Pollution Flashcards
State of matter (pop)
solids- deposited close to the source
gases- transported through the atmosphere
Energy form (pop)
noise, heat, ionising, light= different behaviours
Density (pop)
denser materials= more kinetic energy needed to keep them suspended
e.g. hydrogen cyanide (Bhopal, India) is denser than air so settled close to the ground
Persistence (pop)
-the measure of the length of time that a pollutant remains in the environment before it breaks down chemically
-measured in environmental half lives
-breaks down by bio, photo and thermal degredation
Examples of high and low persistance pollutants
High= CFCs, Organochlorine insecticides e.g. DDT
Toxicity (pop)
-Measure of how poisonous a substance is
-damages proteins
Examples of toxic pollutants
-Carbon monoxide (prevents blood from carrying oxygen by binding to haemoglobin)
-Lead (inhibits enzyme action in nerve cells)
-Cyanide (inhibits enzymes in aerobic respiration)
Reactivity (pop)
The reactivity of a pollutant can effect the severity of pollution caused, either increasing or reducing the problem caused
Examples of reactivity affecting severity of pollutants
-CFCs= low reactivity except in the presence of UV (relatively stable in the troposphere, but are broken down in the stratosphere where they release chlorine)
-NOx= high reactivity react with ozone and hydrocarbons to form PANs which are more toxic
Adsorption (pop)
-Some pollutants become attached to the surface of materials such as soil particles.
-This immobilises them so they cannot cause pollution, but may be released later
Examples of adsorption causing harm to the environment
disturbance of river sediments by storms releasing phosphates or PCBs
Liposolubility (pop)
Substances that dissolve lipids can pass through the phospholipid bilayer to be stored as oil or fat deposits in the cell
Solubility in water (pop)
-easily dispersed in water bodies e.g. nitrates
-can reduce pollutant concentration
Bioaccumulation (pop)
-the amount of a substance within an organism increases
-long term ingestion of small doses
-liposoluble pollutants= more likely to bioaccumulate than water soluble
Biomagnification (pop)
Substances that bioaccumulate may become more concentrated as they pass along the food chain
Synergism (pop)
-Two or more pollutants where their effects interact to create a different effect, but DONT produce a new pollutant
Example of synergism
-Ozone damages leaf cuticles
-enables sulphur dioxide to cause more damage to exposed cells
Mutagenic (pop)
Mutagens are agents that can cause changes in the chemical structure of DNA by damaging chromosomes by rearrangement of the DNA structure
Gonadic effects
Mutation of egg, sperm or embryo (may cause birth abnormality)
Somatic effects
mutations in a general body cell causing it to behave abnormally
Examples of mutagenic pollutants
-Ionising radiation
-UV
-Chlorinated organic substances
-cadmium
-Asbestos
Carcinogenic (pop)
Mutagens that cause cancer
Teratogenic (pop)
Cause birth abnormalities by preventing normal gene expression
Examples of teratogenic pollutants
-Mercury in Minimata, Japan due to industrial discharge of methyl mercury into fishing waters of the bay
