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Environmental Systems (Curtis) > The Local Carbon Cycle > Flashcards

The Local Carbon Cycle Flashcards

1
Q

How many isotopes does carbon have and what are they?

A

Carbon has 3 isotopes: C12, C13 and C14.

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2
Q

How many protons, neutrons and electrons does C12 have?

A

C12 has:
Protons- 6
Neutrons- 6
Electrons- 6

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3
Q

What type of states does carbon have?

A

Many oxidation states.

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4
Q

What is organic carbon combined with?

A

Hydrogen and Oxygen

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5
Q

What can Organic carbon be described as?

A

The building block of life.

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6
Q

What does the term organic indicate?

A

It indicates that it stands for only living organisms.

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7
Q

Where can you find inorganic carbon?

A

In diamonds and pencils.

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8
Q

What type of carbon is inorganic?

A

Carbon dioxide.

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9
Q

What are the 4 bonds organic carbon can form?

A

It links:

1) H=methane
2) N= Amino acids
3) P and S= Amino acids
4) CHO= Fats, sugars, proteins and carbohydrates

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10
Q

How is inorganic carbon linked with oxygen? (3)

A

1) CO2= carbon dioxide
2) HCO3= Bicarbonate
3) CO3= Carbonate

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11
Q

What are most pollutants?

A

Organic matter

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12
Q

Name 3 examples of organic matter?

A

1) Wastewater
2) Landfill leaches
3) Farm waste

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13
Q

What is organic matter relating to energy?

A

It is energy rich.

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14
Q

How to bacteria grow?

A

Bacteria free the energy to grow.

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15
Q

When do bacteria release the most energy?

A

When reacting with oxygen.

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16
Q

Waste+Oxygen equal what?

A

Oxidised waste + new bacteria

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17
Q

What do bacteria oxidise too?

A

Carbon dioxide.

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18
Q

What is the primary impact of organic pollutant?

A

Consumption of carbon dioxide.

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19
Q

How do we measure organic pollutants?

A

Through the consumption of oxygen.

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20
Q

How to we measure the amount of carbon?

A

Look to see how much oxygen has been consumed.

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21
Q

What is it impossible to do when measuring carbon?

A

To determine individual fractions.

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22
Q

When measuring oxygen on demand how long do we wait?

A

5 days

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23
Q

What does BOD5 stand for?

A

Biochemical oxygen demand 5.

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24
Q

When does the ultimate BOD happen on a graph?

A

When the oxygen curve starts to become asymptotic.

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25
Q

Sketch Organic matter against time in day against Oxygen consumed, labelling all the correct features if the graph.

A

Look in notes

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26
Q

Sketch Organic matter against time (in days) against Oxygen consumed, labelling all the correct features if the graph for waste 1 and wast 2.

A

Look in notes.

27
Q

Describe the bacterial oxygen demand test.

A

1) Incubate water under defined condition: 20 degrees Celsius for 5 days.
2) Measure the oxygen demand.

28
Q

What are advantages and disadvantages of the bacterial oxygen demand test?

A

Advantages- Simple, variable

Disadvantages- Slow

29
Q

Describe the chemical oxygen demand test.

A

It is heated with concentrated sulphuric acid and a catalyst.

30
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of of chemical oxygen demand test?

A 
Advantages:
1) Fast 
2) More consistent 
3) Oxidises (nearly) everything 
Disadvantages:
1) Not biological
31
Q

What else can we measure in water?

A

Suspended solid- get a piece of filter paper, then you dry it filter the water over it, then dry it again and then you see the change in weight.

32
Q

What is the advantage of suspended solids method?

A

Fairly simple to do.

33
Q

What does the size of a water treatment plant depend on?

A

The amount and the strength of the wastewater.

34
Q

How much BOD does each person produce a day?

A

50g/BOD/day

35
Q

How do you calculate flow

A

Litres/person x population

36
Q

How do you calculate organic strength?

A

Daily oxygen demand (g)/Daily Water Use (litres)

37
Q

What is the strength like of industrial wastewater?

A

Much stronger.

38
Q

what do biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand measure?

A

The strength of organic matter by how much oxygen it will consume.

39
Q

What Ld equal to and what do all of the components of equation mean?

A

Ld = L((Qr/Qd)+1)-Lr(Qr/Qd)
Where:
1) Ld is the effluent standard.
2) L is the maximum amount of BOD in the river (should not exceed).
3) Qr/Qd is the maximum dilution but Qr is the flow of river and Qd is the flow of discharge.
4) Lr is the BOD in the river currently.

40
Q

When it says a dilution of 1:8 is required what is Qr/Qd equal to?

A

8

41
Q

What will oxygen do in water?

A

Dissolve

42
Q

What is the BOD and SS based on the Royal commission standard?

A

BOD is 20mg/l

SS is 30mg/l

43
Q

What is the maximum dissolved oxygen approximately equal to?

A

8-9mg/l

44
Q

Why does oxygen dissolve in water?

A

Due to temperature and altitude.

45
Q

What is dissolved oxygen often called?

A

Saturation

46
Q

What does D equal?

A

The drop below saturation in mg/l.

47
Q

“Streeter-Phelps is a basic approach” true or false?

A

True but more sophisticated approaches are now available.

48
Q

Name something that has a high PH.

A

An Alkaline

49
Q

Name something that has a low PH?

A

An Acid.

50
Q

What is the PH of something that contains all acid?

A

PH=0

51
Q

What is the PH of something that contains all alkaline?

A

14

52
Q

What affects PH?

A

Carbon dioxide.

53
Q

Draw a graph to show the BODu leads to oxygen consumption.

A

Look on ppt slides.

54
Q

Draw a graph to show the Reaeration leads to oxygen dissolving.

A

Look on ppt slides.

55
Q

Sketch the O2 deficit against flow time.

A

Look on ppt slides.

56
Q

What are Autotrophs?

A

Organisms that can fix CO2 to make biomass.

57
Q

What happens when light is the source of energy and state the equation for it?

A

You get photosynthesis.

carbon dioxide+water+energy=oxygen+carbohydrate (glucose).

58
Q

What do you call a chemical autotroph?

A

Chemo-autotroph

59
Q

How do you raise the PH?

A

Strip CO2, this helps kill pathogens.

60
Q

Where can you use carbon capture?

A

In the algae or in fuel production.

61
Q

Why do fish die?

A

Because the bacteria consumes the oxygen in the water, which is what fish need to respire.

62
Q

What is organic carbon and how do we measure the organic matter in water?

A

Organic carbon is reduced forms of carbon that are typically found in living things and are found in wastes. They are typically in the form CHO. Organic matter is measured as Biochemical Oxygen Demand or Chemical Oxygen demand.

63
Q

What is inorganic carbon and what form does it take in water?

A

Inorganic carbon comes in two typical forms: pure carbon in graphite and diamonds and carbon dioxide that exists in water as carbonate and bicarbonate.

Environmental Systems (Curtis) (8 decks)

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