Unit C Environmental Chemistry: section 3.0 Flashcards
What are the three stages that air pollution occurs in?
Release of chemical at the source
Dispersion of the chemical in the atmosphere
Deposition of the chemical in soil or water
Airborne pollutants travel _______ with the presence of wind, but travel _______ distances with precipitation
Farther, Short
Why is air pollution an international problem?
Because chemicals in other countries can be separated by wind to other continents
What is groundwater?
The water that fills all the interconnected space in soil
What is the water table?
The top of the groundwater zone?
Why do contaminants build up more in groundwater than inn flowing water?
Because contaminants cannot be quickly dispersed and can become concentrated
What is permeable soil?
Soil with interconnected pores
What is leachate?
Liquid that leaks from landfills and contaminates the soil
How do sanitary landfills prevent leaching?
They line them with clay and plastic
What is dispersion?
The scattering of a substance away from its source
What is dilution?
Reducing the concentration of a pollutant
What is biodegration?
To break down a substance
What is phytoremidiation?
Using plants to clean up pollution?
What is photolysis?
The breakdown of compounds by sunlight
How is biodegradation affected by temperature?
The higher the temperature the faster the rate of biodegration
