APES Unit 8
75% of the earth is water, 25 is land
.
radon is its own element - not from uranium
...
If 1 mg/kg of mass of a pesticide is the LD50 for rats in an experiment, what would be considered the safe exposure for humans?
.001 mg/kg (divide by 1000)
What does the EPA consider the limit of acceptable risk for environmental hazards?
1 in 1,000,000
On average, how much municipal solid waste is generated per person each day in the United States?
2 kg
there are _____ dead zones in the world caused by pollution according to the UN in 2006
200
how many aluminum cans does the typical american use and dispose of each year? ____ cans, (11 lbs)
340
Approximately how much MSW is recovered before it enters a landfill or incinerator?
35%
garbage doesn't go down by the street in LF bc it looks bad; greyslake is our nearest landfill; MSW is average garbage that everyone makes; garbage=waste; garbage is slang for MSW; each person produces _ lb waste; beginning of the 80s was convenience, making everything disposable - paper/plastic plates and utensils
4.9
the average american creates about ____ pcd (pounds per capita per day); that is ____ pounds per year; that is about 292.4 million tons of MSW for the entire US in 2018
4.9
Approximately what percent of the oil in marine waters worldwide is due to natural causes?
45
The EPA estimates that approximately _____ percent of municipal solid waste comes from residences and _____ percent comes from commercial and institutional facilities.
60, 40
Highest volume of water on earth is in oceans --- __% of all the water on earths surface is found in the oceans, which is a problem bc of the salt
97
threats to our coral reefs: predation: some species can cause damage to coral reefs, like damsel fish and crown of thorn starfish. while they may not be invasive, outbreaks of the .... wreak havoc on...
? slide 45 of water pollution
zoonosis
A disease shared by animals and humans; ex. Lyme disease, various strains of the flu (swine flu), potentially covid
acute disease
A disease that rapidly impairs the functioning of an organism
chronic disease
A disease that slowly impairs the functioning of an organism
epidemic
A situation in which a pathogen causes a rapid increase in disease [in a localized area]; more local or regional
An _____ disease spreads the fastest and most random; covid is airborne - respiratory Ebola is contact, so it didn't take off and spread like a global pandemic
AIRBORNE
pandemic
An epidemic that occurs over a large geographic region or entire world - Covid 19; "cross continent"
anthroponosis
An infection that occurs exclusively in humans; ex. Falciparum malaria and yellow fever
true statements ab emerging infectious diseases
Bird flu is a virus that jumps from birds to people. Ebola hemorrhagic fever causes a high rate of death. HIV is a virus that most likely came from chimps.
Which legislation imposes a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries to generate funds to pay for the cleanup of hazardous substances?
CERCLA
ocean acidification
CO2 from the atmosphere is dissolved in water to form carbonic acid: CO2 + H20 --> H2CO3 (carbonic acid); next carbonic acid breaks apart to form hydrogen ion and bicarbonate: H2CO3 --> H and HCO3-; the free H contributes to the acidity of the oceans
bird flu
Caused by H5N1 virus; People who were in close contact with birds were infected; Same as swine flu; Treatments vary, but can be treated with antiviral medication; Mostly in asia
Lyme disease
Caused by a bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi; Transmitted by ticks, which attach themselves to animals and people; when they attach their mouthparts to humans, they transfer the disease-causing bacteria; Symptoms resemble the flu, arthritis, and neurological disorders; Modern antibiotics; Northeastern United States, etc.
tuberculosis
Caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis that primarily infects the lungs; It is spread when a person coughs and expels the bacteria into the air. The bacteria stays in the air for several hours and infects people who inhale them; Feeling weak, sweating at night, and coughing up blood; Antibiotics can usually treat tuberculosis successfully; Death from tuberculosis is prominent in developing countries, but can be seen in regions across the globe, such as the U.S.; drug resistant strains of tuberculosis are appearing in Africa and Russia
zika
Caused by a pathogen that causes babies to be born with unusually small heads and damaged brains; Mosquitos carry the virus and transmit it when they bite humans; can also be transmitted via sexual contact with an infected person; Rashes, fevers, and headaches; can be passed from mothers to their fetuses; No known treatment -- efforts are focused on reducing mosquito populations; All over the world -- Central America, South America, Central Africa, Southeast Asia, etc.
HIV/AIDS
Caused by a virus known as Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV); Spreads through sexual contact, blood transfusions, from mothers to their fetuses, and among drug users who share unsanitized needles; Fever, headache, muscle aches, etc.; Antiviral drugs can maintain low levels of HIV within people and extend life with those who have HIV; Can occur anywhere, but thought to have originated from chimpanzees in Cameroon.
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)
Caused by a virus known as a coronavirus; May have originated from an animal source; Cough, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing; There are some vaccines available to combat MERS; Arabian Peninsula (middle east)
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
Caused by a virus known as a coronavirus; Spreads from one person to another; Similar respiratory symptoms to swine and bird flu; Antibiotics and other medications; Southeast Asia
plague
Caused by an infection from a bacterium called Yersinia Pestis that fleas carry; Fleas attach to rodents, and if the rodents are in close contact with humans, the bacterium can be transmitted via flea bites or handling the rodents; Swollen glands, black spots on skin, extreme pain; Modern antibiotics have been successful in killing the bacterium that causes the plague; Occurred most prominently in Europe in the 1300s, but can outbreak anywhere, like Asia
malaria
Caused by an infection from several species of protists in the genus Plasmodium; The parasite resides in mosquitos until it is transmitted via mosquito bite to a human; Recurrent flu-like symptoms; People tried using insecticides to combat malaria, which was unsuccessful; The regions that got malaria the worst include sub-saharan africa, asia, the middle east, and central and south america
Ebola
Caused by several species of Ebola viruses; Transmitted from infected animals such as fruit bats; Fever, vomiting, internal and external bleeding; Only experimental drugs can fight the virus; new vaccines are being used; First discovered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but has infected numerous people across Africa
swine flu
Caused by the H1N1 virus; The flu can infect pigs, then move to humans; Fever, runny nose, sore throat, etc.; Vaccines are available to prevent swine flu, and there are drugs that combat the flu; Outbreaks have occurred recently in venezuela and india
cholera
Caused by the bacteria Vibrio Cholerae; Transmitted through the oral-fecal route (raw food, contaminated food/drink, etc.); Diarrhea, fatigue, vomiting, etc.; Antibiotics and self-care practices; Across the globe
true statements about dose-response studies
Dose-response studies can last for days or months. LD50 values are divided by 10 to determine safe concentrations for wildlife. Dose-response studies test chemicals across a range of concentrations. dose-response studies do NOT only test for lethal effects
We are all chronically being exposed to ___ where we live
ETO?
emerging disease
Emergent infectious diseases are those that were not previously described or have not been common for at least the prior 20 years (dormant, measles/polio is a good example in this case); covid is emergent
Runoff contains oil, gas, fluids from cars, salt, etc. and goes into sewers. This is non point source . but when this sewage goes to lake michigan, the sewage becomes point source _____ funnels the water. Pollutants travel through the watershed because of cohesion
Gravity
true statements about composting
In order for compost to be made in a reasonable amount of time, the material must be mixed frequently., Composting results in the release of carbon dioxide., Composting can be a method for diverting material from the landfill..... NOT Efficient composting requires an abundance of anaerobic bacteria.
acid deposition...
It is primarily due to the burning of coal, It is treated using limestone, It causes increased solubility of many ions.... It can NOT occur as a result of mining.
measuring toxicity: once a dose-response curve is plotted, scientists can calculate a convenient shorthand gauge of a substance's toxicity -- the amount of toxicant it takes to kill half the population of study animals used (____); common sense suggests that the greater the dose, the ______ the response will be; however, sometimes responses occur only above a certain dose, called a ____ dose
LD50, threshold
Why might hazardous waste disposal in the United States be an international issue?
Lower disposal costs elsewhere encourages U.S. industries to export waste.
Which hazardous material is known to cause cancer?
PCBs
bioremediation - living organisms break down the pollution by eating oil compounds; we have genetically modified plants and bacteria to do this; Plants do this also, get water absorbent plants and pull up pollutants; called _____, but it is a form of bioremediation
Phytoremediation
true statements about historical infectious diseases
Plague is a disease that is carried by fleas attached to rodents. Tuberculosis is a disease that is transmitted through the air. Historically important infectious diseases still pose a health risk.
mad cow disease
Prions mutate into deadly pathogens and slowly damage a cow's nervous system; Transmitted to humans who eat meat from infected cattle; can only be passed from cow to cow if one cow consumes the nervous system of another; The cow loses coordination of its body, then dies; humans suffer similar fates; No effective treatments available; Spread rapidly in Europe from British cows, but has been found in cattle in the U.S., Canada, etc.
Which legislation calls for listing hazardous waste to use in cradle-to-grave tracking?
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
Which statement best describes the difference between the Superfund and Brownfield programs?
Superfund site designation is reserved for sites that are the highest risk to public health whereas Brownfields are characterized as less dangerous.
water pollution
The contamination of streams, rivers, lakes, oceans, or groundwater with substances produced through human activities and that negatively affect organisms
true statements about the two approaches to regulating chemicals
The precautionary principle can cause delays in the use of beneficial chemicals but reduces the risk of harmful chemicals being approved; The innocent-until-proven-guilty principle assumes chemicals are safe unless harm can be demonstrated; The innocent-until-proven-guilty principle allows rapid approval of chemicals by regulatory agencies but increases the risk that harmful chemicals will be approved; The precautionary principle is NOT used in the United States.
west nile
The virus is found in many different species of birds; Transmitted among birds by mosquitos; can sometimes infect horses and humans that have been bitten by mosquitos; Inflammation of the brain leading to illness and death; Combat mosquito populations and protect against mosquito bites; Has been present in a lot of different regions, including Uganda and the U.S.
After spraying pesticide on the farm's crops, a farmer notices that the population of amphibians in a nearby wetland has begun to decrease. The concentration of pesticide in the water is well below the LD50 value for amphibians. Based on this information, which is the most likely explanation for the decrease in amphibian population?
There were synergistic interactions between the pesticide and environmental factors.
reasons to keep household batteries out of landfills
They can leach toxic metals, They can be recycled, which would reduce the need for new raw materials, They can be recycled, which would reduce the need for additional energy.... NOT Their decomposition can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
cryptosporidium
a bacteria that has caused a number of gastrointestinal illness in the US; large scale disease outbreaks are from municipal water systems are rare in the US but do occasionally occur; more common in many parts of the developing world
leach field/septic field
a combination of perforated pipes surrounded by gravel buried under the lawn; you need sufficient land for the leach field; clear water slowly seeps from the pipes into the soil; it is slowly absorbed and filtered by the surrounding soil; harmful pathogens can be degraded by soil microorganisms
eutrophication
a natural process of organic matter building up in a body of water that begins to decay; the decomposition process uses up oxygen and can change the ecosystem; lakes and ponds can eventually transition into a swamp or marsh
oxygen sag curve
a plot of dissolved oxygen levels and BOD versus the distance from a source of pollution; source is usually excess nutrients (fertilizers) or animal/human waste
composting toilet systems
a valuable, inexpensive alternative to septic systems; a sanitary means of treating human waste; produces a stable-humus-like product; these systems need active management; reduces toilet waste by 70-90 %; the end product must be legally buried or removed; popular in stage 1 and 2 nations; most commonly used in vacation homes, roadside rest stops; parks, and some urban settings; no excess water being used
pathogens
a variety of illness-causing viruses, bacteria, and parasites that human wastewater can carry; cause cholera, typhoid fever, various types of stomach flu, and diarrhea
acid deposition
acids that return to the earth, hundreds of km away from its source of smoke stacks of coal burning industrial plants; reduces the pH of water below 5, this can be lethal to many aquatic organisms, making these waters devoid of many species
A disease that rapidly impairs a body's function is
acute
Water sticks to sediment (sand silt clay) and if theres fertilizer/pesticide on the particle of soil, the water ____ to the soil, the water can dissolve the containment, and gravity moves it thru the watershed
adheres
High-income countries (stage 3 and 4): the top risk factors leading to chronic disease are associated with _____; tobacco use low activity lifestyle poor nutrition from fast and processed foods high blood pressure Obesity stress; these are ______ diseases
affluence, noninfectious
eutrophication....: initially causes a rapid growth of algae known as an ______; the algal then dies; microbes begin digesting the dead algae; the increase in microbes consumes most of the oxygen and creates _____ waters or ____ zones
algal bloom, hypoxic, dead
REDUCE - reduces toxicity of waste: using less hazardous ______ for certain items (e.g. cleaning products and pesticides), sharing products that contain hazardous chemicals instead of throwing out leftovers, reading label directions carefully, and using the smallest amount necessary are ways to reduce waste _______
alternatives, toxicity
Which material usually uses closed-loop recycling?
aluminum
Which material, when placed in a landfill, is most likely to cause problems as a result of leaching?
aluminum
on average it takes 200-500 years for an _______ to decompose - so RECYCLE IT!
aluminum can
dose response studies: expose animals and plants to different ____ of chemicals and then look for a variety of possible _____; response include mortality and changes in _______
amounts, responses, behavior
NIMBY describes
an attitude about the placement of landfills.
What caused the eggshells of some birds to become thin and break?
an insecticide ingested by prey species
indicator species
an organism that indicates whether or not disease-causing pathogens are likely to be present
threats to our coral reefs: recreational impacts: boat groundings and _____ can harm corals by breaking or scarring them. sunscreens that include certain ____ harm coral reefs and other plants and animals that live in the ocean. protect yourself and the reef by covering up or wearing ___-based sunscreens
anchors, chemicals, mineral
1900 - common practice was to dump solid and liquid waste into our waterways and open pits; the decaying garbage attracted ___ and vectors; produced ____ and was the source of _____ chemicals; in large cities they had to ship waste away on barges or burn it in open piles
animals, odors, polluting
what can be composted?
any organic (once living) item other than meat products; 1/2 of US waste is made up of items that are easily compostable; banana peel, coffee grounds, grass clippings, leaves, lettuce, egg shells, tea bags, apple cores, etc.
scum
anything that will float will rise to the top of water column in the septic tank, such as oils and fats
In the United States, how much of generated waste ends up being recycled?
approx 1/3
water pollution has the potential to impact both _____ and _____ organisms
aquatic, terrestrial
____ can be removed from drinking water via fine membrane filtration, distillation, and reverse osmosis
arsenic...
residence time: the ____ length of time that the molecule of a substance spends in a particular _____ such as the atmosphere or the ocean
average, environment
PERSON TO PERSON: the most common way for infectious disease to spread is thru the direct transfer of ____, viruses, or other germs from one person to another. this can occur when an individual w the bacterium/virus touches, coughs on, or kisses someone who isn't infected. these germs can also spread thru the exchange of body fluids from _____ contact or a ____ transfusion.
bacteria, sexual, blood
brief life cycle of the aluminum can
bauxite extraction --> alumina refining --> primary smelting --> ingot casting --> fabrication --> can manufacturing --> beverage cans --> recycling cans --> sorting --> shredding --> remelting ... starts over at ingot casting
removing pollutants from wastewater --final cleansing and disinfection:
before discharge, waste water is disinfected by: - chlorine gas: effective, cheap, but danerous - sodium hypochloride (cholorox): a safer way to add chlorine but - - still produces toxic byproducts - ozone gas: sterilizes microorganisms but must be generated (it is also costly and requires energy) - UV light: sterilizes microorganisms discharged wastewater has a LOW BOD and may improve water quality
what contaminated the land and water near the housing development Love Canal in New York.
benzene
example of industrial ecology is _____
biodegradable soaps
causes of high concentrations of DDT in fish-eating birds
biomagnification, solubility, bioaccumulation... NOT synergistic interactions
why do we get rid of things/throw stuff away?
broken, rotten, doesn't have a purpose anymore, we don't have room for it anymore, just don't want it anymore, out of style
in some rural areas (in the US), they don't have trash pick up so they just ___ their trash in their yards
burn
threats to our coral reefs: ocean acidification can affect coral health by making less ___ carbonate available in ocean waters, making it harder for corals to form their....
calcium
Hazardous waste
can include certain household items such as paints and oil.; should nOT be disposed of in landfills intermixed w MSW, is NOT primarily generated by individual households, does NOT cost much less to recycle than regular waste
carcinogens: chemicals that cause ______; they damage cells and lead to the ___ growth of the damaged cells; they either interfere with normal ______ processes of the cell or by damaging the ____ material of a cell (mutagen); ex: asbestos, radon, formaldehyde, chemicals in tobacco
cancer, uncontrolled, metabolic, genetic
legal sewage dumping: during periods of heavy rain, when/if the combined volume of storm water and wastewater overwhelms the ____ of the plant, wastewater treatment plants are allowed to pump water directly into adjacent bodies of water; this occurs about 40,000 times per year in the uS; this can result in _______ of drinking water, beaches, fish, and shellfish; can lead to ____ illness; lots of illnesses associated w swimming in sewage-contaminated water in the US; same w drinking the water or eating contaminated shellfish
capacity, contamination
Most people die from
cardiovascular diseases
An infectious disease is always
caused by a pathogen
when mercury is released in the ev't it undergoes a _____ transformation to methylmercury; inorganic mercury (Hg) is not particularly _____; in wetlands and lakes _____ convert inorganic mercury into methylmercury, which is highly ____ to humans; damages the central nervous system, particularly in ____ and _____ women; resulting in impairment of coordination and the senses of touch, taste, and sight; exposure occurs mostly thru eating ____ and _____; reduce global mercury production from cement manufacturing and burning coal
chemical, harmful, bacteria, toxic, children, pregnant, fish, shellfish
worldwide, the major waterborne diseases are ____ and ____
cholera, hepatitis
septic tank: a large, buried container that receives wastewater from a house; 1900-4700 liters; wastewater flows from the house in one end and out the other end as ____ water; 3 layers form in the tank:
clear, sludge, septage, and scum
effective dose: the amount of drug, toxin, or level of radiation exposure that is sufficient to achieve the desired _______ (ED50)
clinical improvement
Sediments in water
clogs the gills of some aquatic animals.
Person to person is physical contact - you need to shake a hand, etc. Foodborne - pretty much all of it is transmitted via ____ of food ; if you don't eat the food, you don't get Small exception is salmonella, which you can get from contact Disease originates from the bacteria in the food; comes from washing w dirty water, handling improperly, etc. and the food becomes contaminated Animal to person - bites and stings
consumption
how do infectious diseases spread? DIRECT CONTACT: the easiest way to catch most infectious diseases is by coming in _____ w someone who has one. this "someone" can be a person, animal, or, for an unborn baby, its mother. three different ways infectious disease can be spread thru direct contact are: ______
contact, person to person, animal to person, mother to unborn child
keeping wastewater from ____ human drinking water is difficult bc throughout the world many ppl routinely use the same water source for drinking, bathing, washing, and disposal of sewage
contaminating
Thermal pollution has been reduced by the use of ____
cooling towers.
paper vs plastic -- paper:
cups too hot to hold - need an extra sleeve; 2 grams of oil per cup; 33 grams of wood/bark per cup; 2 times as much energy; much more water to produce; heavier, which means more transportation and FF costs; heavier = more exhaust from transportation = more air emissions; single use; potential leaching from the liner; bleach and dioxins could be released during production = enviro and human health concerns; small amount of energy recovered from incineration; paper will decompose and produce methane
waste stream: the components in our waste or the things we throw away on a ______; in the US it typically includes paper products, food scraps, containers, packaging, plastics, metal, rubber, cloth, and yard waste
daily basis
four types of wastewater pollutants
debris and grit (rags, plastic, sand, gravel; flushed down toilets or in storm drains); particulate organic matter (fecal matter, food wastes, toilet paper that settles out in still water); colloidal and dissolved organic matter (fine particles of organic material; along w bacteria, urine, soaps, detergents); dissolved inorganic material (N+P, and other nutrients from wastes and detergents; also, pesticides, heavy metals, toxic compounds)
why human wastewater is an ev't concern: wastewater dumped in bodies of water naturally undergoes ____ by bacteria which creates a large demand for ____; _____ are released from wastewater decomposition that can make the water more _____; wastewater can carry a wide variety of ______-causing organisms
decomposition, oxygen, nutrients, fertile, disease
REDUCE - businesses: when businesses manufacture their product w less packaging, they are buying less material. a ______ in manufacturing costs can mean a larger profit margin, with savings that can be passed on to the consumer
decrease
The precautionary principle
decreases financial incentives for chemical development.
reasonable use
defined by each state but usually includes domestic, swimming, boating, and fishing
acute diseases/illnesses
dehydration, asthma, allergies, sleep quality, hypoglycemia, injury, overdose, infection, cough, suicide, stress, accidents, drug reaction
the higher the BOD, the more DO will be _____ while breaking down organic matter; a high BOD (low DO) limits or precludes animal life
depleted
hepatitis A is becoming more common in the ____ world including the US; usually originates in ____ that have poor _____ practices
developed, restaurants, sanitation
cholera claims thousands of lives each year in ______ countries, but is not common in the _____
developing, US
teratogens: chemicals that interfere with the normal _____ of embryos or fetuses; ex: thalidomide - morning sickness medicine prescribed in the 1950-61; tens of thousands of children were born w birth defects; excessive _____ consumption is a modern day example
development; alcohol
four infectious diseases that account for almost 80 percent of all infectious deaths?
diarrheal diseases, HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections. ....
As water is getting further and further away from the source, it becomes more _____. The pollution never goes away
diluted
tertiary treatment _______ the water:
disinfects; chemical process; using chlorine, ozone, ultraviolet light, and/or VigorOx (a peractetic acid); to kill any remaining pathogens; treated water is then released into nearby river, lake, aquifer, where it becomes part of the water cycle again; regulated by the clean water act and the general pretreatment regulations; in some places it is directly turned into tap water "toilet to tap"
The use of sonar
disrupts communication among whales.
solubility: the tendency to _____ in water
dissolve
life cycle of the production of aluminum
do we need to know this? if so, go to kami what a waste
dose-response curves describe the effect on an organism or the mortality rate in a population based on the ____ of a particular toxin or drug; the standard method of testing lab animals in toxicology is called dose-response ______; the dose is the amount of toxicant the test animal receives; the response is the type or ____ of negative effects the animal exhibits as a result
dose, analysis, magnitude
lead: a heavy metal that poses a serious health threat; rarely found in natural sources of _________; gets into water when water passes thru pipes of older homes that contain lead-lined, brass fittings, lead solder used to fasten pipes together; ______ and _____ are the most sensitive; exposure can damage the brain, ____ system and ______; federal guidelines now require lead-free pipes, pipe fittings, and pipe solders; lead in drinking water is a _____ issue
drinking water, fetuses, infants, nervous, kidneys, declining
access to clean drinking water: the world health organization estimates that 1.1 billion ppl or 1/6 of the global pop. does not have access to safe ____ water; 3.1 million ppl die each year from diarrheal diseases and malaria; 42% of the world's population lacks access to proper ______ (half live in china+india); 36% of sub-saharan africa have access to improved sanitation
drinking, sanitation
threats to our coral reefs: destructive fishing practices: trolling and using ______ have negatively impacted the reefs
dynamite
mississippi river delta dead zone
each summer there is an influx of wastewater and fertilizer that causes an algal bloom followed by a substantial decrease in oxygenated water that results in massive die offs of fish
REDUCE - reduces cost: preventing waste also can mean ____ savings for communities, businesses, schools, and individual consumers
economic
threats to our coral reefs: overfishing: coral reef ecosystems support an abundance of species, but overfishing can deplete these populations and effect the entire ______
ecosystem
Atrazine and DDT are examples of
endocrine disruptors
modern sanitary landfill: permanent burial of waste in the ground or piled up in large, carefully ______ mounds designed to prevent waste from contaminating the ____ and threatening public health
engineered, environment
benefits of composting: can be used to naturally ____ the soil, reducing the amount of ______ needed; helps resist soil ______; encourages soil biodiversity; makes healthier plants; reduces occupied space in ______
enrich; synthetic fertilizers; landfills
life components that impact disease/conditions:
environment - temp, pollution, pollen, light; lifestyle - food, exercise, drugs, hygiene, smoke; situation - social, work, mental status, risk taking; genetics
life-cycle assessment: method to evaluate the _____ impact of product thru all stages of life cycle; inventory analysis - inputs and outputs of energy, material, and pollutants; impact analysis - environmental, economic, health, social, and cultural impacts of inputs and outputs; improvement analysis - opportunities to ____ impacts
environmental, reduce
decomposition of wastewater, bc it adds N and P, can add an abundance of fertility to water, a process called _______
eutrophication
nutrient pollution from fertilizers, farms, golf courses, lawns, and sewage leads to _____; phosphorus boosts algal growth, depriving other plants of ______; dead algae provide food for ______, which depletes water of ______, causing fish to die
eutrophication, sunlight, decomposers, oxygen
volatility: the tendency to ____ into the atmosphere
evaporate
Life-cycle analysis
examines the materials and energy associated with an object from extraction of materials to disposal.
Electronic waste is more ____ to recycle than to put in a landfill.
expensive; it does NOT account for over 10% of the waste stream, it is NOT almost always recycled, and it does NOT contain few toxic components
septage
fairly clear water that contains large quantities of bacteria, and could also contain pathogenic organisms, and inorganic nutrients such as N+P
cons of landfills
fear - ppl are very fearful of possible environmental impacts; smell; litter; noise; traffic
composting: the natural process of converting organic matter (from a living organism) down to humus used to improve soil ________; can be small scale in your yard, or large scale where our leaves and grass clippings go; IL banned yard waste from its landfills bc it was taking up too much space
fertility
refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle (in that order); recycling isn't perfect, as it still takes energy; ppl don't recycle bc they're lazy, it's another step, there aren't always _____ incentives, for green recycling bins you have to open a lid instead of just tossing it into an open trash can, and access to recycling (in cities there are way more trash cans than recycling bins)
financial
Bioaccumulation - building up in YOUR system or the system of a plant, of a fish, etc. This is also known as body burden Biomagnification has to do with a ______ The concentration increases through the food chain
food chain
Arsenic is
found naturally in groundwater.... it is NOT inexpensive to remove from drinking water, primarily found in water in North America, or often discovered due to its rapid health effects.
climate change is likely to diminish supplies of ____ in many regions which will lead to an increase in international conflict over water use; there is a global need for international agreements governing water! water in the US is regulated primarily by the clean water act (CWA) and the safe drinking water act; each ____ sets its own water rights policy
fresh water, state
incineration: process where MSW is fed into ____ to reduce the volume of the waste by about __%; heat, ash, flue gases, and aerosols are produced in the process; ash does need to be ___; modern incinerators have complex filtration and scrubbing devices to reduce emissions, particulate aerosols, and other ______; the average american combusts .58 ppd or 211.7 lbs/year
furnaces, landfilled, pollutants
if you have a septic system you can't have a
garbage disposal
dry acid deposition occurs as ____ and particles that attach to the surface of plants, soils, and water
gases
The faster the water flows, the more sediment it can carry When it flows slower, _____ takes over and the sediment settles towards the bottom Darker, sediment-filled water will absorb more sunlight and holds less oxygen . prevents the plants from photosynthesizing, and water will become oxygen deficient
gravity
sewage treatment plants are necessary in areas of ___ population densities ; receive wastewater from 100s or 1000s of homes via sewers (underground network of __)
greater, pipes
half life: the time it takes for ___ of the molecules of a particular substance to be transformed into another form; ex: DDT
half
median lethal dose (LD50): the amount of toxicant it takes to kill ___ the population of study animals used
half
freshwater pollution and its control: developed countries have made advances in reducing water pollution; ____ of the world's major rivers are seriously depleted and polluted; they poison surrounding _____ and threaten the health and livelihood of ppl; the invisible pollution of groundwater has been called a "___ crisis"
half, ecosystems, covert
routes of exposure: the way in which an an individual might come into contact w an environmental _____; routes include air, water for bathing/drinking/cooking, food, where we live/work/visit, consumer products we use knowingly and unknowingly
hazard
electronic wastes (e-waste): regulation only recent; broken or obsolete electronics; contain ____ and ____ metals; recycling less than 20%; US doesn't have national regulations; European Union and some US states have take-back regulations; manufactures must take back product at end of life cycle
heavy, precious
eutrophic describes a lake w ____ levels of productivity
high
acute exposure: exposure is in ___ amounts for ___ periods of time; ex: explosion, train derailment
high, short
endocrine disruptors: chemicals that interfere w the normal functioning of the _____ in an animals body (including humans); hormones regulate the functioning of the body including growth, metabolism and the development of reproductive organs; endocrine disruptors can lead to birth defects, developmental disorders, and gender imbalances in fish and other species; tyrone hayes and atrazine
hormones
Removing streamside cover -- cutting down trees that previously provided the stream with shade, so now there is no shade and the water gets _____ ____ usually cause water to be colder
hotter, dams
tracing garbage in LF/LB
house to garbage can (next to garage in LF, end of street in LB); cushman (little red truck) to the big green truck in LF; right to the big green truck in LB; transfer station; semi truck; landfill; big green truck to the landfill in grayslake (LF/LB)
water pollution groups include:
human and animal waste; nutrient; inorganic substances; organic compounds; synthetic organic compounds; nonchemical; sediment; biological/pathogens;energy; solid waste; for each group, know where the pollution comes from, its negative effects on humans + the en't, and what can be done to reduce these effects
toxicology: scientific discipline that studies chemical poisons and effect on ________
human health
synthetic organic compounds: ___-made compounds; _____ containing (organic); includes: pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and industrial cleaners; can cause _____ defects and are _______, meaning they interfere w growth and sexual development
human, carbon, genetic, endocrine disruptors
what may be present in the emissions from waste incinerators?
hydrochloric acid
Waste products from petroleum operations are harmful when ingested and can catch on fire. The EPA would therefore designate them as
ignitable, toxic, and hazardous
allergens: chemicals that cause an allergic reaction; allergens are not pathogens; allergens are capable of causing a strong response from the ____ system; ex. peanuts, milk, pollen, penicillin
immune
disease: any __ function of the body with a characteristic set of ____
impaired, symptoms
steps to be taken in the future for combating diseases
improving nutrition, proper sanitation, increased education... NOT the use of many antiseptic cleaners
how do we pay for our waste?
in LB/LF our waste collection is included in our taxes; we can put as much trash out each week as we have and it will be picked up; LB and LF also have access to waste disposal drop offs or dumps where small quantities of waste and debris (yard waste, construction, appliances) can also be disposed of included in our taxes; other areas have "pay as you throw" programs meaning that every bag of trash you put out costs a set price. usually you have to purchase either special bags or stickers to put on those bags in order for them to be picked up
TERTIARY TREATMENT: biological nutrient removal (BNR): BNR: treats nutrient-rich water from activated sludge to prevent eutrophication; removes N+P;; nitrogen removal: bacteria convert ammonia and nitrate to non-nutritive nitrogen gas (denitrification); the activated sludge system is partitioned into zones that promote the denitrifying process;; phosphorus is taken up and stored by bacteria; bacteria are then added to the raw sludge ;; alternatives to BNR: chemical treatments use lime, ferric chloride, or a polymer to remove phosphorus
in summary, the third step removes nitrogen and phosphorus
in order to make recycling economically feasible, we must buy recycled products and packaging. when we buy recycled products, we create an economic _______ for recyclable materials to be collected, manufactured, and marketed as new products. purchasing products made from or packaged in recycled materials saves ____ for future generations
incentive; resources
waste to energy: use the heat produced by the _____ process to pressurize steam that is then used in turbine generators to produce _______; very common in european countries as well as japan; public opposition to incinerators is often _______ to that of landfills
incineration, electricity, higher
detriments of waste incineration compared w landfills
increased air pollution, increased cost to dispose of waste, increased toxicity of waste (however takes up less space)
Increasing tipping fees can cause
increases in illegal dumping.
how can we test whether pathogens are in our drinking water? it is not feasible ($) to test for all of the many different pathogens that could exist in drinking water - instead, we use _______
indicator species
DROPLET TRANSMISSION: when you cough or sneeze, you expel droplets into the air around you. when you are sick with any illness, these droplets contain the germ that caused your illness. spread of infectious disease in this manner is called droplet spread or droplet transmission. crowded, _____ environments promote the chances of droplet transmission - which explains the increase in respiratory infections in the ______ months. some disease-causing germs travel thru the air in particles that are ____ than droplets, which can also infect people by persisting in the air.
indoor, winter, smaller
POPS don't dissolve or disintegrate or anything POPS are mostly ____
insecticides
The Brownfields Program
is managed primarily by state and local governments.
Organic matter in landfills is a problem primarily because
it produces methane gas
pros of landfills
job; no to low cost waste; tax incentives; property value increases; waste to energy (renewable energy); end use
riparian water rights
land owners w property adjacent to a body of water have a right to make reasonable use of it. rights can be sold or transferred only to adjacent land owners and water cannot be transferred out of the watershed. common in eastern half of the country
incineration isn't getting rid of waste, just converting it into ash. volume and mass is reduced by 95%, but leftover ash is ___; lots of ____ from incineration
landfilled, emissions
today - 5 main practices to dispose of waste in order
landfilling, incineration, reduce/reuse/recycle, composting, other food management pathways
what is used in the cleanup of oil spills?
large vacuums, chemical dispersants, absorbent materials along the coast; NOT clumping agents applied to underwater plumes
manure lagoons
large, human built ponds lined with rubber to prevent manure from leaking into the groundwater; some CAFOs have these; bacteria breaks down the manure, which can then be spread onto farm fields as fertilizer
chapter 14 case study - the chesapeake bay
largest estuary in the US; located in the virginia, maryland, and delaware; receives water from many rivers and streams that drain urban, suburban, and agricultural areas that mixes w salt water to produce an extremely productive estuary; the water also carries an abundance of nutrients, sediment, and chemicals; 272 million kg of nitrogen; 14 million kg of phosphorus; the source of these nutrients includes sewage treatment plants, CFAO waste, yards and farms fertilizers; when the nutrients reach the bay , an explosive growth of algae occurs; 8.2 billion kg of sediment come into the bay each year, preventing sunlight from reaching the grasses which have been historically abundant in the bay; anthropogenic chemicals are responsible for the male fish growing female eggs; this is concerning for both fish and humans that share many similarities in endocrine systems; bc of the size of the watershed, cleaning it up would be a monumental effort; goals are being set into place to reduce impacts of nutrients, sediment, and chemicals going into the bay; good example of how a variety of pollutants can impact aquatic and of effective and substantial efforts can be made when all parties work together
current methods of disposal of hazardous waste: permanent retrieval storage sites (special landfills that are monitored for ____); chemical processing; high-temp incineration; bioremediation (_____ organism breakdown); superfund sites
leakage, living
The Exxon Valdez oil spill
led to new regulations for oil tankers.; it was NOT larger than the Deepwater Horizon spill, was NOT cleaned up within 2 years of the spill; it did significantly changed the ecosystem 20 years later.
warmer water holds ____ oxygen
less
low BOD indicates that the water is ____ polluted by wastewater; high bOD indicates that the water is _____ polluted by wastewater; natural waters should have about _ to __ mg of oxygen coming from the decomposition of leaves, twigs, and dead organisms; domestic wastewater might have 200 mg of oxygen;
less, more, 5-20
REDUCE - consumers: buying products in bulk, w ____ packaging, or that are ______ (not single-use) frequently means a cost savings. what is good for the environment can be good for the pocketbook as well
less, reusable
sublethal effects: the effect of an environmental hazard that is not ___, but which may impair an organism's behavior, physiology or ______
lethal, reproduction
no-observed-effect-level (NOEL): the highest concentration of a chemical that causes no __ or _____ effects
lethal, sublethal
coal scrubbers pass the hot gases of the exhaust of burning coal thru ____; the ____ reacts w the ______ gases and removes teh acid from the exhaust
limestone, limestone, acidic
passing streams thru ___ treatment facilities can raise the _____ of the water and remove ____ metals to levels that are tolerable to stream organisms, but who is responsible?
limestone, pH, toxic
Freshwater is quickly declining -- there is a lot of water on earth but not a lot that we can actually drink We need water more than food bc we will die of dehydration faster than starvation Access to clean drinking water is a huge ______ Our current use of water is not sustainable
limiting factor
risks of manure lagoons
liner can leak, contaminating the groundwater; rains can flood the lagoons causing them to overflow running off into the local land and waterways; overflows can lead to outbreaks of disease in humans and wildlife; this is the cause of many food recalls - E. coli
INDIRECT CONTACT: disease-causing organisms can also be passed along by indirect contact. many germs can ____ on an inanimate object, such as a tabletop or door knob. when you touch the same doorknob as someone sick, you can pick up the germs they left behind. if you touch your eyes, mouth, or nose before washing your hands, you may become _____.
linger, infected
solid waste
litter in our waterways; pacific garbage patch; micro and macro plastics that make it to the waterways; other litter from the shore, boats, cargo ships, such as nets, ropes, lighters, etc.
Persistent organic pollutants (POPS)
long-lived and widely dispersed organic chemicals; the "Dirty Dozen": especially problematic POPS that are widely dispersed and their impacts on human health are well established
oligotrophic describes a lake w ___ levels of productivity
low
acid mine deposition
low pH groundwater; comes from underground mines that, once abandoned, flood w groundwater; if the groundwater comes in contact w a rock called pyrite (fools gold), a reaction will occur to produce iron and hydrogen ions; this process produces acidic water w a low pH; this acid water finds its way to the surface via springs and gaining surface waters
____ DO and ____ BOD is the sign of unhealthy water
low, high
chronic exposure: exposure in ___ amounts over ___ periods of time ; ex: air quality, alcoholism
low, long
Prions are pathogens that are responsible for
mad cow disease
alternatives to paper/plastic debate
make coffee at home and use a reusable cup - saves resources and $; bring a reusable cup to restaurants; drink tap water, not bottled water; if you like carbonated beverages get a soda stream
alternative wastewater treatment systems
many US homes use on-site treatment systems (if you are isolated or in the woods); septic system is the traditional, most common system
municipal solid waste (MSW)
materials that have been discarded from homes, small businesses, and institutions such as hospitals, restaurants, and universities, domestic industrial, business, and agricultural sectors; the stuff we call trash or garbage; it is not a liquid or a gas; in the past MSW was dumped into open pits, rivers, and the ocean, or burned; in the developed countries that has been replaced by the modern landfill and incineration facilities
BOD
measures the amount of organic material in the water; how much oxygen is needed to break matter down
Pregnant ppl cant eat tuna bc of the _____ and are told not to smoke or drink bc it can be passed to the unborn child
mercury
chronic diseases/illnesses/conditions
metabolic change, cancer, inflammation, Vit. d deficiency, diabetes, cardio disease, side effects, cancer, chronic fatigue, quality of life, poor decisions, disease predisposition
Algae blocks lower organisms from getting sunlight, so those organisms stop photosynthesizing, so the oxygen levels go down, then the algae dies eventually, and it decomposes without oxygen which results in _____.
methane
Decomposing without oxygen =
methane
potentially a source of energy:
methane
landfill produces anthropogenic ____; for incineration, you can utilize the burning stuff to produce more ____
methane, energy
parts of the cradle to cradle concept proposed by William McDonough?
mimic the natural world in the production of hard materials, evaluate existing practices before making modifications, minimize waste generation during manufacturing... NOT integrate all forms of waste management
why is composting sustainable
mimics natural biological cycles; diverts large amounts of waste from landfills
removing pollutants from wastewater: PRIMARY TREATMENT: wastewater must be treated at a reasonable cost; primary treatment: removes debris, grit, and particulate organic matter at ____ cost; bar screen: mechanically rakes debris for removal and ______; grit chamber: grit settles and is ____; primary clarifiers: tanks where PM settles to the bottom and fatty/oily materials float; raw sludge: combined particulate organic matter and oily materials that are removed and _____
minimal; incineration; removed; treated
mesotrophic describes a lake w ___ levels of productivity
moderate
how to fix legal sewage dumping: municipalities need to update and _____ their sewage treatment systems at considerable expense to prevent the influx of storm water from overwhelming their capacity to treat human wastewater
modernize
A prospective study
monitors individuals who might be exposed to harmful chemicals in the future.
Infectious diseases kill ____ people in developing countries than in developed countries
more
synergistic interactions: a situation in which two risks together can cause ___ harm than expected based on separate effects of each risk alone; ex: the health impacts of asbestos exposure can be much higher if a person is a smoker
more
Which risk has the highest probability of death in the United States?
motor vehicle accident
impact of certain toxins depends on ____ thru the environment
movement
For composting to work effectively, the compost
must be mixed
reimagining product life cycles: industrial ecology - industrial system redesigned to mimic _____ cycling systems; design for disassembly - circularize life cycle of components; extend product responsibility (EPR) - ______ responsible for product thru life cycle, take-back programs; unique idea -- ___ packaging!
natural, producers, mushroom
arsenic: a _____ occurring compound in the Earth's ____ that can dissolve into groundwater; high concentrations of arsenic in rocks can lead to high concentrations of arsenic in _____; ______ can increase arsenic concentrations in groundwater; industrial use of arsenic as a _____ preservative; arsenic is found in _____ water across the US; highest concentration is found in the midwest and west; can cause ____ of the skin, lungs, kidneys, and bladder which take 10 yrs or more to develop after exposure; small concentrations can pose severe health problems; global issue
naturally, crust, groundwater, mining, wood, well, cancers
mercury: ____ occurring heavy metal; ____ activities have increased its concentration in water; most mercury comes from burning _____ and other FFs; other sources include burning garbage, hazardous waste, medical/dental supplies; ____ used to make cement can contain mercury that is released in the heating process; ______ exploration is a source of mercury and ______
naturally, human, coal, limestone, petroleum, lead
neurotoxins: chemicals that disrupt the ______ system of animals (including humans); ex. insecticides, ______, mercury
nervous, lead
products of decomposition:
nitrogen and phosphorus; additional sources of phosphorus include soaps and detergents; nitrogen and phosphorus are generally the most important elements for limiting the abundance of producers in aquatic ecosystems
paper vs plastic -- styrofoam/plastic:
no temp concerns; 3 grams of oil per cup; no wood/bark usage; base amount of energy; uses less water than paper; lighter = less transportation cost and less FF; lighter = less exhaust = less air emissions; possibly multi-use (in theory); toxic emissions from production -e enviro and human health concerns; small amount of energy recovered from incineration; will not break down in landfill
landfills can contaminate groundwater and release harmful gases, although they are designed _____
not to; Mrs. D objects to this statement?
using effluents for irrigation
nutrient-rich water from secondary treatment is beneficial for growing plants; keep it out of waterways, but is used to irrigate fields; effluents must not contain toxic materials; cities irrigate open space, laws, golf courses w effluent; money from selling the water offsets operating costs; developing countries use untreated sewage to irrigate crops, but this spreads parasites, diseases (giardia); only treated effluents should be use
Which played an important role in the development of the "throw-away" society?
objects made of many materials; NOT the shift in manufacturing to developing nations, nOT the increased used of glass and metals, NOT the attitude changes after WWI
Mercury has a very long residence time in the ____ but a very short resident time in the ____ bc it comes from burning coal and then it comes down as rain
ocean, atmosphere
e. coli
one of the most common species of fecal coliform; most strains of e.coli are not harmful to ppl, although there are some strains that can be deadly (E. coli 0157:H7); given that e.coli is found in human intestines, finding e.coli in bodies of water indicates that human waste has entered the water; finding e.coli DOESN'T mean that the water is harmful to drink, but it DOES indicate that there is an increased risk of other wastewater pathogens being in the water; public water supplies, such as drinking water and pools, are routinely tested; an acceptable level of e.coli for swimming at a public beach or pool is less than 500 to 10,000 colonies of bacteria per 100 mL of water
oxygen-demanding waste: ____ matter that enters a body of water and feeds the growth of microbes that are ____; these microbes require ____ to decompose the waste; the more waste that enters water, the more the microbes grow, the more ____ they demand
organic, decomposers, oxygen, oxygen
hypoxic waterways are bodies of water that are low in dissolved ____; also known as dead zones; are found at the _____ of most, if not all, major rivers; decomposition by microbes consume nearly all of the oxygen = dead zone
oxygen
when sewage w a high BOD is discharged into a stream, it creates an _____ deficit and severely affects the stream's ______
oxygen, biology
when the water has high BOD due to microbial decomposition, the amount of ____ for other organisms can be very low = ___ zones
oxygen, dead
thermal pollution: warmer water holds less _____; kills aquatic organisms; industrial cooling _____ water; lowering the dissolved oxygen in the water; removing ______ cover also raises water temp (less shade) on the other hand, water that is too cold causes problems; water at the bottom of reservoirs is _____; when water is released, downstream water temps drop and favor cold-water ____ species; cold water holds ____ dissolved oxygen
oxygen, heats, streamside, colder, invasive, more
removing pollutants from waste water -- secondary (biological) treatment: decomposers and detritus feeders eat colloidal and dissolved organic matter; the matter is broken down to CO2, minerals, water; ____ is added to enhance respiration and growth; if we do this anaerobically we give off ____; trickling filter system: primary treated water is sprinkled onto a bed of rocks 6-8 ft deep; water is eaten by decomposers and detritus feeders;; activated sludge system: efficient, most common; primary treated water enters a tank with an air bubbling system or paddles the activated sludge system activated sludge: a mixture of detritus-feeding organisms added to water as it enters the tank - the water is vigorously aerated - organisms eat biomass (including pathogens) - floc: clumps of organisms that settle in still water secondary clarifier tank: organisms settle out -90% of organic matter has been removed settled organisms (activated sludge) are pumped back into the aeration tank - excess activated sludge is added to the raw sludge
oxygen, methane
dead zones can be self-perpetuating, with dying organisms decomposing and causing continued ____ demand by microbes, making it an endless cycle that is difficult to _____
oxygen, remediate
what is our waste composed of (in order from most to least)?
paper and paper board; food; plastics; yard trimmings; rubber, leather, and textiles; metals; wood; glass; other
The material that makes up the highest proportion of MSW is
paper and paperboard
Roughly half of the material in the solid waste stream that is recovered before ending up in a landfill or incinerator is
paper products
Allergens are NOT _____ but they do trigger responses from immune system
pathogens
infectious diseases are caused by infectious agents, known as _____; ex: pneumonia, STDs, flu, covid, etc.
pathogens
Noninfectious diseases are not caused by _____; ex: cardiovascular disease, digestive disease, most cancers; comes from ______ choices/genetics, etc.
pathogens, lifestyle
Atrazine is one of the most common _____, but it is very harmful
pesticides
toxic chemicals overview - from natural and synthetic sources
pesticides, petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, military compounds, industrial compounds (PCBs); arsenic, lead, mercury, acid rain, acid drainage from mines, and road salt; effects include: poisoning animals and plants, altering aquatic ecosystems, and human health problems; solutions: legislating and enforcing more strict regulations of industry; modify industrial processes and our purchasing decisions
MOTHER TO UNBORN CHILD: a pregnant women may pass germs that cause ____ diseases on to her unborn baby. germs can pass thru the ______, as is the case of AIDS, or you could pass along germs during labor and delivery
placenta
compostable packing
plant based polystyrenes, mushroom based packaging
it is important to understand the two sources of water pollution (____ and ___) to help in controlling pollution inputs into waterways
point source, non point source
Which is an application of the innocent-until-proven-guilty principle?
policies enacted as a result of the Stockholm Convention
case study: paper or plastic
polystyrene is a plastic more commonly known by its trade name, Styrofoam; it is an insulating value; it is used in the food packaging industry bc it minimizes temp changes in food and beverages; it is cheaper and lighter than alternatives for these industries; it is an oil based product so it does not decompose; in the mid 2010s, in response to negative public sentiment, many food businesses greatly reduced or eliminated the use of it; in 2018 dunkin donuts announced it would phase out all styrofoam by 2020; .... what is better paper or plastic?
Low income countries (stage 1 and 2): the top risk factors leading to chronic diseases are associated with _____, under and malnourished children, unsafe drinking water, poor or lacking sanitation, political upheaval, Poverty, high food prices; most often ____ diseases
poverty, infectious
facilities were built to treat sewage-polluted water; 1900: the first US wastewater treatment plants; heavy rains overflowed the plants and carried raw sewage to waterways; regulations require the installation of two systems; storm drains: collect and drain _____ runoff; sanitary sewers: receive and treat _______ (sinks, tubs, toilets) from homes and buildings; many areas still had untreated wastes in the 70s; increasing sewage pollution drove the passage of the ______
precipitation, wastewater, clean water act
modern sanitary landfill is designed to
prevent the contamination of groundwater, reduce odor of decaying waste, and improve aesthetic problems associated with dumps
wastewater treatment uses ____ and ____ treatment
primary, secondary
globally, infectious diseases cause more than 26% of human deaths; in the world's 50 poorest countries, such diseases cause more than 70% of human deaths; climate, water availability, and water _____ affect disease-causing organisms
quality
wet acid deposition occurs in the form of rain and snow AKA acid ____
rain
RECYLE: recycling is one of the best environment success stories of the late 20th century; recycle as much as possible, which includes buying products made w _____ content; 85 million tons or 34.5%; the average american recycles 1.51 lbs/day or 551.15 lbs/yr
recycled
REUSE: reusing items -- by repairing them, donating them to charity and community groups, or selling them -- also reduces waste. reusing products, when possible, is even better than _____ bc the item does not need to be reprocessed before it can be used again
recycling
the 3 R's
reduce, reuse, recycle
desired outcomes of MSW incineration
reducing volume, extracting energy, prolonging the life of landfills... nOT increasing air pollution
Water is ____ by definition, but our rate of degradation is exceeding nature's rate to recycle it to be clean, fresh water
renewable
persistence
residence time and half-life
Which could be a set of treatment and control groups for a retrospective study on the effects of endocrine disruptors on humans?
residents of a town that was downwind of a commercial farm that sprayed pesticides and residents of a town that was downwind of an organic farm
tuberculosis has strains that have developed _____ to antibiotics.
resistance
Threshold is where the line on the x axis starts to pull off the axis and show a ____ -- where the beginning actions are being seen
response
Risk acceptance determines the amount of tolerated ____. Risk assessment quantifies the potential _____ that a chemical poses. Risk management includes social, political, and economic considerations.
risk, harm
septic systems: a property-owned sewage treatment system (?); ideal in ____ and ____ population density areas, not possible in an ___ area; rely on ______ -- no electricity is needed (good in rural and underdeveloped areas/nations); ___ must be pumped out periodically (5-10 yrs) and taken to a wastewater treatment plant
rural, low, urban, gravity, sludge
threshold toxicity: the dose below which no effect is detected or above which an effect is first observed; threshold information is useful in extrapolating animal data to humans and calculating what may be considered a __ human dose for a given toxic substance
safe
sediment pollution
sand, silt, and clay particles that are suspended in water giving it a murky or dirty look; sediment can impair aquatic ecosystems; mining, clear-cutting, housing development, poor cultivation practices; dramatically changes aquatic habitats, and fish may not survive; solutions: better management of farms and forests, avoid large scale disturbance of vegetation
Largest source of water pollution by mass is ____
sediment
this balanced state is disrupted by human activities that artificially enrich water bodies with N+P; these inputs may come from ___ treatment plants or runoff of _____ from farms or suburban lawns
sewage, farms
There is a less than 1% of fresh water for 7.5 billion ppl, plus crops, animals, and industry to "_____"
share
advantages of aluminum cans vs tin and steel cans: aluminum resists corrosion, it has an extended _____ life, simple manufacture due to the sides and tops being made of one piece of _____, logos can be imprinted around the entire can; disadvantage: ______ of the cans
shelf, metal, disposing
mercury exposure often occurs through _____.
shellfish
treatment of sludge
sludge may be used as an organic fertilizer, or for pasteurization, composting
concentrated animal feeding operations/lots (CAFOs): animals can contaminate water on ___ scale farms when animals have free ___ to streams for food and water then they ____ directly in the stream; CAFOs you have 1000S of animals in a confined space = _____ scale manure issue; the manure from the CAFOs contains digested food, _______, and antibiotics
small, access, defecate, large, hormones
incineration is more common in ____ countries bc there is less space for landfills. more ____ in these countries as well
smaller, recycling
environmental hazards include
smoking tobacco, driving a car, air pollutants... NOT cancer
we can put ___ on a landfill to utilize solar energy and landfill gas
solar panels
not all water pollutants are chemical, like...
solid waste, sediment, thermal, and noise
primary treatment gets the ___ out:
solids; physical process; solid waste settles out of the wastewater in settling tanks = wet sludge at the bottom of the tank; wet sludge is then dried and classified as sludge; it can be exposed to bacteria that can digest it to reduce the volume and remove many of the pathogens, or baked at high temps; sludge can then be landfilled, burned, converted into fertilizers (bio-solids) for farms, lawns, and gardens
acid waters also cause many other harmful metal ions to become ____, including....
soluble, zinc, copper, aluminum, and manganese
noise pollution
sounds that are emitted by ships and submarines that interfere w animal communication; could affect species such as whales that rely on low-frequency, long distant communication
hazardous waste: wastes that are flammable, corrosive, explosive, or toxic; EPA categorizes 3 categories: ____ wastes, ____ wastes, and discarded ______ chemical wastes
source-specific, nonspecific-source, commerical
In the last 15 years, MSW per capita in the United States has
stayed the same
wastewater treatment steps:
step 1 - separate out and remove the solids step 2 - get the bacteria out step 3 - remove the nitrogen and the phosphorus step 4 - treat the sludge
Integrated waste management
suggests that communities should have multiple options for waste disposal.
salt is taken out of ocean water via boiling, which turns the water into gas/steam, leaving the salt behind; we condense it back down, forming freshwater; this process takes energy; if we dump this salt back into the ocean, salinity levels increase; so salt can be landfilled; much more common way to take salt is filtering thru reverse osmosis; this also takes a lot of energy; not sustainable;
sustainable
Lakes and ponds become more stagnant, shallow, and lower oxygen levels and they turn into _______
swamp or marsh
we have _____ to treat wastewater from humans and livestock
technology
Which toxins cause birth defects?
teratogens
dissolved oxygen (DO)
the amount of dissolved oxygen in water that is available for species
fecal coliform bacteria
the best indicator for potentially harmful water; a group of generally harmless microorganisms that live in the intestines of humans and other animals
Which of the following activities would CERCLA, or the Superfund Act, help fund?
the cleanup of an abandoned waste disposal plant; NOT the creation of a new regional landfill, the creation of an e-waste recycling site, or the cleanup of a Brownfields site
prior appropriation water rights
the first person to use a quantity of water from a source for a beneficial use has the right to continue to use that quantity of water for that purpose indefinitely; rights to the remaining water are allocated to subsequent users, so long as they don't impinge on the rights of the previous users; when water is short, users w the earliest appropriation get their full allocation; later users might get none, which can and will lead to water conflicts (colorado river)
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
the measure of oxygen demanding waste in water; the amount of oxygen a quantity of water uses over a period of time, at a specific temp
The concentration of chemical exposure depends on
the persistence and solubility of the chemical
bioaccumulation
the process by which chemicals are stored in the fat tissues of living organisms; an increased concentration of a chemical within an organism over time
biomagnification:
the process by which the concentration of a toxin increases at each level of the food web
pollutant
the release of matter or energy into the ev't that causes undesirable impacts on the health adn well-being of humans or other organisms
sludge
the solids and heavier wastes in the water that settle to the bottom of the septic tank via gravity; harmful pathogens can settle and become part of the sludge; they can then be competed by other microorganisms; the organic matter is broken down into CO2 and inorganic nutrients (N+P)
body burden:
the total amount of chemicals present in the tissues of an organism
wastewater
the water produced by human activities including human sewage from toilet and gray water, which is water from bathing, washing clothes, and dishes
things that are likely to provide an incentive for a municipality to initiate a recycling program
tipping fees that exceed the value of recycled goods, initiation of an integrated waste management program, a stable demand, but low supply of recycled cardboard.... NOT construction of a landfill with a low tipping fee
Incineration of waste is primarily used
to reduce waste volume and mass.
raw sewage (wastewater)
total mixture collected from all tub, sink, and toilet drains in all buildings; a sewer system brings all wastewater together; w the addition of storm water, raw wastewater is diluted even more, but the water is still brown and foul smelling; 99.9 % water, the rest is waste
BPA is extremely ___ and causes cancer and it was commonly used in plastic water bottles, plastic baby bottles, etc. All the BPA was pulled by companies so that they aren't in bottles, but there was no legislation against it so companies can still be using it; However, the alternative to BPA is just as bad as bPA
toxic
Solid waste is rarely ____ to humans
toxic
reduce/refuse the amount of _____ of trash you discard
toxicity
REDUCE - zero waste lifestyle: waste prevention, or "source reduction," means consuming and throwing away less; purchasing durable, long-lasting goods; seeking products and packaging that are as free of ___ as possible; redesigning products to use less raw material in production, have a longer life, or be used again after its original use; source reduction prevents the generation of ____ in the first place, so it is the most preferred method of waste management and goes a long way toward protecting the environment
toxics, waste
solutions to nutrient pollution
treat wastewater; reduce fertilizer application; plant vegetation to increase nutrient uptake; phosphate-free detergents
tips for reducing solid waste: 1) reduce - reduce the amount of ______ packaging, adopt practices that reduce waste toxicity; 2) reuse - consider reusable products, maintain and repair durable products, reuse bags, containers, and other items, borrow/rent/share items used infrequently, sell or donate goods instead of throwing them out; 3) recycle - choose recyclable products and containers and recycle them, select products made from recycled materials, ____ yard trimmings and some food scraps; 4) respond - _____ others on source reduction and recycling practices, be creative - find new ways to reduce waste _____ and toxicity
unnecessary, compost, educate, quantity
pathogens and waterborne diseases: enters water supply via ___ human waste and animal waste from ____; causes more human health problems than any other water _____ solutions: ...
untreated, feedlots, solutions: treat sewage and disinfect drinking water, personal hygiene, government enforcement of regulations
Leach fields are
used to filter septage.
BITES AND STINGS: some germs rely on insects such as mosquitos, fleas, or ticks to move from host to host. these carriers are known as _____. mosquitoes can carry the _____ parasite or ______ virus, and deer ticks may carry the bacterium that causes _____ disease. the vector-borne spread of germs happens when an insect that carries the germ on its body/intestinal tract lands on you or bites you. the germs travel into your body and can make you sick.
vectors, malaria, west nile, lyme
FOOD CONTAMINATION: disease-causing germs can infect you thru food and water. food is the _____ that spreads the germs and causes the illness. E.coli is a bacterium present in certain ____ like undercooked hamburger or unwashed fruits/veggies. when you eat foods contaminated w e.coli, you will experience an _____ (food poisoning.
vehicle, foods, illness
5 main categories of pathogens are __________; skin and mucous membranes are the first lines of defense that protects us from pathogens (nonspecific); second line of defense is macrophages (nonspecific); third line of defense is adaptive immunity in response to antigens (specific)
viruses, bacteria, fungi, protists, worms
transport in the environment is affected by substances' ____ and its ______
volatility, solubility
threats to our coral reefs: rising water temps: corals thrive in relatively ____ water, but when water temps rise too high, the zooxanthellae are forced to leave. since these alge give the corals color, when they leave the coral becomes white, appearing ____. this coral bleaching can cause the reef to die.
warm, bleached
infectious diseases transmit more easily in __ and ____ climates
warm, wet
The Stockholm Convention
was an international agreement to ban a number of endocrine disruptors.
decrease the risk of infecting yourself or others by:
wash your hands often, get vaccinated, use antibiotics sensibly, stay at home if you have symptoms, be smart about food preparation, disinfect hot zones in your home, practice safe sex, don't share person items, travel wisely, keep pets healthy
ANIMAL TO PERSON: being bitten or scratched by an infected animal or household pet can make you sick and in extreme circumstances could even cause death. handling animal ___ can be hazardous, too. you can become infected by scooping cat litter box or cleaning bat/mouse droppings in your house
waste
Human and animal ___ will have nitrogen and phosphorus bc of the food we eat - it goes through our bodies
waste
REDUCE - saves natural resources: throughout the life cycle of a product - from extraction of raw materials to transportation to processing and manufacturing facilities to manufacture and use - ___ is generated; reusing items or making them with less material decreases waste dramatically; ultimately, fewer materials will need to be ___ or sent to landfills or waste combustion facilities
waste, recycled
communities that make you pay for special stickers to throw your trash away (only leaf bags and grass clippings in lf) implement this financial connection that reduces overall ___ production; ____ is free obviously
waste, recycling
point source pollution
water pollution source that generates pollution from a single point of origin, such as an industrial site discharge pipe; ex: factory discharge pipe, storm sewer; it is EASIER to address and control pollution from point sources
non point source
water pollution source that generates pollution from widely spread areas; ex: runoff from roads, farms, golf course, parking lot; it is MORE DIFFICULT to address and control pollution from non-point sources
secondary treatment cleans the ____:
water; biologic process; bacteria is used to break down 85-90% of the organic matter in the water and to convert it into CO2 and inorganic nutrients such as N+P; aeration of the water is used to promote the growth of aerobic bacteria (which emits a less offensive odor than anaerobic bacteria); this water sits for several days to allow particles to settle out via gravity, these are added to the sludge
proper wastewater treatment is essential to reduce the risk of ___ ____; ____ are used to break down organic matter into CO2 and inorganic compounds such as ____ and ____
waterborne pathogens, bacteria, nitrate, phosphate
cultural eutrophication
when a body of water experiences an increase in fertility due to anthropogenic inputs of nutrients
The majority of emergent infectious diseases arise
when a disease unexpectedly jumps from an animal to human host.
which waste material contributes most to the production of methane?
yard waste
