APES Unit 7

______________ sources of pollution are diffused and can therefore be difficult to identify, such as pesticide spraying or urban runoff.

Non-point

Areas of low oxygen in the world's oceans caused by increased nutrient pollution

Oceanic dead zones

Identify how oil spills in water can harm organisms.

Oil that floats on the surface of water can coat the feathers of birds and fur of marine mammals. Some components of oil sink to the ocean floor, killing some bottom-dwelling organisms.

Identify how oil spills can impact humans.

Oil that washes up on the beach can have economic consequences on the fishing and tourism industries.

Some items are not accepted in sanitary landfills and may be disposed of illegally, leading to environmental problems. Identify and explain one example.

One example is used rubber tires, which when left in piles can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes that can spread disease.

a form of pneumonia. It is transferred by inhaling or touching infected fluids

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)

It can be difficult to establish a cause and effect between pollutants and human health issues

because humans experience exposure to a variety of chemicals and pollutants.

Specific pathogens __________ occur in many environments regardless of the appearance of sanitary conditions

can

Explain why persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can be toxic to organisms

can be toxic to organisms because they are soluble in fat, which allows them to accumulate in organisms' fatty tissues

The combustion of gases produced from decomposition of organic material in landfills

can be used to turn turbines and generate electricity. This process reduces landfill volume.

Describe what litter can do in the ocean/aquatic biomes.

can create intestinal blockage and choking hazards for wildlife and introduce toxic substances to the food chain

Why do oil spills in marine waters cause organisms to die?

hydrocarbons in oil

Identify some of the ecological services that Wetlands provide

water purification, flood protection, water filtration, and habitat

areas where water covers the soil, either part or all of the time

wetlands

incineration

where waste is burned at high temperatures. This method significantly reduces the volume of solid waste but drawbacks include releasing air pollutants

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can travel over long distances via

wind and water

Describe the components of a sanitary municipal landfill

A sanitary municipal landfill consists of a bottom liner (plastic or clay), a storm water collection system, a leachate collection system, a cap, and a methane collection system.

Explain why there are so many emerging infectious diseases.

As equatorial-type climate zones spread north and south into what are currently subtropical and temperate climate zones, pathogens, infectious diseases, and any associated vectors are spreading into these areas where the disease has not previously been known to occur.

the selective absorption and concentration of elements or compounds by cells in a living organism, most commonly fat-soluble compounds

Bioaccumulation

the increase in concentration of substances per unit of body tissue that occurs in successively higher trophic levels of a food chain or in a food web

Biomagnification

a type of cancer caused mainly by exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma

Side effects of being outside the range of tolerance:

physiological stress, limited growth, reduced reproduction, and in extreme cases, death

LD50 kills how much of a population?

50%

a virus caused by bites from infected mosquitoes. It can be transmitted through sexual contact and cause birth defects

Zika

is a bacterial disease that is contracted from infected water

Cholera

the process of organic matter such as food scraps, paper, and yard waste decomposing. The product of this decomposition can be used as fertilizer.

Composting

Identify 3 substances that bioaccumulate and have significant environmental impacts

DDT, mercury, and PCBs

caused by untreated sewage in streams and rivers

Dysentery

chemicals that can interfere with the endocrine system of animals

Endocrine disruptors

Identify several problems associated with Endocrine disruptors

Endocrine disruptors can lead to birth defects, developmental disorders, and gender imbalances

Cons of Recycling

Energy and cost intensive

Identify 2 ways heavy metals can reach the groundwater

Heavy metals are for industry, especially mining and burning of fossil fuels (coal - mercury).

Explain how increased sediments in waterways can impact the environment.

Increased sediment in waterways can reduce light infiltration, which can affect primary producers and visual predators.

Identify 2 Landfill mitigation strategies

Landfill mitigation strategies range from burning waste for energy to restoring habitat on former landfills for use as parks.

Identify 2 ways that landfills can harm the environment

Landfills can contaminate groundwater and release harmful gases

a parasitic disease caused by bites from infected mosquitoes. It is most often found in sub-Saharan Africa

Malaria

_____________ do not easily break down in the environment because they are synthetic, carbon-based molecules

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

a disease carried by organisms infected with the plague bacteria. It is transferred to humans via the bite of an infected organism or through contact with contaminated fluids or tissues.

Plague

A _________ source refers to a single, identifiable source of a pollutant, such as a smokestack or waste discharge pipe.

Point source pollution

Explain why poverty-stricken and/or low-income areas often have higher incidences of infectious diseases.

Poverty-stricken, low-income areas often lack sanitary waste disposal and have contaminated drinking water supplies, leading to havens and opportunities for the spread of infectious diseases.

Organisms have a _________________ for various pollutants. Organisms have an optimum range for each factor where they can maintain ___________.

Range of tolerance, homeostasis

a process by which certain solid waste materials are processed and converted into new products

Recycling

a bacterial infection that typically attacks the lungs. It is spread by breathing in the bacteria from the bodily fluids of an infected person.

Tuberculosis

transmitted to humans via bites from infected mosquitoes

West Nile virus

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)

a viral respiratory illness that is transferred from animals to humans.

Identify threats to wetlands and mangroves

commercial development, dam construction, overfishing, and pollutants from agriculture and industrial waste

Identify the factors that affect landfill decomposition

composition of the trash and conditions needed for microbial decomposition of the waste

What are the 4 sectors that generate solid waste?

domestic, industrial, business, and agricultural sectors

describes the effect on an organism or mortality rate in a population based on the dose of a particular toxin or drug

dose response curve

discarded electronic devices

e-waste

Identify two effects that can occur in an ecosystem when a persistent substance is biomagnified in a food chain

eggshell thinning and developmental deformities in top carnivores of the higher trophic levels

factors that have caused coral reefs damage:

increasing ocean temperature, sediment runoff, and destructive fishing practices

Solid waste is most often disposed of in

landfills

Some countries dispose of their waste by dumping it in the ocean. This practice, along with other sources of plastic, has led to

large floating islands of trash

E-wastes may contain hazardous chemicals, including heavy metals such as

lead and mercury

When elemental sources of mercury enter aquatic environments, bacteria in the water convert it to highly toxic

methylmercury

Cons of composting

odor and rodents

An ___________________- is a plot of dissolved oxygen levels versus the distance from a source of pollution, usually excess nutrients and biological refuse are introduced to the water.

oxygen sag curve

Respiratory problems and overall lung function can be impacted by elevated levels of tropospheric

ozone

Humans also experience harmful effects from biomagnification, including issues with the

reproductive, nervous, and circulatory systems