1.5 humans and pollution

Question 1

pollution

Answer 1

addition of a substance to an environment by human action faster than it can be rendered harmless by natural processes

Question 2

factors making human pollution a problem

Answer 2

• increasing population
• development of non-biodegradable materials

Question 3

non-point source pollution

Answer 3

• emitted from numerous widely dispersed origins
• difficult to detect where it’s coming from
• e.g: raw sewage entering a water course

Question 4

point source pollution

Answer 4

• emitted from a single identifiable source
• easier to see who’s polluting and to address it
• e.g: dioxins from a waste incinerator

Question 5

acute pollution

Answer 5

• when a lot of pollution is released over a short time period
• e.g: BP oil spill in 2010, Louisiana

Question 6

chronic pollution

Answer 6

• 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)

Question 7

direct measurements of pollution

Answer 7

records the amount of pollutant

e.g:
- pH of rainwater
- atmospheric CO2 concentration

Question 8

indirect measurements of pollution

Answer 8

• 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

Question 9

pollution management strategies

Answer 9

• 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)