APES unit 8 terms

Thermal Pollution

Change in the temperature of a body of water.

Anoxic

Low or no oxygen conditions in the water.

Eutrophication

Nutrients build up in water, creating pollution and algae blooms.

Distillation

Boiling ocean water to remove salt and produce freshwater.

Reverse Osmosis

Using a membrane to filter out salt and produce fresh water.

Cultural Eutrophication

Human input accelerating the eutrophication process.

Aqueduct

Canals used to transfer water from one place to another.

Oligotrophic

Bodies of water with just a few amounts of nutrients.

Desalination

Removing salt from ocean water to produce fresh water.

Thermal Shock

Dramatic change in water temperature that harms a species.

Solubility

How well a chemical dissolves in a liquid.

Microplastics

Plastic that degrades and can be easily ingested, becoming part of the food chain.

Biomagnification

Increase of chemical concentrations in an organism higher up in the food chain.

Noise Pollution

Loud noise that interferes with an organism's well-being and function.

North Pacific Garbage Patch

A mixture of plastics and trash found in the ocean.

Single Use Plastic

We should reduce all plastic use, particularly this one.

Slowly Degradable Pollutants

Pollutants that take decades or centuries to break down.

Bioaccumulation

The absorption of various chemicals in an organism over time.

Nondegradable Pollutants

Pollutants that do not break down.

Persistence

Length of time a chemical stays in the environment.

Endocrine Disruptors

Chemicals that cause normal hormone disruption.

Mutagen

Chemical that damages DNA.

Fish Ladder

Stair-like structure designed to help fish get over dams.

Neurotoxin

Chemicals that disrupt the nervous system (brain).

Dike

Similar to levees but built by the ocean to protect from flooding.

Dam

A barrier that blocks river or stream flow; used to generate electricity.

Levee

Wall-type structure built alongside rivers to protect from flooding.

Waste Water

Another name for "dirty" water due to livestock or human activities (sewage/bathing).

Teratogen

Chemical that causes embryo or fetus damage.

Reservoir

Artificial lake created by a dam.

Carcinogen

Chemicals that cause cancer.

Genetically Modified Bacteria

Used to "eat up" oil spills.

Pesticide

Used in agriculture, adds lots of chemicals in the environment.

Point Source

Pollution and polluter is identified.

Pharmaceutical Pollution

Refers to drugs found in our water sources.

Hormones and Steroids

Used by the meat industry and found in our water sources.

Minamata Disease

Linked to mercury through high levels of fish consumption.

Nonpoint Source

Pollutant seen but polluter not identified.

Mercury

Pollutant mainly from burning coal and gas; can lead to paralysis.

Homeostasis

Stable internal conditions for species so they can grow and reproduce.

Lead

Pollutant that comes from burning leaded gasoline, coal, and paint.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

damaging industrial compound used to make electronics and plastics'; are persistent, toxic, and bioaccumulative chemicals that were once widely used in industrial products but are now banned due to their environmental and health impacts

Arsenic

Pollutant found naturally in rocks and can contaminate groundwater.