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Environmental Science > Chapter 17 > Flashcards

Chapter 17 Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

waste

A

any unwanted material that results from a human activity

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2
Q

waste management

A

decision making to minimize the amount of waste generated and to dispose of waste safely

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3
Q

municipal solid waste

A

is nonliquid waste that comes from homes, institutions, and small businesses

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4
Q

industrial solid waste

A

from production of goods, mining, agriculture, petroleum extraction and refining.

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5
Q

hazardous waste

A

solid or liquid waste that is toxic, chemically reactive, flammable, or corrosive

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6
Q

wastewater

A

from a household, business, or industry, or polluted runoff from streets and storm drains

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7
Q

waste stream

A

the flow of waste as it moves from its sources to its disposal

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8
Q

how many lbs of trash do US citizens generate per day?

A

1,500 lbs

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9
Q

leachate

A

liquid from trash dissolved by rainwater

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10
Q

how long must leachate systems be maintained?

A

30 years

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11
Q

What are the 3 criteria for a landfill?

A

They must be located away from wetlands, earthquake-prone faults, and 20 feet above the water table.

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12
Q

Incineration

A

A controlled process that burns garbage at very high temperatures

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13
Q

scrubbers

A

chemically treat emissions to remove hazardous chemicals and neutralize acidic gases

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14
Q

fly ash

A

particulate matter that can be very toxic

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15
Q

baghouse

A

huge filters that physically remove fly ash

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16
Q

NIMBY

A

Not In My Backyard

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17
Q

drawbacks to landfills

A

liners can be punctured, leachate collection systems aren’t always kept up, and it takes decades for waste to decay.

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18
Q

waste-to-energy facilities

A

use the heat produced by waste combustion to create electricity

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19
Q

landfill gas

A

bacterial decomposition that creates a mix of gases that consists of 50% methane

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20
Q

composting

A

the conversion of organic waste into mulch or humus through natural decomposition

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21
Q

municipal composting programs

A

divert food and yard waste from the waste stream to central composting facilities

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22
Q

recycling

A

1, collection of recyclable materials through curbside recycling. 2, using recyclables to produce new goods. 3, consumers buy goods made from recycled materials

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23
Q

materials recovery facilities

A

workers and machines sort, clean, shred, and prepare items

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24
Q

pay as you throw

A

residents are charged with how much trash they put out

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25
Q

bottle bills

A

consumers receive a refund for returning used bottles and cans to stores

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26
Q

industrial ecology

A

reducing resource inputs while maximizing physical and economic efficiency.

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27
Q

life-cycle analysis

A

examines the life cycle of a product to make the process more ecologically efficient

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28
Q

what are 4 categories of hazardous material?

A

ignitable(natural gas) , corrosive, reactive (explosive), and toxic.

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29
Q

what is the largest source of unregulated hazardous waste?

A

Households

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30
Q

What are synthetic organic compounds?

A

they resist bacterial, fungal, and insect activity like plastics, tires, pesticides, and solvents.

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31
Q

examples of heavy metals

A

lead, chromium, mercury, and arsenic

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32
Q

Why are heavy metals a concern?

A

they enter the environment when they are disposed of improperly, and they bioaccumulate because they are fat soluble

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33
Q

e-waste

A

electronic waste like computers, printers, and cell phones.

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34
Q

why should we recycle e-waste?

A

67% of them that are discarded still work, and they should be treated as hazardous waste, valuable trace minerals can be recovered

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35
Q

RCRA

A

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and is the law that creates the framework for the proper management of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste.

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36
Q

surface impoundment

A

shallow depressions lined with plastic and clay that store hazardous waste, liquid evaporates, solid is transported for disposal

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37
Q

deep-well injection

A

a well is drilled deep beneath the water table and waste is injected into it (can corrode and leak)

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38
Q

CERCLA aka Superfund

A

Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act. This law established a federal program to clean up US sites polluted with hazardous waste aka superfund

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39
Q

Brownfields

A

lands whose reuse or development is complicated by the presence of hazardous materials

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40
Q

Which two events spurred creation of the Superfund legislation?

A

Love Canal, Times Beach, and Louisville Kentucky.

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41
Q

the superfund process

A

EPA scientists note how close the site is to human habitation, if wastes are currently confined or likely to spread, and if the site threatens drinking water

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42
Q

Who pays for cleanup?

A

CERCLA charges polluting parties for cleanup, and a trust fund was established by a federal tax on petroleum but this fund is not bankrupt so taxpayers pay for cost of cleanup

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43
Q

How long does a cleanup take, and how much does it cost?

A

15 years and 25 million

44
Q

environment

A

the combination of physical, chemical, and biological factors that affect the individual

45
Q

hazard

A

anything that can cause injury, death, disease, or deterioration

46
Q

vulnerability

A

a measure of susceptibility

47
Q

risk

A

probability of suffering a loss as a result of exposure to a hazard. Risk = Hazard x Vulnerability

48
Q

morbidity

A

incidence of disease in a population

49
Q

mortality

A

incidence of death in a population

50
Q

epidemiology

A

study of presence, distribution, and control of disease in a population

51
Q

health

A

“a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” - World Health Organization

52
Q

mutagen

A

any substance that can mutate DNA

53
Q

carcinogen

A

any mutagenic substance that tends to cause cancer

54
Q

teratogen

A

anything that can cause birth defects like radiation, drugs, or certain viruses

55
Q

toxic

A

generally refers to anything poisonous

56
Q

toxicology

A

the study of how poisonous chemicals affect the health of humans and other organisms

57
Q

2 ways to consider risk

A

the probability of something going wrong and the negative consequences if it does

58
Q

top 3 causes of mortality in developed countries

A

cancer, cardiovascular, other/unknown

59
Q

top 3 causes of mortality in least developed countries

A

communicable diseases, cardiovascular, other/unknown

60
Q

top 3 causes of mortality worldwide

A

cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, and cancers.

61
Q

top 5 global risk factors

A

underweight, unsafe sex, blood pressure, tobacco, and alcohol

62
Q

4 main types of environmental hazards

A

physical hazards (natural disasters), biological hazards (viruses), chemical hazards, and cultural hazards (smoking)

63
Q

Leading causes of mortality from major infectious diseases

A

respiratory infections, HIV/AIDS, diarrheal diseases

64
Q

urbanization

A

the movement of people from rural to urban areas

65
Q

industrialization

A

the development of industries in a region on a wide scale

66
Q

what factors help a city succeed?

A

climate, topography, and waterways influence the location of urban areas

67
Q

why did people of US move away from cities and out to suburbs?

A

more space, economic opportunities, and less crime.

68
Q

urban sprawl

A

the spread of low-density development outward from an urban center

69
Q

two major components of urban sprawl

A

population growth and per capita land consumption, and more people want space and privacy

70
Q

5 main problems with sprawl

A

transportation, pollution, sprawl promotes physical inactivity, land use, and economics

71
Q

what is urban planning and why is it important?

A

designing cities to maximize their efficiency, functionality, and beauty. City planning helped plan our nations capitol.

72
Q

zoning

A

classifies areas for different types of development and land use

73
Q

urban growth boundary (ugb)

A

they limit sprawl, keep growth in urbanized areas, and reduce infrastructure costs.

74
Q

3 major components of waste management

A

1 minimizing the amount of waste we generate, 2 recovering discarded materials and recycling them, and 3 disposing of waste safely

75
Q

how many ingredients in cigarettes are known to be carcinogenic?

A

74 chemicals are known to be carcinogenic and cigarettes contain 43 of those chemicals

76
Q

two main approaches to how new substances are brought to the market

A

innocent until proven guilty approach and the precautionary principle; bringing substances to the market after extensive testing

77
Q

endocrine disruptor

A

chemicals that mimic hormone molecules by binding to a cellular receptor for the hormone

78
Q

top 3 cultural hazards in the US

A

tobacco, blood pressure, and alcohol.

79
Q

“the risk of being poor?”

A

one major pathway to hazards is poverty, no money for health insurance, higher probability of exposure to environmental hazards

80
Q

what is risk assessment?

A

the process of evaluating the risk associated with a hazard

81
Q

The 4 parts of risk assessment

A

hazard assessment (what chemicals cause cancer?), dose-responses (how much?), exposure assessment (how long?), risk characterization (how many will die?)

82
Q

What happened at Love Canal? How is it connected to CERCLA? Who was responsible?

A

Families were evacuated after buried chemicals rose to the surface, CERCLA charges polluting parties for cleanup, and Occidental Chemical Corp is responsible.

83
Q

precautionary principle

A

lack of certainty should not be used as a reason for preventing environmental degredation/hazards

84
Q

regional planning

A

is like city planning but with broader geographic scales, also coordinate with multiple municipal governments

85
Q

smart growth

A

rejuvenates existing developed areas, building up, not out, multistory shops and high rises

86
Q

greenways

A

along rivers, streams, or canals, and protect water quality

87
Q

parklands

A

natural lands, public parks, regulate climate

88
Q

green buildings

A

minimize their ecological footprint and are built from sustainable materials

89
Q

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

A

a certification program where new or existing buildings can be granted silver, gold, or platinum status.

90
Q

urban sustainability

A

minimizes impacts on natural systems and functions over long term

91
Q

Cons of large urban centers

A

they export waste through pollution and trade, and residents are exposed to chemicals and smog.

92
Q

Pros of large urban centers

A

cities allow quick delivery of goods and services, water and sewer systems, and waste disposal

93
Q

urban heat island effect

A

cities are hotter than surrounding areas. dark paved surfaces absorb daytime heat and then release it slowly at night

94
Q

urban ecology

A

cities should mimic ecosystems, recycle, and offer incentives for sustainable practice.

95
Q

what is released when trash is burned?

A

hazardous chemicals like dioxins, heavy metals, and polychlorinated biphenyls.

96
Q

how much energy does trash generate compared to coal, when burned?

A

About 35%

97
Q

Who regulates msw, and who regulates isw?

A

the federal government regulates msw, and state and local governments regulate isw

98
Q

The Swiss Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives Foundation (ZERI)

A

sponsors dozens of innovative projects worldwide that attempt to create goods and services without generating waste

99
Q

what are the 3 primary means of hazardous waste disposal?

A

Landfills, surface impoundments, and injection wells

100
Q

gentrification

A

the transformation of a neighborhood to conditions that cater to wealthier people

101
Q

chemical elements

A

substances that contain one kind of atom and cannot be separated into simpler substances

102
Q

chemical compounds

A

formed by the combination of two or more elements

103
Q

organic chemicals

A

chemicals that contain carbon

104
Q

half-life

A

the rate at which a chemical degrades

105
Q

inorganic chemicals

A

contain salt, asbestos, silicates, and minerals like iron, aluminum, and phosphorus.

106
Q

natural chemicals

A

chemicals that are found occurring in the environment which are not introduced by humans

107
Q

synthetic chemicals

A

those which are developed by humans

Environmental Science (11 decks)

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