Using Resources Flashcards
How do humans use Earth’s resources?
for warmth, shelter, food, and transport
What role does agriculture play in providing resources?
Agriculture supplements natural resources to provide food, timber, clothing, and fuels
How are finite resources from Earth processed?
Finite resources from Earth, oceans, and the atmosphere are processed to provide energy and materials.
What role does chemistry play in sustainable development?
- improving agricultural and industrial processes
- creating new products
- supporting sustainable development
What is potable water?
water safe for drinking, with sufficiently low levels of dissolved salts and microbes
How is potable water produced in the UK?
by choosing a fresh water source, passing it through filter beds, and sterilizing it using agents like chlorine, ozone, or ultraviolet light
What are the methods of desalination?
- by distillation or processes using membranes, such as reverse osmosis
- Both methods require significant energy.
Why is potable water not pure in the chemical sense?
contains dissolved substances, although safe to drink, and is not chemically pure
What is the purpose of sewage treatment?
- aims to remove organic matter and harmful microbes from urban lifestyles
- industrial processes’ waste water before its release into the environment.
What are the main steps in sewage treatment?
- screening and grit removal
- sedimentation to produce sewage sludge and effluent,
- anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge,
- aerobic biological treatment of effluent
Why is treatment needed for agricultural waste water?
Agricultural waste water requires treatment to remove organic matter and harmful microbes
How does the treatment of industrial waste water differ from sewage treatment?
may require removal of both organic matter and harmful chemicals, depending on the industrial processes involved.
What are the steps involved in obtaining potable water from sewage?
- screening
- sedimentation
- aerobic biological treatment.
Why are new methods for extracting copper needed?
Copper ores are becoming scarce, prompting the development of new extraction methods to replace traditional mining
What are the alternative methods for extracting copper from low-grade ores?
phytomining
bioleaching
Explain phytomining
- using plants to absorb metal compounds
- The harvested plants are then burned to produce ash containing metal compounds.
Describe bioleaching
uses bacteria to produce leachate solutions containing metal compounds from low-grade ores
How can metals be obtained from solutions of metal compounds in bioleaching?
solutions of metal compounds through displacement using scrap iron or by electrolysis.
What does a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) evaluate?
assess the environmental impact of products throughout their life cycle, including extraction, manufacturing, use, and disposal.
Name the stages included in a life cycle assessment
- extracting and processing raw material
- manufacturing and packaging
- use and operation
- disposal at the end of its useful life.
Why is quantifying pollutant effects in LCAs challenging?
- involves value judgments and is less straightforward than measuring water use
- resource consumption
- energy sources
What is the purpose of selective or abbreviated LCAs?
devised to evaluate a product, but they may be misused to support pre-determined conclusions, such as claims for advertising purposes
Provide an example of a product that could be compared using a simple LCA
Shopping bags made from plastic and paper can be compared using a simple LCA
How does the reduction in use, reuse, and recycling of materials by end users impact the environment?
reduces the use of limited resources, energy consumption, waste, and overall environmental impacts.
