AP Environmental Science Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution

Vocabulary flashcards covering point/nonpoint sources, human impacts on ecosystems, endocrine disruptors, waste management, eutrophication, dose-response curves, and infectious diseases.

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 identify and enter the environment from many places at once, such as urban runoff or pesticide spraying.

Ecological Range of Tolerance (ERT)

The range of abiotic conditions in a habitat where an organism can maintain homeostasis; moving outside this range causes physiological stress or death.

Zooxanthellae

Photosynthetic algae that live in a mutualistic relationship with coral, providing sugar while the coral provides $CO_2$ and protection.

Coral Bleaching

The process where coral lose their color and become stressed, often due to algae leaving the reef when temperatures rise.

Endocrine Disruptors

Chemicals that interfere with the hormonal systems of animals by binding to cellular receptors and blocking or amplifying hormone effects.

Atrazine

A broad-spectrum herbicide and endocrine disruptor that can lead to feminization in male frogs and is associated with various human health risks.

Methylmercury ($CH_3Hg$)

A highly toxic form of mercury created by bacteria in water sources that damages the central nervous system and bioaccumulates in animals.

Wetlands

Areas where water covers the soil part or all of the time, providing services like water purification, flood protection, and habitat.

Halophytic

Salt-tolerant plants or trees, such as those found in mangrove swamps.

Blue Carbon

Carbon gathered and stored in the root systems and soil of mangrove swamps, which can sequester up to $10\times$ more $CO_2$ than terrestrial forests.

Eutrophication

The process where a body of water becomes enriched with nutrients ($N$ and $P$), leading to algal blooms and subsequent oxygen depletion.

Hypoxia

A condition in waterways characterized by low dissolved oxygen levels, often leading to fish die-offs and dead zones.

Oligotrophic

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

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)

The amount of dissolved oxygen required by microorganisms to break down organic matter in a water sample.

Thermal Pollution

Occurs when heat released into water negatively affects organisms, often by decreasing the solubility of oxygen and increasing respiration rates.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Synthetic, carbon-based molecules that are fat-soluble, do not easily break down, and can travel long distances via wind and water.

Bioaccumulation

The selective absorption and concentration of compounds, especially fat-soluble ones, within the cells and tissues of a single organism over time.

Biomagnification

The increase in concentration of substances per unit of body tissue at successively higher trophic levels of a food chain.

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)

Discarded solid material from cities, including households, businesses, and schools; commonly referred to as trash or garbage.

Leachate

Liquid that has passed through solid waste in a landfill, carrying various pollutants which must be collected and treated.

Methane Recovery System

A system in sanitary landfills used to collect methane produced by anaerobic decomposition, often used to generate electricity.

Composting

The controlled decomposition of organic matter such as food scraps and paper into a nutrient-rich fertilizer.

Primary Treatment

The physical removal of large objects from sewage using screens and grates, followed by the settling of solid waste in a tank.

Secondary Treatment

A biological process where aerobic bacteria break down organic matter in sewage into $CO_2$ and inorganic sludge.

Tertiary Treatment

The use of chemical or ecological processes to remove remaining pollutants like nitrates and phosphates from treated wastewater.

Effluent

Liquid waste that is discharged into a surface body of water, typically after treatment at a wastewater plant.

$$LD_{50}$$

The lethal dose of a chemical that kills $50\%$ of the population of a particular species.

Threshold Dose

The lowest dose of a toxin where a measurable effect, such as death or impairment, first begins to occur.

Dysentery

A bacterial infection caused by food or water contaminated with feces, resulting in severe dehydration and intestinal swelling.

Mesothelioma

A type of cancer caused primarily by exposure to asbestos, affecting the lining of the respiratory tract or other cavities.

Pathogen

A living organism, such as a bacterium, virus, or fungus, that causes an infectious disease.

Vector

An organism, like a mosquito or flea, that carries and transmits infectious pathogens to other organisms.

Malaria

A parasitic disease caused by bites from infected mosquitoes, primarily found in sub-Saharan Africa.

Cholera

A bacterial disease contracted from infected water or food contaminated with human feces, causing severe vomiting and diarrhea.