Environmental Chemistry Flashcards
What are nutrients used for?
Nutrients are used for energy, growth, bodybuilding, and cell repair.
Why is it important to understand the impact of our actions on the environment?
To make informed choices to lower our impact.
What are the two types of nutrients?
Organic and Inorganic
What are organic nutrients and what are the four main groups?
Organic Nutrients contain carbon. The four groups of organic nutrients are carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and vitamins.
What are Inorganic Nutrients and what are the two main types?
Inorganic Nutrients don’t contain carbon, they are minerals or elements, and are found on the periodic table. The two types of nutrients are macrominerals and trace elements.
Explain what the four main groups of organic nutrients do and what are their sources?
- Carbohydrates - Energy Production - Bread, rice, vegetables, pasta.
- Proteins - Building/repair of the body - Chicken, eggs, beans, nuts.
- Lipids - Energy Storage - Oil, dairy, meat, nuts, avocado.
- Vitamins - many roles - Fruits/vegetables, the sun.
What are macrominerals and trace elements and what is the difference?
- Macrominerals - 100 mg/day or more
- Trace Elements - less than 100 mg/day
What are the important vitamins and what are they responsible for?
Vitamin A - needed for healthy eyesight
Vitamin B (several) - responsible for Metabolism
Vitamin C - connective tissue
Vitamin D - bone structure
Vitamin E - healing cuts and bruises
Vitamin K - blood clotting
What are examples of trace elements and what are the responsible for?
-Sodium - Nerve impulses
-Potassium - Nerve impulses
-Iron - Red blood cells
What are deficiencies?
When a person doesn’t get enough of a nutrient, deficiencies can occur.
Which fertilizer is designed for grass? For potatoes? For roses?
A. 30-8-10
B. 10-5-20
C. 5-15-4
A. - Grass because it is high in nitrogen
B. - Roses because it is high in potassium
C. - Potatoes because its high in phosphorus
What are the advantages of fertilizer?
-Better yields
-Crops grow faster
-Increase food production
-Improves quality of soil
What are the disadvantages of fertilizer?
-Expensive/more work
-Could disrupt the balance of N.P.K. (Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium)
-Reduce biodiversity
-Increase in algal blooms
What are the three categories of a pesticide and briefly describe them.
- Herbicide - Kills weeds
- Fungicide - Kills molds/fungus
- Insecticide - Kills insects/spiders/mites
What is DDT?
DDT was originally thought to be an amazing advance in medicine. It was proven to be invaluable in the fight against insect borne diseases, and was thought to be 100% safe.
What is a food chain?
Shows the transfer of energy from producers to many levels of consumers. Remember, food chains are parts of food webs.
What is biomagnification?
Biomagnification is the accumulation of harmful chemicals through a food chain.
What is Biological Control?
An alternate form of pesticide/herbicide in which an organism is introduced to control the pest/weed population.
What are the properties of acids?
-Dissolve in water (soluble)
-Taste sour
-Neutralize bases
-Turn Litmus Paper red
-Conduct electricity
-pH less than 7
What are the properties of bases?
-Dissolve in water
-Taste bitter
-Neutralize acids
-Turn litmus paper blue
-conduct electricity
-Are slippery to touch
-pH greater than 7
What are neutral substances?
These aren’t acidic or basic, don’t change the colour of litmus paper, and have a pH of 7.
What is the pH used for?
Used to compare the acidity of substances.
What is acid rain?
When organic compounds burn, oxides of sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon are released into the atmosphere, where they combine with water and form acid.
Why doesn’t Western Canada have as many problems with acidic lakes?
Western Canada doesn’t have as many problems with acidic lakes because they have more limestone than those in Eastern Canada.