1.5 humans and pollusion

Question 1

what is the definition of a pollutant?

Answer 1

pollution is the adition of a substanse or agent to an envirment through human acitivity,

at a rate greater than that at which it can be rendered armless by the envirment,

and which has an applicable effect on the organisms of that envirment.

Question 2

pollutants can be catagorised as ‘secondary’ and primary’ what is the difference? examplain with examples?

Answer 2

Primary- directly created and activated on emmisson. E.g carbon manoxide from incomplete combustion.

Secondary- created by primary pollutants under going hcmeical or physical change. E.g when so2 reacts with water it forms carbonic acid.

Question 3

what are the diffrent forms a pollutant can be?

Answer 3

inorganic substanse, organic substanse, light, sound, thermal energy, invasive species, biological agents and heat.

Question 4

can you give an example of an inorganic substance that is a polluter?

Answer 4

sulpher dioxide from a factory enetering the air.

Question 5

can you give an example of an organic substance that is a polluter?

Answer 5

manue used as fertilizer on farmland washing into a lake.

Question 6

can you give an example of light as a polluter?

Answer 6

a bright garden light shining into the nabours house

Question 7

can you give an example of sound as a polluter?

Answer 7

disruptive noise comming from a busy road near a hpusing estate

Question 8

can you give an example of heat as a polluter?

Answer 8

warm water from a factory flowing into a rivier.

Question 9

give an example of point sourse pollution?

Answer 9

direct source of contaminents- waste disposal pipe of sewage works into river.

Question 10

give an exmaple of non-point souce pollution?

Answer 10

dispersed soruce of contaminents- gasses from exhaust sytems on cars.

Question 11

explain how point-sorce and non-point source pollution differ?

Answer 11

point source pollution come from a single, idenitifiable source, so it is easeir to see who is causing it and how to manage it.

non-point source pollusion has many sources, and is therefore harder to track and manage.

Question 12

what is acute pollusion?

Answer 12

accute pollution occurs after a short, intesne exposion to a pollutant. Symotoms are usally experinced within hours e.g gulf oil spill.

Question 13

what is chronic pollution?

Answer 13

chronic pollusion occurs after a long term, low level exposion, and the symtoms develop much laster.

Question 14

some pollustants are considered persitant while otheres are considered biodigradible, using an example, expain the diffrence.

Answer 14

persistant pollutants are resistant to breaking down and can remain active in the anivemtn for a long time, menaing they can bioaccumulate in animal tissue e.g DDT

Biodigradable pollutants do not persiti in the envirment, not stored in biodigradable matter or apssed alongfood chains. They are broken down by decomposers, heat or light E.g glyphosate

Question 15

state two uses of DDT?

Answer 15

1) used to controle lice that spread typhus and mosquitoes that carried malaria.

2) used in farming as a insectide

Question 16

with reference to biomagnification, discribe the harmful effects of DDT on birds?

Answer 16

biomagnification is the process by which the consentration of a chemical increases at each trophic level.

As DDT is persistant, it will become more and more consentrated as it passes from sil, to insect to insect eating bird.

The birds get thinning egg shells due to the high concentration of DDE, which is the break-down product of DDT.

Question 17

list some of the potntional harmfull impact of DDT on humans?

Answer 17

increased incidents of athsma and diabities in farmers, higher risk of liver, breast and pancrious cancer. Increased infertility and pregancy issues.

Question 18

evaluate the use of DDT?

Answer 18

Maleria is a publish health challange in many parts of the world resulting in about 1 million deaths annuallly. DDT is effectove in controlling mosquitoes and it is afforable, which is impriamt as malargia prone counties tend to be LIC.

However, it is a pissistant pollutant that has a negative impact on envitmental and human health, some of which are still unknown.

An alternative to DDT should be found until then, the use of DDT must be closly regulated.

Question 19

what are the three ways of making chnage in ESS?

Answer 19

Legistantion,

Education

MItigation