biology exam #2

acid rain

acid rain

-damages tissues (can cause respitory issues)

-reduces soil nutrients

-changes communities

most of the waters Earth is

marine

most of the earths freshwater is

found in glaciers

a region of earth most unlikely to have a freshwater shortage are

in the boreal forests of Canada & Russia

future water stress is most likely to strike

the Middle East or Asia

What part of the water cycle has the longest residence time

water storage in oceans

what is a water table

the current point of water level in an unconfined aquifer

what is the movement of water from vapor to liquid water in the atmosphere occurs through a process called

condensation

the largest use of water is for

agricultural use

water use for agriculture is

irrigation, animal feed, & processing food

on average water for domestic use is about ________% of the total water withdrawal & use

10%

What type of pollutant is most likely to cause human health issues?

bacteria, viruses, & pathogens from untreated sewage

water pollutants that are likely to cause significant ecosystem disruption

-dumping leaf litter into a lake or pond

-fertilizer entering a water body

What are point source pollutants

-paper mill effluent

-underground storage tank

-sewage treatment facility

Manure seepage from a manure pike in a private horse farm would be

could point source if the manure is regulated & monitored otherwise nonpoint source

dead zones result from

cultural eutrophication

thermal pollution is a concern because

it lowers the dissolved oxygen of the water

water borne infectious disease is sourced from

human sewage

nonpoint source water pollution might include

goose & gull poop on the beaches that increase fecal coliform bacteria levels

factors that negatively affect water quality & can be considered “water pollution” have

-negative impacts on human health

-disrupt ecosystem

this type of water pollution tends to mostly disrupt ecosystem function

thermal pollution

this type of water pollution may have an impact on human health

radio active releases

these pollutants are likely to cause high biochemical oxygen demand

-runoff of lawn nutrients into local waterway

-sewage overflow

-town leaf compost dumped local bay

what is a nonpoint air pollutant

volatile organic compounds released from oil based paint

example of a point source pollutant

-emissions from the tailpipe of your car

-mercury released from a coal-burning power plant

-volatile organic compounds released from a manufacturing plant

incomplete burning of wood

carbon monoxide

burning of gasoline

nitrogen oxide

coal buring

sulfur dioxide

house hold appliances

volatile organic compounds

dust in the wind

speculate particulate matter

what can lead to acid rain

-burning coal

-burning gasoline

what comprises SMOG

-nitrogen oxide

-sulfur dioxide

-VOC

-dust & sand

what can cause increase asthma

VOC

what causes the ozone hole in the stratosphere

CFC

name two major gases released from burning gasoline in your car

carbon monoxide & nitrogen oxide

primary pollutants that result from burning coal

carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, & nitrogen oxide

what are two primary gases of SMOG? secondary?

-primary: nitrogen oxide & VOCS

-secondary: heat & sunlight

what is otherwise known as airborne dusts, sand, & grit

Smog

name three gases that can cause respiratory illness

sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, VOCS, & SPMs

clean air act (1970) reduced this to almost zero when banned as a gasoline additive

banned lead in gasoline

released from paints, resins, solvents, & escape when you fill your car with gasoline

VOCS (volatile organic compounds)

fugitive, odorless, colorless gas in your home

carbon monoxide

destroys atmospheric (stratosphere) ozone

chlorine

develops the lower atmospheric (troposphere) ozone layer

CFCs (chloroflurocarbons)

in Atlanta 1996 the Olympic committee reduced automobile emissions in the city by reducing

nitrogen oxide

if you want to reduce the secondary pollutant of Smog or ground-level ozone you have to reduce the primary pollutants of

-VOCS→ industry, AC, & consumer products

-Nitrogen Oxide→ fertilizers, gas, or coal

if you want to reduce the secondary pollutant of acid rain you have to reduce the primary pollutant of

-nitrogen oxide→ fertilizers, gas, coal

-sulfur dioxide→ power plants & smelting metals

what is one way that the Clean Air Act of 1990 reauthorized Clean Air Act of 1970

the air standards increased

Why is groundwater so difficult to protect?

can be unknowingly polluted, overdrawn, saltwater intrusion etc.

-landfills, septic tanks etc.

How do we protect groundwater?

keeping pollutants to a minimum

Safe drinking water act of 1974

established to protect the quality of drinking water in the U.S.; created provisions to protect underground aquifers

what does the safe drinking water act of 1974 regulate

bacteria, barium, nitrates, pesticides, mercury

safe drinking act of 1972

made the water swimmable & fishable

What is air composed of ?

78% N2, 21% O2, 0.04% CO, 0-4% water vapor, & other trace gases

the 5 atmospheric levels from lowest to highest

troposphere

stratosphere

mesosphere

thermosphere

exosphere

what is the difference between primary & secondary pollutants?

primary= harmful when released

secondary= harmful when they combine with other in the air

air pollution

the contamination of air by the discharge of harmful substances→ can cause respiratory distress

what are major contributors to acid rain?

sulfur dioxide & nitrogen oxide

what % of the earth’s water is fresh

3.6%

where is earth’s freshwater found

groundwater, glaciers, & surface water

What problems can the lack of freshwater cause?

limited availability of drinking water (dependent on where you live)

percipitation

any liquid that falls back to earth

condensation

conversion of a gas to liquid

evaporation

when a liquid turns into a gas

inflitration

the soil’s ability to allow movement through the soil profile; movement of water down into the soil

overdraw

when more water is pumped from the ground than is available

run off

the draining away of water from the surface of an area of land, building, road etc.

recharge rates

how frequently the water is replenished

water table falling

in summer months water is lower, when it gets lower, there is a chance of subsidence

subsidence

when humans over-exploit underground water supplies until the land above collapses

saltwater intrusion

movement of saltwater into freshwater aquifers which can lead to quality degradation of ground water

contamination

when unwanted things enter the waterway

percolate

filter gradually through a porous surface or substance

water cycle

processes by which water circulates between the oceans, atmosphere, & land'; involves precipitation→ drainage → & return to the atmosphere through evaporation & transpiration

evotranspirations

the process by which water is transferred land from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation

watershed

an area of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas

infectious agents

are organisms capable of producing infection or infectious diseases

-bacteria, fungi, viruses& parasites

how are infectious agents removed from water?

treated water, removing sources of waste from drinking water

causes of infectious agents in drinking water

human & animal waste

oxygen-demanding waste

oxidize in the receiving body of water with the consumption of dissolved oxygen

what are the causes of oxygen-demanding waste

food & waste residue in water

thermal pollution

excessive heat

causes of thermal pollution

water cooling of electric power plant

effects of thermal pollution

with rapid temperature changes, aquatic animals are more susceptible to disease

solutions of thermal pollution

settling ponds

organic chemicals

any chemical composition including hydrogen, carbon or a derivative of it

causes of organic chemicals

agricultural use, fuel consumption, agricultural run off, industrial discharges

inorganic chemicals

a chemical compound that lacks carbon

inorganic chemical causes

combustion of fossil fuels, metal processing etc.

sedimentation

the tendency for particles in suspension to settle out of the fluid in which they are entrained & come to rest against a barrier

sedimentation causes

when dirt or other material enter the waterway

what is a dead zone

a place or period in which nothing happens or no life exists

where is a dead zone

in the Gulf of Mexico→ caused by run off of fertilizers & pesticides containing nitrogen

water scarcity & stress

using water at a greater rate than the recharge rate…. leads to the degradation of the natural temperature of water

where is water stress prominent

are predicted to become more common & the number of nations that lack the availability of freshwater is increasing

places in northern africa, asia, western erupoe, & the U.S.

solutions to water stress & scarcity

resides on the knowledge of water & the rate of recharge equal to withdrawal

water consumption globally 70:20:

70%=agriculture

20%=industry

10%other

how does the U.S. compare to other countries globally

the U.S. withdraws 20-40% of their total available water while Canada only withdraws about 10%

How can we try to increase the water supply?

we can increase water supply by building underground storage & reservoirs, & creating water transfer schemes

what is your watershed?

02852

Pettasquamscutt Watershed