pollution

Agriculture definition

Production, processing, marketing, and use of foods, fibers, and byproducts from plant crops and animals

Fertilizer components & usage

Consists of macronutrients (N, P, K) and micronutrients (B, Zn, etc.); uses ~100 million tons/yr of nitrogen and ~40 million tons/yr of phosphate (58 lbs per person per year)

Eutrophication

Excessive richness of nutrients in a body of water from runoff, causing algae blooms, depleted oxygen, and ecosystem death

Methane Production (Methanogenesis)

The creation of methane; fertilizer stimulates methanogenesis

Fertilizer health/environmental risks

High nitrate levels can cause coma and death; heavy metal accumulation includes uranium, cadmium, and arsenic

Pesticide definition

Any chemical used to kill or control unwanted populations of fungi, animals, or plants (includes insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, and herbicides)

DDT

Used in WWII to control malaria and typhus; famously discussed in Rachel Carson's 1962 book *Silent Spring*

Chlorinated Hydrocarbons health links

Linked to diabetes, premature birth/low birth rate, developmental delays, Parkinson's, asthma, and cancers

Organophosphates and Carbamates

Interfere with nervous system function, are non-specific, have high toxicity to humans, and do not persist in the environment (though toxic if they stay in the system long-term)

Herbicides risks

Acute exposure linked to cancer, Parkinson's, reproductive effects, and genetic damage

Rodenticides (Warfarin)

Causes internal bleeding in any animal that consumes it; non-specific

Water statistics & pollution rate

70% of humans (and up to 95% of some organisms) and 70% of Earth's surface is water; in the U.S., 45% of streams are considered polluted

Point vs. Non-point source pollution

Point source comes from a specific source (e.g., a factory leak); non-point source comes from diffuse runoff (e.g., fertilizer)

Industrial Pollution sources

Chemical contamination, radioactive materials (mining industries prone to pollution), and thermal pollution

Municipal Pollution (cities)

Includes fecal coliform bacteria, human pathogens, soaps/detergents, antibiotics, hormones, fire retardants, and other chemicals

Primary vs. Secondary Air Pollution

Primary air pollution involves substances directly emitted (vehicles, power plants); secondary air pollution forms when primary pollutants react/interact in the air (e.g., smog, acid rain)

Criteria Air Pollutants

Carbon monoxide, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, lead, and ozone

Acid Rain formation & status

Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides form sulfuric acid and nitric acid; it has decreased significantly due to strict regulations, though recent rollbacks and regional spikes raise new concerns

Acid deposition effects on wildlife

Alters pH of aquatic environments, kills trees and embryos, and removes nutrients like calcium and magnesium

Light pollution impact

Causes unnatural behaviors, such as sea turtles hatching during the day

Trash pollution

Pollutes the ocean and gets stuck deep in forests without being cleaned up

The Greenhouse Effect & CO2 change

Cretaceous plants were carbon sinks (coal, oil, limestone); we have seen a 50% increase in CO2 gases since the pre-industrial revolution, trapping more radiation

Temperature rise impacts

Loss of species/habitat, and shifts in time and space among species

Mismatched phenology example

English oak shifting earlier in winter months while the pied flycatcher stays the same time

Melting ice feedbacks

Melting of sea ice and glaciers lowers albedo, which increases absorbed sunlight and drives more melting

Impacts of melting ice and snow

Freshwater storage loss, habitat loss, and increased flooding from rapid ice melts

Precipitation changes

Shifting between drought and heavy rain events (never in between); areas like Puerto Rico and Colorado suffer from drought, and Lake Mead/Colorado has been consistently sinking

Sea-level Rise (IPCC Scenarios)

Low emission: 1.2-1.8 ft; Moderate emission: 1.4-2.5 ft; High emission: 2.1-3.3 ft (with potential of 6+ feet with ice sheet instability)

Impact of Sea-Level Rise (SLR)

Loss of land (impacting Key deer), increased storm flooding and erosion (impacting plovers), salt water intrusion, and loss of habitats/species