APES unit 8 (aquatic and terrestrial pollution)

point source pollution

pollutant that enters the environment from an easily identified and confined place (you can 'point' to it)

nonpoint source pollution

pollutants entering the environment from many places at once (difficult to 'point' to)

point source pollution examples

animal waste runoff from a CAFO; emissions from smokestack of a coal power plant; BP oil spill

nonpoint source pollution examples

urban runoff; pesticides sprayed on agricultural fields

how are estuaries and bays polluted

many nonpoint pollution sources from the large watersheds that empties into them

pollutants vs pollution

pollutants are specific, while pollution is vague

range of tolerance

only for abiotic conditions (pH, temp, salinity, sun, nutrient levels)

environmental effects of acid rain on aquatic species

pH range of tolerance

human impacts on coral reef

humans disrupt coral reef ecosystems via greenhouse gas emissions (warming ocean temp and bleaching coral)

oil spill effects

hydrocarbons in crude oil are toxic to many marine organisms and can kill them, especially if they ingest the oil or absorb through gills/skin; oil can wash ashore and decrease tourism and kill fish

oil spill cleanup

booms on surface to contain spread; vacuum/skim oil out; physical removal from beach; chemicals making it sink to the bottom; burning oil

endocrine disruptors

chemicals that interfere with the hormonal systems of animals

examples of endocrine disruptors

atrazine, DDT, phthalates, lead, arsenic, mercury, human medications

atrazine

endocrine disruptor; broad-spectrum herbicide

DDT

endocrine disruptor; POPs; broad-spectrum insecticide phased out

phthalates

endocrine disruptor; POPs; compounds used in plastic and cosmetic manufacturing

mercury

naturally occuring in coal; by itself it isn't toxic, but bacteria in water sources convert it to methylmercury with is highly toxic to animals

arsenic

naturally occuring element in rocks that can dissolve into drinking water; carcinogenic and endocrine disruptor

coal ash

can be a source of mercury, lead and arsenic; can attach to fly ash and carried by wind

wetland

an area with soil submerged/saturated in water for at least part of the year, but shallow enough for emergent plants (plants have adapted to living there)

provisioning services of wetlands

habitat for animals and plant foods

regulating services of wetlands

groundwater recharge, absorption of flood water, CO2 sequestration

supporting services of wetlands

H2O filtration, pollinator habitats, nutrient cycling, pest control

cultural services of wetlands

tourism revenue, fishing license, camping fees, ed/med research

threats to wetlands

pollutants, sediment, motor oil, pesticides, endocrine disruptors, development, dam construction, overfishing

dead zones

decreased dissolved oxygen (hypoxia), so not many animals can live there

solubility of oxygen and temperature

inverse relationship between water temp and oxygen solubility

thermal pollution

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

sources of thermal pollution

Power plants use cool water from surface/ground water sources nearby to cool steam used to turn a turbine back into water to reuse (nuclear pps especially)

cooling towers/ponds

used to cool steam back into water and to hold warmed water before returning to local surface water

POPs (persistent organic pollutants)

synthetic compounds that do not easily breakdown in the environment; fat-soluble, meaning they also accumulate and persist in animals' fat tissue instead of passing through the body

examples of POPs

DDT, PCBs, PBDEs, BPA, dioxins, phthalates, perchlorates, medications

PCBs

POPs; plastic/paint additive

PBDEs

POPs; fireproofing

BPA

POPs; plastic additive

dioxins

POPs; fertilizer production and combustion of waste and biomass

medications as POPs

when humans take meds, they pass through the body and get peed out, which then goes to treatment plants, and persists in streams and rivers

perchlorates

POPs; given off by rockets, missiles, and fireworks

bioaccumulation

absorption and concentration of compounds in the cells and fat tissues of ONE SINGULAR ORGANISM

biomagnification

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

MSW (municipal solid waste)

what you think of when you think of trash, from households, businesses, schools, etc

e-waste

old electronics; considered hazardous waste due to heavy metals in electronics

sanitary landfills

where developed nations dispose of trash

parts of a sanitary landfill

clay/plastic bottom liner; leachate collection system; methane recovery system; clay cap

clay/plastic bottom liner (landfills)

layer of clay/plastic on the bottom of a hole in the ground; prevents pollutants from leaking out into soil/groundwater

leachate collection system (landfills)

system of tubes/pipes at bottom to collect leachate for treatment and disposal

leachate

water draining through waste and carrying pollutants

methane recovery system (landfills)

system of tubes/pipes to collect the methane produced by anaerobic decomp in landfills

clay cap (landfills)

clay-soil mixture used to cover the landfill once it's full; keeps out animals, keeps in smell, and allows vegetation to regrow

things that should not be landfilled

hazardous waste, metals like copper and aluminum, old tires (often left in large piles that hold standing water ideal for mosquito breeding)

things that should be landfilled

cardboard, food wrappers, rubber, plastic, styrofoam, etc.

landfill issues

environmental impacts (groundwater contamination, GHGs); NIMBY (not in my back yard)

waste incineration

waste can be burned to reduce the volume; releases CO2 and air pollutants

ocean dumping

dumping waste in the ocean (BAD GUY)

reduce

reducing consumption is the most sustainable because it decreases natural resources harvesting and the energy inputs to creating, packaging, and shipping goods

reuse

the next most sustainable; buying secondhand, using old stuff, etc.

recycle

processing and converting solid waste material into new products; least sustainable due to the amount of energy it requires to process and convert waste materials

pros of recycling

reduces demand for new materials, especially metals and wood which cause habitat destruction and soil erosion when harvested

cons of recycling

recycling is costly and still requires significant energy

composting

organic matter (food scraps, paper, yard waste) being decomposed under controlled conditions

drawbacks of composting

foul smell that can be produced if not properly rotated & aerated and rodents/pests that may be attracted

waste to energy

waste can be burned to reduce the volume and also generate electricity; methane gas produced by decomp in landfills can be collected with pipes and burned for energy

primary treatment of water

physical removal of large debris with a screen or grate

secondary treatment of water

biological breakdown of organic matter by bacteria; aerobic process that requires O2

tertiary treatment of water

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

disinfectant of water treatment

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

effluent

liquid waste (sewage) discharged into a surface body of water, typically from a wastewater treatment plant

sludge

inorganic, solid waste that collects at the bottom of tanks in primary and secondary treatment

sewage treatment issues

can runoff, and pollute water

LD50 (lethal dose 50)

the dose of chemical that kills 50% of the population being studied

dose response curve

usually an S shape

ED50 (effective dose 50)

the does concentration of a toxin or chemical that causes a non-lethal effect in 50% of the population being tested

routes of exposure

ways that a pollutant enter the human body

synergism

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

dysentery

a bacterial infection caused by food/water being contaminated with feces; causes intestinal swelling and can result in blood in feces

mesothelioma (asbestos)

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

pathogen

a living organism that causes an infectious disease

vector

a living organism that carries and transmits infectious pathogens to other organisms

plague

bacterial infection transmitted by fleas that attach to mic and rats (vector: fleas, mice, rats)

TB

bacterial infection that targets the lungs (vector: humans)

malaria

parasitic protist infection caused by bite from infected mosquitoes (vector: mosquito) AFRICA

west nile

virus infection caused by bite from infected mosquitoes (vector: mosquito, bird)

zika virus

virus infection caused by bite from infected mosquitoes and sexual contact (vector: mosquito, humans) SOUTH AMERICA

SARS

coronavirus infection caused by respiratory droplets from infected person (vector: humans)

MERS

virus respiratory infection transmitted from animals to humans (vector: animals)

cholera

bacterial infection caused by drinking infected water (vector: human's poop, undercooked seafood)