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
primary pollutants
A
active on emission
- CO
- sewage
3
Q
secondary pollutants
A
formed by primary pollutants undergoing physical/chemical changes
- SO2 and NOx reacting with water in atmosphere to form acid rain
- plastic degrading into microplastics
4
Q
factors making human pollution a problem
A
- increasing population
- development of non-biodegradable materials
5
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
6
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
7
Q
acute pollution
A
- when a lot of pollution is released over a short time period
- e.g: BP oil spill in 2010, Louisiana
8
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)
9
Q
direct measurements of pollution
A
records the amount of pollutant
e.g:
- pH of rainwater
- atmospheric CO2 concentration
10
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
11
Q
pollution management strategies
A
- reduce production of pollutants by changing human activity (campaigns, education –> CFC ban under montreal protocal)
- control release of pollutant (carbon capture and storage on coal fired power plants)
- restoration of damaged systems (removal of radioactive topsoil from fukushima precinct)
