Environmental Chemistry - Section 3 Flashcards
What are three questions that arise when pollutants are detected far from their source?
What is the source of the pollutant?
Who/What is responsible for its spread
Who should be financially responsible for correcting any problems caused by the pollutant?
What are the three stages of transport of pollutants in air?
Release of the chemical at the source
Dispersion of the chemical in the atmosphere
Deposition of the chemical in soil or water
What is a water table?
The top of the groundwater zone
Water are some of the things water can do in soil?
Evaporate (if it is near the surface)
Soak into the soil and be taken up by surface
Run into a stream
Soak through the soil and move downward into the water table
What are some techniques to reduce the concentration of harmful chemicals?
Dispersion Dilution Biodegration Phytoremediation Photolysis
What is dispersion?
The process where a substance is scattered away from the source and spread over a greater area
What is dilution?
Reduces concentration by mixing the pollution with large quantities of air or water
What is biodegradation?
Uses living organisms, such as bacteria, fungi or algae, to “clean up” the environment
What is aerobic biodegradation?
When the organisms use oxygen in the process of biodegradation
What is anaerobic biodegradation?
When the organisms do not use oxygen in the process of biodegradation
What are some factors that affect the rate of biodegradation?
Temperature Soil moisture pH Oxygen supply Nutrient availability
What is phytoremediation?
Uses plants which can absorb certain harmful compounds in the soil
What is photolysis?
Uses light to degrade harmful substances
What is biomagnification?
The increase in concentration of a chemical or element as it moved up the food chain
