Pollution PPQs

What new technologies can be used to control atmospheric pollution? 

Electrostatic precipitators, turbo chargers, diesel particulate filters, bag filters, cyclone separators and scrubbers 

What legislation can be put in place to control atmospheric pollution? 

The Clean Air Act 1956, scrappage scheme, spatial and temporal zoning of vehicle usage, e.g. ULEZ 

What effects does tropospheric ozone have on humans? 

Breathing difficulties, exacerbates asthma, eye irritation, increases susceptibility to disease 

What effects does tropospheric ozone have on plants?

Reduced growth rate, leaf damage 

Explain how electrostatic precipitators work and where they may be used 

They charge particle matter and draw them out the air, causing the pm to stick to charged plates, the pm is accumulated as fly ash. This may be used in power stations and cement factories. 

Explain how cyclone separators work 

They remove grit, dust and smoke pm from waste gases, as smoke spirals around the funnel, pm collide with wall, lose kinetic energy and drop down 

Explain how scrubbers work 

A water spray is used to wash out/dissolve suspended particles 

What does the Clean Air Act 1956 involve? 

It banned coal burning in urban areas, replaced with smokeless fuel 

State two health impacts on humans, other than hearing loss, that can be caused by continued exposure to noise 

Stress, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, tinnitus, psychological issues/aggression/irritability, sleeplessness. 

Outline one way in which residential properties could be designed to reduce noise pollution.  

double/triple glazing absorbs noise/(gas in gap) reduces noise transmission 

acoustic insulation to deflect/absorb noise 

living areas/gardens/windows positioned at the opposite side of the house to increase distance from source 

(acoustic) barriers, e.g. vegetation/embankments to absorb/deflect/contain noise 

(planned) increased distance of building from source as noise reduction is inversely proportional to distance from source/inverse square law.  

Describe two ways in which an oil spill could affect the survival of the corals 

reduces light available for photosynthesis 

reduces dissolved oxygen for respiration 

toxic effects on coral/food sources of polyps 

reduces filter feeding/clogs cilia of polyps 

improved shipping routes/shipping routes moved away from coastlines where possible 

improved navigation systems/GPS/AIS 

inert gas systems/cooled exhaust gas to fill tanks after unloading 

recirculating oil in oil tanks rather than washing of oil tanks (sludges not discharged) 

oily waste water disposal/oil separated from water at terminal 

double hulls/gap between hulls (so damage to outer hull reduces risk of oil leaking)/reinforced/strengthened hulls 

twin engines/rudders/fuel tanks (if one fails there is a back-up to avoid collisions) 

separate oil and ballast tanks (avoid oily water being discharged when cargo is loaded) 

fewer but larger oil tankers/fewer but larger oil spills.  

What does TNI stand for? 

Traffic Noise Index, produces a representative measure of traffic noise using LA10 and LA90 

What does NNI stand for? 

Noise and number index, this combines the number of flights and the noise levels of aircraft above 80dB as it is presumed that aircraft below 80dB do not cause serious annoyance. It has been replaced by Leq57dB 

List ways to control road traffic noise 

Sound absorbing road materials 

Improved vehicle dynamics 

Acoustic insulation around engine 

Quieter exhaust pipes 

Rerouted traffic 

Traffic management so it flows smoothly 

Embankments, walls, trees 

Double or triple glazing 

What are the disadvantages of landfill? 

Potential resource value is lost 

Use large areas of land 

Organic mater decays anaerobically releasing methane and carbon dioxide 

Toxic leachate may leak 

Contaminants prevent the later development of landfill sites for housing or agriculture 

Transport and surrounding infrastructure generate noise and congestion 

What are the features of good landfill site management? 

Separation of different waste types and recording their composition and locations 

Polymer liner to prevent leachate escaping  

1. Minamata Bay is on the west coast of Japan. The bay is largely enclosed by headlands and islands and has few rivers flowing into it.  

Between 1932 and 1968, industrial wastewater from the Chisso factory was discharged directly into Minamata Bay via the Hyakken outlet. This waste water contained low levels of inorganic mercury compounds.  

The population living around Minamata Bay ate fish and shellfish from the bay as part of their diet. In the late 1950s, cats and humans began to develop a neurological disorder, which became known as Minamata disease. Children in the area were born with congenital disorders such as paralysis, blindness and brain damage.  

Methyl mercury was detected in fish from the bay. Tissue samples from the diseased cats and humans were tested and found to contain even higher levels of methyl mercury than in the fish. Core sediment samples were analysed from the bottom of the bay and the highest levels of methyl mercury were found in the top few centimetres near the Hyakken outlet. Samples analysed from Minamata Bay in 2015 still contained methyl mercury.  

Use the information in the text and your own knowledge to explain why the discharge of low levels of inorganic mercury compounds caused such serious health effects.

 Lack of dilution/dispersal as bay is enclosed  

Liposolubility allows storage in fat  

Bioaccumulation as concentration in organisms increases  

Biomagnification as concentration increases along food chains  

Persistence as compounds do not degrade  

Neurotoxic as mercury inhibits nerve cell enzymes  

Teratogen as gene interference causes birth abnormalities  

Adsorption onto sediment particles increases concentration in sediments  

Change from inorganic to organic caused by anaerobic bacteria  

Higher absorption rate of methyl mercury across cell membranes

19. How does acid rain affect the environment?

PH moves outside of range of tolerance 

Mineral ions leach out, reducing fertility 

Absorbed mineral ions become soluble and can damage plant roots, soil organisms and prevent normal calcium uptake by aquatic organisms 

Deflocculation of clay soils 

Weathering of limestone and sandstone

20. How does acid rain affect organisms?

Damages calcium shells 

Acid tolerant organisms colonise and outcompete other organisms, e.g. sphagnum moss 

Damages leaf epidermis and reduces photosynthesis 

Damages roots and reduces water/nutrient uptake 

Damage to testa reduces seed germination 

Reduced resistance to fungi, pests, draught and frost

 

21. How may an oil spill be treated?

Use a floating boom to keep the oil from dispersing 

Use detergents to break up the oil into small droplets 

May use a skimmer to which the oil sticks to and then can be scraped off 

May use adsorbent materials 

May use bioremediation by spraying oil-digesting bacteria onto the spill 

If the shoreline is contaminated, use steam washing

22. What factors influence how sensitive an environment is to acid rain?

The underlying geology, e.g. limestone neutralises acidity 

Rainfall patterns, more rain means more effects 

Snow-melt, sudden melting of acidic snow can acidify aquatic habitats

23. Explain one way in which acid rain may indirectly harm plants

Acid rain affects cation exchange on humus/clay particles, leading to leaching of soil nutrients 

Reduces activity of decomposers leading to reduction in soil nutrient availability 

Increases mobilisation of toxic ions in the soil leading to denatured enzymes

24. How many inorganic pollution be controlled?

Reduce ploughing during heavy rain 

Use soluble rapid release fertilisers 

Dispose waste manure where it won't be leached into the ground or washed into a river 

Cultivate crops that have lower nitrogen requirements 

Use cultural control to reduce the reliance on artificial fertilisers, e.g. grow legumes

Use data from Figure 1 to assess the effectiveness at reducing noise from a concrete road by using PA compared with TAC

PA and TAC are both better than concrete 

PA is better than TAC 

Use figures from data

As part of a noise reduction programme near a residential area, a section of concrete motorway was resurfaced with 8 mm porous asphalt. A calibrated sound meter was used in an experiment to assess whether the noise reduction achieved by the new road surface was the same at all distances from the motorway.  

Describe how the investigation could have been planned to make sure valid results were obtained.

Collect data before and after resurfacing to compare the two 

Use a transect, about 100m long, and record data at 10m intervals 

Recordings should be made at same height from ground, meter facing same direction 

No anomalous objects should be present to absorb/reflect the noise 

Should be conducted with the same wind velocity, road surface wetness, traffic flow, traffic speed and no temperature inversion to reflect sound

Describe the differences between smoke smogs and photochemical smogs.

Electromagnetic radiation is reflected in smoke smogs and absorbed in photochemical smogs 

The primary pollutant of smoke smogs is particulate matter and for photochemical smogs is NOx and hydrocarbons 

Smoke smogs have no secondary pollutants, photochemical smogs have tropospheric ozone and PANs as secondary pollutants