standard 17/18 apenviro

point source

-pollutant that enters environment from easily identified and confined place

-animal waste runoff CAFO, emissions from powerplant, oil splill

nonpoint source

-pollutants entering environment from many places at once, difficult to point to one indi source

-urban runoff (fertilizer, sediment)

-pesticides sprayed on ag. feilds washed into water

oil spills

occur when underwater oil well explodes, tanker runs into rock

hydrocarbons in oil are toxic if org injest or absorbed

can decrease revenue tourism, fish industry, kill root structure→erosion

clean up:

skim it off surface, physical removal w shovels, towels, chemical dispersant sprayed on oil (break up and sink to bottom)

-burning oil off surface

wetlands

area w/ soil submerged in water for at least part of yr, shallow for emergent plants

-adapted to living w roots in water

-habitat (plant and food)

-groundwater recharge, absord flood, sequestration

-H2O filter

-tourism, fish

threats: pollutants (nutrients N/P), development, overfishing

eutrophication process

extra input of N/P→algae growth→bloom covers surface of water→block sun kill plants→bacteria break down algae use up O2→low O2 kills org→even more O2 used to decompose→ POS feedback loop

-anthropogenic nutriend pollution

-sewage plant discharge (soaps /detergents)

-animal waste CAFOS

-synthetic fertilizer from ag

dissolved O2

-decrease in DO (hypoxia)→dead zone

-all org requires DO for respiration

as DO decreases, less species supported

solubility of oxygen and temp

-ability of a solid /liquid/gas to dissolve into liquid (O2 dissolving into water)

-water temp increases, DO decreases

thermal pollution

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

-heat increases respirationr rate of org (thermal shock), hot water has less O2, suffocation w out enough O2

sources: powerplants (use cool water to cool steam to turn turbine back into water to reuse)

-urban stormwater runoff→heat from blacktop

-nuclear power plants require large amt of cool water (cool steam back into water & cool reactor core)

POPs (persistent organic pollutants)

-long lasting ,carbon based

-synthetic compunds that dont easily breakdown in the environment, accumulate in water and soil

fat-soluable-accumulate in animals fat tissue instead of passing through body (dont easily dissolve into blood/urine)

-travel long distances (wind/water)

sources: pesticides, medications, dioxins

PCBs

-POP

-additives in paint and plastics

-released into quatic by industrial wastewater

-toxic to fish→spawing failure and endocrine distruption

-reproductive failure in humans

bio accumulation

-absorb and concentration of compounds (esp fat soluable ones) in cells and fat tissues of organisms

-bc fat soluable compounds dont dissolve easily in water→enter blood easily and dont leave in urine easily

-build up in fat tissues→building up to reach higher concentrations in org overtime

biomagnification

-increasing concentrations of fat soluable compounds like methylmercury and POPs in each level of trophic/food pyramid

-beings w POPs/methylmercury in sediments or plants in ecosystem by→primary consumers take in by eating →10% rule organisms at each successive lvl eat more→higher POP lvls

-large predators have highest POP/methylmercury lvls

ex. DDT -→banned in many nations but still persists in sedimets in water

(causes thinning of eggshells in birds, pop decline in bald eagle in US)

ex. methylmercury →mercury emitted from burning coal, carried by wind, into water, bacteria convert→toxic methylmercury

-taken in by phytoplankton→tuna, sharks, whales (neurotoxicant), human exposure (from eating large predators)(damage human nervous system, distrupt repreoductive system

Lethal Dose 50%

-dose of a cheical that is lethal to 50% of the population of a particular species

-dose response curve→describes effect on organism or mortality rate in population base on the dose(lowest dose where effect is: threshold/toxicity), usually S shaped, low mort at low dose, rapid increase as dose increases, lovel off near 100% mortality at high dose

independant: concentration of dose in liquid/food, etc)

dependant: response measured (death/impairment)

ED 50→dose concentration of toxin that causes non lethal effect (infertilirty, cancer) in 50% of pop

solid waste disposal

-any discarded material that is not liquid or gas, often disposed in landfills

MSW→municipal solid waste, from cities/households

E-Waste→old computers, TVs, phones, only 2% of MSW, hazardous due to metals→endocrine distrupting chemicals out of landfills

sanitary landfills

-developed nations dispose trash

clay/plastic liner: layer at bottom of hole in ground preventing pollutants from leaking out into soil

leachate collection system: system of tubes at bottom to collect leachate (water dained through trash) for tratment and disposal

methan recovery system: system of tubes to collect methan produced by anerobic decomp

clay cap: clay soil mixture used to cover landfill once its full, keeps out animals, keels in smell/allows for vegetation

landfills/decomp

-low rates of decomposition due to low O2, moisture, and org material

should not be landfilled: hazardous waste (car batteries, oil cleaners, electronics), metals, old tires

should be landfilled: cardboard, food wrappers w too much food, rubber, styrofoam

ISSUES: groundwater contamination, release GHGs→decomp (CO2 and CH4)

waste reduction

reduce: MOST SUSTAINABLE, decreases nat resources harvesting and energy inputs to create

reusing: next most sustainable bc doesnt require additional energy to create

recycling: processing and converting solid waste into new products (requires energ to convert)

composting

org matter being decomposed under controlled conditions

-reduces landfill size, amt of methane released by anerobic decomp

-smell produced foul

waste to energy

-waste burned to reduce volume and generate electricity, combusts at high temp, same as burnign coal,

primary sewage treatment

physical removal of large debrus w a screen or grate, filter out large solids

grit chamber: allows sediment to settle out and be removed

sludge: inorganic solid waste collected at bottom

tertiary sewage treatment

ecological or chamical treametns to reduce pollutants left after primary and secondary

-chemical filters, remove more N and P

expensive but not always used

secondary sewage treatment

biological breakdown of org matter by bacteria, aerobic process that requires O2

-removes 70% of P and 50% of N

DOESNT remove POPs

disinfectant sewage treatment

UV light, ozone, or chlorine used to kill bacteria or other pathogens such as e coli\

effluent: liquid waste discharged into a surface body of water typically from wastewater treatment plant

sewage treatment issues

-sewage + stormwater runoff→waterwaste treatment plants to flood during heavy rains→releasing raw sewage into surface waters

dysentry

-bacterial infection caused by untreated sewage in streams, contaminated w feces

causes intestinal swelling and blood in feces, severe dehydration (dirreah) can be treated w antibiotics

mesothelioma

cancerous tumor caused by exposure to asbestos, affecting lining of respiratory tract , hear, ab cavity

-from old insulation materials, removal done by professionals

tropospheric O3

-worsen resp, conditions, photochemical breakdown of NO2

-irritates resp tract

endocrine distruptors

chemicals that can interfere w/ endocrine (hormonal) system of animals

-lead to birth defects, disorders

-bind to cellular receptors meant for hormones blocking hormone from being recieved

ex. DDT, phthalates, lead, mercury, medications, atrazine(herbacide)

mercury

-nat occuring in coal, anthropogenic activities

-inhibits estrogen and insulin (menstural cycle/ovulation)

arsenic and lead

arsenic: nat occuring in rocls underground, dissolve into drinking water, persticides (glucocorticoid system)formerly

lead: old paint in homes, Pm combustion, neruotoxicant

-removed by water filters

coal ash

-source of mercury/lead/arsenic

-attatch to PM and carried by wind

contaminate ponds