Unit 8 APES: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution

Point Source Pollution

pollution that comes from a specific site

Clean Water Act

(CWA, 1972) set maximum permissible amounts of water pollutants that can be discharged into waterways; aims to make surface waters swimmable and fishable

Range of tolerance

the limits to the abiotic conditions that a species can tolerate

Homeostasis

A tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state; the regulation of any aspect of body chemistry, such as blood glucose, around a particular level

Coral reefs

Prominent oceanic features composed of hard, limy skeletons produced by coral animals; usually formed along edges of shallow, submerged ocean banks or along shelves in warm, shallow, tropical seas

Oil spills

a release of liquid petroleum into the environment due to human activity; a form of pollution

oil spill example

Deepwater Horizon, Exxon Valdez

Hydrocarbons

Compounds composed of only carbon and hydrogen

Dead zones

In a body of water, an area with extremely low oxygen concentration and very little life

Oxygen sag curve

The curve obtained when the concentration of dissolved oxygen in a river into which sewage or some other pollutant has been discharged is plotted against the distance downstream from the sewage outlet

Groundwater

water that fills the cracks and spaces in underground soil and rock layers

Endocrine disruptors

chemicals that interfere with the normal functioning of hormones in an animal's body

Wetlands

a lowland area, such as a marsh or swamp, that is saturated with moisture, especially when regarded as the natural habitat of wildlife.

Mangroves

tropical trees that grow along coasts and help maintain the health of coastal environments

Water filtration

The process of cleaning water by running it through different layers of rocks and chemicals;

Water purification

the process of treating wastewater and turning it into water that can be used again.

Eutrophication

A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of organisms such as algae or cyanobacteria.

Fertilizers

a chemical or natural substance added to soil or land to increase its fertility

Algal blooms/Red tide

Red tide is a common name for algal blooms, which are large concentrations of aquatic microorganisms, such as protozoans and unicellular algae. This causes a lack of oxygen in the water and plants and animals die.

Hypoxic

low oxygen

Oligotrophic

Describes a lake with a low level of productivity

Anthropogenic

Human-induced changes on the natural environment

Runoff

water that flows over the ground surface rather than soaking into the ground

Wastewater/Reclaimed water

the conversion of wastewater into water that is clean and able to use in homes.

Thermal pollution

a temperature increase in a body of water that is caused by human activity and that has a harmful effect on water quality and on the ability of that body of water to support life

Dissolved oxygen

oxygen dissolved in water, dissolved oxygen is important for fish and other aquatic animals

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Soluble

capable of being dissolved

Bioaccumulation

The accumulation of a substance, such as a toxic chemical, in various tissues of a living organism.

Biomagnification

the concentration of toxins in an organism as a result of its ingesting other plants or animals in which the toxins are more widely disbursed.

DDT

an insecticide that is also toxic to animals and humans

PCBs

synthetic chemicals containing chlorine that are used in the manufacture of plastics and other industrial products, become stored in the tissue of animals, and also persist in the environment

Hazardous Waste

Any material that can be harmful to human health or the environment if it is not properly disposed of

Landfills

Land disposal sites for solid waste; operators compact refuse and cover it with a layer of dirt to minimize rodent and insect infestations, wind-blown debris, and leaching by rain.

E-waste

discarded electronic equipment such as computers, cell phones, television sets, etc.

Sanitary municipal landfills

A municipal solid waste landfill is a discrete area of land or excavation that receives household waste

Leachate

polluted liquid produced by water passing through buried wastes in a landfill

Methane

A gas produced by bacteria from hydrogen and carbon dioxide found in landfills

Incineration

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

Composting

The process of helping biodegradable wastes to decompose naturally

Landfill mitigation strategies

Newer landfills are being constructed with synthetic membranes to prevent mercury from escaping into soil and groundwater. Instead, the toxins are drained through a collection of pipes and discharged into a sewer system where they can be retained, incinerated or converted into fertilizer.

Combustion

A rapid reaction between oxygen and fuel that results in fire

Sewage

The water and human wastes that are washed down sinks, toilets, and showers

Sludge

the solids that remain after the secondary treatment of sewage.

Aerate

to put air or a gas into something, such as soil or a liquid

Discharge

An outflow of water from a stream, pipe, groundwater aquifer, or watershed; the opposite of recharge.

Ozone in Water Treatment

Used as a cleaning agent for bacteria and viruses in water

UV light

invisible light that lies beyond violet. Has higher energy and shorter wavelengths than visible light does.

Gray water

wastewater from baths, showers, bathrooms, and washing machines

Septic systems

the most popular method of wastewater disposal in rural areas

Lethal dose (LD50)

Dose required to kill 50% of animals tested

Dose response curve

Plot of data showing effects of various doses of a toxic agent on a group of test organisms.

Threshold dosage

level below which the toxic effects are not observable; level above which the effects are apparent

Tolerance

the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug's effect

Threshold effect

a situation in which a certain teratogen is relatively harmless in small doses but becomes harmful once exposure reaches a certain level

Mortality

death rate

Dysentery

inflammation of the large intestine

Mesothelioma

rare malignant tumor arising in the pleura

Pathogens

disease causing agents

Tuberculosis

An infectious disease that may affect almost all tissues of the body, especially the lungs

Malaria

A disease caused by mosquitoes implanting parasites in the blood.

West Nile virus

spread to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito

MERS

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome

SARS

severe acute respiratory syndrome

Zika virus

Aedes mosquito

Cholera

an acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of contaminated water or food

Endemic

native or confined to a particular region or people

Pandemic

worldwide epidemic

Epidemic

A widespread outbreak of an infectious disease.

nonpoint source pollution

pollution that comes from many sources rather than from a single, specific site

Primary Sewage Treatment

first step of sewage treatment; eliminates most particulate material from raw sewage using grates, screens, and gravity (settling).

Activated Sludge

mass of living bacterial organisms feeding on waste material that has settled, is recycled to aeration tank

Secondary Sewage Treatment

second step of sewage treatment; bacteria breakdown organic waste, aeration accelerates the process.

Tertiary sewage treatment

Advanced Sewage Treatment: series of specialized chemical and physical processes used to remove bacteria, viruses, and excess nutrients

Eutrophic Lake

a lake with a high level of productivity and nutrients

sediment pollution

eroded soil that is washed into the water through runoff

vector borne

Insect or animal is an intermediate host

water borne

A pathogen that is spread through drinking contaminated water.

air borne

the pathogen is spread through the air

recycle

The process of making new products from materials that were used in another product.

Waste to Energy

A system in which heat generated by incineration is used as an energy source rather than released into the atmosphere

Fen

a low and marshy or frequently flooded area of land

Swamp

A wetland ecosystem in which shrubs and trees grow

Marsh

lowland with moist soil and tall grasses

Skimmers

a floating boom system that sweeps oil across the water surface, concentrating the oil

Dispersants

Chemicals used to breakup oil slicks so that natural breakdown can be enhanced.

Oceanic Dead Zones

areas of low oxygen in the world's oceans caused by increased nutrient pollution

Hypoxia

deficiency in the amount of oxygen in a body of water

Oxygen Sag Curve

Oxygen depletion from pollution in rivers and lakes that becomes cleaner over farther distances

Eutrophic Waterways

have very high amounts of nutrients, and low dissolved Oxygen

Oligotrophic Waterways

Waterways with low nutrient levels, stable algae pop, and high dissolved oxygen

Thermal Pollution

a temperature increase in a body of water that is caused by human activity and that has a harmful effect on water quality and on the ability of that body of water to support life and reduces oxygen levels

Sediment Pollution

Excessive amounts of soil particles that enter the water as a result of erosion

Mercury Pollution

A toxic metal released into the air and water mainly from coal-fired power plants and mining.

Methylmercury

highly toxic heavy metal that biomagnifies in aquatic ecosystems, created by bacteria convert mercury to this

Heavy Metal Pollution

Metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel that are highly toxic.

Endocrine System

Glands secrete hormones that regulate processes such as growth, reproduction, and nutrient use (metabolism) by body cells.

persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

Chemical compounds that persist in the environment and retain biological activity for a long time.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Used as an insulating material in dielectric oil. It can linger in the environment for long periods of time and can cause health problems.

Litter in Aquatic Systems

Physical discarded waste in aquatic environments that can harm plants and animals while disrupting food chains