Chap 21-22 vocab

Question 1

advanced sewage treatment/tertiary sewage treatment

Answer 1

chemical and physical processes that reduce the amount of specific pollutants left in wastewater after primary and secondary sewage treatment.

Question 2

biological oxygen demand (BOD)

Answer 2

Amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic bacteria to break down the organic materials in a given volume of water at a certain temperature over a specified time period.

Question 3

Cultural eutrophication

Answer 3

Overnourishment of aquatic ecosystems with plant nutrients (mostly nitrates and phosphates) because of human activities

Question 4

Dissolved oxygen content

Answer 4

Amount of oxygen gas (O2) dissolved in a given volume of water at a particular temperature and pressure

Question 5

Eutrophication

Answer 5

changes after a body of water receives inputs of nutrients (nitrates and phosphates from natural erosion and runoff)

Question 6

Oxygen-demanding wastes

Answer 6

Organic materials that are usually biodegraded by aerobic (oxygen-consuming) bacteria if there is enough dissolved oxygen in the water.

Question 7

Nonpoint source

Answer 7

Large or dispersed land areas such as crop fields, streets, and lawns that discharge pollutants into the environment over a large area.

Question 8

Point source

Answer 8

Single identifiable source that discharges pollutants into the environment.

Question 9

Primary sewage treatment

Answer 9

Mechanical sewage treatment in which large solids are filtered out by screens and suspended solids settle out as sludge in a sedimentation tank.

Question 10

Secondary sewage treatment

Answer 10

Second step in most waste treatment systems in which aerobic bacteria decompose up to 90% of degradable, oxygen-demanding organic wastes in wastewater.

Question 11

Sludge

Answer 11

Gooey mixture of toxic chemicals, infectious agents, and settled solids removed from wastewater at a sewage treatment plant

Question 12

Septic tank

Answer 12

Underground tank for treating wastewater from a home in rural and suburban areas.

Question 13

Water pollution

Answer 13

Any physical or chemical change in surface water or groundwater that can harm living organisms or make water unfit for certain uses.

Question 14

Bioaccumulation

Answer 14

An increase in the concentration of a chemical in specific organs or tissues at a level higher than would normally be expected.

Question 15

Biological pest control

Answer 15

Control of pest populations by natural predators, parasites, or disease-causing bacteria and viruses (pathogens).

Question 16

biomagnification/biological amplification

Answer 16

Increase in concentration of DDT, PCBs, and other slowly degradable, fat-soluble chemicals in organisms at successively higher trophic levels of a food chain or web.

Question 17

DDT

Answer 17

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, a chlorinated hydrocarbon

Question 18

Dioxins

Answer 18

Family of 75 different chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds formed as unwanted by-products in chemical reactions involving chlorine and hydrocarbons, usually at high temperatures.

Question 19

Environmental justice

Answer 19

Fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

Question 20

hazardous waste

Answer 20

Any solid, liquid, or containerized gas that is in some way harmful, flammable, or can leach stuff

Question 21

Industrial food waste

Answer 21

Solid waste produced indirectly by mines, factories, refineries, food growers, and businesses that supply people with goods and services.

Question 22

Municipal solid waste

Answer 22

Solid materials discarded by homes and businesses in or near urban areas.

Question 22

Integrated waste management

Answer 22

Variety of strategies for both waste reduction and waste management to deal with solid wastes.

Question 23

landfill/sanitary landfill

Answer 23

Waste disposal site on land in which waste is spread in thin layers, compacted, and covered with a fresh layer of clay or plastic foam each day.

Question 24

Open dumps

Answer 24

Fields or holes in the ground where garbage is placed and sometimes covered with soil

Question 25

Plasma

Answer 25

An ionized gas consisting of electrically conductive ions and electrons. It is known as a fourth state of matter.

Question 26

PCBs/Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Answer 26

Group of 209 different toxic, oily, synthetic chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds that can be biologically amplified in food chains and webs.

Question 27

precautionary principle

Answer 27

When there is scientific uncertainty about potentially serious harm from chemicals or technologies, decision makers should act to prevent harm to humans and the environment.

Question 28

Recycling

Answer 28

Collecting and reprocessing a resource so that it can be made into new products.

Question 29

Reuse

Answer 29

Using a product over and over again in the same form.

Question 30

Solid waste

Answer 30

Any unwanted or discarded material that is not a liquid or a gas.

Question 31

Toxic waste

Answer 31

Form of hazardous waste that causes death or serious injury (such as burns, respiratory diseases, cancers, or genetic mutations).