Ch.27 Environmental Micro Flashcards
what is the hydrologic (water) cycle?
is the cyclic exchange of water between the atmosphere and biosphere
what are the steps to the hydrologic water cycle?
- water precipitates as rain; falls to earth
- It is returned by evaporation to the air
what carries nutrients into the river and what does it increase?
- water
- increases BOD
what accelerates microbial respiration?
Carbon runoff
what is BOD?
Biochemical oxygen Demand
it is the amount of O2 removed from the environment through respiration
what creates BOD?
Microbial Oxygen Consumption
how is BOD measured?
with how fast oxygen is removed
where are dead zones or zones of hypoxia?
large regions of the ocean
what is an example of a dead zone or zone of hypoxia?
Gulf of Mexico, off the Louisiana coast
when did the dead zone expand?
by 2010 oil spill
Heterotrophs in a large region of the ocean that have become dead zones or zones of hypoxia increase in response to what?
the influx of organic nutrients
what depletes oxygen in large regions of the ocean that have become dead zones or zones of hypoxia?
aerobic respiration
when does eutrophication occur?
from an influx of excess nutrients that triggers hypoxic zones in the water
Eutrophication results in high levels of what?
aerobic respiration
what decreases the BOD and the level of human pathogens before water is returned to local rivers?
wastewater treatment
what are the steps to wastewater treatment?
- Preliminary treatment
- Primary treatment
- Secondary Treatment
- Tertiary (advanced) treatment
what does the preliminary treatment do?
removes solid debris
what does the primary treatment do?
fine screens & sedimentation tanks remove insoluble particles.
what does secondary treatment do?
microbial decomposition of organic content
what does tertiary advance treatment do?
chlorination or other chemical application to eliminate pathogens