Unit D | Topic 2-5 | Pollution and pH Flashcards

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1
Q

Definition of:
Pollution

A

The accumulation of a harmful or unwanted substance in the environment

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2
Q

Definition of:
Pollutant

A

A harmful substance released into the environment

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3
Q

What are the three things pollution can be present in?

A
  • Water
  • Land
  • Air
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4
Q

Definition of:
Absorption (of pollution)

A

Chemical passed through a membrane (ex. skin)

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5
Q

Definition of:
Ingestion (of pollution)

A

Chemical is actively taken in by an organism (ex. eating or inhaling

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6
Q

What are the three most common forms of pesticides?

A
  • Herbicides
  • Insecticides
  • Fungicides
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7
Q

Definition of:
Herbicides

A

Chemicals designed to kill plants (most commonly harmful weeds)

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8
Q

Definition of:
Insecticides

A

Chemicals designed to kill insects and invertebrates

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9
Q

Definition of:
Fungicides

A

Chemicals designed to kill fungi

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10
Q

Definition of:
Selective pesticides

A

Kills certain organisms but not others

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11
Q

Definition of:
Non-selective pesticides

A

Kills most if not all organisms affected by it

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12
Q

What are some benefits of pesticides?

A
  • Controls the population of unwanted organisms
  • Protects things like plants and crops from threats
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13
Q

What are some cons of pesticides?

A
  • Chemicals can sometimes harm humans
  • Chemicals can sometimes harm and kill insects important to the enviorment
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14
Q

Definition of:
Persistent pollutants

A

Pollutants that don’t break down easily and can build up in organisms

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15
Q

Definition of:
Bioaccumulation

A

The increase in concentration of a material in one organism over time

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16
Q

Definition of:
Biomagnification

A

The increase in concentration of a material as it is passed up through the food chain

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17
Q

Difference between:
Bioaccumulation and
biomagnification

A

Bioaccumulation:
Pollutants build up in one organism over time

Biomagnification:
Pollutants are gained when an organism eats another contaminated organism

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18
Q

Definition of:
The pH scale

A

The measure of how much hydrogen a substance contains

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19
Q

What does a pH measure of 7 indicate?

A

A neutral substance

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20
Q

What does a pH measure of 14 indicate?

A

A strong base

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21
Q

What does a pH measure of 0 indicate?

A

A strong acid

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22
Q

Characteristics of a base

A
  • pH above 7
  • Tastes bitter
  • Feels slippery
  • Used commonly in cleaning products
  • Conducts electricity
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23
Q

Characteristics of an acid

A
  • pH below 7
  • Tastes sour
  • Feels like water
  • Found commonly in food
  • Conducts electricity
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24
Q

Definition of:
Neutralization reactions

A

Reactions that occur between equal strength acids and bases

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25
Q

Definition of:
pH Indicators

A

Chemicals that change colours at different pH levels

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26
Q

Definition of:
Acid precipitation

A

Any precipitation that has a pH below 5.6

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27
Q

How is “acid rain” caused?

A

Emissions from fossil fuels containing carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur compounds added with water

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28
Q

What are the three common forms of acid that cause “acid rain”?

A
  1. Nitric acid
  2. Sulfuric acid
  3. Carbonate acid
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29
Q

What happens to aquatic organisms when the pH of water decreases under 5?

A

ded :(

30
Q

What is the process of “liming” to neutralize acid precipitation?

A

Add calcium carbonate to acidic bodies of water to neutralize the pH

31
Q

What is the process of “scrubbing” to neutralize acid precipitation?

A

Gasses are passed through calcium carbonate and water to clean the emissions

32
Q

What are Catalytic converters?

A

Devices that contain a honeycomb coated with a catalyst such as platinum; leads to a more complete combustion

33
Q

Definition of:
Sorbent

A

A substance that absorbs oxides

34
Q

Definition of:
LD50 (lethal dose 50)

A

The amount of a substance that kills half of a population of organisms

35
Q

What does LD50 stand for?

A

Lethal dose 50

36
Q

Definition of:
Acute toxicity

A

A substance that can cause serious harm to an organism after 1 dose

37
Q

Definition of:
Chronic toxicity

A

A substance of which effects are noticed after the substance builds up in an organism

38
Q

Definition of:
Circumpolar winds

A

Winds that carry pollution from industrialized areas to the arctic where they accumulate

39
Q

Definition of:
Sanitary landfills

A

Landfills incorporating a waterproof liner filled with compact garbage covered in earth

40
Q

Definition of:
Secure landfills

A

A specialized landfill that safely disposes of hazardous and toxic wastes

41
Q

Definition of:
Point source pollution

A

A specific location where pollution originates

42
Q

Definition of:
Non-point source pollution

A

A source of pollution in which pollutants originate from no specific location

43
Q

Definition of:
Persistent wastes

A

Wastes that accumulate in the environment and break down very slowly

44
Q

Definition of:
Non-persistent wastes

A

Wastes that can break down into non-polluting compounds by biodegradation

45
Q

Definition of:
Biodegradation

A

Wastes or organic material being broken down by natural chemical reactions or bacteria

46
Q

Definition of:
Photolysis

A

The process of breaking down harmful compounds using sunlight

47
Q

Definition of:
Phytoremeditation

A

Using plants to absorb toxic chemicals, the plants are then harvested and disposed of

48
Q

What three things are required for Bioremediation?

A
  1. Microorganisms (like bacteria)
  2. Oxygen
  3. High temperatures
49
Q

Definition of:
Temperature

A

A measure of the average energy of motion of the particles in a substance

50
Q

True or false:
Low temperature substances have a lower amount of dissolved oxygen

A

False:
Low temperature substances (like water) hold more dissolved oxygen than high temperature substances

51
Q

Definition of:
Nitrates

A

Compounds made up of Nitrogen and Oxygen (most commonly found in fertilizer)

52
Q

Definition of:
Turbidity

A

The “cloudiness” or “clarity” of water, lots of sediment in water is considered high turbidity

53
Q

What does high turbidity indicate about water quality?

A

High turbidity = poor water quality

54
Q

What are three ways to determine water quality?

A
  1. pH level
  2. Turbidity
  3. Amount of dissolved oxygen
55
Q

What does low levels of dissolved oxygen determine about water quality?

A

low levels of dissolved oxygen = unhealthy and poor water quality

56
Q

Definition of:
Wastewater

A

(sewage): Wastes from things like bathrooms and kitchens

57
Q

Definition of:
Stormwater

A

Runoff water from rainfall that end up in storm sewers

58
Q

What are the three ways wastewater is treated?

A
  • Primary (physical)
  • Secondary (biological)
  • Tertiary (Chemical)
59
Q

Definition of:
Primary (physical) wastewater treatment

A

The process of filtering, sieving, and settling wastewater (can be further treated with chlorine)

60
Q

Definition of:
Secondary (biological) wastewater treatment

A

The process of bacteria and microorganisms decomposing biodegradable waste

61
Q

Definition of:
Tertiary (chemical) wastewater treatment

A

The process of using UV radiation to kill remaining bacteria

62
Q

Definition of:
The ozone layer

A

A thin layer of gas that is found in the stratosphere

63
Q

What is ozone made of?
(chemically?)

A

3 Oxygen atoms bonded together

64
Q

Why is ozone important

A

Absorbs harmful UV rays (radiation from the sun)

65
Q

What does CFC stand for?

A

Chlorofluorocarbons

66
Q

Definition of:
Chlorofluorocarbons

A

nontoxic, nonflammable chemicals containing chlorine, fluorine, and carbon

67
Q

Definition of:
Acid-Base Neutralization

A

The combining of a base and an acid to produce water and salt

68
Q

Definition of:
Aquifers

A

Underground reserves of water

69
Q

Definition of:
Biological indicators

A

An organism whose state indicates the quality of its environment

70
Q

Definition of:
Ground water

A

Water that filters down through soil and fills spaces under ground
(water in ground :0 )

71
Q

Definition of:
Leachate

A

The liquid created by rainwater filtering through decomposing garbage in a landfill

72
Q

Definition of:
Microinvertebrates

A

An organism visible to the human eye and lacking a backbone