Intro to marine pollution

Question 1

What is pollution?

Answer 1

Introduction by man directly or indirectly of substances or energy to the marine environment resulting in deleterious effects like hazards to human health; endurance of marine activities, incl fishing, impairment of the quality for the use of seawater; and reduction of amenities.

Question 2

What is contamination?

Answer 2

An input from human activities (?), increases the concentration of a substance in seawater, sediments or organisms above the natural background level for that area or organism.

Question 3

What are the pollution events?

Answer 3

• the pollutant
• source of pollution
• transport medium (soil, air, water)
• the target (organism ecosystem, or property)

Holdgate’s model

Question 4

What are the types of marine pollution?

Answer 4

• degradable wastes (org matter)
• fertilisers (nitrates and phosphates)
• dissipating wastes (heat, acids/alkalis, cyanide)
• conservative wastes (heavy metals, halogenated hydrocarbons, radioactivity)
• solid wastes (litter, mining waste, clay from gravel extraction)

Question 5

What are the sources of inputs of marine pollution?

Answer 5

• estuaries
• coastal towns
• coastal industry
• rivers (org wastes, pesticides & fertilisers, petroleum & oil from roads)
• shipping (offshore inputs - atmospheric, seawater contamination)
• atmospheric inputs (industry)