unit 7 & 8 Flashcards
- ethanol
- natural gas
- propane
- hydrogen
- biodiesel
- electricity
- methanol
alternates to fossil fuels
- vapor recovery nozzle (prevents fumes from escaping into atmosphere when fueling up vehicle)
- catalytic converter (converts pollutants into less harmful molecules)
reducing air pollution in gas-powered vehicles
- wet and dry scrubbers (removes particles & gases from industrial exhaust streams)
- coal-burning plants (scrubbers and electroostatic precipitators)
reducing air pollution from industrial exhaust
situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified.
sick building syndrome
- difficult to identify, comes from many places all at once
- ex. storm runoff, pesticide spraying, urban runoff, agricultural runoff, agricultural pollution from a group of cattle farms, runoff following road construction, acid mine drainage (moves into groundwater, leaches heavy metals from rocks along the way, therefore containing multiple sources of pollution)
nonpoint source
- easily identifible
- comes from a single place
- ex. sewage treatment plant, city bus exhaust, waste discharge pipe, industrial smokestack, leaking sanitary landfill, a leaking septic tank
point source
- measure the amount of dissolved oxygen needed to break down the organic material in a given water sample
- used to gage the effectiveness of wastewater treatment
- expressed as mg 02 consumed/L during 5 days at 20 degrees celsius
- lots of organic pollution = HIGH BOD
- Anything over 1 mg O2/L is considered high–the higher the more polluted
biological oxygen demand (BOD)
mainly includes plastic and also lost or discarded fishing equipment, garbage, etc.
floating debris
- sewage or animal slurry
- affects water quality with biological indicators correlating with distance from the source
- BOD is highest next to these areas
organic pollution
- soil erosion and land run-off results in high levels of nitrate and phosphates
- nutrient enrichment can lead to nutrient eutrophication with decreased oxygen levels
inorganic plant nutrients
- ex. mercury
- common in sea water and comes from burning coals
- In the form of methylmercury the metal can bioaccumulate and biomagnify.
This is one reason to reduce consumption of top predators such as tuna, marlin or swordfish
toxic metals
- POPS (Persistent Organic Pollutants) are an example of synethetic compounds
- As they persist they can bioaccumulate and biomagnify.
These reach higher concentrations in polar regions due to global wind patterns and ocean currents.
ex. POPs such as DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and HCB (hexachlorobenzene) were used as pesticides in agriculture and for controlling pests in buildings.
synthetic compounds
Particles or sediment that float in water
Reduce visibility - increases turbidity
This reduces productivity of producers as less light for photosynthesis
Can be non-point source from land run-off or point source from sewage pipe for eg.
suspended solids
Increasing temperature of water means less oxygen is able to dissolve in water.
Thermal power plants generate electricity using steam.
Although water is cooled before release into environment, it is still warmer and can affect local ecosystem.
hot water
Famous oil spills include Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon but oil has been spilled in large amounts during the Gulf Wars and West African oil fields.
Natural microbes occur that can metabolise oil but their work is made difficult by the chemical dispersants that are sprayed on oil spills.
oil
Radioactive particles can bioaccumulate in organisms.
ex. Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan went into meltdown following a tsunami in 2011 (Nuclear radiation entered the atmosphere and the Pacific Ocean)
radioactive pollution
Pathogens are disease causing organisms.
Faecal matter of an infected person reaches a water source contaminating groundwater
diarrhea, vomiting, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, intestinal parasites, etc
Strong socio-economic correlation with water-borne diseases and percentage of access to sanitation and clean water
ex. typhoid mary, cholera, “the great stink”
Pathogen pollution
Light pollution affects behaviour of organisms
Causes circadian disruption
Disorientates migrating birds
Prevents turtles from coming to nest on beaches or the hatchlings to not be able to orient towards the sea.
light pollution
Affects marine organisms that navigate and communicate using sonar such as whales and dolphins
Increasingly noisy oceans disorient these cetaceans and prevent their normal behaviour
Some forms of sonar may even cause haemorrhaging.
noise pollution
Competition with native species can lead to extinction and have serious economic impacts.
ex. zebra mussels in the us
biological pollutants (INVASIVE SPECIES)
a chemical compound that interferes with the normal functioning of the endocrine system and the reproductive and other biological processes regulated by it
bpa (bisphenol A) can be found in canned foods, food containers, bottled waters, store receipts, wine and beer, and sunglasses
- can cause infertility, breast/prostate cancer, early puberty, autoimmune infection, cardiopulmonary, asthma, blood pressure, alzhiemer’s, parkinson’s, ADHD
endocrine disruptors
Increasing Ocean Temperatures
Sediment Runoff
Destructive Fishing Processing
Oil Spills
Ocean dead zone
Pollution
human impact on ecosystems
Increase in N&P causes an increase in algae growth. Algae die, As bacteria starts to breakdown the organic material , they will consume oxygen and reduce the dissolved oxygen (DO) that is available for other aquatic organisms, causing Hypoxia
When BOD is high, DO will decrease.
eutrophication
Water that is warmer than the original habitat.
Warmer the water, less oxygen gas the water can hold. (Think zone of tolerance)
thermal pollution
