A. Overview Flashcards
(13 cards)
What is the total volume of water on Earth?
1.4 billion cubic kilometres
How much of the water on Earth is freshwater?
23 million cubic kilometres
2.5% of the total water on Earth
What percentage of freshwater is stored as groundwater?
30% of freshwater stored as groundwater
How much usable freshwater is available to humans and ecosystems?
~ 200,000 km(3)
< 1% of total volume.
What percentage of industirla waste in developing countries is dumped untreated into waters.
70% of industrial waste in developing countries is dumped untreated into waters.
How many people “currently” live without basic sanitation?
2.5 billion people (nearly 1 billion of whom are children) currently live without basic sanitation.
Name 11 freshwater pollution sources . . .
Acidification: Precipitation Pathogens & Microbial Contaminants
Acidification: Runoff Salinization
Metals Silt and Suspended Particles
Mico Organic Pollutants Thermal Pollution
Nutrients Toxic Organic Compounds
Organic Matter
Give a definition of Pollution
Any substance in water, air or soil . . .
that degrades the natural quality of the environment . . .
offends sight / taste / smell or causes a health hazard.
The usefulness of the natural resource is impaired by its presence.
Name a Point Source Pollutant:
Sewage effluent pipe oulet
Name a Diffuse Source Pollutant:
Acid Rain
What is a Primary Pollutant?
A substance that exters a harmful effect when it enters the environment.
Carbon Monoxide,
What is a Secondary Pollutant?
A pollutant synthesied as a result of chemical processes in the environment from other precursors (often less harmful).
Ozone
Acid Rain
What is a Bioaccumulated Pollutant?
A pollutant that enters the food chain and builds up in the biological tissue of an organism.
DDT
PCBs
