Water Pollution Flashcards
What is the chemical formula for water?
H20
What are the special properties of water and how do they come from the chemistry of water?
Cohesion & Adhesion: Water molecules stick to each other and to other surfaces.
High Specific Heat: It can absorb a lot of heat without changing temperature.
High Heat of Vaporization: It takes a lot of energy to turn water into steam.
Universal Solvent: It dissolves many substances.
Density Anomaly: Ice floats because it’s less dense than liquid water.
These properties arise from hydrogen bonds between water molecules.
Approximately what percentage of water is available for human consumption? Why – break down the other percentages?
98% of water =salt
2% of water = fresh
85% of fresh water = ice
15% of fresh water = non ice
Why is there a ‘world water crisis’?
Overuse: Excessive consumption and waste.
Pollution: Contamination from various sources.
Climate Change: Alters precipitation patterns and water availability.
Infrastructure Issues: Lack of access in many regions.
What are viable solutions to this address water scarcity globally?
Improved Water Management: Efficient use and distribution.
Investment in Infrastructure: Building and maintaining systems.
International Cooperation: Shared resources and knowledge.
Conservation Efforts: Reducing waste and promoting sustainable practices.
What is the difference between direct and indirect (virtual) water footprint?
Direct Water Footprint: Water used directly by an individual or community.
Indirect (Virtual) Water Footprint: Water used in the production of goods and services consumed.
What are some pieces of legislation that protect our water?
Clean Water Act (U.S.): Regulates discharges into waters.
Safe Drinking Water Act (U.S.): Ensures safe drinking water.
Water Framework Directive (EU): Protects water quality across Europe.
What are some examples of water pollutants and where does each come from? Why do they matter?
Nutrients (Nitrogen & Phosphorus): From fertilizers and sewage.
Heavy Metals: From industrial discharge and mining.
Pathogens: From untreated sewage.
Plastics: From waste and runoff.
These pollutants harm ecosystems, contaminate drinking water, and affect human health.
Point Source Pollution
Comes from a single, identifiable source (e.g., a factory pipe).
Non-Point Source Pollution
pollution that comes from numerous, diffuse sources rather than a single, identifiable point, like a pipe or a factory.
Differentiate between biomagnification and bioaccumulation.
Bioaccumulation: Build-up of substances in an organism over time.
Biomagnification: Increase in concentration of substances as they move up the food chain.
Explain how fertilizer runoff can lead to eutrophication, and the negative consequences (ex. Dead Zone)
Excess Nutrients Enter Waterways: Fertilizers used in agriculture are rich in nitrogen and phosphorus. When it rains, these nutrients are washed off fields and enter nearby rivers, lakes, or coastal waters.
Algal Blooms Form: The excess nutrients act like food for algae, causing rapid and uncontrolled growth, known as an algal bloom.
Oxygen Depletion: When the algae die, they sink and are decomposed by bacteria. This decomposition process uses up a significant amount of dissolved oxygen in the water.
Hypoxia (Low Oxygen): The drop in oxygen creates hypoxic (low-oxygen) or even anoxic (no-oxygen) conditions, making it difficult for most aquatic life to survive.
Dead Zones
Loss of Biodiversity
Toxic Algae
Economic Impact
What are the parts of the water cycle?
Evaporation
The sun heats up water in rivers, lakes, and oceans, turning it into water vapor (gas) that rises into the atmosphere.
Condensation
As water vapor rises and cools, it turns back into tiny liquid droplets, forming clouds.
Precipitation
When these droplets combine and become heavy, they fall back to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
Infiltration
Some of the precipitation soaks into the ground, replenishing groundwater supplies.
Runoff
Water that doesn’t infiltrate flows over the land, collecting in rivers, lakes, and eventually returning to the oceans.
What is the difference between the small and large water cycle?
The small water cycle involves local processes, while the large water cycle includes global movements.
What are the two main solutions to water pollution? What are some examples of each?
Prevention: Reducing pollution at the source.
Treatment: Cleaning polluted water.
Avoid overusing fertilizers or pesticides
Oil-water separators
Describe the differences between wastewater treatment and septic systems.
Wastewater Treatment Plants: Centralized facilities that treat sewage from communities.
Septic Systems: Individual systems for treating household wastewater.
In what ways is bioremediation a viable solution to the problems that lead to bioaccumulation and biomagnification?
Using living organisms, like bacteria or plants, to remove pollutants from water, helping reduce bioaccumulation and biomagnification as when animals drink water and gain pollutants and bad substances they will get less
bioremediation
a process that uses microorganisms, like bacteria and fungi, to clean up environmental contamination
What are some sources of heavy metal water pollution?
Industrial Discharges: Factories releasing metals.
Mining Activities: Leaching of metals into water.
Waste Disposal: Improper disposal of metal-containing products.
How does waste connect to water pollution?
Improper waste disposal can lead to:
Leaching of Contaminants: Pollutants entering water sources.
Blockages: Affecting water flow and treatment systems.
What are some challenges to making Recycling “work”?
Contamination: Mixed or dirty materials.
Lack of Infrastructure: Insufficient facilities for processing.
Economic Factors: Costs of recycling vs. disposal.
people not wanting too
What are the components of the waste management hierarchy?
Refuse – Choose not to use or buy a product if you can do without it.
Reduce - Make choices that allow you to use less of a resource by, for instance, purchasing durable goods that will last or can be repaired.
Reuse - Use a product more than once for its original purpose or for another purpose.
Recycle - Return items for reprocessing into new products.
What is waste-to-energy? How does it work? What are its pros and cons?
Converting waste into energy through processes like combustion
Pros include reducing landfill use and generating power; cons involve emissions and high costs.
