Chemistry of the Environment: element cycles and toxicology

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41 Terms

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lithosphere

the crust of the Earth; soil, rocks, all other surface materials

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hydrosphere

all of the water on the earth (liquid, frozen, and vapor)

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atmosphere

air above surface of earth

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biosphere

all biological matter on Earth (living and dead)

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geosphere

non-biological spheres of the environment (lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere)

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residence time

The average amount of time that an \n atom or a molecule remains in a \n compartment before it is removed in \n some way

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% oxygen in the atmosphere

21%

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% nitrogen in the atmosphere

78%

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residence time of oxygen in the atmosphere

5000 years

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residence time of nitrogen in the environment

10 million years

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nitrogen fixation

process of converting free nitrogen in the air into chemically combined nitrogen

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% CO2 in the atmosphere

0.039%

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Hazardous chemical are:

Flammable

Explosive

Corrosive

Toxic

Allergenic

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Toxin/poison

substance that causes injury, illness, or death of a living organism

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Toxicology

study of poisons, their effects, detection, identification, and antidotes

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biotoxins

toxic substances produced by organisms for defense or other reasons

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“Silent Spring”

written by Rachel Carson; brought attention to widespread use of pesticides; partially led to ban of DDT in US

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environmental toxicology

study of toxins in the environment

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environmental health toxicology

study of the effect of toxins on human health

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ecotoxicology

study of the effects of toxins on an ecosystem in the environment

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threshold dose

a dose below which a toxin shows no observable effect

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LD50

the dose at which 50% of the individuals die (mg toxin/kg body mass)

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acute toxicity

  • manifests its effect in a relatively short period of time
  • type of toxicology results from relatively brief periods of exposure to a toxin
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chronic toxicity

  • manifests itself over a longer period of time
  • type of toxicology results from long periods of exposure to a toxin
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No Observed Effect Level (NOEL)

the highest dose at which no effect is observed (lies slightly above the threshold dose)

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Carbon dioxide dissolves in water to form…

carbonic acid

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Continuous processes operating with little change for long periods of time are called…

sustainable

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Limestone is a very compressed form of…

calcium carbonate

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Nitrogen fixation is the process that converts…

Atmospheric nitrogen gas to useful compounds of nitrogen

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Photosynthesis is the process by which…

Water and carbon dioxide are converted to carbohydrates and oxygen

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Respiration is the…

Breakdown of carbohydrates with oxygen to form water and carbon dioxide

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Is nitrogen gas reactive?

no, highly unreactive

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is oxygen gas reactive?

yes, highly reactive

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The compartments of our planet are

Hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere

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The only significant way oxygen (O2) enters the atmosphere is through…

photosynthesis

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Which of the following cycles does not have an atmospheric component?

phosphorus

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Which of the following produces useful nitrogen compounds to fertilize crops?

  • Nitrogen fixation through lightning discharges
  • Nitrogen fixation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria such as Rhizobium
  • Fertilizers produced by the Hager Process from elemental nitrogen and hydrogen
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Poisons that show up in the environment due to the activities of our society are known as

environmental toxins

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Substances which in low concentrations can cause death in test animals are known as

toxins

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Toxins in the environment are generally broken down by

Water, light, and microorganisms

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The sulfur cycle is similar to the

phosphorus cycle