Environmental Chemistry Flashcards
What are 5 categories of water use
Recreational
Human drinking water
Livestock drinking water
Irrigation
Protection of aquatic life
What are biological indicators
Organisms that are sensitive to change and will die very fast if there is a drastic change in the environment
What are chemical factors that affect organisms
Dissolved water, acidity, heavy metals, plants nutrients, pesticides, salt
What is PPM
Parts Per Million
Cross Multiply Divide
What is dissolved oxygen
Level of dissolved oxygen in water depends on temperature, turbulence or speed of moving water, amount of photosynthesis by plants and algae, number of organisms using up the oxygen.
What is phosphorus and nitrogen content
Too much nitrogen and phosphorus can affect the amount of dissolved oxygen and in turn can affect water quality.
What is acidity
Acidic deposition occurs when the soil or water does not have the natural bases to neutralize the acidic precipitation causing damage to forests and lakes. As acidity increases, organisms decrease, for example most fish disappear when the waters pH falls to 4.5.
What are pesticides
Pesticides are chemicals that control different insects and they don’t eat or damage crops. Some are more harmful and lang lasting than others. They stay in the tissue of some organisms and through pesticide use some of the chemicals are able to enter the water system.
What is LD50
The amount of toxins required to kill at least 50% of the test population in a sample size indicates its toxicity.
What are heavy metals
Metals that have a density of 5 g/cm3 or more, meaning they are 5 times or more heavier than an equal volume of water.
What is Spring Acid Shock
Acid snow melts and leaks into river in spring which raises the acidity of the water
What is Sulfur Dioxide
Sulfur Dioxide is an air pollutant which consists of Sulfur and 2 Oxygen particles. It can create smog and acid rain which will affect the whole world.
What is nitrogen oxide
Nitrogen Oxide also can create smog and acid rain. Nitrogen oxide affects the respiratory system of people who are unable to breathe.
What is carbon monoxide
Known as the silent killer which is odorless, clear, and denser than air so it goes straight to the ground. It is made up of Carbon and 1 Oxygen model.
What is ground level ozone
This is the ozone that is found in the ground is the same ozone that is found in the ozone layer in the layer above the Earth. Ozone is made up of Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Oxide. Ozone is dangerous for people with asthma and other respiratory diseases.
What is Carbon Dioxide as a greenhouse gas
`Co2 became more abundant. It is the cause of the Earth’s warming as it captures heat. This gas is produced by gas, factories, and fossil fuel consumption. Majority of our energy is produced from burning carbon dioxide. Wild fires also produce a significant amount of carbon dioxide. The Earth is rapidly increasing in temperature, water shortage, disappearance of lakes, sea level rise and worse consequences are coming soon if we do not take action now.
