1.5 humans and pollution

Question 1

pollution

Answer 1

• addition of substances into the natural environment at a greater rate than at which they can be rendered harmless, causes adverse changes.

Question 2

elements of pollution

Answer 2

• introduction of a substance into the natural environment
• greater rate than which can be broken down
• substances location/quantity causes adverse changes
• can be substance (gas, solid, liquid) or energy (heat, sound, light)

Question 3

point source pollution

Answer 3

• from a single identifiable source
• easier to monitor and control

Question 4

non point source pollution

Answer 4

• from diffuse sources
• difficult to monitor and control

Question 5

organic/inorganic pollutant

Answer 5

organic
- something that is/was living
- carbon based
eg. sewage, silage

inorganic
- non living
eg. nitrates phosphates

Question 6

persistent/ biodegradable pollutant

Answer 6

persistent
- do not breakdown easily
- POP’s are the worst, insoluble in water but soluble in fat, increasing concentrations up the food chain
eg. DDT, pesticides

biodegradable
- will breakdown/ decompose due to microorganisms
eg. sewage, food waste

Question 7

acute/ chronic pollutant

Answer 7

acute
- suddenly and in large quantities over a short period of time
eg. rupture in an oil pipe

chronic
- persistent long term release of a pollutant at low concentrations
eg. runoff from urban areas into rivers

Question 8

primary/ secondary pollutant

Answer 8

primary
- pollutants in the form they are released in
eg. Co2, CFC’s, dust

secondary
- when primary pollutants react with the environment and other pollutants
- usually more toxic
eg. ozone, acid deposition

Question 9

air pollution

Answer 9

• introduction of harmful materials into the atmosphere
• respiratory problems, damage vegetation
• turn into secondary pollutants

Question 10

water pollution

Answer 10

• introduced to a body of water
• destroy ecosystems, disrupt food chains, spread diseases, poison humans

Question 11

land pollution

Answer 11

• human misuse of land resources
• caused by poor disposal, use of chemicals, into soil
• spreads disease, reduces capacity for life, destroys ecosystems

Question 12

light pollution

Answer 12

• poor lighting
• street lamps, high usage of lighting in homes
• can impact timing of biological activities, creature navigation, sleep cycles

Question 13

noise pollution

Answer 13

• presence of loud sounds
• traffic, airports
• marine animals ability to navigate, upset birds, damage hearing, stress

Question 14

thermal pollution

Answer 14

• change of temperature
• water used for cooling back into water warmer
• deforestation increasing heat, urban heat island
• detrimental outside of tolerance range to organisms

Question 15

visual pollution

Answer 15

• issue to humans
• detracts from the natural beauty of an area
• high rise buildings, electricity transmission lines
• perception influenced by personal opinion

Question 16

impact of sulphur dioxide (SO2)

Answer 16

• role in acid rain formation
• damages plants and soil
• acidifies lakes
• respiratory irritant

Question 17

impact of nitrogen oxides

Answer 17

• forms smog and ground level ozone
• negatively impacts plants ability to produce and store food
• damages plant structure

Question 18

impact of mercury

Answer 18

• from combustion of coal
• enters water turns into methylmercury
• bioaccumulates in tissues
• reduces fertility, increases death rates
• slows growth and development
• abnormal behaviour
• breathing problems, suffocates aquatic animals

Question 19

impact of particulate matter (fly ash)

Answer 19

• contaminates groundwater, leaching of heavy metals

Question 20

pollution management
education

Answer 20

• altering human activity
• raising awareness of problems, changes attitudes and values to make informed choices
• make lifestyle changes

Question 21

pollution management
legislation

Answer 21

• laws to regulate release of pollutants
• montreal protocol

Question 22

pollution management
remediate

Answer 22

• clean up the mess and restore damage done
• extract pollutant from the environment
• difficult to achieve
• reintroduction of plants and animals

Question 23

DDT

Answer 23

• insecticide, used to combat malaria, effective in bringing down death toll in many countries
• persistent organic pollutant (POP)
• absorbed by soil and not broken down
• silent spring written about impacts associated with DDT
• lowers reproductive success, declining numbers of birds
• humans carcinogenic , reproductive system, thyroid issues, liver damage

Question 24

impact of silent spring

Answer 24

• led to banning of DDT for agricultural usage in USA
• total ban by 1991, stockholm convention

Question 25

ethics of DDT

Answer 25

- banning DDT increased the death toll of malaria - with DDT more people would survive - lots of evidence extent of damage caused by DDT is not accurate