1.5 humans and pollution Flashcards
1
Q
pollution
A
addition of a substance to an environment by human action faster than it can be rendered harmless by natural processes
2
Q
factors making human pollution a problem
A
- increasing population
- development of non-biodegradable materials
3
Q
non-point source pollution
A
- emitted from numerous widely dispersed origins
- difficult to detect where it’s coming from
- e.g: raw sewage entering a water course
4
Q
point source pollution
A
- emitted from a single identifiable source
- easier to see who’s polluting and to address it
- e.g: dioxins from a waste incinerator
5
Q
acute pollution
A
- when a lot of pollution is released over a short time period
- e.g: BP oil spill in 2010, Louisiana
6
Q
chronic pollution
A
- results from long term release of small amounts of pollution, often from multiple sources
- more difficult to address, more widely spread
- e.g: “atmospheric brown cloud” in india (soot, CO2, smog)
7
Q
direct measurements of pollution
A
records the amount of pollutant
e.g:
- pH of rainwater
- atmospheric CO2 concentration
8
Q
indirect measurements of pollution
A
- record changes in a biotic/abiotic factors caused by pollution
- sensitive to pollution events over a longer time frame/area
e.g:
- dissolved O2 in freshwater