Unit 3 topic 5

Question 1

what is a nonpersistent pollutant

Answer 1

wastes that can be broken down ex. Fertilizers and sewage

Question 2

Persistent pollutants

Answer 2

accumulate in the environment because they can break down very slowly or not at all. Ex, Pesticides or heavy metal wastes.

Question 3

What do Persistent pollutants have in common with nonpersistent pollutants and how do we monitor?

Answer 3

they are a concern if they become concentrated enough to harm living things. We monitor these with chemical tests

Question 4

what do Phospuhurs and Nitrogen do?

Answer 4

they help plant growth that’s why they are used in fertilizers

Question 5

How do Phosphate and nitrate concentrations greatly increase in the water?

Answer 5

from run-off from fertilizers and sewage.

Question 6

what happens when water is highly concentrated?

Answer 6

oxygen is depleted and the organisms in the water die

Question 7

what is algae bloom?

Answer 7

is a rapid increase or accumulation in the levels of algae in freshwater.

Question 8

what are the 4 reasons why Algae bloom is bad?

Answer 8

1. nutrient load: excessive nutrients and fertilizers are flushed into the water from land into rivers
2. Death of the ecosystem: oxygen levels reach a point where no life is possible fish and other organisms die
3. Plants flourish: these pollutants cause aquatic plant growth of algae, duckweed and other plants
4. Decomosition further depletes oxygen: Dead plants are broken down by bacteria (decomposers) using up even more oxygen in the water
   also plants dont get sun

Question 9

Algae acts like a what on water?

Answer 9

a blanket on top of the water where no sun can reach the water

Question 10

what is a dead zone?

Answer 10

excessive phytoplankton growth can result in a area called the dead zone

Question 11

how do dead zones form?

Answer 11

when big blooms of phytoplankton at the surface trigger large quantities of organic matter which then sink to the bottom bacteria break down the material releasing carbon dioxide and absorbing oxygen as they work

Question 12

how do humans play apart of dead zones?

Answer 12

fertilizers run off farms and land they seep into the network of rivers and streams and provide a lot of nutrients to phytoplankton that reach the shore causing a lot of growth of algae

Question 13

where is the most dead zones occurred

Answer 13

Mississippi river

Question 14

what can be used to measure water quality

Answer 14

biological indicators

Question 15

polluted water bodies have done what to water?

Answer 15

decreases oxygen levels

Question 16

Why do we monitor invertebrates when monitoring for pollution in water?

Answer 16

they can tell a lot if a water of body is healthy or not

Question 17

what are some animals that indicate the water is good quality

Answer 17

Riffle beetle
Stonefly Nymph
Mayfly nymph
and caddisfly larvae

Question 18

what is the level of ppm of oxygen that indicate water quality if healthy

Answer 18

8-10 ppm

Question 19

what are some animals that indicate water is moderate quality?

Answer 19

dragonfly nymph
Clams and mussels
sowbug
and crayfish

Question 20

what is the level of ppm of oxygen that indicate the water is moderate quality ?

Answer 20

4-8 ppm of oxygen

Question 21

what are some animals that indicate poor quality of water?

Answer 21

midge larvae
aquatic worms
leeches
and black fly larve

Question 22

what is the level of ppm of oxygen that indicate the water is poor quality

Answer 22

0-4 ppm of oxygen

Question 23

what are point sources

Answer 23

pollutants that enter the environment from a specific locations such as drainpipes and smokestacks

Question 24

what are non point sources

Answer 24

they discharge pollutants indirectly. These are much more difficult to control because the pollutants mix and disperse in the environment before they get to the water. Ex. Construction sites, acid precipitation

Question 25

what is the most cheapest and most effective way to reduce pollution?

Answer 25

is to reduce the emission of pollutants

Question 26

what are the 4 Rs

Answer 26

reduce
reuse
recycle and recover

Question 27

what are macro invertebrates?

Answer 27

organisms visible to the unaided eye and lacking a backbone. This is the most useful organism for biological indicator of water quality