APES 7,8, & 9 Flashcards
most common form of expressing pollutants
ppm
what are the six criteria air pollutants
ozone (O3)
particulate matter (PM)
carbon monoxide (CO)
lead (Pb)
Sulfure dioxide (SO2)
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
gray smog
sulfur-based industrial smog
carbon monoxide sources
incomplete combustion of fuels
natural: volcanoes, fires
lead sources
paint chips
smelting of metals
NOx sources
automobiles
burning of fossil fuels
NOx gases react to form what two things
acid rain
tropospheric ozone
what forms photochemical smog
NOx & VOCs reacting in the presence of sunlight
VOCs stand for…
volatile organic compounds
two ways that ozone is produced
UV reacting with NOx (released by vehicles) which causes oxygen atoms to react with O2 gas, resulting in ozone
VOCs react with NOx to produce PANs & O3
PANs
peroxyacyl nitrates
secondary pollutants that form in the atmosphere
how are PANs produced
VOCs reacting with NOx in the atmosphere
sulfur oxides (SOx) sources
burning of fossil fuels
motor vehicles
natural: volcanoes, marshes, forest fires
how to reduce SO2
washing coal, using scrubbers
PMx sources
burning of fossil fuels
incineration of wastes
soil erosion (desertification, deforestation)
vehicle exhaust
natural: dust storms, fires, volcanoes
the smaller & lighter the PMx particle, the (shorter/longer) it will stay in the air
longer
what can contribute to sick building syndrome
VOCs
thermal inversion layers vs normal layer
cool air - warm air - cold air
warmer air - cooler air - cold air
thermal inversion commonly occurs when: (morning/night)
night
a permanent inversion layer occurs where
over Antarctica
SBS stands for…
sick building syndrome
asbestos
indoor air pollutant
most common type of fatal indoor air poisoning
carbon monoxide
effects of breathing in CO
carbon monoxide easily combines with hemoglobin to block the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity
formaldehyde
indoor air pollutant
what do POPs stand for
persistent organic pollutants
example of a POP
radon
radon
indoor air pollutant
often beneath buildings or in building material
tobacco smoke
indoor air pollutant
catalytic converter
exhaust emission control device that converts toxic chemicals in the exhaust of an internal-combustion engine into less harmful substances
downside of a catalytic converter
do not reduce CO2 emissions & release N2O (nitrous oxides)
clean air act
designer to control air pollution
dry deposition
in areas where weather is dry, chemicals in the air may be incorporated into dust & smoke and stick to the ground, buildings, cars, trees & then be washed from these surfaces, leading to acidic runoff.
wet deposition is also known as
acid rain
how is acid rain formed due to sulfur dioxide (SO2)
SO2 is introduced into the atmosphere where it combines with water vapor (H2O). This produced sulfurous acid which combines with oxygen to form sulfuric acid (acid rain)
how is acid rain formed due to nitrous dioxide (NO2)
NO2 combines with water vapor to produce nitric acid
thermal pollution
the degradation of water quality by any process that changes water temperature
highest source of ocean pollutants
sewage
epiphytes
organisms that grow on other organisms but do not harm or benefit the host.
cultural eutrophication
human activity increases the amount of nutrients entering surface waters
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
system of rotating ocean currents of marine litter & is characterized by floating plastics, chemicals, & other debris
Gulf of Mexico deadzone is a result of what
excess nutrients from the Mississippi River
results in stratification (warm & cold water)
prevents the mixing of oxygen-rich with oxygen-poor water `
what is the effect of heat produced by industry & power plants discharging into water ways
reduces the water’s ability to hold oxygen & kills organisms that cannot tolerate heat/low-oxygen levels
___% of people in the U.S. depend on groundwater
50%
what are POPs
chlorinated hydrocarbons (DDT)
organic compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation. Affect the nervous system of pests as pesticides
adsorption
when one substance just hangs on to the outside of another
flocculation sedimentation
process that combines small particles into larger particles that then settle out the water as sediment
at what temperature is fresh water most dense
4 degrees Celsius 40 degrees F
mangrove
shrub or small tree that grows in brackish water. Mangroves evolved a salt filtration system
how is brackish water formed
seawater mixing with freshwater in estuaries
thermal shock
when water is used as a coolant & returns to its natural source at a higher temperature (also containing less oxygen, since warmer water cant hold much oxygen)
affects organisms
an aquatic system with 0% dissolved oxygen is called…
anaerobic
DO concentrations of 1-30% is called
hypoxic
healthy aquatic system has a DO percentage of..
more than 80%
aquatic plant growth rates are increased by (colder/warmer) water
warmer
leads to short life spans, overpopulation, algae blooms (which leads to reduced DO concentrations)
resource conservation & recovery act (RCRA)
encouraged states to develop plans to manage industrial solid & municipal wastes. Set criteria for landfills & disposable facilities
comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act (CERCLA-SUPERFUND)
provided authority for the federal government to respond to releases of possible hazardous substances. Established rules for closed & abandoned hazardous waste cities & created a trust fund for cleanup if responsible parties for contaminated sites could not be located
municipal solid waste
trash or garbage
teratogens
substances found in the environment that cause birth defects
reactive wastes
wastes that are unstable under normal conditions
landfill capping
containment technology that forms a barrier between the contaminated media & the surface
brownfield
land previously used for industrial or commercial purposes (may have been contaminated with hazardous wastes). Cleaned up land use for housing, retail, or industrial uses again
closed-loop recycling
waste is used to make the same product
open-loop recycling
waste is used to make a new product
septic system process
underground tank & drain field
wastewater enters a tank to allow solids to settle while anaerobic bacteria digests the settled solids. The excess liquid leaves the tank & moves through a pipe to a leach field where the water percolates into the soil
LD50
dose required to kill half of the members of a tested population after a specific time
threshold dose level
the point at which toxicity first appears
acute health effects
caused by rapid, severe, & sudden exposures to a substance
single large exposure
chronic health effects
caused by prolonged & repeated exposures over time
symptoms may not immediately be apparent
mesothelioma
cancer found in lining around the lungs, stomach, heart, or testicles
caused by exposure of asbestos
cholera
acute disease with watery diarrhea caused by ingestion of food/water contaminated with a specific bacterium
plague
caused by bacteria
malaria
caused by a parasite through the bites of infected female mosquitos
MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome)
illness caused by a virus
SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)
caused by a coronavirus
the ozone is thicker in the (spring/fall) and thinner in the (spring/fall)
spring, fall
during which season does ozone depletion occur
winter
what causes ozone depletion
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or halocarbons (halons)
what do chlorofluorocarbons contain
chorine fluorine carbon
where do chlorofluorocarbons come from
aerosol sprays, solvents, refrigerants (air conditioners)
primary source of N2O emissions
fertilizer
sequestration
storage
kyoto protocol
plan created by the UN to reduce the effects of climate change. U.S. initially agreed but then rejected it
doha amendment to the Kyoto protocol
participating countries committed to reducing emissions by at least 18% below 1990 levels
montreal protocol
international treaty designed to phase out the production of substances responsible for ozone depletion
Paris agreement
deals with greenhouse gas emissions & mitigation
what causes ocean acidification
CO2 reacting with seawater
Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (CITES)
Ensures that international trade in specimens of wild animals & plants does not threaten the survival of the species in the wind.
Endangered species act (ESA)
Designed to protect endangered species
