exam 4 Flashcards
narrow spectrum pesticides
kill a specific organism
broad spectrum pesticides
kill a wide variety of organisms
1st generation pesticides (pre 1940s)
naturally derived compounds.
minerals and heavy metals, botanicals
minerals and heavy metals
As, Pb, Hg
persistent and highly toxic to humans
botanicals
nicotine, pyrethrin
not persistent, toxic to aquatic organisms and pollinators
2nd generation pesticides
Post WWII
synthetic ex: DDT
Chlorinated Hydrocarbons (e.g. DDT)
Persistent, broad spectrum
banned or restricted
Organophosphates (e.g. malathion)
not persistent, broad spectrum, most toxic, used in agriculture
Carbamates (e.g. carbaryl)
not persistent, broad spectrum, less toxic, less effective
Selective herbicides
kill specific plants
broad leaf and grass herbicides
2,4-D
non selective herbicides
kill all vegetation
Glyphosate
toxic to amphibians
glyphospate
epa declared unlikely carcinogen
PFAS
added to pesticides to make them last longer
benefits of pesticides
disease control (ticks and mites) and crop protection (save $)
how to deal with pesticide resistance
sacrifice plants, mechanical weed removal, introduce natural predators
problems with pesticides
genetic resistance, kill non target species, environmental mobility, human health risks
environmental mobility of pesticides
found in surface water such as streams and drinking water
found in antarctic krill
short term exposure to high levels
harms organs, nervous system, potentially deadly
long term exposure to low levels
sterility, cancer, birth defects, miscarriage, slowed development, parkinsons disease
cultivation alternatives to pesticides
intercropping, embrace weeds, crop rotation
biological alternatives to pesticides
use natural predators but may become invasive
pheromone and hormones alternative
pheromones used to lure insects into traps
reproductive control alternative
sterilize males with radiation, chemicals, or genetic alternation
genetic control alternative
genetically modified crops
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
uses sustainable methods to reduce pesticide use and save money
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
persistent, toxic chems that bioaccumulate & can travel long distances
One benefit of using a machine like a “bug vacuum” to remove pests from crop plants is:
it fertilizes crops while also removing pests.
_______ is a chlorinated hydrocarbon that that weakens egg shells and is no longer used in most developed nations.
DDT
Stockholm Convention on POPs (2004)
requires countries develop plans to eliminate the production & use of POPs
Sewage
Wastewater from drains or sewers that includes human wastes, soaps & detergents
Fecal coliform tests
detect presence of E. coli in the water
Sediment Pollution
Excessive amounts of suspended soil particles that eventually settle out & accumulate
what does sewage in water lead to
carries disease and leads to eutrophication, increases BOD
what do sediments in water lead to
increases turbidity which limits light penetration
Covers/smothers aquatic organisms
Carries insoluble toxins into waterways
Organic Compounds
Chemicals that contain carbon and hydrogen atoms
Organic Compound examples
Natural: sugars, amino acids, oils
Human-made: pesticides, plastics, pharmaceuticals, solvents, industrial chemicals
Endocrine disruptors (hormones)
adversely affect amphibians
Inorganic Nutrients
Nutrients like N & P that stimulate the growth of plants & algae
Toxic Metals
mercury, lead, arsenic
come from Mines, oil drilling, urban run-off, air pollution
Mercury (Hg) sources
Coal-fired power plants, municipal & medical waste incinerators, metal smelting, industrial processes
Lead (Pb)
old lead paint, industrial pollutants, leaded gas, lead pipes
flint water pollution
flint didn’t use OCCT and only tested low risk areas for lead
Optimal Corrosion Control Treatment (OCCT)
prevents lead in pipes from leaching into tap water
flint water pollution
flint didn’t use OCCT and only tested low risk areas for lead
Safe Drinking Water Act
requires testing of tap water in high risk areas
Thermal Pollution
Occurs when heated water produced during industrial processes is released into waterways
leads to high BOD and lowered DO
Point Source Pollution
pollution can be traced back to a single source
Nonpoint Source Pollution
pollution comes from a variety of areas and is hard to trace
Agriculture water pollution
leading source of water pollution
Fertilizer, Organic compounds, Chemical pesticides, Soil erosion
Municipal Water Pollution
sewer and urban runoff are combined and dumped into rivers
Groundwater Pollution
Pollutants: pesticides, fertilizers, organic compounds, inorganic chemicals
Sources: Landfills, Undergrounds storage tanks (USTs), & agricultural land
Safe Drinking Water Act (1974)
Sets uniform federal standards for drinking water including maximum contaminant level
Clean Water Act (1972)
Sets limits on PS & some NPS pollution
violators are fined
Industrial Wastes in Water: food processing plants
food processing plants -> organic compounds -> high BOD
Industrial Wastes in Water: paper mills
paper mills -> toxic metals and sludge -> High BOD & toxic
Industrial Wastes in Water: electronics
Electronics -> toxic metals -> Toxic, but can be reprocessed & sold
The “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico is:
an area with low dissolved oxygen levels caused by excessive decomposition of algae.
“Dead zones” can be reversed through:
restoring wetlands within the watershed
Which of the following is an UNLIKELY result of thermal pollution?
lower metabolism rates in fish.
Inorganic nutrients:
can be found in groundwater and surface water.
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act helps prevent groundwater contamination by regulating the:
storage and disposal of hazardous wastes, including USTs
Insoluble ‘hitchhiker pollutants’ enter surface waters via
sediment pollution
atmosphere composition
78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% argon, >1% CO2
Primary Air Pollutant
a harmful substance that is emitted directly into the atmosphere
Secondary Air Pollutant
a new compound that is formed in the atmosphere when a 1°pollutant reacts with other substances
1° Pollutants
carbon oxides, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, sulfur dioxide
2° Pollutants
sulfur trioxide (SO3), ozone (O3)
CO2
greenhouse gas leads to climate change
CO carbon monoxide
reduces oxygen in the body, indirect greenhouse gas
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
Nitric oxide (NO), Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Nitrous oxide (N2O)*
Produced when atmospheric nitrogen & oxygen react at high temperatures
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx): trophosphere
inhibits plant growth, airway constriction, photochemical smog, acid deposition, global warming*
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx): Stratosphere
deplete ozone layer
Particulate Matter (PM)
soil particles, soot, lead, asbestos, sea salt, & sulfuric acid droplets
Particulate Matter (PM) effects
Scatters & absorbs light, Corrodes metal, erodes rock, soils clothing, cancer, particles in lungs
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
hydrocarbons such as methane, linked to photochemical smog
sulfur dioxide (SO2)
Produced by chemical reaction between sulfur and oxygen
creates sulfur trioxide, leads to acid rain
sulfur trioxide (SO3)
2°, derived from SO2, acid rain
ozone O3
belongs in stratosphere
photochemical smog, respiratory irritant, plant irritant, greenhouse gas
Industrial Smog
Smoke pollution that is usually caused by SOx & PM
Photochemical Smog
Brownish-orange haze formed when sunlight catalyzes chemicals reactions between NOx & VOCs to form O3 &
other pollutants
two main sources of air pollution
Transportation and Industry & Electricity
Transportation
nonpoint
NOx, carbon oxides, PM, VOCs
Industry & Electricity
point source
fossil fuel combustion
Toxic pollutants: chemical, metals, & paper industry
Thermal Inversions
Instead of rising & circulating, pollutants remain trapped near the Earth’s surface
where does topography cause thermal inversion
Valleys, leeward side of mountains, coastlines
Global Distillation Effect
When chemicals evaporate from land and are transported to higher latitudes where they condense and fall
Causes a build up of persistent pollutants at higher latitudes
abiotic effects air pollution
Reduced visibility (smog), corrosion, acid deposition, climate change, ozone depletion
biotic effects air pollution
Reduced plant productivity, respiratory & cardiovascular problems, toxic effects, UV damage, forest decline, death
what causes forest decline
acid deposition changes soil chemistry, ozone damage increases temp
who is at the highest risk of health problems from air pollution
children, more likely to get asthma
The Clean Air Act (1970)
Authorizes EPA to set limits on amount of specific air pollutants permitted in the US
Kyoto Protocol (1997)
International treaty for GHG emissions reduction
Paris Climate Agreement (2016)
International agreement to limit the global rise in temperature to 1.5°C primarily through GHG reduction
Montreal Protocol (1987)
International treaty to phase out CFCs and other ozone depleting pollutants
key culprit of ozone depletion
CFCs
UV-B rays break CFCs Releasing Cl- ions, Cl- ions break down O3
Ozone Background Info
O3 naturally breaks & reforms in the Stratosphere
O3 absorbs UV-B radiation & this causes it to breakdown
PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE
Though you are not 100% sure of what is causing a problem, there is a big risk to “doing nothing.”
Adaptive management
A plan that allows you to alter strategies as new info arises or the situation changes
reducing air pollution: transportation
decrease fossil fuel dependence
Increase fuel efficiency
Hybrid/Electric vehicles
public transportation
ways to reduce air pollution
Recovery of VOCs at the pump and USTs
Carbon Capture & Storage
Smokestack technologies
Reducing the release of air pollutants from soil
Dangerous levels of toxic compounds have been measured in pristine arctic regions due to the:
global distillation effect.
Which of the following pollutants is a greenhouse gas that is also capable of ozone depletion?
nitrous oxide (N2O)
The main reason air pollution is a greater health threat to children than it is to adults is because:
children breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults
Automobiles do not release significant quantities of the following into the atmosphere:
sulfur oxides
Infrared Radiation (IR)
radiation that is invisible but we can feel as heat
Greenhouse Gas (GHG)
Gas that traps heat in our atmosphere by absorbing outgoing infrared radiation and emitting it in all directions
Radiative forcing
Incoming Energy – Outgoing E
The difference between incoming and outgoing radiation
Joseph Fourier
notes Earth should be much colder based on its distance from sun
Proposes atmosphere is heating Earth (Greenhouse Effect)
John Tyndall
provides evidence for the GH Effect by measuring heat trapping ability of various gases
IDs major GHGs
Svante Arrhenius
calculates extent to which excess CO2 increases Earth’s temperature
Proposes humans are producing enough CO2 emissions to cause global warming
Keeling Curve: Charles David Keeling
begins directly measuring atm. CO2
how much have CO2 levels increased since the industrial revolution
from 280 ppm to 425 ppm
how much faster has the earth warmed in the last 50 years
2x as much
how is increasing CO2 different now than it was in the past
past: natural events released CO2 which triggered warming
now: humans release CO2 which triggers warming
how much warmer is the global temp now than it was in the 20th century
1.8° F
why has there been an increase in extreme weather events
As evaporation increases
Coastal areas wetter, continental interiors drier
Storm intensity increases
Enhanced Greenhouse Effect
Concentration of GHGs is increasing due to human activities and these excess gases are causing excess warming
Milankovitch cycles
predictable long-term cycles of Earth’s position relative to the Sun
earth is supposed to be cooler currently according to these cycles
why are sea levels rising
Land Ice is melting, ocean thermal expansion
effects of permafrost melting
Releasing CO2 and CH4
Subsidence & landslides
where are species ranges shifting
higher latitudes and higher altitudes
Phenological spring changes
comes one week earlier
how is phenological synchrony being disrupted
community relationships between animals who wake up based on time and animals who wake up based on temp are uncoupling
whats happening to invasive and disease carrying insects due to climate change
their ranges are expanding
whats happening to coral reefs because of climate change and why
coral reefs are bleaching because of ocean warming and ocean acidification
Mitigation
any action taken to eliminate or reduce the long-term risks/hazards of climate change
Adaptation
adjustment to changes caused by climate change
The group of air pollutants that tends to cool the atmosphere by reflecting sunlight back into space are known collectively as:
atmospheric aerosols.
Carbon capture and storage is an example of?
mitigation
What indicates the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere before large scale use of fossil fuels began?
preindustrial CO2 level
Gases that absorb infrared radiation include all of the following except:
sulfur dioxide (SO2)
