell allowances, and those that go above must pay extra. drove SO2 emissions down by 40% in a decade!

Question 28

what are wet scrubbers and where/why they used?

Answer 28

pass flue gas thru a spray of liquid which reacts w/ and removes acidic gases and particulate matter widely used on coal power plants and other large stacks to control gas and emissions

Question 29

vapor recovery nozzles? why/where are they used?

Answer 29

captures gasoline vapors that could escape during fueling. Reduces VOC emissions & smog formation. used at gas stations

Question 30

best way NOx emissions from combustion be reduced? tradeoffs?

Answer 30

catalytic converters costs money

Question 31

what are catalytic converters and what do they do

Answer 31

end of pipe device in a vehicles exhaust, uses platinum group metals to catalyze redox rxns and reduce NOx emissions.

Question 32

what are the general methods for particulate matter removal? which require energy?

Answer 32

gravity settling and cyclones -use gravity/centrifugal force, no external energy fabric filters -pass gas thru fabric, requires periodic shaking and cleaning so energy is a yes electrostatic precipitators -charge particles and collect on plates. requires lots of energy wet scrubbers -sprays liquid thru a gas to react w/ acidic gases and other pollutants and take them out of the gas -need pumps and fans , so yes energy

Question 33

major sources of indoor air pollution in developing countries? what types of pollutants are generated from these sources? developed countries? sick building syndrome

Answer 33

biomass and coal being burned in open-pit fires for sustenance CO, particulate matter, etc. materials made from plastics and other petrochemicals can give off vapors household products & stuff (VOCs) gas leaks (CO) a buildup of toxic pollutants in an airtight space seen in newer buildings

Question 34

absestos? how do we get exposed? health risks? CO? how do we get exposed? health risks? Radon? how do we get exposed? health risks? how are we exposed to VOCs? Which VOC is most common in particle board and carpeting? Risks?

Answer 34

fibrous silicate material used as insulation. Disturbed, releases particles. Lung cancer. malfunctioning exhaust systems and gas leaks. Can bind to hemoglobin, suffocate you seeps into homes through ground and cracks in foundation. 2nd leading cause of lung cancer. materials, furniture, & other home products. formaldehyde suspected carcinogen, overall irritant of respiratory system.

Question 35

Major Air pollutants identified by clean air act: additional pollutants commonly measured:

Answer 35

SO2, NOx, O3, COx, particles, lead mercury, and VOCs

Question 36

SO2 as an air pollutant released through? why bad?

Answer 36

coal combustion, a little naturally through volcanoes and forest fires -respirator irritant, acid deposition

Question 37

NOx as an air pollutant produced through? why bad?

Answer 37

petroleum based fuels and to a lesser extent, coal. Largest natural source is bacteria. respirator irritant, acid deposition, tropospheric ozone and photochemical smog formation...

Question 38

Primary vs. secondary pollutants

Answer 38

primary: emitted directly secondary: formed via rxn of some sort

Question 39

troposphere ozone as an air pollutant ____ can react w sunlight to generate tropospheric ozone why bad?

Answer 39

NOx reduces lung function damages materials (rubber, plastic) primary component of photochemical smog

Question 40

COx as air pollutant CO? how produced? why bad? CO2? how made? why bad?

Answer 40

colorless, odorless, formed during incomplete combustion of biomass. Can suffocate animals. colorless, odorless, formed during complete combustion of biomass. GHG, tie to other units.

Question 41

What is particulate matter? comes from? classes of particulate matter & Severity inhaled PM₁₀ or PM_2.5 can?

Answer 41

solid or liquid particles suspended in air various sources! CLASSES: -PM: >10μm in diameter, can general be filtered by nose and throat -PM₁₀: 2.5μm -> 10μm in diameter, can be swallowed, coughed up, or embed into lung tissue -PM_2.5: <2.5μm, more toxic, embed deeply in respiratory tract exacerbate respiratory/cardiovascular diseases reduce lung function cause premature death

Question 42

lead and mercury come from? Hg is/isn't a major air pollutant?

Answer 42

naturally occurring trace metals found in FFs, and other products, leaded gasoline: used until mid 90s, contained lead compounds to increase fuel efficiency. Increased lead in atmosphere and associated neurological disorders. Atmospheric mercury and methylmercury have increased due to coal combustion. is not!!!

Question 43

Smog VOCs? Some are ___ and some aren't. ____ of them can play a key role in formation of other pollutants such as ___ and ____. Incredibly _____ indoor pollutants. When exposed to ____ and ____, NOx can generate ____ and other ____ ______ photochemical smog: aka? what is it? industrial smog: aka? what is it? smog and PM relationship?

Answer 43

hazardous. O3 and photochemical smog common light and VOCs O3, photochemical oxidants. "LA smog," "Brown smog," a mixture of photochemical pollutants (primarily O3) that are formed when NOx and VOCs react w/ sunlight London/grey smog, dominated by SO2 and sulfate compounds that get more easily trapped in the air under cooler, wetter conditions! particulate matter gets suspended in smog, contributing to the smog further.

Question 44

thermal inversion: under normal conditions warm air ___ near earth's surface. Dispersing pollutants. thermal inversion is when earth's surface loses ___ heat to space that it is absorbing. A pocket of ___ air forms under a pocket of ___ air, creating a temperature inversion. common in what times of day? influenced by:

Answer 44

rises more. Cool, warm. Evening/early morning time and season, weather, and topography.

Question 45

Acid deposition how is acid formed? harmful to:

Answer 45

SO2 and NOx react w/ water and oxygen in atm to form sulfuric and nitric acid -aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems -agricultural land -building materials

Question 46

noise pollution sound levels high enough to cause:

Answer 46

physiological stress or hearing losst

Question 47

Stratospheric ozone depletion: ozone in stratosphere does what? how? Chlorofluorocarbons: used in? classified as? only degrade when? when broken down what is released? how is this impacting ozone?

Answer 47

absorbs UV! it is in a dynamic equilibrium where O3 absorbs energy in every cycle of formation and destruction. aerosols/refrigerants, POPs (persistent organic pollutants), only when reach stratosphere in presence of UV. Cl- atoms. Catalyze destruction of O3. One atom can catalyze destruction of 100,000 O3 molecules before it leaves stratosphere. NO UV IS ABSORBED WHEN Cl- BREAKS DOWN O3.

Question 48

Explain O3 fluctuations in Antarctic.

Answer 48

Cl2 can build up in troposphere due to extreme conditions. In spring, all of it rises together and breaks down into Cl- in presence of UV light. This then catalyzes destruction of a ton of ozone all at once...

Question 49

montreal protocol reduced what? by how much?

Answer 49

CFC product, 50% by 2000.