Pollution Of Water

Question 1

What areas have been used to dump waste in for a long time?

Answer 1

River, lakes and the sea

Question 2

What process is the water cycle?

Answer 2

A natural purification process

Question 3

How can the water cycle affect the concentration of pollutants?

Answer 3

When water evaporates as water vapour it is pure, what is left behind is the pollutants and they may become more concentrated

Question 4

When does wastes released into water become a problem?

Answer 4

They always cause pollution but it being a problem is determine by the features of the water body and the properties of the waste material released

Question 5

What factors affect the dilution of pollution in water?

Answer 5

Effluent quantity
Volume of water
Residence time of water

Question 6

What is the effluent quantity, and how does it affect the concentration of pollutants?

Answer 6

The amount of pollutant released will clearly affect the concentration
If the concentration of the pollutant is low, many pollutants aren’t harmful

Question 7

How does the volume of water affect the dilution of pollutants?

Answer 7

The larger the body of water, the more the waste will be diluted

Question 8

How does the residence time of the water affect the dilution of pollutants?

Answer 8

The shorter the residence time, the more likely the pollutant is to be carried away by flowing water and not accumulate

Question 9

What factors can affect the degradation of pollutants?

Answer 9

High levels of sunlight
Dissolved oxygen
High temperatures

Question 10

What is degradation?

Answer 10

The process by which substances are broken down

Question 11

What is involved in degradation?

Answer 11

Both biotic and abiotic processes
If it is biodegradation it involves microorganisms
Physical processes involve chemical and photochemical reactions

Question 12

How can high levels of sunlight or UV affect degradation of pollutants?

Answer 12

They may cause photochemical degradation

Question 13

How can dissolved oxygen affect pollutant degradation?

Answer 13

It increases the rate at which aerobic bacteria break down sewage

Question 14

How do higher temperatures affect pollutant degradation?

Answer 14

They increase the rate of most reactions

Question 15

How can the removal rate affect the concentration of pollutants?

Answer 15

Pollutants can become less of a problem if they become part of the sediment in a body of water
This effectively removes them

Question 16

How can the dispersal of pollutants affect the concentration in water?

Answer 16

Currents in water will disperse them causing them to be more diluted and can reduce the harmful effects

Question 17

How can dispersal affect pollutants that are persistent?

Answer 17

They may not biodegrade and may become gradually more concentrated
It may be difficult to solve the pollution caused if a large body of water is affected

Question 18

If pollutants in water have been dispersed, give an instance where they could be re-concentrated

Answer 18

The bio accumulation along a food chain of heavy metals and some pesticides

Question 19

Give 4 examples of water bodies that are affected by pollution caused by industrial areas

Answer 19

River Tees
River Tyne
River Danube
River Rhine

Question 20

Give an example of a water body that is vulnerable to pollution because it is near areas with large human populations

Answer 20

River Ganges

Question 21

Give 2 examples of water bodies that are vulnerable to pollutants collecting in them

Answer 21

Mediterranean Sea
The Great Lakes of North America

Question 22

Give 3 examples of water bodies that are vulnerable to pollution from heavy shipping

Answer 22

English Channel
Persian Gulf
St Lawrence Seaway

Question 23

Give 2 examples of water bodies that are vulnerable to pollution from oil terminals and ports?

Answer 23

Rotterdam
Persian Gulf