water pollution Flashcards

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1
Q

define pollution

A

means releasing substances into the environment in amounts that cause harmful effects and in which natural biological processes cannot easily remove
key feature is the amount

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2
Q

define pollutants

A

waste materials released into the environment usually as a result of human activities

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3
Q

list the two types of water pollution

A

freshwater and marine

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4
Q

what are the three main pollutants of freshwater pollution

A

nitrates from fertilisers, organic waste and detergents

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5
Q

where does the oil come from?

A

super tankers damaged in a number of ways resulting in release of vast quantities of crude oil
oil leaks from offshore oil drilling rigs and pipelines that bring oil to land from oceans

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6
Q

how does the oil negatively impact

A

oil floats forming huge slicks and sometimes can be driven onto beaches killing much of the plant and animal life there
oils slicks in the sea block oxygen and light killing marine life

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7
Q

how is oil spills dealt with

A

sometimes dispersed by using detergents which breaks oil into smaller droplets so disperses more easily
this also breaks up the natural skin feathers, and lipids in cell membrane
makes it easier for animals to absorb increasing its toxicity

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8
Q

where is organic waste derived from

A

untreated sewage from housing, ships and farms

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9
Q

how does organic waste affect the environment

A

pollutes coastal waters
lead to eutrophication
causes numerous diseases such as typhoid cholera dysentery among people who drink and use the contaminated water
excreta often contains pathogens

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10
Q

how is organic waste broken down

A

by bacteria which multiply rapidly and use up oxygen
lack of oxygen causes fish and other marine organisms to die
surviving anaerobic bacteria then continue to break down the waste and release foul smelling gases such as methane and hydrogen sulfide

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11
Q

what is solid waste

A

referred to as trash or garbage
consists of a large range of products and materials such as cups, plastic bottles and bags

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12
Q

how does solid waste affect the environment

A

endangers safety and livelihood of fishermen and recreational waters by blocking waterways and causing flooding
seabirds become entangled in marine debris
some birds feed on plastic pellets resembling eggs but have little nutritional value so weakened and die
leather back turtle frequently swallow plastic bags mistaking them for jellyfish
if ingested plastic can prevent assimilation of nutrients and make turtles too buoyant to dive for food
fish and crabs entangled in nets
juvenile crabs enter plastic bottles such for life as they grow and cannot crawl out

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13
Q

what are the heavy metals

A

mercury acid wastes heavy metal products

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14
Q

where do heavy metals originate

A

industrial plants

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15
Q

how do heavy metals affect the environment

A

become concentrated in fatty tissues of animals along food chains such as tuna and shark
estimated to take 100 years for mercury to make its way out of an ecosystem

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16
Q

where does thermal pollution originate from

A

water used as coolant in power stations and other industrial plants

17
Q

how does thermal pollution affect the environment

A

as heat is transferred, water becomes warmer and its ability to dissolve oxygen decreases and this can affect the number of animals able to survive in water
direct effect of changing temps of habitat will result in death of animals and plants especially coral and migration of marine life

18
Q

where do pesticides originate from

A

farmers frequently use pesticides to control many different kinds if pests

19
Q

how do pesticides pollute the environment

A

some tend to persist in environment and are not degraded easily
traces can remain in or on crops that were sprayed with risk that they can be eaten with food
tend to be retained in the fatty tissues of animals where the amount builds up over a period of time called bioaccumulation

20
Q

define biomagnification

A

increase in concentration along a food chain because each organisms in food chain east preceding organisms and accumulates their amount of pesticide

21
Q

control of oil spills

A

legislation to prevent cleaning of tankers near land
spills localised with floating booms and dispersed using detergents

22
Q

control of thermal pollution

A

cool water before releasing into environment
can be used to power homes

23
Q

control of organic waste

A

treat sewage to remove biological waste before releasing into the environment