Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution Detailed Notes

Point Source Pollution:
- Definition: An exact location for pollution origin.
- Examples: Particulates from smokestacks, waste discharge pipes.
Nonpoint Source Pollution:
- Definition: Pollution not traceable to a single source.
- Examples: Pesticides in water, urban runoff.
Effective pollution management involves knowing the source.
Prevention of pollution is generally cheaper than cleanup, despite initial cost perceptions.

Organisms have tolerance ranges; exceeding these can lead to:
- Physiological stress
- Limited growth
- Reduced reproduction
- Potential death
Dead Zones: Areas with decreased dissolved oxygen due to nutrient pollution.
- Represented in the oxygen sag curve.
Effects of Litter:
- Harmful to animals: intestinal blockages, choking, toxin absorption.
- Great Pacific Garbage Patch: Floating refuse in ocean gyres.
Oil Spills:
- Danger to wildlife through fur/feather coating, ingestion of hydrocarbons.
- Economic impacts on industries like fishing and tourism.
Coral Reef Damage:
- Caused by increased ocean temperature, lower pH, and destructive practices.
- Coral reefs serve as crucial habitats and coastal protection.

Definition: Chemicals interfering with endocrine (hormone) systems.
Effects can include:
- Birth defects
- Developmental disorders
- Gender imbalances in aquatic animals.
Waste chemicals, including pharmaceuticals, are not always treated in facilities.

Wetlands:
- Areas with water coverage, providing ecological services:
- Water purification
- Flood protection
- Habitat provision.
Threats:
- Commercial development
- Dam construction
- Overfishing
- Agricultural pollutants.

Occurs when a water body is nutrient-enriched, causing algal blooms.
These blooms decompose, consuming oxygen and leading to low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels.
Hypoxic waters (low DO) cause die-offs in aquatic life.
Eutrophication primarily driven by human activities like agricultural runoff.

Excess heat from water affects ecosystems as oxygen dissolves better in cold water.
Common source: Power plants using water for cooling.
El Niño: Natural phenomenon altering fish populations through temperature changes.

Definition: Synthetic organic compounds that do not decompose naturally.
Characteristics:
- Fat-soluble; accumulate in organisms.
- Travel long distances through air and water.
- Example: PCBs in the Hudson River from GE leakages.

Bioaccumulation: Selective absorption by organisms, typically of fat-soluble compounds.
Biomagnification: Increased toxin concentrations in higher trophic levels of the food chain.
Consequences include developmental issues in humans, such as learning disabilities and reproductive system problems.

Solid waste types:
- Domestic
- Industrial
- Agricultural
Concerns:
- Landfills contaminating groundwater and releasing gases.
- E-waste contains hazardous materials and poses recycling challenges.

Primary Treatment: Physical removal of solids.
Secondary Treatment: Aerobic bacteria decomposition of waste.
Tertiary Treatment: Removal of remaining pollutants using ecological or chemical methods.

LD50: Amount of a substance that kills 50% of a population.
- Measured as mg/kg.
Example: LD50 of methanol is 7,090 mg/kg.
Important for determining toxicity levels and testing results may not directly correlate across species.

Pollution leads to illnesses like dysentery, mesothelioma, and respiratory problems.
Dysentery from untreated sewage can be fatal due to dehydration cycles.

Pathogen adaptability can increase infectious disease spread.
Climate change expands disease range through vectors like mosquitoes.
Poor sanitation contributes to disease prevalence in vulnerable low-income areas.