2011 2: pathways of pollution

Question 1

atmospheric deposition

Answer 1

toxic chemicals can be carried long distances, they are difficult to control and the fast it moves the more stuff it can carry; the effect generally depends on where it came from

Question 2

examples of atmospheric deposition

Answer 2

acid rain, smog, particulate matter

Question 3

smog

Answer 3

moves the same way air moves: so many places can contribute and it happens that southern ontario gets a good chunk of it

Question 4

contaminated sediments

Answer 4

all of the stuff we put into the water will settle to the bottom and get all mixed in with the natural sediment at the bottom

Question 5

what do contaminated sediments affect

Answer 5

bad for the primary things in the food chain: can also be carried up = bioaccumulation

Question 6

pre-regulation high levels of contamination in sediments

Answer 6

they’re heavy, the fast water flow will carry it

Question 7

What messes with it?

Answer 7

it can be stirred up, re-suspended and redistributed by dredging, shipping, storms, and biotonic disturbance

Question 8

how can we remove?

Answer 8

its difficult and expensive! its hard to dispose of because you need an appropriate dumping location, we have cleaned up very little compared to the amount we have made!

Question 9

grounwater movement

Answer 9

water slowly passes through the ground and picks up dissolved materials that have been buried or soaked into the ground (we also burry garbage and all sorts of shit)

Question 10

surface runoff

Answer 10

urban and agricultural sources contribute to the toxins such as salt, asbestos, cadmium, lead, oils and greases

Question 11

point sources

Answer 11

direct discharges into the environment. There are specific owners to these and they are easily sampled and regulation is generally very successful. Done a lot to drastically reduce this but there is still a lot that has already been put in.

Question 12

pollution control: point sources

Answer 12

once identified and regulated, pollution control mechanisms work really well (spills!)

Question 13

Pollution control: non point sources

Answer 13

difficult to control and hard to identify, must use other avenues to control, public education, voluntary action and pollution prevention

Question 14

pollution prevention: how can we eliminate pollutants before they’re produced?

Answer 14

• changing production processes, opting for environmentally-friendly alternatives
• banning the production, extraction and use of harmful substances

Question 15

how do you ban it?

Answer 15

very hard to get something banned! it has to be agreed upon internationally!

Question 16

whats happening to do it now?

Answer 16

our processes are not set out for pollution prevention: industries do not have to come out and say what s in their stuff! (We are only slowing ‘the train’ of pollution - let alone stopping it - let alone reversing it!)

Question 17

what are four indirect days pollutants make their way into the lake system?

Answer 17

atmospheric deposition, contaminated sediments, ground movement, surface runoff