Pollution Of Water Flashcards
What areas have been used to dump waste in for a long time?
River, lakes and the sea
What process is the water cycle?
A natural purification process
How can the water cycle affect the concentration of pollutants?
When water evaporates as water vapour it is pure, what is left behind is the pollutants and they may become more concentrated
When does wastes released into water become a problem?
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
What factors affect the dilution of pollution in water?
Effluent quantity
Volume of water
Residence time of water
What is the effluent quantity, and how does it affect the concentration of pollutants?
The amount of pollutant released will clearly affect the concentration
If the concentration of the pollutant is low, many pollutants aren’t harmful
How does the volume of water affect the dilution of pollutants?
The larger the body of water, the more the waste will be diluted
How does the residence time of the water affect the dilution of pollutants?
The shorter the residence time, the more likely the pollutant is to be carried away by flowing water and not accumulate
What factors can affect the degradation of pollutants?
High levels of sunlight
Dissolved oxygen
High temperatures
What is degradation?
The process by which substances are broken down
What is involved in degradation?
Both biotic and abiotic processes
If it is biodegradation it involves microorganisms
Physical processes involve chemical and photochemical reactions
How can high levels of sunlight or UV affect degradation of pollutants?
They may cause photochemical degradation
How can dissolved oxygen affect pollutant degradation?
It increases the rate at which aerobic bacteria break down sewage
How do higher temperatures affect pollutant degradation?
They increase the rate of most reactions
How can the removal rate affect the concentration of pollutants?
Pollutants can become less of a problem if they become part of the sediment in a body of water
This effectively removes them
How can the dispersal of pollutants affect the concentration in water?
Currents in water will disperse them causing them to be more diluted and can reduce the harmful effects
How can dispersal affect pollutants that are persistent?
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
If pollutants in water have been dispersed, give an instance where they could be re-concentrated
The bio accumulation along a food chain of heavy metals and some pesticides
Give 4 examples of water bodies that are affected by pollution caused by industrial areas
River Tees
River Tyne
River Danube
River Rhine
Give an example of a water body that is vulnerable to pollution because it is near areas with large human populations
River Ganges
Give 2 examples of water bodies that are vulnerable to pollutants collecting in them
Mediterranean Sea
The Great Lakes of North America
Give 3 examples of water bodies that are vulnerable to pollution from heavy shipping
English Channel
Persian Gulf
St Lawrence Seaway
Give 2 examples of water bodies that are vulnerable to pollution from oil terminals and ports?
Rotterdam
Persian Gulf
