Nutrients Cycle

Biogeochemical: the living distribution of chemicals.

Cycles

• Influx- rate the chemical is entering.

• Outflux- rate the chemical is leaving.

• Reservoir- water collecting

• Resident time- how long the molecules stay

• Pool- smaller reservoir

• Steady time- influx = outflux

Three States of Matter

• Solid, Liquid, Gas cycle

  • Freezing- liquid to solid

  • Melting- solid to liquid

  • Sublimination- solid to gas

  • Deposition- gas to solid

  • Evaporation- liquid to gas

  • Condensation- liquid to gas

    

• Transpiration (a form of evaporation): The process by which plants lose water vapor through their leaves.

• Percolation: Water moves downwards into the soil under gravitational forces.

Carbon Cycle

Nitrogen Cycle

Sulfur Cycle

Photosynthesis

H2O + CO2 - sunlight = C6H12O6 (sugar) + O2

Chemosynthesis

6CO2 +6H2O + 3H2S (hydrogen sulfide) = C6H12O6 (sugar) + 3H2SO4 (sulfur compounds)

Phosphate Cycle

• Trapped in rock- P2O2

• Get it through mining

• Compost for fertilizer use

Nutrient Cycle

Waste

Humans- producing more than necessary

Decomposition: How long it takes for garbage to decompose.

Non-Municpal vs. Municipal Waste

Non-municipal- Comes from factories, mining, construction sites, product production, and other industrial processes.

Municipal- Comes from households, businesses, and institutions within a community (schools).

Hazardous Waste:

Hazardous waste refers to waste materials that are potentially harmful to human health or the environment. This type of waste can be categorized into several types, each with distinct characteristics and implications for disposal and management.

• Corrosive Waste:

  • This type of waste is highly acidic or basic, capable of causing damage to living tissue or severe corrosion of materials. Common sources include batteries, certain cleaning agents, and industrial chemicals.

  • Corrosive substances can lead to environmental damage if not stored or disposed of properly, potentially contaminating soil and water sources.

• Ignitable Waste (Fire Hazard):

  • Ignitable waste can easily catch fire and sustain combustion. This category includes flammable liquids, certain solid materials, and gases. Examples include used motor oil, solvents, and certain types of paints.

  • Improper handling can lead to fires, explosions, and air pollution from emitted smoke and contaminants during combustion.

• Reactive Waste:

  • Reactive waste is capable of undergoing violent chemical reactions when exposed to air, water, or other materials. This includes substances that are unstable or generate toxic gases.

  • Examples are explosives and certain types of batteries that can react if punctured. Proper storage and immediate attention to spills or leaks are critical for preventing hazardous reactions.

• Toxic Waste (Poison):

  • Toxic waste contains substances that can cause harmful effects or death in humans or animals upon exposure, including heavy metals and certain chemical byproducts.

  • Radioactive materials, used in medical and research facilities, fall into this category and require special handling due to their long-term health risks and environmental impact.

  • Safe disposal methods for toxic waste often involve special facilities designed to contain and neutralize these hazards according to strict regulatory guidelines.

History of Waste Disposal

• Burning

• Dumping

• Open landfill

  • Trash into a mound to decompose over time

  • Leachate- pollution contaminating groundwater/soil.

  • CH4- methane, CO2, and VOC release.

Sanitary Landfill:

• Years to produce/get approved

• Clay and plastic lining to prevent leachate

• Monitoring wells

• Pipes in waste to collect methane and used to generate electricity.

• Once full- layers of soil to cover the waste. Soil prevents runoff.

Fate of trash:

• Incineration- burning of trash

• Compost- Composting is the process of decomposing organic matter, such as food scraps and yard waste, into a nutrient-rich soil amendment known as compost. Composting typically occurs through aerobic means, where microorganisms break down organic matter in the presence of oxygen.

Anaerobic- without oxygen

Methods to reduce waste:

• refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle

• Recycling:

  • Standard cycling- recycled becomes the same thing

  • Upcycle- recycle into new product

  • Downcycle- more common, mostly paper. recycled into less recyclable things.

• Plastics:

  • Man-made, organisms cannot break it down.

  • Leach chemicals and health consequences.

  • Wildlife exposed to and consuming plastic.

  • Solutions:

    • alternatives

    • using compressed plant material

    • compostable plastics

    • eco-friendly

• E-waste (electronic):

  • Lots produced with heavy metals

  • Planned obsolescence- not meant to last

  • Right to repair- companies design electronics so you cannot repair yourself.

  • Give back to the original company

Life cycle assessments:

• Compare products, compare the life cycle

• Score: quantify inputs and outputs of the product cycle.

• Inventory analysis- environmental impacts

• Impact assessment- consider alternatives

Benefits:

• environmental impacts

• quantify impacts

• find areas for improvement

• compare products

Challenges:

• how far down the chain

• data availability

• quantify everything

• deciding which is more harmful

Example: light bulbs

• What light bulbs?

  • incandescent, fluorescent, LED

  • compare- energy-efficient- lifespan- transport