Unit 8 Flashcards
What is the difference between Point Sources and Nonpoint Sources of pollution?
Point source: knows exactly where the waste is coming from
Non point source: unknown source
Where is the independent and dependent variables located on a graph?
independent : variable on the X
Dependent: Variable on the Y
Whats the difference between Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification.
Bioaccumulation: one organism over its lifetime
Biomagnification: when the level of a chemical or pollution increases as we move through species on the trophic pyramid
What is Environmental Remediation?
When you have some environmental pollution than whatever is done to contain or remove the pollution is remediation, providing remedy
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
The primary federal law ensuring the quality of America’s drinking water
Clean Water Act (CWA)
The primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution, aiming to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
(Superfund)
Superfund legislation, when companies leave behind a polluted site the government can step in and use the money from the superfund to clean up the area
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
(“Cradle to Grave”)
Cradle to grave legislation, ensures that a chemical that is hazardous or toxic is given paperwork that describes how its use, how harmful, and how it is disposed of. That paper stay with the chemical until it’s disposed of
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
List of chemical that need to be managed, used to identify toxic substances
What factors influence how much sediment is present in a river?
geology, topography, climate, vegetation, land use, and human activities like dam construction and land management practices
What is dose-response relationships?
Measured response to a dose of a chemical
What types of chemicals act as endocrine disruptors?
Organic chemicals and
Synthetic chemicals
How are DO and BOD are related.
BOD: Oxygen used by bacteria to break down waste during cellular respiration
DO: Dissolved oxygen
High BOD, Low DO - inverse relationship
What are the pros and cons of incineration and landfilling municipal solid waste?
Incineration: Decrease the volume of waste but increase the toxicity, also creates air pollution
Landfilling: Efficient waste removal but there is not a lot of room left for landfills
What makes up municipal solid waste in the United States?
Yard waste, food waste, and paper makes up half of the municipal solid waste in US
How did Rachel Carson spark the beginning of the Modern Environmental Revolution?
Her book, Silent Spring, decribed her hypothesis that if we keep using pesticide at the same quantity it would kill all the bug which would result in frogs and bird not having enough food
What is turbidity?
Amount of particles in the water
What is synergism?
Response to 2 chemicals would result in greater response to those chemicals individually
What is LD50?
Dose of a substance that causes a reaction
What is oligotrophic?
Water that is clear, has low productivity, low BOD, and high DO
What is phytoremediation?
When we use plants to clean up contamination, usually done on land
What is bioremediation?
Uses plants and mostly bacteria to clean up contamination, can use in water
Integrated Waste Management
Mean that you are thinking about not producing waste in the first place, using less of something that causes waste, composting, recycling, etc.
