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APES > Unit 8 > Flashcards

Unit 8 Flashcards

1
Q

an area where all the water contained drains into a common body of water, such as a river, lake, or ocean

A

watershed

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2
Q

A single source of pollution that you can “point” to

EX: a smokestack or waste discharge pipe

A

Point Source

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3
Q

A source of diffused (mixed/diluted) pollutants, therefore difficult to identify, commonly referred to as runoff

A

Non-Point Source

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4
Q

U.S. federal law that regulates the discharge of pollutants into the nation’s surface waters, including lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and coastal areas.

A

Clean Water Act

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5
Q

Type of species that are sensitive to specific environmental conditions & have a limited range of tolerance

population growth or reduction indicates environmental change

A

indicator species

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6
Q

A type of indicator species that live in an aquatic ecosystem for a long time, showing the chronic effects of pollutants

A

Macroinvertebrates

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7
Q

a scale for showing the quality of an aquatic environment by indicating the types and amounts of organisms in a representative sample

A

Biotic Index

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8
Q

A high biotic index indicates…

A

the presence of many pollution-sensitive organisms, therefore an unpolluted environment (Low BOD)

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9
Q

A low biotic Index indicates…

A

an abundance of pollution-tolerant organisms, therefore a polluted environment (High BOD)

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10
Q

The amount of _______ is used as a standard measure/indicator of disease potential

A

fecal coliform bacteria

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11
Q

The growth of the fecal coliform bacteria will cause a(n)…

A

increase in the biological oxygen demand (BOD)

High BOD or Low DO means high amount of bacteria

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12
Q

What produces BOD?

A

Dead organic waste/matter

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13
Q

Two most famous oil spills

A

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
(Gulf of Mexico) &
1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill (Alaska)

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14
Q

How long do environments need to recover from oil spills?(land or water)

A

days to decades, depending on size & scale of a spill

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15
Q

How do oil spills impact the surrounding organisms

A

-in marine waters: organisms to die from the hydrocarbons
-Oil on the water surface can coat feathers & fur
-Sunken oil components kill bottom-dwelling organisms

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16
Q

Ways to clean up oil spills:

A

-Oil absorbent booms
(absorb oil)
-Skimmer Boats
(collect w/vacuum)
-genetically engineered bacteria
(break down oil)

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17
Q

Main source of heavy metals polluting the environment

A

the burning of coal

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18
Q

vocab word

the use of plants to take in heavy metals and other contaminants in the environment (causes biomagnification in the food web)

A

Phytoremediation

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19
Q

greatest water pollutant by mass

A

sediment

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20
Q

Eutrophication leads to “hypoxia” which is

A

Low DO
(low amount of O2)

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21
Q

Dissolved oxygen concentrations drop quickly downstream (aka become runoff) from a point-source of organic matter due to…

A

breakdown of organic compounds by bacteria

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22
Q

What does an endocrine disruptor do?

A

blocks the receptor protein binding site of a hormone so that the cell cannot receive signals

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23
Q

chemicals that can interfere with the endocrine (hormone) systems of animals (affects brain & reproductive systems)

A

Endocrine disruptors

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24
Q

Endocrine disruptors can lead to:

A

-developmental malformations (including: birth defects & gender imbalances, learning disabilities, mutations)
-interference with reproduction (like low fertilization)
-increased cancer risk
-disturbances in the immune & nervous systems

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25
Q

Endocrine disruptors are found in many products, including:

A

Plastic bottles/containers
liners of metal food cans
Detergents
flame retardants
Food
Toys
Cosmetics
Soaps
Fragrances
Pesticides

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26
Q

What do Soil and Plants do for the wetlands?

A

filter out sediments in the water

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27
Q

What do wetlands do to support local environments

A

-soak up floods,
-clean water
-host wildlife

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28
Q

Wetland Characteristics

A

-Brackish Water: (mix of salt & fresh)
-hydric soil (water saturated soil)
-Supports many many species

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29
Q

Threats to Wetlands & Mangroves

A

-Agriculture
-aquaculture
-commercial development
-dam construction
-overfishing
-pollutants from agriculture or industrial waste

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30
Q

Wetlands provide a variety of ecological services, including:

A

water purification
flood protection
provides resources
habitat

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31
Q

A beach community was recently negatively affected by a hurricane. Community leaders are looking for a potential solution to prevent damage from future hurricanes.What solutions would best address the issues of greatest concern in the community?

A

Planting mangrove forests

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32
Q

What is a way to potentially eliminate one of the greatest threats to the world’s mangrove wetlands?

A

restrict aquaculture in those areas

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33
Q

A state highway was constructed over wetlands. The state obtained a permit to fill the existing wetlands in accordance with the provisions of the Clean Water Act in 1972, and agreed to create another wetland. This trade-off approach to addressing an environmental issue is known as what?

A

mitigation

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34
Q

What two excess nutrients cause eutrophication?

A

nitrogen & phosphorus

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35
Q

How does eutrophication lead to hypoxia?

A

When algal bloom dies, microbes digest the algae, along with the oxygen in the water, leading to a decrease in the dissolved oxygen levels in the water (hypoxia) which can result in large die-offs

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36
Q

Hypoxic waterways

A

bodies of water that are low in DO

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37
Q

How to prevent eutrophication

A

-dredging out lakes to deepen them
-pumping oxygen into the lowest layers of water
-introducing herbicides and/or insects that eliminate certain nuisance plants

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38
Q

What is a Oligotrophic body of water

A

-low amounts of BOD
-high DO
-stable algae populations

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39
Q

Causes of Thermal Pollution

A

-Nuclear waste (hot water)
-soil erosion
-Deforestation reduces shade
-Water runoff from paved surfaces
-Volcanoes
-geothermal activity
-lightning

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40
Q

Higher water temps:

A

lower DO level

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41
Q

Lower water temp:

A

higher DO level

DO levels are higher in moving water

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42
Q

Impacts of Thermal Pollution

A

-warm water holds less DO which can lead to hypoxia & die-offs
-temp variation can impact the survival of low-tolerant eggs & larvae
-Feeding, Breeding, & migration patterns are altered

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43
Q

DDT

A

pesticide almost made the bald eagle extinct due to weak shell production

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44
Q

PCBs effects

A

-cancer
-damages the immune, reproductive, nervous, & endocrine systems

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45
Q

Sources of POPs

A

Industry, Waste, Traffic, Agriculture

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46
Q

pollutants that do not easily break down in the environment because they are synthetic, carbon-based molecules (such as DDT and PCBs) that can travel over long distances via wind and water before being redeposited. Another example is Lindane, a chlorinated hydrocarbon commonly used as an insecticide.

A

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

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47
Q

POP transportation methods

A

-Air
-water
-rain
-snow

48
Q

Why are POPs toxic for organisms?

A

POPs are soluble in fat, allowing them to accumulate in organisms’ fatty tissues

49
Q

Rachel Carson

A

highlighted the dangers of DDT in her 1962 book, Silent Spring
used DDT to share the disastrous consequences of the overuse of insecticides
-raised enough concern that Congress established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
TLDR: increased public awareness of the risks of using pesticides

50
Q

Effects of Bioaccumulation

A

eggshell thinning, developmental deformities in top carnivores of the higher trophic levels.

51
Q

the absorption of a substance by a single organism at a rate greater than the rate of elimination

A

Bioaccumulation

52
Q

the increasing up the trophic levels of food chains and food webs

A

Biomagnification

53
Q

Effects of biomagnification

A

cancers and issues with the reproductive, nervous, and circulatory systems

DDT, Mecury, PCBs are known to biomagnify

54
Q

Why would a US citizen test positive for DDT if it’s banned in our country?

A

other countries that export produce to the United States still use DDT

55
Q

Litter that reaches aquatic ecosystems, can cause:

A

intestinal blockage and choking hazards for wildlife and introduce toxic substances to the food chain

56
Q

Anthropogenic causes of eutrophication

A

agricultural runoff and wastewater release

57
Q

any discarded material that is not a liquid or gas, generated in domestic, industrial, business, and agricultural sectors

A

Solid Waste

58
Q

Largest single component of municipal solid waste waste in the US

A

Paper

59
Q

most common method of waste disposal

A

landfills

60
Q

The decomposition of food and other organic matter produces:

A

Methane, a gas that can be collected and used to power nearby buildings & homes

61
Q

landfills must meet stringent design, operation and closure requirements established under the…

A

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

When you think “RCRA” think “Hazardous Waste”

62
Q

Disposal Method that leads to large trash islands & harm wildlife from entrapment & consumption

A

Ocean dumping

63
Q

Disposal Method that makes trash take up less space but releases air pollutants

A

Incineration

64
Q

Disposal Method where decomposition relies on the composition of the trash & the presence of microbes to break them down

A

Landfills

65
Q

A sanitary municipal landfill consists of:

A

-bottom liner
(made of plastic or clay)
-storm water collection system
-leachate collection system
(for protecting groundwater)
-cap (for methane)
-methane collection system

66
Q

water has percolated through a solid and leaches out ___

A

Leachate

67
Q

More contaminants are leached when solid waste is in small particles and put in water than when the particles are large because…

A

because smaller particles have a larger surface area per unit volume than larger particles

68
Q

Plastics are a problem in the waste system because

A

they decompose slowly, if at all, and persist as solid waste

69
Q

Advantages of incineration:

A

-Waste reduction
-Reduced need for landfills
-Placed closer to source so less transportation required
-Source of energy
-No groundwater contamination

70
Q

Disadvantages of incineration:

A

-Not very affordable
-Generates air pollution
-Discourages recycling & waste reduction

71
Q

What happens when rubber tires are illegally dumped and left out in piles?

A

can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes that can spread disease

72
Q

Act that authorizes the President to respond to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances into the environment

A

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)

also known as Superfund

73
Q

What happens when items are placed in recycling that cannot be recycled?

A

the cost of recycling increases

74
Q

advantage of recycling aluminum produced from recycled metal

A

uses much less energy than is required for its production from aluminum ore

75
Q

What materials would be best suited for incineration to reduce total volume, produce energy, and have minimal release of air pollutants?

A

Wood

76
Q

TorF: Food scraps & sewage are not considered hazardous waste on their own

A

True

77
Q

The high cost of recycling is mainly due to…

A

sorting

(saleries of people employed to sort trash)

78
Q

The most energy efficient method to reduce global demand on minerals

A

the use of reusable containers

79
Q

Drawbacks to composting (making food scraps into fertilizer) include…

A

odor & rodents

80
Q

The combustion of gasses produced from decomposition of organic material in landfills can be used to

A

turn turbines (generate electricity)

(reducing landfill volume)

81
Q

Methods of Integrated waste management

A

reusing
recycling &
composting

82
Q

Primary treatment of sewage is…

A

the physical removal of large objects in waste water

Main purpose: lower turbidity (filter out suspended particles)

often with of screens and grates & the settling of solid waste in the bottom of a tank

83
Q

Secondary treatment of sewage is,

A

a biological process in which bacteria break down organic matter ( nitrates, phosphorous, organics & ammonia) into carbon dioxide & inorganic sludge which settles in the bottom of an aerated tank

main purpose: provide O2 (be aerated) to keep microorganisms (bacteria) alive to remove nitrates, phosphorous, organics & ammonia

84
Q

Tertiary Treatment of sewage is,

A

use of ecological or chemical processes to remove any pollutants/bacteria left in the water after previous treatments (chlorine, ozone, or UV light is used to kill bacteria)

main purpose: remove pathogens & nutrients

85
Q

What diseases are spread through ingestion of contaminated water or food?

A

cholera & dysentery

dysentery: aka Traveler’s diarrhea or Montezuma’s revenge

86
Q

What are the two main water tests that would indicate the water is polluted with sewage?

A

-Fecal Coliform Bacterial Test: indicates a presence of feces from a warm blooded animal
BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) Test: amount of O2 consumed by bacteria & other microorganisms decomposing organic matter under aerobic (oxygen- present) conditions at a specified temperature

87
Q

What problems are associated with untreated wastewater (sewage)?

A

Eutrophication & Petrification

[Petrification is (aka when the algae die) caused by eutrophication]

88
Q

Nitrogen is more likely to be high in…
Phosphorous is more likely to be high in…

A

Nitrogen: saltwater
Phosphorus: freshwater

89
Q

Things removed by wastewater treatment:

A

Suspended solids;
Organic (biodegradable) material;
Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous);
Pathogenic organisms (expressed as E. Coli)

90
Q

Things that cannot be removed by wastewater treatment:

A

-drugs, medicines, and other chemicals
(making it unusable as fertilizer)
-organic chemicals (POPs)
-Heavy metals

91
Q

Water Softeners take out

A

calcium, magnesium, & iron

92
Q

Physical treatment processes include:

A

Primary Treatments:
-sedimentation
-flotation
-screening
-filtration
Tertiary treatment:
-Membrane filtration

93
Q

Biological treatment processes include:

A

Secondary Treatments:
-trickling filters
-biofilters
-activated sludge
-Denitrification
Tertiary Treatments:
-Septic tanks
-Ponds

anaerobic processes – absence of dissolved oxygen

94
Q

Chemical treatment processes include

A

Tertiary Treatments:
-ozonation (kills bad bacteria through ozone infusion)
-chlorination
-Ultra Violet Radiation (disinfection process of passing Ultraviolet (UV) light through water)
-Chemical Precipitation (lime, Fe, Al salts, Struvite formation)
-Adsorption

95
Q

an outdoor tank that separates solids from liquid, digests (biochemically changes) & stores organic matter through a period of detention then discharges clarified liquid into a drain field (absorption field or field bed) from a piping system allowing seepage into soil where it is then further treated by natural processes of oxidation & filtering.

when water reaches a freshwater supply, it should be safe for other uses

A

Septic Tank

96
Q

Ammonia is in urine & the ____ from it helps ______

A

nitrogen from it helps plans grow

97
Q

Why do fish die during an algal bloom?

A

Decreased O2 (DO) [aka hypoxia] causes asphyxiation

98
Q

LD ÷ LC =

higher means ____ toxic, lower means ____ toxic

A

higher = less toxic
lower = more toxic

99
Q

Lethal dose 50% (LD50) is the dose of a chemical that is lethal to

A

50% of a population

100
Q

graph that describes the effect on an organism or mortality rate in a population based on the dose of a particular toxin or drug

A

dose responce curve

101
Q

a type of cancer caused mainly by exposure to asbestos

A

Mesothelioma

102
Q

elevated levels of tropospheric ozone causes…

A

Respiratory problems and decrease in overall lung function

103
Q

interaction of different substances where the combined effect is greater than the sum of the effect of the separate substances

A

Synergism

104
Q

The activity with the health risk most likely to be overestimated by the public in the US is:

A

living near a power plant

105
Q

As equatorial-type climate zones spread north and south into what are currently subtropical and temperate climate zones…

A

pathogens, infectious diseases, and any associated vectors are spreading to new areas

106
Q

what areas are likely to lack sanitary waste disposal leading to havens and opportunities for the spread of infectious diseases?

A

Poverty-stricken, low-income

107
Q

a disease carried by organisms infected with its bacteria. It is transferred to humans via the bite of an infected organism or through contact with contaminated fluids or tissues

A

plague

108
Q

a bacterial infection that typically attacks the lungs. It is spread by breathing in the bacteria from the bodily fluids of an infected person

A

Tuberculosis

109
Q

a parasitic disease caused by bites from infected mosquitoes. It is most often found in sub-Saharan Africa

A

Malaria

110
Q

virus transmitted to humans via bites from infected mosquitoes

A

west nile virus

111
Q

transferred by inhaling or touching infected fluids

A

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) [form of pneumonia]

112
Q

a viral respiratory illness that is transferred from animals to humans

A

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)

113
Q

a virus caused by bites from infected mosquitoes that causes major birth defects. It can be transmitted through sexual contact

A

Zika Virus

114
Q

Factors that affect the spread of diseases

A

-flooding, (contaminates water supplies with raw sewage)
-global warming, (can transfer carriers of disease from tropical to more temperate areas)
-introduction/spread of insect vectors (caused by gw & cc)
-rural poverty, (causes people to condense in urban areas)

115
Q

When scientists discover the existence of an emerging infectious disease such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), they must take immediate steps to determine the cause of the disease and the method of transmission. These initial steps would include what?

A

Tracing the medical & travel history of the infected

116
Q

Ticks are vectors for various diseases, they acquire the disease-causing organisms from what?

A

feeding on host animals

APES (10 decks)

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