topic 1.1 Flashcards
What do plants require nitrogen for?
For example, plants require nitrogen to make protein, nucleic acids (DNA), and chlorophyll.
What elements must nitrogen be combined with for plants to use it?
plants can use nitrogen only when it is combined with other elements, such as hydrogen and oxygen.
What percentage of air is nitrogen, and in what form is it present?
Air is about 78% nitrogen in the form of nitrogen gas N₂(g).
Why can’t plants use free nitrogen directly?
plants can’t use this “free” nitrogen directly. It has to be “fixed” in compounds with other elements.
plants can’t use this “free” nitrogen directly. It has to be “fixed” in compounds with other elements.
Nitrogen fixation is the process of changing free nitrogen so that the nitrogen atoms can combine with other elements to form compounds that organisms can use.
Which types organisims are primarily responsible for nitrogen fixation in the soil?
bacteria
Where are some of these bacteria located in plants like beans, clover, and alfalfa?
Some of these bacteria are located in the root nodules
What happens to nitrogen-containing compounds after nitrogen fixation?
plants use them
How do animals acquire nitrogen?
Animals then eat the plants that have used the nitrogen containing coumpounds.
What complex substances do animals create using nitrogen from plants?
Their bodies use the nitrogen in the compounds to make more complex substances, such as proteins and nucleic acids (DNA).
How do decomposers contribute to the nitrogen cycle?
Decomposers break down these large nitrogen containing molecules in dead organisms and animal waste into simpler nitrogen compounds in the soil.
How is nitrogen released back into the atmosphere in the nitrogen cycle?
This nitrogen is released back into the air as free nitrogen, and the cycle begins again.
What role do bacteria play in breaking down nitrogen compounds in the soil?
Eventually some nitrogen containing compounds are broken down further by other bacteria in the soil.
How do human activities, like driving cars, affect environmental processes?
use resources, consume energy, and emit pollutants on a substantial scale
What is pollution, and how does it impact living things?
Pollution is any change in the environment that produces a condition that is harmful to living things.
Why is smog caused by vehicle exhaust emissions harmful to humans and animals?
it makes it hard for people and other animals to breathe.
How do forest fires produce pollution?
Forest fires produce similar chemical pollution to smog
what are types of natural polution
Naturally occurring pollutants include ash, soot, sulphur dioxide, salt spray, volcanic, combustion gases
top 3 most common human caused pollutions
air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution
What are some examples of human activities that change the concentration of chemicals in the environment?
Growing crops, disposing of solid waste, treating wastewater, manufacturing products, and driving vehicles
What is the purpose of fertilizers
A fertilizer is a substance that enriches soil so that plants will grow better.
What are the main nutrient elements found in fertilizers?
These elements are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
How are fertilizers labeled to indicate their nutrient content?
The three numbers on the fertilizer label indicate how much of the elements on the fertilizer contain (nitrogen,phosperous, and potassium)
Why might some fertilizers have a fourth number and the letter “S” on the label?
Some fertilizers have a fourth number and the letter “S” on the label to indicate that they contain sulfur as a major ingredient.
In what ways can the chemicals from human activities affect ecosystems?
release chemicals into the air, water, and soil every day.
do both natural and synthetic fertilizers damage organisms?
It doesn’t matter whether a fertilizer comes from a natural or a synthetic source too much can damage organisms.
What can happen if too much fertilizer is used on crops?
Too much fertilizer may even damage the crop it’s supposed to help.
How does excess fertilizer affect ecosystems like ponds, streams, lakes, and rivers?
it may damage those ecosystems by changing the concentration of chemicals.
What is the role of pesticides in agriculture?
Pesticides are chemicals used to kill pests. A pest is an organism that harms people, crops, or structures.
What is the purpose of herbicides, and how do they impact plants?
Herbicides kill or control weeds.
how are pesticides grouped?
Pesticides are grouped according to the pest that they kill.
what do insecticides do?
Insecticides kill or control insects.
what do fungiscides do?
kill fungi
How do farmers ensure pesticides are applied safely?
Farmers also use their understanding of chemistry to apply pesticides safely.
What percentage of the world’s food production could be lost to pests without the use of pesticides?
50%
What are some potential dangers of improperly applying pesticides?
improper application of pesticides can be harmful to people and other non-pest organisms. Pesticides can also create other problems.
what is the problem with non-selective pesticides
Some pesticides are not selective they kill both pest and non-pest species. Spraying for the armyworm may kill bees,
How long can pesticides like DDT remain in the environment?
DDT lasts from 2 to 15 years.
Why is DDT no longer approved for use in North America, and where is it still used?
it is not approved for use in North America becuase it effects the enviorment , but it is still used in some parts of the world to kill mosquitoes that carry the disease malaria.
Why must new pesticides be developed to control resistant pests?
Some pests become resistant to pesticides, so new pesticides must be developed to control them.
how can chemicals be introduced into the environment
when we dispose of solid waste or wastewater.
What types of sources contribute to the creation of solid waste?
garbage that is collected from households, industrial plants, commercial buildings, institutions, and construction and demolition sites.
can solid waste be reused or recyled?
Some solid waste can be reused or recycled, but most of it is placed in landfill sites.
What are incinerators, and how are they used to manage hazardous waste?
Some hazardous wastes are burned in special plants called incinerators, which burn at very high temperatures.
how do incenorators contribute to air pollution
Emissions from the toxic waste
What is sewage, and where does it come from?
Wastewater containing dissolved and undissolved materials from your kitchen, bathroom, and laundry is called sewage.
How does sewage move from homes and buildings in rural and urban areas?
Sewage moves through pipes into a septic tank in rural areas or to a sewage treatment plant in towns and cities.
What is the role of a septic tank in sewage treatment in rural areas?
A septic tank is an underground container where bacteria break down the organic materials before they are moved out to the soil.
what do sewage treatment plants do?
A sewage treatment plant treats wastes from homes, businesses, industries, and institutions. It may also treat water from street drains.
whats another word for treated wastewater
effluent
where is treated wastewater released after treatment?
river or lakes
what can treated wastewater contain
it may contain nitrogen and phosphorus from the breakdown of sewage during treatment.
What happens when the municipal sewage system cannot handle a large quantity of rainwater?
that water may go directly into a river or lake through large pipes called storm sewers.
What chemicals are typically found in water from storm sewers?
oil and other liquids from cars and salt
How do substances like oil and salt end up in stormwater runoff?
cars and slowclearing operations
What are the potential environmental impacts of chemicals in stormwater runoff?
those untreated chemicals make it ways into rivers, lakes and oceans.
Why are coal, oil, and natural gas called fossil fuels?
because they formed from dead plants and animals.
why are fossil fuels called hydrocarbons
mainly made up of the elements hydrogen and carbon.
What other elements, besides hydrogen and carbon, can be found in fossil fuels?
They may also contain oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. Fossil fuels may contain traces of other elements such as mercury and lead.
What happens when fossil fuels are burned in homes, vehicles, and industrial plants?
they produce large amounts of carbon dioxide and water vapour.
The combustion of fossil fuels may also release pollutants such as …
sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and traces of mercury and lead into the air.
What is the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels?
they release nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, which contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain.
What are some examples of industrial processes that may release chemicals into the air?
electrical power generation, mineral processing, and fertilizer production
What is a common industrial process in Alberta related to natural gas?
natural gas processing.
What are the main compounds found in natural gas?
Natural gas is composed of compounds such as methane, ethane, propane, and butane.
What other substances can be found in natural gas besides methane, ethane, propane, and butane?
It also contains nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, helium, and traces of metals such as mercury.
Natural gas is also processed to eliminate unwanted substances such as…
hydrogen sulfide, a poisonous chemical.
Natural gas that contains hydrogen sulfide is called …
sour gas
If no hydrogen sulfide is present, the gas is considered
sweet gas
what does the sulfur recovery site do?
The process for removing hydrogen sulfide produces sulfur dioxide gas and pure sulfur.
How has sulfur dioxide emission control in Alberta’s natural gas processing plants changed since the 1970s?
natural gas processing plants in Alberta have been required by law to restrict their sulfur dioxide emissions.
What percentage of pure sulfur is recovered in Alberta’s natural gas processing plants?
99%
what is sulfuric acid used in?
making fertilizers, steel, synthetic fibres, and paints.
