Principles of pollution control

Question 1

What does CPA stand for?(pollution)

Answer 1

Critical pathways analysis

Question 2

What does CPA try to do?

Answer 2

Predict the pathway of pollutants in the environment

Question 3

What does CPA allow scientists to do?

Answer 3

decide how severe the pollution will be

Question 4

When will scientists decide no action needs to be taken with CPA?

Answer 4

if the pollutant is likely to end up in a remote environment and dissipate there without causing damage

Question 5

When will planners need to act when using CPA?

Answer 5

if it looks like it will end up in an urban environment and concentrate

Question 6

What is critical group monitoring?

Answer 6

Where we look at the people most at risk of a pollutant (critical group)

Question 7

When is CPA mainly used?

Answer 7

Mainly used for radioactive discharge but can be sued for any pollutant

Question 8

What does tracking potential pathways of pollutants allow for?

Answer 8

monitoring sites for leaks or contamination

Question 9

How does critical group monitoring work?

Answer 9

study the group and their typical lifestyle to see if they are likely to suffer from the pollutant

Question 10

What do you assume if the critical group are at low risk?

Answer 10

Assume the rest of the population is low risk

Question 11

What would need to be done if the critical group are considered high risk?

Answer 11

action would need to be taken to reduce that emission

Question 12

What would the critical group be for a nuclear power plant?

Answer 12

people living near the power stations who consume locally produced food

Question 13

Where would radiation levels be measured for a nuclear power station critical group?

Answer 13

local population
local food (milk, fruit and honey)

Question 14

What uncontrollable factor can increase pollution severity?

Answer 14

Location the pollutant is released into

Question 15

What are some problem locations for pollution?

Answer 15

Valleys
Enclosed water bodies
Highly urbanised environments
Porous aquifers

Question 16

Why are valleys problem locations for pollution?

Answer 16

Temperature inversion can occur allowing for the build up in concentration of the pollutant

Question 17

How are enclosed water bodies a problem location for pollution?

Answer 17

slow or no movement of after allows concentration build up of pollutants (eutrophication)

Question 18

Why are highly urbanised areas a problem location?

Answer 18

The vast amount of sources of different pollutants and vast emissions for all the buildings cars and factories
Many people live there so many will be affected

Question 19

Why are porous aquifers a problem location?

Answer 19

Soluble pollutants that infiltrate and percolate through the soil and rock can easily make there way into aquifers that might be used for water and food production

Question 20

How would you release a pollutant near an urbanised environment?

Answer 20

downwind

Question 21

What type of water body you release a pollutant into a body of water?

Answer 21

one with currents and that in not enclosed and not discharging above an aquifer

Question 22

What can be a critical part of releasing pollutants?

Answer 22

The timing

Question 23

What is an example of where timing is important for pollutant release? (on land)

Answer 23

if a temperature inversion is likely local governments can impose restrictions on certain activities in the city
(prevent driving diesel vehicles)

Question 24

How is timing important when releasing pollutants into a water body?

Answer 24

ensure effluents released when the tide is going out means it will be sent out to sea where it will disperse and dilute

Question 25

Why is timing important for fertiliser application?

Answer 25

Farmers shouldn’t spray crops before heavy rain as it will help prevent eutrophication

Question 26

What is the polluter pays principle?

Answer 26

Polluter has an obligation to prevent pollution and any cost should be covered by the polluter not society

Question 27

Why is the polluter pays principle important?

Answer 27

doesn’t affected the victims of pollution but the ones who caused it
Underpins most of the regulation of pollution affecting land, water and air

Question 28

How effective is the polluter pays principle?

Answer 28

works best if there is little chance of the polluter escaping their responsibilities
Incentive to comply is greater if financial penalties high

Question 29

What is the precautionary principle?

Answer 29

Assumes all waste will cause pollution and research should ne used to confirm otherwise

Question 30

How effective is the precautionary principle?

Answer 30

Ignorance is not an excuse and responsibility stands

Question 31

Why is the precautionary principle important?

Answer 31

enables decision makers to adopt precautionary measures when scientific evidence about an environmental or human health hazard is uncertain and the stakes are high

Question 32

What is prevention control method?

Answer 32

either before production or release after use

Question 33

What is the remediation control method?

Answer 33

clean-up and restoration after the event e.g. oil spill

Question 34

What are the alternative control methods? (pollution)

Answer 34

renewable energy instead of fossil fuels

Question 35

Why is the selection of control method important?

Answer 35

allows you to reduce the effect of the pollution before, during or after

Question 36

How effective is the selection of control methods? (pollution)

Answer 36

Not as effective as there is no incentive or punishment for not selecting the method of control but the right type of control can be selected for the type of pollution

Question 37

What is an example of production prevention? (selection of control method)

Answer 37

Desulfurization of fossil fuels before combustion

Question 38

What is an example of prevention of release? (selection of control method)

Answer 38

Catalytic converters for control of NOx in vehicle exhaust emissions

Question 39

What is an example of post release remediation? (selection of control method)

Answer 39

Oil spill clean up

Question 40

What is an example of alternative processes? (selection of control method)

Answer 40

Use of electric vehicles instead of diesel or petrol vehicles

Question 41

What is the relationship between cost and efficiency of control? (pollution)

Answer 41

not linear

Question 42

How efficient can pollution control be?

Answer 42

zero emissions is unrealistic whereas low level emissions might be acceptable

Question 43

What is an example of efficiency of pollution control?

Answer 43

ALARA- a principle in the regulation and management of safety

Question 44

Why is the efficiency of pollution control important?

Answer 44

As industries grow pollution controls must be adapted

Question 45

How effective is efficiency of pollution control?

Answer 45

May be less effective due to the high cost associated with developing new technologies

Question 46

What uncontrollable factor can increase pollution severity?

Answer 46

Location the pollutant is released into