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| adversely affects the biosphere's land, atmosphere, and water |
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| pollution emitted from a specific place; i.e. wastewater from a plant, noise from a plane, or oil from a tank |
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| Non-Point-Source Pollution |
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Definition
| pollution that doesn't come from any specific area; can be hard to identify the main source of the pollution; i.e. vehicle emissions or farm runoff |
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| the concentration of 1 very dilute toxin or substance to 1 million parts another substance; commonly used to express pollutant amounts |
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| composed of unwanted gases and particulate matter; can be composed through natural means or through human actions |
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| 6 common air pollutants monitored by the EPA and measured to gauge air quality - CO, NP2, SO2, O3, Pb. & particulate matter |
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| colorless, odorless gas that results from the incomplete combustion of organic matter (esp. fossil fuels) |
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| reddish-brown gas w/ strong odor; created from combustion at high temperatures (most common in vehicles & electric utilities); reacts with sun's heat to form photochemical smog (like in LA) |
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| formed when sulfur is released from burning coal or oil; mostly due to emissions from coal-fired power plants; reacts with UV rays to form industrial smog; can produce aerosols |
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| solid particles and droplets suspended in the atmosphere |
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| colorless gas found in the stratosphere and the troposphere; 'good' ___ is in troposphere & protects the Earth from high lvls of the sun's UV radiation; 'bad' ___ is located close to the ground in the troposhere; main component in smog; found in cleaning products |
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| Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) |
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Definition
| a key component in smog, along with Ozone, human-created NOx, sunlight, and heat |
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Definition
| heavy metal used in many processes bc of its availability and ability to be poured into molds where it hardens into a solid; emitted into atmos as a particulate |
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| solid or liquid particles in the atmos; can be a primary pollutant or a secondary pollutant; i.e. dust, smoke, metals |
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| pollution from direct emissions |
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| pollution formed from chemical reactions of substances like SO2 or NOx |
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| formed from interactions w/ pollutants catalyzed by solar radiation; photochemical type - NO2 + UV; industrial type - SO2 + UV |
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| occurs when chemical reactions occur in atmosphere between pollutant emissions and atmospheric components, which ultimately falls to Earth through precipitation, particulate, or gas; i.e., acid rain (S + O2) |
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Term
| Peroxyacetyl Nitrate (PAN) (CH3CO3NO2) |
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Definition
| produced by the reaction of volatile organic hydrocarbons with oxygen and NO2; combined wht ozone & organic compounds called aldehydes is responsible for many of smog's harmful effects |
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| urban areas w/ long-term increased temps from heat released by vehicles, air conditioning, and the pavements/buildings that absorb more heat than a natr'l ecosystem |
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| found in most buildings & can be an issue w/ poor ventillation; i.e., tobacco smoke, CO, VOCs, wood-burning, asbestos, lead, and mercury |
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| encompass all human activities that make enough sound to be a nuisance |
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| the excessive use of artificial light; can cause glare, sky glow, and decreased night visibility |
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| refers to the spread of mutated DNA from genetically engineered organisms to natr'l organisms |
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| Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) |
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Definition
| organisms that have had their DNA altered by combining their genes w/ another organisms; usually for something commercially desirable - growth, size, disease resistance |
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Definition
| nutrients added to an ecosystem through runoff, including xtra N & P; N affects marine ecosystems; P affects freshwater ecostems |
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| Pollutants that Affect Freshwater |
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Definition
| Pesticides, VOCs, Oil products, & heavy metals (poisonous); nutrient runoff from farms (can unbalance ecosystem); Temperature (change affects species + ecosystem balance); sediment (changes aquatic balance); pathogens & waterbourne diseases (can enter drinking water supply) |
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| the ability for something to reflect light; usually used in water pollution--sediment, particulates increase it |
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| Pollutants of Marine Ecosystems |
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Definition
| Oil pollution (BP rupture); excess nutrients (N); sewage; trash (plastics & fishing equipment) |
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Definition
| takes waste from septic systems of the local homes/businesses and send it to a central treatment plant to undergo clarification process |
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| flammable, corrosive, toxic, or reactive |
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| created during industrial processes (mining, agriculture, consumer goods, extraction & refining of petroleum products) |
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| area where solid waste is disposed of by being buried or piled in a mound; must be located away from wetlands & can't be built on an EQ fault; bottoms are lined w/ plastic and clay to prevent leakage |
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| heat generated through combustion is captured & used to heat water, which turns turbines & generates energy |
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| someone exposed to a high dose over a brief per of time |
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| occurs repeatedly over a long period of time in small doses |
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| when anlyzing substance's effects, a product is assumed harmful unless otherwise stated |
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| Dose-Response Relationship |
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Definition
| the effect of a toxin on an organism/population; describes the effects of certain levels of a toxin & the tipping point where the toxin becomes hazardous |
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Definition
| the lethal dose for 50% of the test popualation |
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| when 50% of the pop is affect (but not killed) by a dose of the toxin |
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| can wear away & break down metals |
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| Easily reacts w/ other substance & can cause a serious reaction (explosions or toxic gases) |
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| medical costs, loss of income, loss of productivity, lost agriculture profits, potential tourism decrease, cleanup costs |
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| effects expressed in dollars |
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| effects that don't necessarily have a fixed dollar amt, but may be tangible & intangible effects to ecosystem & human well-being |
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| Command-and-control Strategy |
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Definition
| gov't sets and enforces legal limits on pollution; very common but not always the most efficient |
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