AP Environmental Science Unit 8

non-point source pollution

Are diffused and can therefore be difficult to identify, such as pesticide spraying and urban runoff.

point source pollutant

Single, identifiable source of pollutant, such as a smokestack or waste disposal discharge pipe.

range of tolerance

the limits to the abiotic conditions that a species can tolerate

oxygen sag curve

is a plot of dissolved oxygen levels versus the distance from a source of pollution.

Oil Spill Mitigation Strategies

Clean up, burning, physical removal, chemical dispersants.

endocrine disruptors

chemicals that interfere with endocrine (hormonal) systems of animals. Endocrine disruptors bind to cell receptors meant for natural hormones, either blocking or amplifying the effects of the hormone.

Arsenic

a naturally occurring chemical element, found naturally in bedrock, used in the production of pesticides and wood preservatives, and causes poisoning

Lead

found in paint and its a neurotoxin and endocrine disrupter.

Wetlands

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

ecosystem services

provisioning, regulating, supporting, cultural

provisioning services

products obtained from ecosystems

regulating services

benefits obtained from regulation of ecosystem processes

cultural services

The non-material benefits people obtain from ecosystems through recreation and aesthetic experience, etc.

supporting services

ecosystem services "that are necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services" - nutrient dispersal and cycling, seed dispersal, primary production

Hypoxic

low oxygen environment

Eutrophic

A body of water with high nutrients

dead zone

In a body of water, an area with extremely low oxygen concentration and very little life.

Oligotrophic

A body of water that is low in nutrients and high in dissolved oxygen.

algal bloom

The rapid growth of a population of algae

Biological Oxygen Demand

amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic decomposers to break down organic materials

Eutrophication process

Nutrients into water

Increased plankton (algae) - GPP - algal blooms blanket water surface - increase in total biomass - increase in dead organic matter - increase in BOD - decline in O2 levels

cultural eutrophication

is the process that speeds up natural eutrophication because of human activity. Sediments accumulate over time in the benthic zone.

Thermal pollution

is a sudden increase or decrease in temperature of a natural body of water by human influence.

persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

Chemical compounds that persist in the environment and retain biological activity for a long time.

Characteristics of POPs

Persistent, toxic, synthetic, hydrophobic, etc.

DDT

an insecticide that is also toxic to animals and humans

PCBs

synthetic chemicals containing chlorine that are used in the manufacture of plastics and other industrial products, become stored in the tissue of animals, and also persist in the environment

Clean Air Act

Set emission standards for cars, and limits for release of air pollutants

Clean Water Act of 1972

Establishes and maintains goals and standards for U.S. water quality and purity. It has been amended several times, most prominently in 1987 to increase controls on toxic pollutants, and in 1990, to more effectively address the hazard of oil spills.

Safe Drinking Water Act (1974)

Establishes drinking water standards for tap water safety, and requires rules for groundwater protection from underground injection; amended in 1986 and 1996. The 1996 amendments added a fund to pay for water system upgrades, revised standard: setting requirements, required new standards for common contaminants, and included public "right to know" requirements to inform consumers about their tap water.

Resource Conservation and liability act (1980)

to address the problem of remediating abandoned hazardous waste sites, by establishing legal liability, as well as a trust fund for cleanup activities.

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Act (1976)

to clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous-waste sites as well as accidents, spills, and other emergency releases of pollutants and contaminants into the environment. And the transportation of the hazardous waste

Bioaccumulation

The accumulation of a substance, such as a toxic chemical, in various tissues of a living organism.

Biomagnification

accumulation of pollutants at successive levels of the food chain

Steps of wastewater treatment/sewage treatment

-Primary(physical removal of large debris)

-Secondary(biological breakdown of organic matter)

-Tertiary(chemical process of removing remaining pollutants)

-Disinfection(treated water is exposed to disinfectants)

effluent

liquid waste or sewage discharged into a river or the sea.

LD50

the amount of a chemical that kills 50% of the population being tested

Synergism

combination of two drugs causes an effect that is greater than the sum of the individual effects of each drug alone

dysentery

caused by human or animal fecal contamination of food or water. Causes intestinal inflammation

mesothelioma

Caused by inhaled asbestos fibers and causes shortness of breath and chest pain

Pathogens

disease causing agents

infectious disease

A disease that is caused by a pathogen and that can be spread from one individual to another.

non-infectious disease

a disease that cannot spread from one person to another

Vectors

Living organisms capable of carrying and transmitting infectious pathogens to other organisms.

Bubonic Plague

Caused by bacterium, flea bite, swollen lymph nodes.

Tuberculosis

An infectious disease that may affect almost all tissues of the body, especially the lungs. caused by bacterium

Malaria

A disease caused by mosquitoes implanting parasites in the blood.

West Nile Virus

spread to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito

Zika Virus

from mosquitoes

Cholera

an acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of contaminated water or food

SARS

severe acute respiratory syndrome (virus)

COVID-19

A contagious viral respiratory disease that may cause serious complications, especially in people who are more than 60 years old and/or who already have serious health concerns.

DO

Dissolved Oxygen.