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Enviro 24-25 > unit 8 > Flashcards

unit 8 Flashcards

1
Q

whats a point source

A

a single identifiable source of pollution (you can “point” to it)

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2
Q

examples of a point source

A

smokestack, waste discharge pipe, BP oil spill

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3
Q

whats a non-point source

A

pollutants entering the environment from many places at once (difficult to “point” at the individual source)

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4
Q

examples of non-point sources

A

animal waste runoff, urban runoff, pesticides carried away by wind or water (basically any runoff)

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5
Q

what is a coral reef

A

a mutualistic relationship between coral and photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellae

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6
Q

what cause coral bleaching

A

when coral gets stressed (water getting too hot, too many pollutants) they can expel their zooxanthellae. This can cause the coral to lose color or die due to losing their main source of nutrients

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7
Q

what are some threats to coral reefs

A

-increasing ocean temp/decreasing ocean PH
due to: GHG, increased co2
-runoff of sediment
smother coral and block sunlight
-destructive fishing practices
blast fishing (dynamite)
use of cyanide (to stun fish)

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8
Q

where can oil spills happen

A

underwater oil well blows out (BP gulf spill) or when a tanker runs into rock/ice-burg and is punctured (exxon valdez)

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9
Q

what are booms and skimmers

A

booms contain oil spread on surface of water and skimmers skim it off the top

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10
Q

how does physical removal of oil work

A

removal oil from ocean with booms and skimmers, and from sand using soap and towels

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11
Q

how do chemical dispersants remove oil

A

sprayed on oil on the surface of the water, forcing it to sink to the bottom

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12
Q

what are the pros and cons of chemical dispersants for iol cleanup

A

-clears up surface , but can smother bottom dwellers
-dispersant chemicals might be harmful

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13
Q

what are some specific effects of oil spills

A

-hydrocarbons from oil can kill organisms
-oil coats feathers of marine birds and fur of marine animals; they ingest it when they clean off their fur
-some oil sinks to the bottom and smothers bottom dwellers
-oil can enter food chain via plankton uptake
-oil can wash ashore and decrease tourism, it can also harm fishing industries and the restaurants that serve fish

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14
Q

what are some of the main endocrine disruptors

A

-atrazine
-DDT
-Phthalates
-lead, arsenic, mercury
-human medication

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15
Q

atrazine

A

broad spectrum herbicide used to control weeds and prevent crop loss
-applied to ag. fields, runs off into local surface or ground water or is carried by wind
-its also on unwashed produce

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16
Q

ddt

A

broad spectrum insecticide that was phased out but still persist

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17
Q

phthalates

A

compounds used in plastic and cosmetic manufacturing
-enters water through dumped trash

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18
Q

human medication

A

enter sewage through human watse or flushed pills

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19
Q

mercury

A

naturally occurring in coal released by: coal combustion, trash incineration, burning medical waste and heating limestone for cement

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20
Q

what does mercury effect

A

-endocrine system
-teratogen

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21
Q

how does mercury turn into methyl mercury

A

bacteria in water sources convert it into methyl mercury which his highly toxic to animals

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22
Q

arsenic

A

arsenic is a naturally occurring element in rocks that can be eroded or dissolve into water.
-it can be worsened by mining
-anthropogenic sources are: pesticides, wood treatment, and coal cumbustion

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23
Q

what does arsenic effect

A

-it causes cancer
-its and endocrine disruptor

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24
Q

what is coal ash

A

-a source of mercury, lead and arsenic
-can attach to fly ash from smokestack and be carried away by wind and deposited in ecosystems far away

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25
where are both fly and coal ash stored and why can it be problematic
they are often stored on site in ponds dug into soil and (sometimes) lined with plastic -these ponds can leach into groundwater contaminating it with heavy metals or get into surface water
26
how can eutrophication make a dead zone
dying algae gets decomposed by bacteria using oxygen, creating a positive feedback when fish die from lack of oxygen and need to be decomposed
27
what are major anthropogenic sources of N and P
-discharge from sewage plants -discharge from CAFOS -synthetic fertilizer
28
what is the oxygen sag curve
the curve obtained when the concentration of DO in a river into which sewage or some other pollutant has been discharged is plotted the distance downstream from the source of pollution
29
what does the oxygen sag curve show
-the BOD (biological oxygen demand) which is the total demand for oxygen by the individuals in an area -DO (dissolved oxygen) or the amount of oxygen in the water
30
what are the ranges of DO that fish need
-most fish require at least 3.0ppm but need 6.0ppm to reproduce
31
what is HAB and what can it result from
HAB means harmful algae bloom -can result from pollution-bloom of toxic species species of algae that kill consumers in the area
32
how can oligotrophic waterways turn into eutrophic naturally
-sediment builds up on the bottom (benthic zone) leading to higher nutrient levels in the water -overtime it shifts from oligotrophic to eutrophic as more nutrients build up
33
what is the relationship between DO levels and water temp
they have an inverse relationship (as one goes up the other goes down)
34
what is thermal pollution and what does it do to animals
-thermal pollution is heat being released into water -can increase the respiration rates of animals and stress them out (can cause coral bleaching)
35
what are sources of thermal pollution
-PP (especially nuclear) and manufacturing plants use cool water to cool off machinery -although PP have cooling towers, they don't cool it all the way off, and so how water gets released -urban stormwater runoff can also cause thermal pollution -hot asphalt heats runoff and it gets into water sources
36
what are POPs
-Persistent organic pollutants -Human made compounds that are fat soluble so they don't easily breakdown in the environment -they accumulate in animal fat cells because they don't dissolve in blood/water
37
what are examples of POPs
-DDT -PCBs (banned; carbonless copy paper) -BPA (plastic additives) -PBDEs (fire proofing) -dioxines -phthalates (plastic) -perchlorate (rockets, missil fuel) -medication
38
how does medicine get into the ecosystem
-steroids, reproductive hormones, antibiotics pass through the body and get into the sewage system
39
how do POPs get transported
-they travel through wind//water -leachate from sewage or improperly buried industrial waste -enter soil/water -> gets eaten by animals -> stored in their fats -> eaten by humans or taken in via drinking water
40
what is bioaccumulation
-the buildup of POPs and methyl mercury in one animals system
41
what is biomagnification
increasing the concentration of POPs or methyl mercury in each level up the trophic levels (the bigger animals have to eat more and each animal they eat have POPs) -large predators like salmon, dolphins, and whales have the highest POP levels
42
MSW
-solid waste from cities (schools, households etc.)
43
what is a waste "stream"
the flow of solid municipal waste to recycling centers, landfills, or trash incineration facilities
44
what is e-waste and why should it not be put in landfills
-electronic waste -it contains heavy metals and it can leach into soils/water and disrupt endocrine system
45
what are the things that make landfills sanitary and not just dumps
-clay/plastic bottom liner -leachate collection system -methane recovery system -clay cap once its full
46
why do landfills have low rates of decomp
low o2, moisture, and organic material
47
what are some things that should not go into landfills
-heavy metals -hazardous waste -old tires
48
why should tires not be in landfills
they collect water that can breed mosquitoes
49
what are things that should be landfilled
-cardboard/food wrappers that can't be recycled -rubber, plastic films/wraps -styrofoam
50
what are some issues with landfills
-they can have environmental impacts like ground water contamination and release of GHGs (methane) and co2
51
NIMBY
-idea that communities don't want landfills near their neighborhood due to -the bad smell or sights -can attract rodents -can impact water sources
52
where are landfills placed most of the time
-near low income or marginalized communities that don't have the resources to fight back
53
Why does illegal ocean dumping happen
Few environmental regulations or lack of inforcement
54
What can ocean dumping do to animals
Can suffocate animals if they eat it, or they can get tangled
55
What is primary sewage treatment
The physical removal of large debris (TP, leaves, plastic) with screen or grate
56
What is secondary sewage treatment
The biological breakdown of organic matter by bacteria; aerobic process that requires o2
57
What is tertiary treatment and why is it important
Ecological or chemical treatments to reduce pollutants left after primary and secondary treatment -it removes N/P and bacteria
58
What does sewage go through before being released
Disinfectant -UV light, ozone, or chlorine is used to kill bacteria or other pathogens such as e. Coli
59
Why is tertiary not always done
It’s not always required and it’s expensive
60
What is effluent
Liquid waste (sewage) discharged into a surface body of water, typically from a waste water treatment plant
61
What is the process of primary treatment
-raw sewage is passed through screens -then is goes through the comminutor to grind up the big bits -then goes to the grit chamber where sediment gets collected
62
What is the process of secondary treatment
-o2 is bubbled up into an aeration tank filled with bacteria that break down into co2 and N&P -removes most N and P -does not remove POPs
63
What is sludge
Solid waste that collects at the bottom of tanks in primary and secondary treatment
64
What happens to sludge
Is is dried and put into landfills or turned into fertilizer
65
What are some issues of sewage treatment
-Combined sewage and storm water runoff systems can cause waste water plants to flood during heavy rain -this is beneficial because it treats runoff as well as sewage
66
What are some raw sewage release contaminants
-e. Coli -ammonia -nitrates -phosphates -endocrine disrupters
67
Does sewage treatment fully get rid of N and P levels
No
68
What are the three Rs in order of most sustainable to least
-reduce -reuse -recycle
69
Pros of recycling
-reduced amount of waste needing to be landfilled -reduced demand for new materials that might effect habitats when collecting them -reduces shipping energy for raw materials
70
Cons of recycling
-it’s costly and still requires lots of energy -a lot of “recycled” materials end up being thrown away because they take so long to process -when people recycle things that can’t be, it increases price to sort waste
71
What are pros of composting
-reduced land fill volume and can increase water holding capacity in soil -makes a valuable product to sell -reduces amount of methane release from anaerobic decomp from landfills -should be done w proper mix of browns and greens; about 30:1
72
Drawbacks of compost
-can smell really bad if not aerated properly -may attract rodents or other pets
73
Why are e waste not supposed to be trashed
They contain heavy metal that can leach into the soil
74
How to dispose of e waste
It can be recycled or sold for the precious metals
75
Why are e waste often transported to be trashed in developing nations
They have less regulations about what gets trashed
76
How is methane used to produce heat
It can be captured from landfill and then same process as ff
77
How can waste generate electricity
Same process as ff
78

Enviro 24-25 (8 decks)

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