Biosphere2 Flashcards
What is environmental pollution?
Environmental pollution is the measurable alteration of our surroundings, wholly or partly by human activity through direct and indirect effects.
What factors contribute to environmental pollution?
Factors include overpopulation, industrialization, urbanization, overexploitation of resources, and overutilization of automobiles.
What are pollutants?
Pollutants are substances that cause pollution and can be natural or man-made. Man-made pollutants are considered more dangerous.
What are examples of visible and invisible pollutants?
Visible pollutants include smoke, poisonous gases, dust, garbage, and sewage. Invisible pollutants include bacteria and toxic chemicals mixed with water, food, and soil.
What are the types of environmental pollution?
Environmental pollution can be classified into air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, and noise pollution.
How does the World Health Organization define air pollution?
Air pollution is defined as substances put into the air by human activity in concentrations sufficient to cause harmful effects to health, vegetation, and property.
What are the natural and man-made sources of air pollutants?
Natural sources include volcanoes, forest fires, and cosmic dust. Man-made sources include gases from industries, domestic use, automobiles, mining, and nuclear power plants.
What are important air pollutants?
Important air pollutants include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and hydrocarbons.
What are the effects of air pollution?
Effects include changes in weather and climatic conditions, ozone depletion, greenhouse effect, global warming, health problems, and effects on animal and plant life.
What measures can be taken to control air pollution?
Measures include controlling gas pollutants, controlling emissions from automobiles, planting trees, using non-conventional energy sources, awareness programs, legal control, and education.
