AP Environmental Science - Unit 8 Flashcards

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from Unit 8: Aquatic & Terrestrial Pollution.

Point Source

A single, identifiable source of a pollutant, such as a smokestack or waste discharge pipe.

Nonpoint Source

Diffused sources of pollution that are difficult to pinpoint, such as pesticide spraying or urban runoff.

Pollutants

Specific chemicals or groups of chemicals from specific sources with specific environmental and human health effects.

Pollution

A vague, nondescript term for any substance harmful to the environment; generally not acceptable on an APES FRQ.

Range of Tolerance

The range of abiotic conditions in a habitat (pH, temperature, salinity, sunlight, nutrient levels) within which an organism can survive and maintain homeostasis.

Indicator Species

Species whose presence, absence, or abundance reflects the environmental conditions of a habitat.

Coral Reef

A mutualistic relationship between coral and photosynthetic algae (zooxanthellae); algae provide sugar, and coral provides CO2 and detritus.

Endocrine Disruptors

Chemicals that can interfere with the endocrine (hormonal) systems of animals, leading to birth defects, developmental disorders, and gender imbalances.

Atrazine

Herbicide that binds to receptors in male frogs, leading to feminization, high estrogen levels, and low sperm count.

Mercury

A naturally occurring element in coal that is released by anthropogenic activities. High concentrations of mercury can inhibit estrogen and insulin.

Methylmercury

A neurotoxic form of mercury converted by bacteria in water sources that is highly toxic to animals.

Arsenic

Element found in rocks that can dissolve into drinking water due to mining activities; it is carcinogenic and an endocrine disruptor.

Lead

A neurotoxicant released through coal combustion and found in old paint and water pipes; damages the central nervous system, especially in children.

Watershed

All of the land that drains into a specific body of water (river, lake, bay, etc.).

Wetlands

Areas where water covers the soil, either part or all of the time.

Mangroves

Areas that are typically located along the coast in tropical regions. They are a type of ecosystem that provides a variety of benefits and services.

Eutrophication

Occurs when a body of water is enriched in nutrients, leading to an algal bloom.

Oligotrophic Waterways

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

Hypoxic Waterways

Bodies of water that are low in dissolved oxygen.

Thermal Pollution

When heat released into water has negative effects on organisms, reducing dissolved oxygen levels.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Synthetic, carbon-based molecules that do not easily break down in the environment and are toxic to organisms. They are soluble in fat, which allows them to accumulate in organisms' fatty tissues.

PCBs

Additives in paint and plastics, released into aquatic ecosystems by industrial wastewater, which are toxic to fish, causing spawning failure and endocrine disruption.

Perchlorates

Rocket fuel near military testing sites that contaminate the soil, leach into groundwater, and runoff into surface waters.

Bioaccumulation

Selective absorption and concentration of elements or compounds by cells in a living organism, most commonly fat-soluble compounds.

Biomagnification

Increase in concentration of a substance per unit of body tissue that occurs in successively higher trophic levels of a food chain or food web.

Solid Waste

Any discarded material that is not a liquid or gas; generated in domestic, industrial, business, and agricultural sectors.

E-waste

Discarded electronic devices including televisions, cell phones, and computers.

Sanitary Landfill

A municipal landfill that consists of a bottom liner, a storm water collection system, a leachate collection system, gas collection system and a cap.

Recycling

Processing and converting solid waste material into new products.

Composting

Organic matter (food scraps, paper, yard waste) being decomposed under controlled conditions.

Primary Treatment

Physical removal of large objects from sewage, followed by settling of solid waste.

Secondary Treatment

Biological process in which bacteria break down organic matter into carbon dioxide and inorganic sludge.

Tertiary Treatment

Use of ecological or chemical processes to remove any pollutants left in the water after primary and secondary treatment.

Effluent

Liquid waste (sewage) discharged into a surface body of water, typically from a wastewater treatment plant.

Lethal Dose 50% (LD50)

The dose of a chemical that is lethal to 50% of the population of a particular species.

Dose Response Curve

Describes the effect on an organism or mortality rate in a population based on the dose of a particular toxin or drug.

Dysentery

Bacterial infection caused by food or water being contaminated with feces.

Mesothelioma

A type of cancerous tumor caused mainly by exposure to asbestos.

Tropospheric Ozone (O3)

Worsens respiratory conditions like asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, COPD, and limits overall lung function. It is only harmful in the troposphere.

Pathogen

A living organism (virus, bacteria, fungus, protist, worm) that causes an infectious disease.

Vectors

A living organism (rat, mosquito) that carry and transmit infectious pathogens to other organisms.

Tuberculosis (TB)

Bacterial infection that targets the lungs; transmitted by breathing bacteria from bodily fluids of an infected person.

Malaria

Parasitic protist infection caused by bite from infected mosquitoes.

West Nile

Virus infection caused by bite from infected mosquitoes; birds are the main host.

Zika Virus

Virus infection caused by bite from infected mosquitoes & sexual contact. It can cause babies to be born with abnormally small heads and damaged brains.

SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)

Coronavirus infection caused by respiratory droplets from infected person.

MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome)

Virus respiratory infection transmitted from animals to humans.

Cholera

Bacterial infection caused by drinking infected water; causes vomiting, muscle cramps and diarrhea, and can cause severe dehydration.