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Key Idea 1
Human activities, including the use of resources, have physical, chemical, and biological consequences for ecosystems.
Key Idea 2
Pollutants can have both direct and indirect impacts on the health of organisms, including humans.
Point source
A pollutant that you can see and point to. Usually a single source.
Nonpoint source
A pollutant that comes from many sources such as pollution from cars in a city. You can't point to one particular place or thing.
Dead zones
Formed in the ocean where there is low oxygen (hypoxic) caused by too many nutrients coming from the land.
Oxygen sag curve
A graph of discharged pollutant and the distance from the discharge. It is usually sewage pollution but can be other things.
Endocrine disruptors
Chemicals that can mimic hormones in organisms and can cause birth defects and have been linked to developmental, reproductive, neural, immune, and other problems in animals.
Wetland
Land consisting of marshes, swamps, or bogs; saturated land.
Eutrophication
A body of water that has so many nutrients (fertilizers like nitrogen and phosphorus) that have run off from the land that the nutrients have “fertilized” the algae that live in the water.
Hypoxic
A body of water with little to no oxygen in the water.
Oligotrophic
A body of water with normal to low algae levels, high amounts of oxygen, and very few nutrients.
Thermal pollution
Occurs when warm water is pumped into a lake or river, lowering the oxygen levels and harming biodiversity.
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
POPs do not break down in the environment very quickly and can build up in the tissues and fat of animals.
Bioaccumulation
POPs, like the pesticide DDT, can accumulate in the fatty tissues of animals; this is referred to as bioaccumulation.
Biomagnification
When animals eat other animals and the prey have POPs that have bioaccumulated in their tissues, the POPs can magnify up the food chain. This biomagnification occurs because top predators eat many different prey.
E-waste
Electronic waste like TVs, computers, phones, etc.
Sanitary municipal landfill
Where solid waste from homes, businesses, and more is stored. It has a clay or plastic liner, leachate detection systems, a way for the gas to be collected or burned, and a way to make sure storm water doesn't enter the landfill.
Recycling
Taking solid waste and turning it into something new rather than throwing it away.
Composting
Taking food, yard, or other organic waste and letting it decompose to form good soil.
Primary sewage treatment
The first stage of sewage treatment in which the sewage is filtered in grates and screens for items that are not liquid. In addition, the sewage is slowed down so things like eggshells and coffee grounds that also are not liquid can sink to the bottom and be disposed of in a landfill.
Secondary sewage treatment
The second stage of sewage treatment where lots of air is added so the bacteria found in the sewage can begin to consume the waste and break it down into carbon dioxide and inorganic sludge. The sludge sinks to the bottom of the tank and is disposed of as well.
Tertiary sewage treatment
The stage of sewage treatment where either chemicals like chlorine and ozone gas or UV light kills any remaining bacteria. Then the water is released to a river or lake.
Lethal Dose 50% (LD50)
A term used in toxicology to indicate the amount of a ton that kills 50 percent of the organisms that are being tested.
Dose-response curve
A curve plotting the relationship between the dose of a drug administered and its pharmacological effect. This is usually graphed with the dose on the x-axis and the effect on the y-axis.
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