APES Unit 8 Study Guide

point pollutant source

pollutant enters the environment from an easily identified and confined place

nonpoint pollution source

pollutants are entering the environment from many places at ones

point source pollution examples

• animal waste runoff from a CAFO

• emissions from smokestacks of a coal power plant

• BP oil spill

nonpoint source pollution examples

• urban runoff

• pesticide sprayed on agricultural fields

range of tolerance abiotic examples

• pH

• temperature

• salinity

• sunlight

• nutrient levels

how can pollutants cause physiological stress

they can cause

• limited growth

• limited reproduction function

• hormonal disruption

sediment pollution

sediment carried into ocean by runoff makes coral reef waters more turbid, reducing sunlight (photosynthesis)

toxicants

chemicals in sunscreen, oil from roadways, pesticides from agricultural runoff

effect of oil spills

hydrocarbons in crude oil are toxic to marine organisms and can kill them, especially if they ingest the oil or absorb it through their gills/skin

oil spill effect on economy

oil that washes up on shores can decrease tourism revenue and kill fish, decreasing the fishing industries revenue, and hurting resturants that serve fish

oil spill cleanup

• booms on surface to contain spread and ships with vacuum tubes to siphon oil off the surface or devices to skim it off

• physical removal with towels, soap, shovels

• chemical dispersants sprayed that break up oil and cause it to sink to the bottom

• burning oil off the surface of the water

endocrine disruptors

chemicals that interfere with the endocrine (hormonal) system of animals

how to endocrine disruptors work

they bind to cellular receptors meant for the production of hormones, blocking the hormone from being received, or amplifying its effects

mercury aas endocrine disruptor

• naturally occurs in coal, released by anthropogenic activities

• it inhibits estrogen and insulin

• exposure can cause birth defects

effects of endocrine disruptors

can lead to birth defects, developmental disorders, and gender imbalances in fish and other species

wetland

an area with soil submerged/saturated in water for at least part of the year, but shallow enough for emergent plants

provide

• habitat

• groundwater recharge

• filtration and pest control

• tourism revenue

threats to wetlands

• pollutants (nutrients, sediment, or oil)

• development

• overfishing

steps/process of eutrophication

• Extra input of N & P lead to eutrophication (algae bloom)

• Algae eventually die-off; bacteria that break down dead algae use up O₂ in the water

• Lower O₂ levels (dissolved oxygen) in water kills aquatic animals, especially fish

• Bacteria use up even more O₂ to decompose dead aq. animals

• Creates pos. feedback loop: less O₂ → more dead org. → more bacterial decomposition → less O₂

major nitrogen and phosphorus sources

• Discharge from sewage treatment plants (N/P in human waste & phosphates in soaps/detergents)

• Animal waste from CAFOS

• Synthetic fertilizer from agricultural fields & lawns

oligothrophic waterways

waterways with low nutrient (N/P) levels, stable algae populations, and high dissolved oxygen levels

dead zones

areas of water bodies where aquatic life cannot survive because of low oxygen levels (hypoxia)

relationship between water temperature and oxygen solubility

inverse relationship (as temperature increase DO decreases)

thermal pollution

when heat released into water has a negative effect on the organisms living in the water

• heat increased respiration rate of aquatic organisms

• hot water has less dissolved oxygen

sources of thermal pollution

power plants that use cool water from surface sources to cool steam used to turn a turbine back into water to reuse

persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

synthetic compounds that do not easily break down in the environment, accumulate and buildup in the water and soil

• they are fat soluble meaning that can accumulate in animals fat tissue

• - can travel long distances through wind and water, impacting ecosystems far away

examples of POPs

• DDT

  • outdated insecticide

• PCBs

  • plastic and paint additive

bioaccumulation

absorption and concentration of compounds in the cells and fat of organisms

• this eventually leading to them building up over time to reach higher and higher concentrations in the organism

biomagnification

increasing concentrations of fat-soluble compounds in each level up the trophic pyramid or food chain/web

• large predators have the highest amounts of POP/methylmercury levels because of this

Municipal Soil Waste

solid waste from cities

E-Waste

old computers, TVs, phones, tablets

• can leach endocrine disruptors out of landfills if thrown away with regular MSW

sanitary landfills

waste disposal sites where solid waste is carefully placed in layers and compacted to reduce volume They are designed to minimize environmental impacts by using liners, leachate collection systems, and daily soil cover

landfill issues

• groundwater can be contaminated with heavy metals, acids, medications, and bacteria

• greenhouse gases are released from landfills due to decomposition

pros of recycling

• reducing energy required to ship raw materials and produce new products

• reduces landfill volume, conserving landfill space and reducing need for more landfills

cons of recycling

• is costly and requires significant energy

• when citizens recycle items that should not be it increases the cost for cities to sort and process

composting

organic matter being decomposed under controlled conditions

• reducing landfill volume

• reduces amount of methane released by decomposition

• potential drawback is the foul smell which can attract pests

water treatment process

• primary treatment

• secondary treatment

• tertiary treatment

• disinfectant

primary treatment

physical removal or large debris with a screen or grate

secondary treatment

biological breakdown of organic matter by bacteria

tertiary treatment

ecological or chemical treatments to reduce pollutants left after primary and secondary treatments ( N, P, and bacteria)

disinfectant

UV light, ozone, chlorine is used to kill bacteria or other pathogens

threshold or toxicity threshold

lowest dose where an effect (death, paralysis, cancer) starts to occur

ED50

the dose concentration of a toxin or chemical that causes a non-lethal effect

LD50

the amount of a material, given all at once, which causes the death of 50% (one half) of a group of test animals

synergism

The interaction of two or more substances to cause an effect greater than each of them individually

dysentery

Bacterial infection caused by food or water being contaminated with feces (often from sewage release into rivers & streams used for drinking water)

• can be treated with antibiotics that kill the bacteria causing the infection and access to treated/filtered water that can rehydrate

mesothelioma (asbestos)

A type of cancerous tumor caused by exposure to asbestos, primarily affecting the lining (epithelium) of the respiratory tract, heart, or abdominal cavity

tropospheric ozone effect on humans

Worsens respiratory conditions like asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, COPD 

Pathogen

a living organism (virus, bacteria, fungus, protist, worm) that causes an infectious disease

• they adapt and evolve to take advantage of humans has hosts for their reproduction and spread

Vector

a living organism (rat, mosquito) that carry and transmit infectious pathogens to other organisms

• warmer temperatures allow pathogens and their vectors to spread north and south to parts of the world previously too cold

infectious disease and development

less developed countries typically have higher rates of infectious disease due to

• less sanitary waste disposal

• less access to healthcare facilities and antibiotic medications

• lack to treatment/filtration for drinking water and sewage treatment

• tropical climates and more open air allow for more exposure to vectors

plague

bacterial (pathogen) infection transmitted by fleas (vector) that attach to mice and rats

tuberculosis (TB)

bacterial infection that targets the lungs

• transmitted by breathing bacteria from body fluids of an infected person

malaria

parasitic protist infection caused by a bite from infected mosquitoes

west nile

virus infection caused by a bite from infected mosquitoes

• causes brain inflammation

zika virus

virus infection caused by a bite from infected mosquitoes and sexual contact

• causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads and damaged brains

• no known treatment currently

SARS

coronavirus infection caused by respiratory droplets from an infected person

MERS

virus respiratory infection transmitted from animals to humans

cholera

acterial infection caused by drinking infected water

• causes vomiting and muscle cramps