Unit 7: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution

natural mercury emissions

volcanoes, rock weathering, ocean spray, geologic springs

Human induced mercury emissions

burning coal, mining, trash incineration

toxic mercury compound produced by aquatic organisms

methylmercury

common way for humans to get mercury poisoning

eating fish

water pollution

contamination of water that harms humans or wildlife

point source pollution

pollution stemming from a single and identifiable source

nonpoint source pollution

pollutants accumulating from multiple sources and/or rain and snow runoff

examples of point source pollution

an oil spill, a leak in a water treatment plant

examples of nonpoint source pollution

sediment runoff, fertilizer runoff

persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

man made compounds that are harmful to humans and wildlife and are not biodegradable

grasshopper effect

POPs evaporate in warm environments, wind carries them to cooler environments and they are deposited through precipitation

POPs medical effects

cancer, birth defects

Stockholm convention

international treaty regulating POPs

eutrophication

overnourishment that ultimately causes harm

algal bloom

extreme overgrowth of algae due to too many nutrients being in the water

causes of algal bloom

fertilizer runoff into aquatic ecosystem

effects of algal bloom

overgrowth of decomposers who use oxygen and deplete water of it

dead zone

aquatic area with little to no oxygen due to eutrophication

primary sewage treatment

physical objects are filtered out, grit settles at the bottom as sludge and is removed and treated

secondary sewage treatment

water is aerated and aerobic bacteria metabolize organic waste into sludge, which is pumped out and treated again

disinfection (sewage treatment)

UV light prevents bacteria reproduction, chlorination kills bacteria and viruses

tertiary sewage treatment

varies from treatment plants, additional biological treatment can be used, filtration, carbon absorption, and distillation can also be used

industrial solid waste

waste from factories, farms, etc.

municipal solid waste

waste from homes, office buildings, etc.

open dump landfills

large areas where trash is dumped

open dump landfills effects

smelly, emit dangerous gases, bad for wildlife, can contaminate water and form leachate

leachate

water contaminated with trash

sanitary landfill

landfill dug into ground with a liner to prevent trash from spreading, compacted into cells, and covered

sanitary landfill effects

expensive, noisy, produces dust, greenhouse gases emitted by anaerobic decomposers

pathogen

disease-inducing microorganism

carcinogen

agent that increases risk of cancer

teratogen

agent that causes fetal abnormalities or birth defects

mutagen

agent that causes DNA mutation