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Environmental Science 1/2 > Unit 2 AOS 1 - Pollution > Flashcards

Unit 2 AOS 1 - Pollution Flashcards

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1
Q

Pollution

A

When a substance entering or being present in an environment has harmful or poisonous effects

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2
Q

Pollutant

A

The substance that pollutes.

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3
Q

Dispersal

A

How pollutants enter the environment

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4
Q

Primary pollutants

A

Substances released into environment directly from a polluting source. (fossil fuels)

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5
Q

Heavy metals

A

A metal with an atomic mass greater than that of calcium (mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic)

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6
Q

Waste

A

A substance discarded after being deemed no longer useful after the completion of a process. Can become a pollutant if not treated properly (but may not)

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7
Q

Contaminant

A

A substance present where is does not naturally occur

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8
Q

Pollutant (regarding contaminants)

A

Contaminant that can result in adverse biological effects to resident biota.

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9
Q

Secondary pollutants

A

Formed by chemical changes to primary pollutants

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10
Q

What are some atmospheric pollutants (gases)

A

Gases like:

  • CO2
  • Carbon monoxide
  • nitrogen dioxide
  • sulfur dioxide
  • ozone
  • VOCS
  • particulate matter
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11
Q

Water pollution

A

Caused b a substance that enters waterways at excessive levels

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12
Q

Terrestrial pollution

A

Imbalance in natural systems caused by humans

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13
Q

Noise pollution

A

Continuous or recurrent noise that is annoying or physically harmful.

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14
Q

Thermal pollution

A

Heat from hot water that is discharged from a power plant or factory into a river or lake that can be fatal to aquatic life

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15
Q

Direct pollution

A

Discharging a pollutant directly from the source into the environment

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16
Q

Point source emissions

A

Pollutants that come from a single discharge point, like a chimney.

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17
Q

Pollutant sink

A

process or place that removes a pollutants from the biogeochemical cycle by either storing it for a long time, or turning it into another substance.

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18
Q

Biomagnification

A

The increasing concentration of a chemical in organisms as it goes up the food chain

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19
Q

Mercury

A

Naturally occurring heavy metal found in three forms: organic, inorganic, and elemental (metallic)

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20
Q

Indirect pollution

A

When a pollutant finds its way indirectly into an environment. (nitrogen run-off)

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21
Q

Diffuse source emissions

A

Enters the environment across a broad area (like fertiliser run-off)

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22
Q

Fugitive emissions

A

Escape from an instrument or facility separate to any designated outlets

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23
Q

Bioaccumulation

A

When an organism takes in a substance faster than the body can remove it and the amount of substance in the body increases over time

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24
Q

Bioconcentration

A

A type of bioaccumulation.

a chemical taken directly from the environment, but not through food.

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25
Q

Local impacts

A

Small scale impact - affects an area of a few square kms

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26
Q

Global impacts

A

global and international impact

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27
Q

Inhaled

A

Taken in through the lungs and absorbed through the membrane surfaces into the bloodstream

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28
Q

Dermal absorption

A

Absorbed through the skin

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29
Q

Endocrine disruptors

A

Synthetic or naturally occurring chemicals that affect the hormonal systems in animals

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30
Q

Environmental hazards

A

Defined as factors of the environment which threaten or impair human health in some way

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31
Q

Regional impacts

A

large yet distinct are of impact

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32
Q

Exposure

A

A measure of how much of a pollutant a person is exposed to in a given time

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33
Q

Ingested

A

Taken in through swallowing (food/drink) and absorbed from digestive system into the liver then to the bloodstream

34
Q

Toxicity

A

A measure of the harm (through illness or death) that a substance can cause in organisms

35
Q

Acute toxicity

A

The adverse health effect from a single dose of a toxic substance

36
Q

Chronic toxicity

A

Adverse health effects of repeated exposure to the material over a prolonged period

37
Q

Threshold

A

The level of chemical exposure below which there is no adverse effect and above which there is significant toxicological effect

38
Q

Lethal dose (LD)

A

A term to describe the dose of a substance that is sufficient to kill a percentage of an animal within a given time

39
Q

How is pollutant dispersal affected?

A

It is affected by its characteristics

40
Q

“Water is a powerful disperser”
What does this mean?

A

Means water can transport both water soluble and non-soluble pollutants

41
Q

What different forms is mercury found in? (Give examples of each)

A

Organic (Methylmercury)
Inorganic (Mercuric chloride)
Elemental (Metallic) - (hg)

42
Q

What are some properties of mercury?

A

is liquid at room temp
conducts electricity
Is toxic as vapour

43
Q

‘Mercury is persistent’
What does this mean?

A

Elemental mercury can’t break down into less toxic substances, so stays in the environment.

44
Q

The Convention on Mercury commits countries to implement:

A
  • bans on new mercury mines
  • the phase-out of existing mines
  • control measures on air emissions
  • regulations on artisanal and small-scale gold mining
45
Q

What are some properties of Arsenic?

A
  • Grey
  • Metallic properties, semi-metal
  • High toxicity
  • Found naturally
  • Inorganic form is the most toxic
  • Carcinogen
46
Q

What are some sources of arsenic?

A

Bushfires and volcanoes, found in earths crust

47
Q

What are some man-made sources of Arsenic

A

glass, mining, paper products, timber treatments

48
Q

What are some environmental effects of Arsenic

A

reduced organism health, death of plants and animals, and imbalances of population in ecosystems

49
Q

What is a carcinogen?

A

A cancer-causing substance

50
Q

The impact of pollution can be viewed at what three levels? Define each.

A

Local - Small scale impact
regional - large yet distinct are of impact
global - global and international impact

51
Q

What can contribute to illness caused by a specific environmental hazard.

A
  • Environmental factors (housing, climate)
  • Demographic factors (socio-economic status)
  • Genetics
  • Other exposure
52
Q

What ways can substances be absorbed into the body?

A
  • ingestion
  • inhalation
  • dermal absorption
53
Q

The dosage of a chemical pollutant a person receives is affected by:

A
  • respiration rate
  • concentration
  • frequency of exposure
  • length of exposure
  • properties of the chemical
  • body weight
54
Q

What are some examples of new potential hazards and risks?

A

Ozone depletion, GMO and electromagnetic fields

55
Q

A pollutant is degradable if it _____________

A

breaks down in the environment due to sunlight, soil and water organisms or other chemical reactions.

56
Q

what is the endocrine system?

A

The endocrine system is a set of glands and the hormones they produce.

57
Q

What glands around the body excrete hormones?

A
  • Pineal gland
  • Pituitary gland
  • Thyroid gland
  • Adrenal gland
  • Pancreas
  • Ovary
  • Testes
58
Q

Define hormones

A

Hormones are chemicals that coordinate different functions around the body by carrying messages to the blood in organs.

59
Q

What types of organisms have endocrine system?

A

All eukaryotic organisms

60
Q

What is the function of the endocrine system?

A

The hormones that the endocrine system produces helps to guide the development, growth, reproduction, and behaviour of animals & humans.

61
Q

How do endocrine-disrupting chemicals affects the endocrine system?

A
  • EDCs can affect/reduce the production of hormones in endocrine glands, copy or counteract the action of hormones at ‘target tissues’
  • Can speed up the metabolism of hormones & therefore reduce their action
62
Q

What stages of development are most at risk to exposure to EDCs?

A
  • Exposure during early development, like in the womb, or during childhood, can cause permanent effects.
63
Q

What are some impacts of EDCs that would impact the health of the environment?

A
  • Aquatic animals are particularly affected, especially carnivores as they are at the top of the food chain.
  • Eggshells can end up thinning in birds of prey
  • Reduction in the frog population.
  • Overall, there are many negative effects that primarily impact animals.
64
Q

Contamination

A

Is the presence of a substance where it does not naturally occur or is found at concentrations above background levels.

65
Q

Light pollution

A

Light from cities and tons at night that interfere with astronomical observations

66
Q

Pollutant sink

A

Is a process or place that removes, stores or absorbs the pollutant
eg. carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolving in water both in oceans and freshwater bodies

67
Q

Pollutant sources

A

Either point or diffuse sources

68
Q
A
69
Q

Mobile emissions

A

Come from mobile sources
eg. a motor vechile

70
Q

Transport mechanisms for pollutants

A

Air pollutants are generally transported by air circulation (wind) while
Water pollutants are transported via the water cycle through the movement of streams, run-off and tidal currents

70
Q

Environmental health

A

Those aspects of public health concerned with the factors, circumstances, and conditions in the environment or surroundings of humans that can have an influence on healthy and wellbeing

70
Q

Environmental indicators

A

Are identified and measured as a way of assessing the overall condition of an environment.
Good environmental indicators reflect an understanding of the links between a human activity and its consequence
eg. exhaust from cars decreases air quality in cities

71
Q

Typical indicators

A

A Physical environmental indicator, A Chemical environmental indicator, A biological environmental indicator, A socioeconomic environmental indicator

72
Q

a physical environmental indicator

A

Measures a physical feature of the environment
eg. the amount of sunlight through water or reaching the forest floor

73
Q

A chemical environmental indicator

A

Measures a chemical factor affecting the environment
eg. Ph level or phosphorus level

74
Q

A biological environmental indicator

A

Measures effects on a plant or animal
eg. the change over time in the number of a certain plant species in a given area

75
Q

Salinity

A

Conductivity measures the amount of inorganic salt materials dissolved in a soil or water sample
Salinity can also be measured by evaporating a given amount of the water and weighing the remaining salt
It is measured in milligrams per litre (mg/L)

76
Q

Range of tolerance

A

Chemical and physical conditions within which an organism will live, grow and function normally

77
Q

What is dosage

A
78
Q

What is DDT

A

Environmental Science 1/2 (5 decks)

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