topic three Flashcards
environmental chemistry (2-3)
What is monitoring?
keeping track of chemicals or populations in the environment to ensure they are at safe levels
What is the function of the ozone layer?
To shield earth from damaging ultraviolet rays from the sun
5 categories of water
human drinking water
recreation
livestock drinking water
irrigation
protection of aquatic life
Biological indicators of water quality
microbiological- seeing the amount of microscopic organisms and the type to know if the water is safe
aquatic- invertebrates can be used to indicate the water quality since some prefer different conditions ( dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature)
When will there be less organisms in a water source?
more acidity, less dissolved oxygen
What does ppm mean?
Parts per million
1 ppm means there is 1 part chemical to 1 million units of solution
What can create differences in the amount of dissolved oxygen there is?
temperature (cold water more oxygen)
turbulence (more oxygen in more turbulent)
amount of photosynthesis
number of organisms (organisms consume oxygen)
5ppm of oxygen will support most organisms
higher concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen will lead to….
more algae and green plants and eventually more dead matter
dissolved oxygen decreases
what is spring acid shock?
when acid builds up in the snow and then released into he waterways as it melts- dramatic drop in pH
How do we measure toxicity?
LD50
this indicates the amount of the substance that will kill 50% of the population
What is a heavy metal and why is it dangerous?
anything greater than 5g/cm is considered a heavy metal
they are very toxic
True or false- rain, water, and hail provide the earth with new sources of water
FALSE
True or false- humans eat more water than they drink
FALSE
True or false- water can dissolve more substances than any liquid
TRUE
True or false- water is the only naturally occuring substance on earth found as a solid, liquid, and a gas
TRUE
True or false- falling raindrops are shaped like tears
FALSE
True or false- the purest possible water is what aquatic life depends on for health
FALSE
True or false- the greatest home use of water is drinking
FALSE
True or false- water gets smaller as it freezes
FALSE
True or false- 3% of earths water is freshwater
TRUE
True or false- the largest freshwater lake in Canada is Lake superior
FALSE
What is air made up of?
78% nitrogen
21% oxygen
1% argon
and other traces of gas
Sulfur dioxide
comes from industrial processes
creates smog and acid rain
scrubbers can remove it
Nitrogen oxides
formed mainly by fossil fuel emissions
gives smog a brown colour
affect respiratory system and eyes
Carbon monoxide
silent killer (colourless odourless)
formed from combustion
catalytic converters use platinum and palladium to make CO2 out of CO
ground level ozone
formed from chemical reactions
pollutant- affects peoples lungs, eyes, etc
affects crops
Why are greenhouse gases bad?
They contribute to global warming
what is happening to the ozone layer?
it is getting thinner, some places are so thin they are called holes
this can harm people
3 stages of air transport
release of chemical at its source
dispersion
deposition
ground water
all space between soil grains is filled with water
the top of this zone is called the water table
moves slowly
tiny spaces- pores
permeable vs impermeable
permeable- loosely packed
impermeable- tightly packed
what is leachate?
water moving through the soil that contains dissolved substances
what is dispersion?
scattering of substance away from the source
what is dilution?
mixes the pollutant with water or air
What is biodegradtion?
worms, fungi, bacteria breaking down substances (nature trying to clean itself up)
temperature, moisture, acidity, oxygen, and nutrients affect biodegradtion
aerobic vs anaerobic
aerobic- oxygen is required
anaerobic- oxygen is NOT required
what is phytoremediation?
using plants to reduce the concentration of chemicals in groundwater they pick them up so they can b disposed of properly
what is photolysis?
breakdown of substances due to the exposure of light
What is biomagnification?
the increase in concentration of a chemical as it moves up the food chain
