SCIE 1P50 Midterm Exam Flashcards
When does restoration mining occur?
When the mine is no longer profitable
Name 4 ways in which humans depend on the environment.
- It contains all materials necessary for our life
- It absorbs our wastes
- It provides climate stability
- It protects us from ultraviolet radiation
What is the purpose of mine restoration
Preventing further irrigation of leftover material
How does one retore a mine?
Filling in and grading the area
Why did Acid Rain occur in the Sudburry incident?
High levels of SO2 were immitted into the atmosphere due to mining.
What were the 2 things done to prevent further issues with Acid Rain in Sudburry?
[1) 1972 2) 1980’s]
1) 1972 a 380m superstack was constructed to disperse/dilute emisions
2) 1980’s scrubbers were used to capture SO2
When is Leaching mining used?
Used to remove metals from ores
How is Leachign mining done?
Using acids and basic solutions to release the metals
What are some examples of Leaching mining?
Basic Cynaide (NaCN) used for Au Sulphuric Acid (H2SO4) used for Cu, Ni
What is is the process of Sulphid Mining and what chemicals does it produce?
Heated in air without smelting to transform suphides to ocides
What is the process of Smelting Mining?
Using a blasting furnace to seperate metals from ores
Define biotic material and give 3 examples
biotic material = living things, e.g. plants, forests, soils
Define abiotic material and give 3 examples
abiotic material = nonliving things e.g. oceans, clouds, icecaps
Name three components of the environment with which humans interact
biotic material, abiotic material, our built environment (human structures & institutions)
What are 2 purposes of environmental science?
- To establish general principles about how the natural world functions
- to identify, understand and solve problems
Who began the study of ecology?
Ernst Haekel
When did the study of ecology formally begin?
Around 1869
What are 2 definitions of ecology?
- The study of inter-relationships among organisms and their environment
- the study of the home life of organisms
What are natural resources?
Substances and energy sources needed for survival
What are 4 environmental issues associated with mining?
1) Disturbing Lands and Habitats
2) Land becomes suseptable to further damage due to erosion
3) Contamination of streams (particularily in acid mines)
4) Over uses water supplies
What are the environmental impacts associated with refining?
Tailings cause waste to be left behind; left in toxic piles
What percentage of mined ore is impure?
80%
What is the proccess of Placer Mining?
The mining of river beds, where water is used to wash deposits
What is an example of Placer Mining?
The gold rush
Where is Placer Mining done in present day? What is being mined?
-The Congo (African countries)
-The mining of Tantalum
(used in electronics-holds an electric charge)
What is the process of Sub-Surface Mining?
Mining done deep into the ground
ie. through shafts
What is the most common comodity to be aquired through Sub-Surface Mining?
Coal
What are the positives of Sub-Surface Mining?
Less land disturbance
What are 2 Negatives of Sub-Surface Mining?
1) More expensive then other methods
2) Significantly more hazardous
What is the Process of Surface Mining?
mining done near the surface through open pits where overburden is removed
What are the 3 main commodities mined through Surface Mining?
Iron, Copper and Gravel
What are the 5 steps of Mining
1) Locate Deposit
2) Analyze Composition (ie. can money be made)
3) Mine for the metal or mineral in question
4) Process the metal or mineral
5) Refine the Product
What is an Ore
a mixture of elements
20% of the world’s population (developed countries) consumes how much of the world’s aluminum?
3/4 or 75%
20% of the world’s population (developed countries) consumes how much of the world’s harvested timber?
3/4 or 75%
20% of the world’s population (developed countries) consumes how much of the world’s energy?
2/3 or 67%
What two things must be true of economic growth in order for it to be sustainable? (2 points)
1) meets the needs of the present
2) does not compromise the future.
20% of the world’s population (developed countries) consumes how much of the world’s freshwater?
about half
What is neodymium?
A rare earth metal found predominantly in China, used for green technologies
Name some specific uses of neodymium
magnets, batteries in electric cars, hybrid cars
Which two people are important in the study of Population, Consumption & Environmental Impact?
Paul Ehrlich and John Holdren
What did Ehrlich blame resource depletion on?
population
What did Holdren blame resource depletion on?
affluence
What equation did Ehrlich and Holdren develop?
I = PxAxT where I = environmental impact, P = population, A = affluence per person and T = technology used
What is DDT and what are its impacts on humans and animals?
A pesticide said to “kill anything” but causes cancer in humans, weakens birds’ shells and leads to malformed beaks and feet/claws
In general, what sort of restrictions on DDT exist in different parts of the world?
Banned in developed countries, still used in developing countries
What is DDT used for in developing countries?
kills malaria-carrying mosquitos
Name 4 global environmental problems
- Global warming
- deforestation
- threatened oceans
- ozone depletion
What is sustainable development?
Development which occurs only within the limits of the environment and meets the needs of the world’s poor.
What 5 things must take place for sustainable consumption?
- eradication of poverty
- the poor must increase their consumption
- major lifestyle changes
- goods and services used for our NEEDS
- elimination of consumption overpopulation
How does rate of population growth compare to rate of increasing resource consumption?
Our consumption of resources has risen faster than the growth of our population
Why might one mine Ores?
to aquire metals that can be extracted (such as metals)
What are 2 examples of an Ore?
Limestone and gems
How many active mines are there in Canada?
200
What is Corexit?
an oil dispercent applied to the surface of water in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (mixture of chemicals)
When did the Deepwater Horizon oil spill occur?
April 20, 2010
How much oil was spilled in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill?
200 million gallons
When did the Deepwwater Horizon spill stop?
September 10th 2010
How many workers were killed and injured in the Deepwater Horizon Oil spill?
2 workers were killed
17 workers were injured
What is the cause of Minamata disease?
Mercury
In what year did the Ontario Government order a stop to Mercury dumping?
1970
What is the estimated amount of mercury dumped into the Wabigoon river system betwen 1962 and 1967?
9000 killigrams
What happened to children who were born of women who ingested mercury polluted fish?
They were born with Minamata disease and were worse of then their mothers
Who is responsible for the idea of the ecological footprint?
Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees
Ecological footprint refers to the area of land and water ecosystems which a specified population requires for what purpose?
To produce the resources the population consumes and to assimilate the (mainly carbon) wastes that the population produces, wherever on Earth the land and water may be located.
In short, ecological footprint can be defined as:
the amount of ecologically productive land used by individuals, cities, countries, etc.
How is ecological footprint calculated?
Resources consumed and wastes generated are recorded and converted to an ecologically productive area necessary to provide these functions.
What does the term “contiguous” mean in terms of ecological footprint?
This means that not all the land & water area included in a population’s EF is joined together or in the same spot. (due to international trade, the land and water areas used by most global citizens are scattered.)
How does the ecological footprint of crop-based food production compare to animal-based food production?
Animal-based has more than twice the EF of crop-based. (crop - 0.78 global hectares/tonne, animal - 2.1 global hectares/tonne)
What are the 3 components that make up carbon footprint?
- Fuel consumption
- transportation
- CO2 absorption
What is biocapacity?
The capacity of ecosystems to produce useful biological materials and to absorb waste materials generated by humans using current management schemes and extraction technologies.
What unit is biocapacity usually expressed in?
global hectares (gha)
How much biosphere/biocapacity is available per person?
approximately 1.7 gha/person
How much of the land on earth is productive?
18%
How much of the earth’s oceans are productive?
4%
What is the worldwide average ecological footprint?
1.7gha/person
What is the average Canadian’s ecological footprint?
7.1gha/person
Define Water Footprint.
The total volume of fresh water used to produce a product, good or service, summed over the various steps of the production chain. WF refers to not only the total volume of water used but how, where and when it was used.
List the 3 components (colours) of water footprint.
blue, green and grey
What does blue water footprint refer to?
Freshwater. The volume of surface water and ground water consumed during production processes (i.e. evaporated or incorporated into the product)
What does green water footprint refer to?
Rainwater. The volume of rainwater consumed (i.e. evaporated or incorporated into the product)
What does grey water footprint refer to?
“Polluted” water. The volume of freshwater that is required to assimilate the load of pollutants. Calculated as the amount of water required to maintain the water quality (by dilution) according to agreed water quality standards.
Name 5 environmental health risks and give examples for each
infectious agents - viruses, bacteria pollution - noise, air, water radiation - UV, ionizing toxins - smoking, chemicals trauma - accidents
Define toxicology
The study of toxicants and mechanisms of toxicity to prevent toxic effects.
Define acute toxicity
Adverse effect that occurs within a short timeframe after exposure to an amount of toxicant, e.g. a population of fish suddenly killed off by an oil spill.
Define chronic toxicity
adverse effect that occurs after a long period of low level exposure to a toxicant, e.g. cancers
Define noninfectious disease
A disease which is the result of chronic toxicity and is not transmitted from one person to another.
Define infectious disease
A disease caused by contaminated food and water which is transmissible between people.
Define mutagens
Agents that damage or alter genetic material. Can lead to birth defects or tumours.
What company was found as the culprit for methyl mercury dumping in Japan?
Cheiso Plant
Methyl Mercury’s solubility in what allows an effect on fetuses and why?
Lipids because mercury can cross the placenta and Blood Brain Barier
What are 4 places Bisphenol A is found in?
1) hard plastics
2) stain and mould resistant coastings
3) food packaging
4) can linnings
What alows the release of Bisphenol A?
Heating, washing, contact with acids
What are examples of Endorine Distrupters?
PCB’s, Dioxins, Mercury, BPA etc,.
What effects do Endocrine Distrupters have on the human body?
Interfere with hormones, altering reproductive development
What 3 examples of disorders and diseases can Endocrine Disrupters cause?
1) Reproductive disorders
2) Infertility
3) Some cancers
What is Bisphenol A characterized as?
Endocrine Distrupter
Children are more suseptible to most chemicals, what type of pollutant effects children in particular?
why?
Air Pollutants
1) developing lungs
2) need more O2 for higher metabolism
Define carcinogens
Substances that cause cancer (no shit, sherlock)
What are the 2 main limitations of ecological footprint?
1) Technology: advances could increase biocapacity in the future
2) Statistic collected from multiple sources and with different measurments
Define hydrophilic
Water soluble compounds which move rapidly through the environment and have access to cells
Define lipophilic and explain how lipophilic substances are transported
Fat soluble compounds; they are stored in body fat and persist for many years. They need a carrier to move through environment, but once inside the body they penetrate tissues easily.
Define bioaccumulation
Selective absorption and storage of toxins via ingestion. (Dilute toxins in environment can build to dangerous levels inside tissues)
How does biomagnification work?
Toxins burden a large number of organisms at a lower trophic level are accumulated and concentrated by a predator at a higher trophic level, e.g. DDT
Children are more suseptible to most chemicals, what type of pollutant effects children in particular?
why?
Air Pollutants:
1) developing lungs
2) need more O2 for higher metabolism
What is the Stockholm Convention? and When was it adopted?
Agreement to stop production of certain POP’s in 2001
What are the 2 main limitations of ecological footprint?
1) Technology: advances could increase biocapacity in the future
2)Statistics were aquired through multiple sources and based on multiple measurment techniques
(im listening to an awesome song right now, just thought it should be known)
Flame retardents have what effect on children?
their reproductive systems
What does PCB stand for?
Polychlorinatedbyphenyls (DUHHH!)
What does HAH stand for?
halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons
Why can persistence sometimes be a problem?
If a toxin is very persistent or stable, it can be stored for a long period of time and spread to unintended victims.
Why can persistence sometimes be a problem?
If a toxin is very persistent or stable, it can be stored for a long period of time and spread to unintended victims.
When were PCBs and CFCs starting to be manufactured?
1920s and 30s
What was the original use for HAHs?
Chemical weapons; Cl2 gas, mustard gas, etc.
When were PCBs and CFCs starting to be manufactured?
1920s and 30s
What does PCB stand for
polychlorinated biphenyls
What does CFC stand for
chlorofluorocarbons
Define Bioavailability.
A substances ability to to transfer from one point to another, particularily in terms of contact and transfer into human tissue
Who wrote the article “Humanity’s unsustainable environmental footprint”?
Arjen Y. Hoekstra and Thomas O. Wiedmann
Who wrote the article “Ecological Footprint: Implications for biodiversity”?
Alessandro Galli, Mathis Wackernagel, Katsunori Iha, Elias Lazarus
Who wrote the article “Contaminant Levels in Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish after the Deepwater
Horizon Oil Spill As Measured by a Fishermen-Led Testing Program”
Timothy P. Fitzgerald and Julia M. Gohlke
