Pollution and the environment Flashcards
In WA, what is typical BOD for secondary effluent?
20 mg/L
Example of a Building Related Illness?
Legionella (Legionnaires disease)
What does BOD stand for?
Biochemical Oxygen Demand
difference between non-point & point source pollutant?
Point source: Refers to a single identifiable source of pollutants eg. Effluent outfall
Non-point source: Refers to diffuse source of pollutants eg. Acid rain, dust storms
Discrete vs. Chronic Pollution
Discrete (short term)- eg. An oil spill, the effects of which diminish overtime
Chronic (long term)- eg. Nutrient input, effluent discharge
What is photochemical smog?
Haze in the atmosphere accompanied by high levels of ozone and nitrogen oxides, caused by the action of sunlight on pollutants
How would an inversion layer over a city impact air quality?
Worsen air quality as pollutants become trapped
La Nina vs El Nino
La Nina- Low pressure in Darwin, High pressure in Tahiti
-SOI is positive )sustained +8 Values
El Nino- High pressure in Darwi, Low pressure in Tahiti
-SOI is negative (sustained –8 values
what is a common strategy for carbon mitigation in WA?
Human-induced regeneration in rangelands.
The greenhouse effect is due to …
The absorption of longwave radiation emitted from the Earth by greenhouse gases.
Biological treatment is associated with which part of the wastewater treatment process?
Secondary
Why does Australia still have air pollution-related deaths even though air quality is generally good (below air pollution standards)?
Some pollutants do not have a threshold below which health effects will not occur.
Example of Community involvement in management
The Swan River dolphin watch program
The three organisational components that an EMS must manage are?
- instructions and records
- how processes are operated
- how personnel behave
Ningaloo nino event
- Very warm ocean temperatures off WA
- these caused very warm land temperatures
- 2010-2011
- Caused by El nino
Which had the largest climate effect: the entire COVID time or the 2019 bushfires?
2019 bushfires caused greater emissions than entire COVID-19
What year and where did they first start monitoring C02
1958, Mauna Loa
What are the most vulnerable Australian Ecosystems to climate change?
- Alpine areas
- Freshwater wetlands
- Rangelands in the Southwest and Inland areas
- Coral Reefs
3 Major carbon offsetting approaches using land
- Reduce emissions
- Increase carbon stocks
- Displace fossil fuel emissions
2 Australian legislation that aims to better climate change
- Carbon Credits (ACCUs) 2011
- Renewable Energy 2000
focuses on reducing emissions
- Avoided Deforestation
- Forest Management
- Reduce Methane emissions from livestock
- Reduce Nitrous oxide emissions
- Reduce Savana burning
- Protection of peatlands
Increasing carbon stocks
Carbon sinks
* Increasing the carbon stored in a
site through a change in land
* Revegetation
* Reforestation
* Afforestation
Displace fossil fuel emissions
- Bioenergy
- Timber products
Example of a past co-benefit success
Denmark Reforestation
* Saliniation was an issue in Denmark River in 1990
* Planting trees around the river decreased this salinity
* Harvesting of trees will result in timber products
