APES UNIT 8—AQUATIC AND TERRESTRIAL POLLUTION

8.1—Point and Nonpoint Source Pollutants

I. Describe the difference between point and nonpoint source pollutants

II. Examples of both

I. Point: singular, easily identifiable sources of a specific pollutant such as an oil spill or a power plant emitting SOx or NOx; Nonpoint: diffuse or spread out sources that are difficult to associate with a specific instance

II. Point: oil spill; nonpoint: golf course, urban stormwater runoff, CAFO waste

8.2—Human Impacts on Ecosystems

I. Identify TWO sublethal effects an organism can suffer if a pollutant or environmental condition in its ecosystem exceeds its range of tolerance

II. Describe the process of coral bleaching

III. Identify a specific pollutant that disrupts coral reef ecosystems and describe how that pollutant disrupts the coral reef ecosystem

IV. Describe TWO effects that an oil spill can have on marine organisms

V. Describe an economic consequence that an oil spill can have on coastal communities

I. limited growth, infertility, increased heartrate

II. as ocean temperature rises and exceeds the range of tolerance for algae living in the reef, they leave, draining reef of color and stressing coral

III. sediment - increases turbidity/decreased sunlight & Photosynth.; Oxybenzone (sunscreen)/pesticides - interfere with coral reproduction/increase likelihood of bleaching; Fertilizers - lead to eutrophication, algal blooms/less sunlight/less dissolved oxygen

IV. direct toxicity/lethality of hydrocarbons, decreased photosynthesis due to blocked sunlight, clogged gills in fish, feathers/fur coated in oil (decreased flight, buoyancy, insulation)

V. destabilized shoreline due to salt marsh grass/plant death, habitat/breeding ground loss for commercial fish species, decreased tourism revenue

8.3—Endocrine Disruptors

I. Define the term endocrine disruptor

II. Identify TWO specific, non lethal effects that endocrine disruptors can have on aquatic species

III. Identify TWO specific endocrine disruptors and describe how each of these chemicals could be released from their source into the environment

IV. Identify a human health consequence of exposure to endocrine disruptors

I. chemicals that mimic hormones or block their receptors, interfering with endocrine function in animals

II. infertility, intersex, birth defects, development of eggs in testes, gender imbalances

III. human medications - pass through our bodies and enter sewage systems with waste and are then discharged into local surface waters | antibiotics fed to livestock - CAFO manure lagoon leaks can carry endocrine disruptors into nearby surface waters or into groundwater | pesticides (atrazine/DDT) - agricultural runoff carries them from fields into nearby surface waters or into groundwater | phthalates - chemical waste from plastic or cosmetic manufacturing improperly disposed of or leachate from landfills entering groundwater

IV. preterm births, low sperm count in men

8.3—Endocrine Disruptors

V. Identify a human health consequence of exposure to methylmercury

VI. Identify the main anthropogenic source of heavy metal pollution and explain how these heavy metals may impact ecosystems far away from their release

V. central nervous system damage, menstrual cycle disruption, learning disabilities in children, damage to fetal brain

VI. coal combustion - particulates containing mercury are released from combustion, carried by the wind and then either fall as dry particles or dissolve into rain water and fall as precip. downwind from emission source, coal ash ponds can overflow, releasing heavy metals into surface waters that can carry them downstream

8.4—Human Impacts on Wetlands

I. Describe how an area can be distinguished as a wetland ecosystem

II. Identify TWO examples of ecosystem services provided by wetlands

III. Identify TWO human activities that disrupt wetland ecosystems

IV. Identify a non-energy related purpose for damming a river and describe one ecological consequence for wetlands located downstream from a dam

I. soil that is submerged or saturated with water for all or part of the year, emergent vegetation, plants with adaptations to survive waterlogged soil or complete submergence of roots in standing water

II. plants or animals harvested for food sources, regulation of local temperature, absorption of flood waters, recharge groundwater, pollinator habitat, pest control, water filtration

III. agricultural runoff carrying pesticides or fertilizers, motor oil/plastic/trash carried in urban stormwater runoff, commercial development that drains wetlands/removes them, upstream dams that limit water and nutrient flow into wetlands, diversion of water for drinking/agriculture that decreases water flow into wetlands, overfishing

IV. flood control/recreation/water supply - deprives downstream wetlands of nutrients in sediments needed for plant growth, decreases water flow to downstream ecosystems, lowering water level and decreasing wetland habitat

8.5—Eutrophication

I. Identify TWO possible sources of excess nitrogen and phosphorous that can lead to cultural eutrophication

II. Explain how excess nitrogen and phosphorous in a water source lead to hypoxic waters

III. Explain how hypoxic waters can become dead zones

IV. Define oligotrophic

V. Describe the process of oligotrophic waters becoming eutrophic naturally over time

I. agricultural runoff, urban runoff, improperly treated sewage, CAFO manure/livestock runoff

II. N/P influx leads to algae bloom. When algae die, bacteria break them down via aerobic decomposition, using up dissolved oxygen in water which leads to hypoxic or low oxygen waters

III. hypoxic waters lead to death of aquatic organisms, which leads to more aerobic decomposition, decreasing dissolved oxygen even further until levels of oxygen are too low to support most forms of aquatic life

IV. clear waters with stable algae populations and high dissolved oxygen levels

V. sediments and organic matter accumulate at the bottom of waters over time, releasing more nutrients into the water, leading to naturally eutrophic waters

8.6—Thermal Pollution

I. Describe the relationship between water temperature and dissolved oxygen

II. Describe a specific impact that thermal pollution can have on aquatic species

III. Identify TWO human activities that can lead to thermal pollution

IV. Propose a solution to the problem of thermal pollution

I. they have an inverse relationship (as temperature increases, dissolved oxygen decreases)

II. increased respiration rate, suffocation due to decrease oxygen levels, thermal shock and death if temperature of water rapidly increases above zone of intolerance

III. urban runoff, discharge of waste water used to cool industrial processes, discharge of waste water used in power plants

IV. expanded use of cooling towers that enable cooling of water before discharge into surface waters

8.7—Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

I. Define the term persistent organic pollutant

II. Define the term bioaccumulation

III. Explain why POPs bioaccumulate in organisms over time

I. synthetic, carbon-based, fat-soluble pollutants that aren’t easily metabolised by organisms bodies

II. the buildup/concentration of POPs/fat soluble pollutants in the bodies of organisms over time

III. because they are not water-soluble, they’re not easily filtered/removed from blood and excreted as waste/urine or broken down/metabolized. Instead they accumulate in fat-tissues of organisms

8.7—Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

IV. Identify one impact that that accumulation of POPs can have on an organism

V. Identify TWO examples of persistent organic pollutants

VI. Explain why DDT and PCBs still remain in many ecosystems today, despite being banned in the US in the 1970s

VII. Describe one way that POPs may be released into ecosystems

IV. central nervous system damage, reproductive system damage/disruption

V. phthalates, BPA, dioxins, perchlorates, DDT, PCBs, mercury

VI. because they’re not easily metabolized by organisms or broken down by microbes/bacteria/biological or chemical processes they persist in soils/sediments

VII. medical waste incinerators/fertilizer factories/coal fired power plants can release particulates with POPs attached to them that are carried by wind and deposited in ecosystems as precipitation or dry particles, leachate from landfills can carry POPs into groundwater, improper disposal of plastic/rubber/cosmetic/pesticide manufacturing waste can release POPs into surface waters

8.8—Biomagnification

I. Explain how biomagnification differs from bioaccumulation

II. Describe a specific health impact that biomagnification of POPs can cause in top predators

III. Describe one way that mercury can enter aquatic ecosystems

IV. Propose a solution to limit human exposure to methylmercury

I. bioaccumulation is the accumulation of POPs in the body of an organism over its lifetime, while bioaccumulation is the increasing concentration per unit of body tissue of POPs in organisms at higher trophic levels

II. thinning of eggshells in large predatory birds, damage to central nervous system in large marine predators, reproductive system disruption/birth defects

III. combustion of coal releases particulates with mercury attached that can be deposited in downwind aquatic ecosystems by particulates or precipitation, coal ash ponds can overflow which releases mercury into nearby surface water

IV. limit consumption of large, predatory seafood

8.10—Waste Reduction Methods

I. Describe a benefit and a drawback of recycling

II. Explain why reducing or reusing waste is more sustainable than recycling

III. Identify TWO examples of waste that can be composted and describe the process of composting

IV. Identify ONE potential drawback of composting

V. Describe the proper disposal of e-waste

I. Benefits: reduced demand for new raw materials which reduces mining/deforestation/harvesting of raw material, reduced need for landfills and the hab. loss/water contamination/GHG release, | disadvantages: requires time and energy to sort/ship/process recycled materials, cost of shipping/sorting/processing recycled materials

II. reducing/reusing waste lessens demand for new raw materials and also reduces energy/cost of sorting/shipping/processing recycled materials or energy/cost of converting them into products

III. plant-based food scraps, yard waste, paper, cardboard. Composting involves bacteria/microbes breaking down/decomposing organic matter in the presence of oxygen & H2O

IV. release of foul odors, attraction of animal pests

V. removal of valuable metals like gold, silver, platinum for reuse in new electronics with protective equipment to limit worker exposure to toxicants/toxic metals

8.11—Sewage Treatment

I. Describe the process of a dose response study

II. Define the term LD50

III. Describe the relationship between a LD50 concentration and lethality of a toxicant

I. groups of test organisms are exposed to increasing concentrations or doses of a toxic substance and a specific response such as death or infertility is measured

II. the concentration of a toxic substance that results in 50% mortality in a test organism

III. the lower the LD50 concentration, the more lethal or toxic the toxicant is, since it requires a smaller concentration/doseage to kill 50% of test organisms

Draw a dose response curve below for a toxicant with an LD50 concentration of 100 mg/KG

8.14—Pollution and Human Health

I. Define the term route of exposure, and identify a route of exposure for methylmercury

II. Explain how the concept of synergism makes it difficult to precisely measure the impact of a given pollutant on human health outcomes

III. Identify the main route of exposure for cholera and dysentery

I. the pathway through which a human comes into contact with pollutant, consumption of large predatory marine species is a route of exposure for humans to methylmercury

II. numerous pollutants/toxicants can combine to have a greater combined outcome than either one would have had in the individual on their own

III. drinking water contaminated with human or animal waste

8.14—Pollution and Human Health

IV. Propose a solution to limit exposure to cholera and dysentery in developing nations

V. Identify one of the main causes of mesothelioma

VI. Identify a human health consequence of exposure to tropospheric ozone

IV. increased sanitation such as expanded/closed sewage systems, wastewater treatment plants, increased access to improved/filtered water access

V. exposure to asbestos

VI. reduced lung function/lung damage, eye irritation, respiratory muscle damage, worsened bronchitis/asthma

8.15—Pathogens and Infectious Diseases

V. Describe one way that the transmission of Zika virus virus differs from Malaria

VI. Identify the two vectors involved in the transmission of Plague

VII. Identify the type of pathogen and main route of transmission for Tuberculosis

VIII. Identify the type of pathogen, route of transmission, and one human health impact of SARS and MERS

V. viral pathogen, with sexual transmission between humans possible

VI. fleas living on rates

VII. bacterial pathogen transmitted by contact with respiratory droplets from an infected person

VIII. viral pathogen in the Coronavirus family, transmitted by contact with respiratory droplets from infected individuals, causes respiratory damage/failure, cough, fever

8.15—Pathogens and Infectious Diseases

I. Define the terms pathogen and vector and provide an example of each

II. Explain why the range of diseases like Malaria and Yellow Fever are expected to increase in the later half of the 21st century

III. Identify the type of pathogen and vector for Malaria

IV. Describe one way that the transmission of West Nile virus differs from Malaria

I. pathogens are disease causing organisms such as bacteria, viruses, protists or fungi | vectors are organisms that carry and transmit pathogens to other organisms

II. average increase in global temperature increases the range of the mosquitoes that carry and transmit these diseases

III. protist that travels inside mosquitoes

IV. viral, rather than protist pathogen, birds serve as main host/reservoir with transmission primarily from infected bird to human via mosquito (different species than Malaria)

8.9—Solid Waste Disposal

I. Identify TWO sources that contribute to Municipal Solid Waste

II. Define e-waste and explain why it should not be disposed of in landfills?

III. Identify TWO other examples of products that should not be disposed of in landfills?

IV. Explain why rubber tires should not be disposed of in large piles

I. school waste, business waste, home waste, yard waste

II. old electronic devices such as phones or computers that contain hazardous chemicals like cadmium, lead, mercury, PBDEs which can be released into groundwater if leachate leaks through landfill liners

III. old paint, cleaners, antifreeze, motor oil, car batteries, rubber tires

IV. they can collect standing water that creates a breeding ground for mosquitoes that act as disease vectors

8.9—Solid Waste Disposal

V. Describe ONE environmental drawback of landfills

VI. Identify TWO benefits of burning waste

VII. Describe an environmental consequence of disposing of waste by dumping it in the ocean

V. Risk of groundwater contamination, methane/CO2 release contributing to global warming, habitat loss

VI. reduction of total waste volume, generation of electricity in waste to energy power plan

VII. ingestion of plastic by marine organisms leading to suffocation/starvation/death, decreased light penetration and photosynthesis, entanglement of marine organisms in plastic/solid waste

Describe THREE specific features that are designed to prevent contaminants from being released into the surrounding environment in the picture

Plastic/clay liner - prevents leachate from carrying contaminants into groundwater

Leachate collection system - series of pipes for collecting leachate to reduce risk of it leaking through liner

Clay cap - prevents runoff/wind from carrying waste out of landfill into ecosystem/release of CO2 & CH4

Methane collection system - reduces buildup of methane and release into atmosphere