unit 8 aquatic and terrestrial pollution

point source

a distinct location from which pollution is directly produced

nonpoint source

a diffuse area that produced pollution

homeostasis

the ability to experience relatively stable internal conditions in their bodies

polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

a group of industrial compounds that were once used to manufacture plastics and insulate electrical transformers

neurotoxin

a chemical that disrupts the nervous systems of animals

carcinogen

a chemical that causes cancer

mtuagen

a type of carcinogen that causes damage to the genetic material of a cell

teratogen

a chemical that interferes with the normal development of embryos or fetuses

allergen

a chemical that causes allergic reactionse

endocrine disruptor

a chemical that interferes with the normal functioning of hormones in an animal’s body

wastewater

the water produced by livestock operations and human activities, including human sewage from toilets and gray water from bathing, washing clothes, and dishes

levee

an enlarged bank built up on each side of the river

dikes

structures built to prevent ocean waters from flooding adjacent land

dam

a barrier that runs across a river or stream to control the flow of water

reservoir

the water body created by damming a river or stream

fish ladder

a stair-like structure with water flowing over them, which allows migrating fish to get around a dam

desalination/desalinization

a process for obtaining fresh water by removing the salt from salt water

distillation

a process of desalination in which water is boiled and the resulting steam is captured and condensed to yield pure water

reverse osmosis

a process of desalination in which water is forced through a thin semipermeable membrane at high pressure

eutrophication

excess nutrients from human activities that make their way into waterbodies, causes nutrient pollution that alters food webs and harms water quality

oxygen sag curve

the relationship of oxygen concentrations to the distance from a point source of decomposing sewage or other pollutants

thermal pollution

occurs when humans cause a substantial change in the temperature of a water body

thermal shock

a dramatic change in temperature that can kill many species

persistence

the length of time a chemical remains in the environment

persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

synthetic, carbon-based molecules that break down very slowly in the environment

route of exposure

the way in which an individual might come into contact with an environmental hazard, such as a chemical

solubility

how well a chemical dissolves in a liquid

bioaccumulation

the selective absorption and concentration of a chemical within an organism over time

biomagnification

the increase in chemical concentration in animal tissues as the chemical moves up the food chain

solid waste

the waste produced by humans as discarded materials that is not in liquid or gas form and do not pose a toxic hazard to humans and other organisms

municipal solid waste (MSW)

solid waste collected by municipalities from households, small businesses, and institutions such as schools, prisons, municipal buildings, and hospitals

waste stream

the flow of solid waste that is recycled, incinerated, placed in a solid waste landfill, or disposed of in another way

leachate

liquid that can contain elevated levels of pollutants as a result of having passed through the solid waste of a landfill

sanitary landfill

an engineered ground facility designed to hold municipal solid waste (MSW) with as little contamination of the surrounding environment as possible

tipping fee

a fee charged for trucks that deliver and tip solid waste into a landfill or incinerator

incineration

the process of burning waste materials to reduce volume and mass, and sometimes to generate electricity or heat

ash

the residual nonorganic material that does not combust during incineration

waste-to-energy

a system in which heat generated by incineration is used as an energy source rather than released into the surrounding environment

hazardous waste

liquid, solid, gaseous, or sludge waste material that is harmful to humans, ecosystems, or materials

superfund act

common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), a 1980 federal act that imposes a tax on chemical and petroleum industries and uses those funds to clean up hazardous waste sites

Brownfields

contaminated industrial or commercial sites that may required environmental cleanup before they can be redeveloped or expanded

Reduce, reuse, recycle/the three R’s

popular phrase promoting the idea of diverting materials from the waste stream

source reduction

an approach to waste management that seeks to cut waste by reducing the use potential waste materials in the early stages of design and manufacture

reuse

using a product or material that would otherwise be discarded

recycling

the process by which materials destined to become municipal solid waste are collected and converted into raw materials that are then used to produce new objects

closed-loop recycling

recycling a product into the same product (ex. aluminum cans)

open-loop recycling

recycling one produce into a different product

composting

the breakdown of organic materials into organic matter (humus)

life cycle analysis/cradle to grave analysis

a systems tool that examines the materials used and released throughout the lifetime of a product, from the product design and procurement of raw materials through their manufacture, use, and disposal

integrated waste management

an approach to waste disposal that employs several waste reduction, management, and disposal strategies to reduce their costs and reduce the environmental impact of MSW

biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)

the amount of oxygen a quantity of water uses over a period of time at a specific temperature

cultural eutrophication

an increase in fertility in a body of water, the result of anthropogenic inputs of nutrients

fecal coliform bacteria/e.coli

a group of microorganisms that live in the intestines of humans, other mammals, and birds that serve as an indicator species for potentially harmful microorganisms associated with contaminated sewage

septic system

a relatively small and simple sewage treatment system, made up of a septic tank and a leach field, often used for homes in rural areas

septic tank

a large container that receives wastewater from a house as part of a septic system

sludge

solid waste material from wastewater

septage

a layer of fairly clear water found in the middle of a septic tank

leach field

a component of a septic system made up of underground pipes laid out below the surface of the ground

dose-response study

a study that exposes animals or plants to different amounts of a chemical and then looks for a variety of possible responses, including mortality or changes in behavior or production

acute study

an experiment that exposes organisms to an environment hazard for a short duration

chronic study

an experiment that exposes organisms to an environmental hazard for a long duration

LD50

the lethal dose of a chemical that kills 50 percent of the individuals in a dose-response study

sublethal effect

the effect of an environmental hazard that does not kill an organism but which may impair an organism’s behavior, physiology, or reproduction

ED50

the effective dose of a chemical that causes 50 percent of the individuals in a dose-response study to display a harmful, but non-lethal, effect

no-observed-effect level (NOEL)

the highest concentration of a chemical that causes no lethal or sublethal effects

environmental hazard

anything in the environment that can potentially cause harm

innocent until proven guilty principle

a principle based on the belief that potential hazard should not be considered an actual hazard until the scientific data definitely demonstrate that it actually causes harm

precautionary principle

a principle based on the belief that when a hazard is plausible but not yet certain, we should take actions to reduce or remove the hazard

Stockholm convention

a 2001 agreement among 127 nations concerning 12 chemicals to be banned, phased out, or reduced

REACH

a 2007 agreement among the nations of the European Union about regulation of chemicals, the acronym stands for registration, evaluation, authorization, and restricting of chemicals

retrospective study

a study that monitors people who have been exposed to an environmental hazard, such as a harmful chemical, at some time in the past

prospective study

a study that monitors people who might become exposed to an environmental hazard, such as a harmful chemical, at some time in the future

synergistic interaction

a situation in which two risks together cause more harm than expected based on the separate effects of each risk alone

disease

any impaired function of the body within a characteristic set of symptoms

infectious disease

a disease caused by a pathogen

acute disease

a disease that rapidly impairs the functioning of a person’s body

chronic disease

a disease that slowly impairs the functioning of a person’s body

epidemic

a situation in which a pathogen causes a rapid increase in disease

pandemic

an epidemic that occurs over a large geographic region, such as an entire continent

dysentery

an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhea, which results in dehydration and can cause death

plague

an infectious disease caused by a bacterium that is caused by fleas

malaria

an infectious disease caused by one of several species of protists in genus Plasmodium

tuberculosis

a highly contagious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis that primarily infects the lungs

emergent infectious disease

an infectious disease that has not been previously described or has not been common for at least the prior 20 years

acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)

an infectious disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

a type of virus that causes AIDS

ebola hemorrhagic fever

an infectious disease with high death rates, caused by several species of ebola viruses

mad cow disease

a disease in which prions mutate into deadly pathogens and slowly damage a cow’s nervous system

prion

a small, beneficial protein that occasionally mutates into a pathogen

swine flu

a type of flu caused by the H1N1 virus

bird flue

a type of flu caused by the H5N1 virus

severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)

a type of flu caused by a coronavirus

MERS-CoV

a coronavirus that causes the disease known as Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome

SARS-CoV-2

a coronavirus that causes the disease known as Covid-19

West Nile virus

a virus that lives in hundreds of species of birds and is transmitted among birds by mosquitoes

Lyme disease

a disease caused by a bacterium that is transmitted by ticks

Zika virus disease

a disease caused by a pathogen that causes fetuses to be born with unusually small heads and damaged brains

Clean Water Act

legislation that supports the “protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and recreation in and on the water” by maintaining chemical, physical, and biological properties of surface waters

Safe Drinking Water Act

legislation that sets the national standards for safe drinking water

maximum contaminant level (MCL)

the standard for safe drinking water established by the EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act