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Question 1

Environmental pollution definition

Answer 1

Direct/indirect introduction, as a result of human activity, of substances or heat into the water or land, which may be harmful to human health or the quality of aquatic/terrestrial ecosystems. May interfere with amenities or other uses of environment.

Question 2

Median Lethal Time

Answer 2

LT50 or LTM
Average time interval during which 50% of a given population may be expected to die, following acute administration of a chemical, at a given concentration, under a defined set of conditions.

Question 3

Median Lethal Concentration

Answer 3

The concentration of toxin at which 50% of test organisms are killed within a specified time

Question 4

Effective Concentration

Answer 4

The concentration of toxin at which 50% of test organisms suffer a specific sublethal effect (within a specific time)

Question 5

How to measure toxicity

Answer 5

Expose a sample of organisms to a particular concentration of toxin and then measure how long it takes them to die

Question 6

Bioaccumulation

Answer 6

Increase in concentration of pollutant from environment to first organism in the food chain

Question 7

Biomagnification

Answer 7

Increase in concentration of pollutant from one link in the food chain to another. Stored in fat which is incorporated into the fat of the consumer when they consume another organism.

Question 8

Movement of water

Answer 8

Advection

Question 9

Pollutant linkage

Answer 9

Occurs when a source, pathway and receptor exist together

Question 10

Dispersal of hydrocarbons

Answer 10

Weathered into small droplets. Droplets sink below water surface and start to mix into the water column

Question 11

Main effects on toxicity

Answer 11

Metal species (form), Oragno-complexes, Salinity, Water hardness (Harder = less toxic), pH (More acidic = more toxic), temperature (higher temp = more toxic)

Also Interactions with other toxins: Additive, Antagonism (Zn reduces Cd) and Synergism (Most effective) eg Cu increases toxicity of other substances

Question 12

Eg of Oragno-complex

Answer 12

Methyl Mercury

Question 13

BCF

Answer 13

Bioconcentration Factors….ratio of pollutant in organisms compared to water

Question 14

BOD

Answer 14

Biochemical Oxygen Demand … Amount of dissolved oxygen needed by an organisms to break down organic material

Question 15

VOC

Answer 15

Volatile Organic Compounds

Question 16

BAF

Answer 16

Bioaccumulation Factors….Difference in concentration of substance in organism compared with the surrounding medium

Question 17

Contaminated Land

Answer 17

Any land which appears to the local authority, to be in such a condition, due to substances in or under it, that:

• Significant harm could be caused to health, flora and/or fauna
• Pollution of controlled waters is, or could occur

Question 18

CLEA

Answer 18

Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment

Question 19

SGVs

Answer 19

Soil Guideline Values ….. Does the soil level of contamination pose a threat to humans? … INTERVENTION LEVELS

Question 20

APP

Answer 20

Acid Producing Potential

Net effect = APP - ANC (Acid Neutralising Capacity)

Question 21

Tests for predicting whether AMD will occur

Answer 21

1. “Static Test” = APP - ANC
   Acid Producing Potential - Acid Neutralising Capacity
2. “Kinetic Test” = Replicate underground environment, crushed rock in chamber, run distilled water through it and test for pH, metals etc.

Question 22

Radioactivity

Answer 22

The property of radionuclides spontaneously emitting ionising radiation

Question 23

Radiation

Answer 23

The process of emitting radiating energy as waves or particles

Question 24

Radionuclide

Answer 24

An unstable nuclide that emits ionising radiation

Question 25

Ionisation

Answer 25

Radiation that produces ionisation in matter eg. alpha, gamma

Question 26

Radiotoxicity

Answer 26

Radioisotopes in the body producing biological damage when they decay

Question 27

Dose Equivalent

Answer 27

Absorbed dose weighted for harmfulness of different radiations (Sv)

Question 28

Effective Dose Equivalent

Answer 28

Equivalent for susceptibility to harm of biological tissues (Sv)

Question 29

Collective Dose

Answer 29

Effective dose to a group from a source of radiation (man Sv)

Question 30

Bioavailability

Answer 30

Whether or not a substance can be taken up by organisms. It’s a pollutant is not bioavailable, it’s not much of a threat to health

Question 31

Primary Air pollution sources

Answer 31

Formed directly at source and enter environment in that form eg SO2

Question 32

Secondary air pollution sources

Answer 32

Form due to reactions within a system eg Nitrogen Oxides (NO2), Ozone

Question 33

Main SO2 source

Answer 33

Burning fossil fuels

Question 34

Main NO source

Answer 34

Traffic Emissions …. NO not harmful…In atmosphere, oxides to NO2 which is harmful!

Question 35

POP

Answer 35

Persistent Organic Pollutant

Question 36

Examples of Halogenated Hydrocarbons

Answer 36

DDT (pesticide), PCB (industrial)

Question 37

Main problem with halogenated hydrocarbons

Answer 37

Very stable and persistent….Some stored in fats - BIOMAGNIFICATION

Question 38

CSO

Answer 38

Combined Sewer Overflow

Question 39

Acute pollution

Answer 39

Short-term, single event e.g oil rig explosion

Question 40

Chronic pollution

Answer 40

Long-term, continuous eg power station SO2 emissions

Question 41

WWTD

Answer 41

Waste Water Treatment Directive

Question 42

How is Ozone formed?

Answer 42

Reactions wit sunlight involving VOCs + NOx (Indirect source, formed in system)

Question 43

Groundwater

Answer 43

Water stored in underground areas of permeable rock, know as AQUIFERS

Question 44

4 factors which control hydrochemical behaviour of organic contaminants in groundwater

Answer 44

Resistance to biological degradation, Molecular wights, Solubility, Density….pH?