AP Environmental Science: Unit 8 Review - Aquatic & Terrestrial Pollution
Sources of Pollution
point source - single source clearly identified
non-point source - can not be traced back to a single source
Human Impacts on Ecosystems
coral bleaching - coral expels symbiont out of its cell
increased sediment in waterways - can reduce light infiltration, can affect primary producers and visual predators
oxygen sag curve- plot of dissolved oxygen levels versus the distance from a source of pollution, closer to the source of pollution, the lower the oxygen concentration
Oil Pollution
effect on organisms - cause organisms to die to lower survival, oil can coat the feathers of birds and fur of marine mammals
effect on humans - economic consequences on the fishing and tourism industries
Nutrient Pollution and Eutrophication
eutrophication - increase in nutrients in aquatic environments can lead to algal blooms --> algal bloom dies --> microbes digest algae and oxygen in the water --> decrease in dissolved oxygen levels --> large die offs of aquatic organisms
anthropogenic causes - agricultural runoff and wastewater release
hypoxic waterways - bodies of water that are low in dissolved oxygen
dead zones - areas of low oxygen in the oceans caused by nutrient pollution
oligotrophic waterways - have low amounts of nutrients, stable algae populations, high dissolved oxygen
Thermal Pollution
thermal pollution - occurs when heat released into the water produces negative effects to the organisms in that ecosystem
effects - lowers concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO), thermal shock (animals die because it’s too warm and they’re not used to it)
Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification
bioaccumulation - absorption and concentration of certain elements or compounds by cells in a living organism
biomagnification - increase in toxin levels in an animal from consuming other animals / plants with toxins in them (moving up the trophic system)
Persistent Organic Pollutants
persistent organic pollutants (POPs) - synthetic, carbon-based molecules that do not easily break down in the environment
toxic - accumulates in organisms fatty tissues
Solid Waste Disposal
solid waste - discarded material that is not a liquid or gas
landfills - can contaminate groundwater and release harmful gases
sanitary municipal landfill - consists of a bottom liner (plastic or clay), a storm water collection system, a leachate collection system
electronic waste - may contain hazardous chemicals such as lead and mercury, can leach from landfills into groundwater if they are not disposed properly
Waste Reduction Methods
recycling - process by which certain solid waste materials are processed and converted into raw materials to make new products, cons: pricy
composting - process where organic matter such as food scraps, paper, and yard wastes decompose into a product that can be used as fertilizer, cons: odor, animals
e waste - can be reduced by recycling and reuse
incinerating - decreases the volume of trash but the heat can also be used to make electricity
landfill cap - once the landfill has been capped, habitat can be restored into useful land like a park
landfill gases - combustion of gases like methane produced from decomposition of organic material in landfills can be used to generate electricity
Sewage Treatment
primary treatment - physical removal of large objects, often through the use of screens and grates, followed by the settling of solid waste in the bottom of a tank.
secondary treatment - biological process in which bacteria break down organic matter into carbon dioxide and inorganic sludge, which settles in the bottom of a tank
tertiary treatment - the use of ecological or chemical processes to remove any pollutants left in the water after primary and secondary treatment
the treated water is exposed to one or more disinfectants like chlorine, ozone, or UV light to kill bacteria, before releasing
Pathogens and Infectious Diseases
LD50 - amount of a substance lethal to 50% of a population
vectors - organism that can transmit diseases between humans
cholera - cause: bacterial disease from infected water symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration
tuberculosis - cause: breathing in the bacteria from body fluids of an infected person symptoms: bacteria attack on lungs
AP Environmental Science: Unit 8 Review - Aquatic & Terrestrial Pollution
Sources of Pollution
point source - single source clearly identified
non-point source - can not be traced back to a single source
Human Impacts on Ecosystems
coral bleaching - coral expels symbiont out of its cell
increased sediment in waterways - can reduce light infiltration, can affect primary producers and visual predators
oxygen sag curve- plot of dissolved oxygen levels versus the distance from a source of pollution, closer to the source of pollution, the lower the oxygen concentration
Oil Pollution
effect on organisms - cause organisms to die to lower survival, oil can coat the feathers of birds and fur of marine mammals
effect on humans - economic consequences on the fishing and tourism industries
Nutrient Pollution and Eutrophication
eutrophication - increase in nutrients in aquatic environments can lead to algal blooms --> algal bloom dies --> microbes digest algae and oxygen in the water --> decrease in dissolved oxygen levels --> large die offs of aquatic organisms
anthropogenic causes - agricultural runoff and wastewater release
hypoxic waterways - bodies of water that are low in dissolved oxygen
dead zones - areas of low oxygen in the oceans caused by nutrient pollution
oligotrophic waterways - have low amounts of nutrients, stable algae populations, high dissolved oxygen
Thermal Pollution
thermal pollution - occurs when heat released into the water produces negative effects to the organisms in that ecosystem
effects - lowers concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO), thermal shock (animals die because it’s too warm and they’re not used to it)
Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification
bioaccumulation - absorption and concentration of certain elements or compounds by cells in a living organism
biomagnification - increase in toxin levels in an animal from consuming other animals / plants with toxins in them (moving up the trophic system)
Persistent Organic Pollutants
persistent organic pollutants (POPs) - synthetic, carbon-based molecules that do not easily break down in the environment
toxic - accumulates in organisms fatty tissues
Solid Waste Disposal
solid waste - discarded material that is not a liquid or gas
landfills - can contaminate groundwater and release harmful gases
sanitary municipal landfill - consists of a bottom liner (plastic or clay), a storm water collection system, a leachate collection system
electronic waste - may contain hazardous chemicals such as lead and mercury, can leach from landfills into groundwater if they are not disposed properly
Waste Reduction Methods
recycling - process by which certain solid waste materials are processed and converted into raw materials to make new products, cons: pricy
composting - process where organic matter such as food scraps, paper, and yard wastes decompose into a product that can be used as fertilizer, cons: odor, animals
e waste - can be reduced by recycling and reuse
incinerating - decreases the volume of trash but the heat can also be used to make electricity
landfill cap - once the landfill has been capped, habitat can be restored into useful land like a park
landfill gases - combustion of gases like methane produced from decomposition of organic material in landfills can be used to generate electricity
Sewage Treatment
primary treatment - physical removal of large objects, often through the use of screens and grates, followed by the settling of solid waste in the bottom of a tank.
secondary treatment - biological process in which bacteria break down organic matter into carbon dioxide and inorganic sludge, which settles in the bottom of a tank
tertiary treatment - the use of ecological or chemical processes to remove any pollutants left in the water after primary and secondary treatment
the treated water is exposed to one or more disinfectants like chlorine, ozone, or UV light to kill bacteria, before releasing
Pathogens and Infectious Diseases
LD50 - amount of a substance lethal to 50% of a population
vectors - organism that can transmit diseases between humans
cholera - cause: bacterial disease from infected water symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration
tuberculosis - cause: breathing in the bacteria from body fluids of an infected person symptoms: bacteria attack on lungs
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