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ENGR 202 > Lecture 2 : Env. Issues > Flashcards

Lecture 2 : Env. Issues Flashcards

1
Q

•Pollution

A

can be defined as the introduction of a
substance to the environment at levels leading to a
loss of a beneficial use of water, air, or land
resource or degradation of the health of humans,
wildlife, or ecosystems.

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2
Q

Types of human health effects:

A

Acute – immediate response
• Chronic – long-term exposure
• Carcinogenic – cell mutations (cancer)
• Welfare – Everything else, relating to what surrounds us (plants, animals, materials)

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3
Q

Major air pollutants:

A
  1. Particulate matter (PM; dust, smoke, haze)
  2. Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
  3. Carbon Monoxide (CO)
  4. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
  5. Ground-level ozone (O3+)
  6. Lead (Pb)
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4
Q

PM10 and PM 2.5 notation

A

✓PM10 → <10 μm, coarse (2.5-10 μm) and fine
particles

✓PM2.5 → <2.5 μm, fine particles

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5
Q

Effects on human health from particles

A

✓Enter human body via respiratory system

✓Damage respiratory organs

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6
Q

Sources of Sulfur Dioxide

A
  • Oil/coal combustion

* Metal smelting

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7
Q

characteristics Sulfur Dioxide

A

nonflammable
non-explosive
colorless
pungent/irritating odor when concentration > 3 ppm
through photochemical or catalytic processes: SO2 ➔ SO3 [or sulfuric acid (H2SO4)]

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8
Q

Effects of SO2

A

• Respiratory illness
• Alteration in lung’s defenses
• Aggravation of existing cardiovascular/chronic lung
disease

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9
Q

Characteristics of CO

A

✓Colorless and odorless
✓Very stable (life time = 2 to 4 months)
✓Global emission is large (> 300 million tons/yr) ➔ 20% are human- made

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10
Q

Sources of CO

A

• Fossil fuels/carbon-based materials

incomplete combustion

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11
Q

Effects of CO

A

High CO concentration ➔physiological/pathological changes
✓Cause detrimental effect on human health
✓CO ➔ deprive body tissues of necessary oxygen

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12
Q

Characteristics of NO2

A 
✓No direct damage to materials
✓NO 3 2 + moisture ➔ nitric acid (HNO ) ➔
corrosion of metal surfaces
✓Acid rain ➔ decreased soil pH
✓Reddish-brown gas
✓➔ reduce visibility
✓➔affect plant growth and yield
✓➔ increased bronchitis in children
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13
Q

Sources of No2

A

Fuel Combustion

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14
Q

Effects of NO2

A

Respiratory system irritation

• Respiratory illness (bronchitis)

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15
Q

Characteristics of O3

A

✓Ground level

✓Photochemical smog

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16
Q

Sources of O3

A 
Sources of Ozone:
• Complex chemical reactions in atmosphere (NOx) and hydrocarbon
gases
• Automobiles
• Power plants
• Factories
17
Q

Effects of Ozone

A
  • Formation of smog
  • Attacks lung tissue
  • Reduces lung function
  • Sensitizes lungs to other irritants
18
Q

Characteristics of Lead

A

✓Heavy metal

→ fall dramatically in past decades

19
Q

Sources of Lead

A
  • Automobiles
  • Smelting
  • Manufactures
  • Lead erosion
20
Q

Effects of lead

A

Neurological damage

• Adverse effects on liver/kidney

21
Q

Natural process of making rain, and its pH:

A

Naturally: CO2
(g) + H2O(l) : H2CO3
(aq) :
H+(aq) + HCO3−(aq)

22
Q

Acid rain

A

Acid rain: provides a lot more H+ (over a
hundred times more in many cases) this makes
it much easier for the reaction to run`
can cause damages

23
Q

Stratospheric Ozone Depletion

A

• Ozone layer → in the stratosphere
• Absorbs ultraviolet radiation that’s harmful to
humans, animals and plants.
• Ozone-depleting substances (ODS)
→ chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) …. destroy carbon

24
Q

Greenhouse gases:

A 
Water vapor
• Carbon dioxide
• Methane
• Nitrous Oxide
• Fluorinated Gases
25
Q

Surface water vs Ground water

A

• Surface water
→ freshwater and seawater in streams, rivers, reservoirs, and oceans.
→ appear in solid form as snow, ice
• Groundwater
→ exist below the land surface
→ consist water and air that fills pores and factures that exist underground

26
Q

two types of water pollution traceability

A

• Point Source Pollution
√ Water pollution that can be traced to a specific origin
Example: discharge via effluent pipes from treatment plant
• Non-point Source Pollution
√ Pollutants that enter bodies of water over large areas rather than being concentrated at a single point of entry
√ Diffuse, but its cumulative effect is very large
Example: runoff from agricultural fields or parking lots

27
Q

Types of water pollution

A

Industrial Water Pollution
Groundwater Pollution
Agricultural Water Pollution

28
Q

Major water contaminants

A
  • Biological pathogens
  • Organic chemicals and toxic organic chemicals
  • Inorganic chemicals: nutrients, toxic metals, salts
  • Sediments
  • Acidity
  • Heat
29
Q

Organic Chemical water pollutants

A
  • Pesticides and herbicides
  • Organic solvents
  • Fuel components
  • Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons
30
Q

Health effect of organic chemicals:

A

Carcinogenicity – cause or suspected to cause cancer
• Teratogenicity (terra-tau-genicity) – cause birth defects
• Nervous system impairment
• Liver and other organ impairment
• Reproductive impairment

31
Q

Inorganic chemical water pollutants

A

Nutrients: Nitrogen and phosphorus. Runs off into surface water supplies and causes depletion of oxygen. The
excessive nitrogen levels also cause diseases in drinking water.
Toxic metals: Excessive levels of manganese, zinc, mercury, lead, arsenic can damage vital body organs
Salts: Calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. Tolerance of salts varies between species occupying the waterflow

32
Q

Classification of physical hazardous wastes

A 
• Corrosivity, or something that can rust or
decompose
→ highly acidic or alkaline
→ battery acid and rust removers
• Ignitability, or something flammable
• Reactivity, or something explosive
→ Water-Reactive Material, sodium
• Toxicity, or something poisonous
33
Q

Municipal solid waste (MSW)

A

refers to recyclables and compostable materials, as well as garbage from
homes, businesses, institutions, and construction and demolition sites.

34
Q

Isssues with solid waste

A

• Volume - space: Needs to be actively taken away. Does not disappear by itself
• Nuisances: Odours, flies, etc. Waste being spread by dogs, wind etc. becomes un-esthetical
• Public health issues: Pathogens (bacteria, virus, protozoan, intestinal worm eggs, fungi) in the waste are spread by
vectors (flies, rats, etc.) or infected or transmitting vectors are attracted by the waste
• Economy: The scale of waste generation makes economy an important issue
• Contamination of the environment: Waste components transferred to air, water or soil may cause contamination
• Resource issues: Waste contains resources that should be used in order to save on other resources

35
Q

Hazardous air pollutants (HAP) and effects:

A

chemicals emitted in smaller quantities but their effects can be severe in small doses. I.e.: Benzene, asbestos, heavy metals.
Effects: Neurological, immunological, mutagenic and other serious health effects

ENGR 202 (5 decks)

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