Sources of Pollutants – Module A

Vocabulary flashcards summarising key terms, practices, and pollutants discussed in the lecture on sources of aquatic pollution and their management.

Point-source pollution

Pollutants released from an easily identified, discrete location (e.g., factory outfall, oil spill).

Non-point source pollution

Diffuse pollutants whose exact origin is hard to pinpoint (e.g., agricultural run-off, atmospheric fallout).

Catchment

The entire land area draining water, sediments, and dissolved materials to a common water body.

Legacy waste site

Old, abandoned disposal area that continues to leach contaminants into surrounding environments.

Permeable reactive barrier

Sub-surface treatment wall that filters or chemically transforms pollutants moving through soil or groundwater.

Biopile

Engineered heap of contaminated soil treated on site via enhanced microbial degradation.

Wastewater discharge

Release of treated or untreated effluent from stations like Davis or Casey into surrounding waters.

Heavy metals

Toxic metallic elements (e.g., Zn, Mn, Al) from smelters and industry that accumulate in aquatic systems.

Acid mine drainage

Acidic, metal-rich water formed when sulphide minerals oxidise in abandoned mines and leach to streams.

Air temperature inversion

Weather condition in which warm air overlays cooler air, trapping pollutants near the ground (and water).

Atmospheric fallout

Deposition of airborne particles and gases onto land or water surfaces, contributing pollutants remotely.

Riparian buffer strip

Vegetated zone alongside waterways that filters sediments, nutrients, and pesticides from run-off.

Agricultural run-off

Water leaving farms carrying soil, nutrients, pesticides, and manure into rivers or estuaries.

Stock fencing

Practice of excluding livestock from streams by fencing, reducing bank erosion and faecal pollution.

Constructed wetland

Man-made marsh designed to treat stormwater or sewage by natural filtration and biological uptake.

Baseflow

Groundwater contribution that maintains stream flow during dry periods; reduced by excessive extraction.

Erosion

Removal of soil by water or wind; accelerated by poor land management, increasing sediment loads.

Nutrient run-off

Movement of excess nitrogen and phosphorus to water bodies, promoting harmful algal growth.

Anoxia

Complete depletion of dissolved oxygen, often beneath fish cages or in nutrient-rich sediments.

Sediment resuspension

Re-entrainment of previously settled particles (e.g., from ice-melt at Thala Valley tip), releasing contaminants.

Tributylin (TBT)

Toxic antifouling biocide leached from boat paints, harmful to estuarine organisms.

Ballast water

Water carried by ships for stability that can introduce invasive species and pollutants when discharged.

Fuel spill remediation

Cleanup actions (e.g., reactive barriers, biopiles) to remove petroleum contaminants from soil or ice.

Water Quality Guidelines

Standards (including Antarctic-specific versions) used to assess acceptable pollutant levels in water.

Selective fishing methods

Gear and practices that target intended species while minimising bycatch and habitat damage.

Seasonal closure

Temporal ban on fishing to protect spawning stocks and sustain populations.

Overstocking (aquaculture)

Raising too many fish per unit area, leading to waste accumulation and water quality decline.

Indiscriminate trawling

Non-selective bottom fishing that disturbs sediments and captures juvenile or non-target species.

Urban run-off

Stormwater from impervious city surfaces carrying oils, metals, and litter to waterways.

Stormwater drain

Infrastructure channeling surface run-off; can deliver untreated contaminants directly to estuaries.

Transboundary pollution

Contaminants generated in one region (e.g., UK coal burning) affecting distant ecosystems (e.g., Swedish lakes).

Pristine myth (Antarctica)

Perception that Antarctica is unpolluted, challenged by local stations, shipping, and global transport of contaminants.

Waste tip remediation

Removal or containment of refuse sites (e.g., Thala Valley) to stop contaminant release.

Smelter (aluminium)

Industrial plant (e.g., Comalco) emitting aluminium and associated pollutants to air and water.

Smelter (manganese)

Facility (e.g., Temco) processing manganese, contributing heavy metal loads to nearby rivers.

Zinc works

Metal refinery north of Hobart historically discharging zinc and other metals into the Derwent River.

Temperature inversion trapping

Situation where industrial emissions are held close to ground and later washed into water bodies.

Integrated pollution management

Approach addressing air, land, and water sources simultaneously to prevent cross-media transfers.

Wetland reclamation

Conversion of marshes for agriculture or development, removing natural filtration and habitat.

Selective discharge location

Choosing outfall sites (e.g., prawn farm effluent in high-flushing areas) to minimise pollutant build-up.

Invasive species escape

Non-native organisms introduced from aquaculture cages or ballast that disrupt local ecosystems.