Problems with Materials Flashcards
Burning fossil fuel
Provides the energy needed to make materials but uses finite resources and can produce compounds that damage the environment
Incomplete combustion causes:
Caused by lack of oxygen
Compound formed that can damage the environment: Carbon monoxide, Unburnt fuels and soot particles
SOLUTION: increasing the amount of oxygen available during the combustion
Acid rain:
Compound formed that can damage the environment: sulfur oxide
Caused by sulphur impurities in fuels
SOLUTION: removing sulphur impurities
Acid rain (2)
Caused by high combustion temperatures
Compound formed that can damage the environment: nitrogen oxides
Global warming and climate change
Compound formed that can damage the environment: carbon dioxide
SOLUTION: reduce the quantities of fossil fuels or increase the use of carbon capture technology.
Caused by the greenhouse effect
Greenhouse effect
When carbon dioxide captures the heat of the sun and doesn’t let it goo out of the Earth
Factories can…
Release toxic substances into the environment
Biomagnification
- Problem with factories producing chemicals for the polymer industry is that they release chemical compounds into the sea
- these are absorbed by microorganisms and passed up the food chain.
- toxins don’t break down and because the larger animals ate the smaller animals the compounds increase up the food chain
Non-biodegradable
- Many modem materials to last a long time.
- Cause problems to the pollution.
E.g. Plastic bags made of polythene are thrown away, they take a long time to break down, are unsightly and can harm organisms on land and on sea.
Problem of burning non-biodegradable polymers
This can reduce the waste and produce useful energy BUT it releases toxic gases that pollute our atmosphere
Biodegradable materials
-Break down in soil
- Many are made by using renewable resources from plats
- helps to save our limited resources of crude oil
