lecture 30- pollution

Question 1

What is a contaminant?

Answer 1

Presence of, or elevated concentrations of, a potentially toxic
substance in the environment

Question 2

What is pollution?

Answer 2

Contamination that results in measurable effects on natural
processes (abiotic or biotic)

Question 3

What is a primary pollutant?

Answer 3

Pollution that is produced directly from a source

Question 4

What is a secondary pollutant?

Answer 4

Primary pollutants undergoing chemical changes within a
natural reservoir, forming a different form of pollutant

Question 5

What is bioaccumulation?

Answer 5

Toxin levels increasing in in the body tissues of an individual during its lifetime

Question 6

What is biomagnification?

Answer 6

Toxin levels concentrating in higher trophic levels

Question 7

Do natural or anthropogenic have more impact globally?

Answer 7

anthropogenic

Question 8

What are the main groupings of pollution?

Answer 8

1- Land pollution
2- Air pollution
3- Water pollution
4- Energy pollution

Question 9

What is land pollution?

Answer 9

Deterioration of land surfaces (above or below ground) as a result of contamination

Land pollution is often the source of contaminants which enters water or air reservoirs

Question 10

What are examples of land pollution?

Answer 10

• Landfill
• Soil contamination
• Pesticides and herbicides

Question 11

What is litter/landfill?

Answer 11

Disposal area for solid waste

Question 12

What is the difference between land raising and landfilling?

Answer 12

Piling solid waste on the surface → land raising

Digging a hole for the burying of solid waste → landfilling

Question 13

How are modern landfills designed?

Answer 13

Multiple layers of protection to contain solid waste and leachates within the landfill

Designed to by buried once filled and converted to greenspace

Question 14

Why is DTT dangerous?

Answer 14

DDT can both bioaccumulate and biomagnify

Entered food chains through water and soil contamination

Question 15

How has DTT affected birds?

Answer 15

High levels of DDT interfered with calcium metabolism

Female birds contaminated with high levels of DDT produced eggs with eggshells too thin to incubate. The female would crush the eggshells during incubation.

Resulted in significant declines in several bird species.

Question 16

What is water pollution?

Answer 16

Pollution of blue water resources

Question 17

What are examples of water pollution?

Answer 17

• Human sewage
• PCBs
• Mercury
• Heavy metals
• Fertilizers
• Oil spills
• Pharmaceuticals

Question 18

What are the sources of mercury?

Answer 18

Mercury cycles through the atmosphere, water, and soils

Natural sources → volcanoes, fires, chemical weathering

Anthropogenic activities → coal burning, mining, waste incineration

Question 19

Why is mercury dangerous?

Answer 19

Within water systems, bacteria convert ionic mercury to methylmercury

Methylmercury both bioaccumulates and biomagnifies. It can cause significant damage to the brain and central nervous system.

Question 20

What characterizes phosphorous?

Answer 20

Phosphorus (P) is a major limiting nutrient in plant and algae growth.

P is incorporated into fertilizer in modern agriculture

Plants do not absorb all P in fertilizer

Question 21

Why is phosphorus dangerous?

Answer 21

Excessive runoff of P enters waterways: Results in eutrophication

Excessive P in waterways causes an algae bloom
- As algae die: Result in large increase in decomposition by bacteria

Decomposition requires oxygen
- Removes large amounts of oxygen from water

Fish die from lack of dissolved oxygen in water

Question 22

How do pharmaceuticals contribute to water pollution?

Answer 22

Medicines and artificial hormones for human and animal use
- Can be directly released during production
- Can pass through the body and be excreted in urine

Some pharmaceuticals enter water systems
- Can enter food chains or have direct impact on wildlife
- Can be reintroduced back into drinking water
- Many older water treatment systems are not designed to remove pharmaceuticals

Question 23

What is air pollution?

Answer 23

Pollutants suspended in, or derived from, the atmosphere

Question 24

What are examples of air pollution?

Answer 24

Greenhouse gases
Smog
- Particulates
* Heavy metals
- Lead
* Acid rain

Question 25

How does lead contribute to air pollution?

Answer 25

Anthropogenic lead is released into the air during coal combustion, manufacturing, incinerators, jet fuel

Lead bioaccumulates:
- Brain damage
- Lower IQ
- Can effect babies in utero
-Greater effect in children with developing nervous systems
- Can become stored in bones and release years after initial exposure

Question 26

Explain how acid rain forms.

Answer 26

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the atmosphere react with atmospheric molecules (H2O, O2) to form sulfuric and nitric acids

Nitrogen oxides → agriculture
Sulfur dioxides → industry

Acids mix with precipitation, fog, snow
- Acid rain (fog and snow)

Question 27

Explain how acid rain contributes to air pollution.

Answer 27

Acid rain directly affects pH of soils and freshwater ecosystems.

In soils:
- Removes important plant nutrients through chemical reactions

In freshwater ecosystems:
- Mortality of species throughout trophic levels
- Juvenile forms of species generally more vulnerable

Question 28

What is energy pollution?

Answer 28

Pollution resulting from the transfer or production of energy in systems

Question 29

What are examples of energy pollution?

Answer 29

Noise, light, thermal energy

Question 30

What is thermal pollution?

Answer 30

Anthropogenic change of temperature in systems

Can occur in heavily managed water systems and near powerplants that require water as coolant.

Question 31

What is noise pollution?

Answer 31

Excessive noise contaminating systems

Question 32

How can noise pollution affect the environment?

Answer 32

All cetaceans communicate by sound

Shipping and other marine activities:
- No part of the ocean is without noise pollution

Involved in:
- Increased stress
- Limiting ranges
- Suspected cause of mass stranding