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94 Cards in this Set
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various chemicals (solids, liquids, or gases) present in high enough levels in the atmosphere to harm humans, or other plants, animals, or materials
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air pollution
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a U.S. law that authorizes the EPA to set limits on the amount of specific air pollutants that are permitted everywhere in the United States
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Clean Air Act
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an air pollution control device that targets Particulate Matter
Gives particles a positive electrical charge so that it adheres to negatively charged plates |
electrostatic precipitator
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the gases that absorb infrared radiation, which include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and tropospheric ozone, all of which are accumulating in the atmosphere as a result of human activities
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greenhouse gases
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primary pollutant formed when burning fossil fuels. Contributes to troposphereic ozone creation, photochemical smog, |
nitrogen oxides
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a loud or disagreeable sound, particularly when it results in physiological or psychological harm
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noise pollution
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is a human-made pollutant in one part of the atmosphere (the troposphere) but a natural and essential component in another (the stratosphere)
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ozone
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air pollutants that are solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the atmosphere
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particulate matter
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a brownish orange haze formed by complex chemical reactions involving sunlight, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons
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photochemical smog
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a harmful chemical that enters directly into the atmosphere from either human activities or natural processes (such as volcanic eruptions)
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primary air pollutant
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a harmful chemical that forms in the atmosphere when a primary air pollutant reacts chemically with other air pollutants or natural components of the atmosphere
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secondary air pollutant
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eye irritations, nausea, headaches, respiratory infections, depression, and fatigue caused by the presence of air pollution inside office buildings
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sick building syndrome
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air pollution caused by a variety of pollutants
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smog
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primary air pollutant involved in acid rain formation.
Primary source is coal fired power plants. |
sulfur oxides
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a high-energy form of radiation blocked by ozone
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ultraviolet radiation (UV radiation)
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higher temps experienced in cities as green spaces are replaced with building materials with low albedo
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urban heat island
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pollution of an aquatic ecosystem by nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates
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eutrophication (cultural eutrophication)
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the amount of oxygen needed by microorganisms to decompose (by aerobic respiration) the organic material in a given volume of water
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biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
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a process in which the energy of organic molecules is released within cells
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cellular respiration
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A U.S. law that has two basic goals: to eliminate the discharge of pollutants in U.S. waterways and to attain water quality levels that make these waterways safe to fish and swim in
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Clean Water Act
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a chemical that interferes with the actions of hormones
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endocrine disruptor
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the enrichment of a lake, estuary, or slow flowing stream by nutrients that cause increased photosynthetic productivity
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eutrophication
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a water quality test for the presence of E. coli (fecal bacteria common in the intestinal tracts of people and animals)
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fecal coliform test
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low dissolved oxygen concentrations that occur in many bodies of water that have undergone eutrophication
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hypoxia
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pollutants that enter bodies of water over large areas rather than being concentrated at a single point of entry
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nonpoint source pollution
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a method employed to clean up a hazardous waste site that uses plants to absorb and accumulate toxic materials
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phytoremediation
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water pollution that can be traced to a specific spot (such as a factory or sewage treatment plant) because it is discharged into the environment through pipes, sewers, or ditches
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point source pollution
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a slimy mixture of bacteria-laden solids that settles out from sewage wastewater during primary treatment
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sludge
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treated wastewater by removing suspended and floating particles (such as sand and silt) by mechanical processes (such as screens and physical setting)
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primary treatment
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a U.S. law that deals with the storage and disposal of hazardous wastes and helps prevent groundwater contamination
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Resource, Conservation, and Recovery Act
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A U.S. law which set uniform federal standards for drinking water in order to guarantee safe public water supplies throughout the United States
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Safe Drinking Water Act
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the gradual accumulation of salt in a soil, often as a result of improper irrigation methods
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salinization
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treated wastewater biologically, by using microorganisms to decompose the suspended organic material; occurs after primary treatment
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secondary treatment
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excessive amounts of soil particles that enter the water as a result of erosion
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sediment pollution
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wastewater carried off by drains or sewers
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sewage
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water pollution that occurs when heated water produced during many industrial processes is released into waterways
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thermal pollution
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any physical or chemical change in water that adversely affects the health of humans and other organisms
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water pollution
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a chemical pollutant decomposed (broken down) by organisms or by other natural processes
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biodegradable
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a U.S. law which established a program to tackle the huge challenge of cleaning up abandoned and illegal toxic waste sites across the United States
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Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) (Superfund Act)
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an air pollution control device that gives ash a positive electrical charge so that it adheres to negatively charged plates
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electrostatic precipitator
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waste that is toxic, corrosive, or radioactive
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hazardous waste (toxic waste)
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the toxic liquid that seeps through solid waste at a sanitary landfill or other waste disposal site
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leachate
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solid waste generated in homes, office buildings, retail stores, restaurants, schools, hospitals, prisons, libraries, and other commercial and institutional facilities
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municipal solid waste
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the opposition of people to the location of hazardous facilities near their homes
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NIMBY (not-in-my-backyard)
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a method employed to clean up a hazardous waste site that uses plants to absorb and accumulate toxic minerals
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phytoremediation
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persistant water pollutant used as insulators in electrical transformers
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polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
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conservation of the resources in used items by converting them into new products
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recycling
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a U.S. law which instructs the EPA to identify which waste is hazardous and to provide guidelines and standards to states for hazardous waste management programs
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Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
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conservation of the resources in used items by using them over and over again
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reuse
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the most common method of disposal of solid waste by compacting it and burying it under a shallow layer of soil
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sanitary landfill
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an aspect of waste management in which products are designed and manufactured in ways that decrease not only the volume of solid waste but also the amount of hazardous materials in the solid waste that remains
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source reduction
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a list of sites that pose the greatest threat to public health and the environment, which means that the federal government will assist in their cleanup
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Superfund National Priorities List
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A greenhouse gas produced by combustion of any type. Anthropogenic sources mainly from fossil fuel combustion. |
Carbon Dioxide |
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colorless, odorless gas that takes the place of oxygen in the bloodstream causing asphyxiation |
Carbon Monoxide |
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Heavy metal added to gasoline and paint. Neurotoxin Enters atmosphere when burned. Eventually deposited in water. |
Lead |
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Enters atmosphere in ionic form when fossil fuels are burned. Becomes a dangerous water pollutant when converted to its methyl form by aquatic microorganisms. Neurotoxin. Heavy Metal |
Mercury |
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Organic compounds that become vapors under normal conditions. Associated with solvents, hydrocarbons, glues, etc. Contribute to smog formation and sick building syndrome. |
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) |
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Mobilizes metals in effected soils Reduces biodiversity in effected waters Erodes limestone and marble structures |
acid deposition |
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Used as refrigerants and aerosols. Contribute to ozone destruction in the stratosphere |
Chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) |
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International agreement to halt production of CFCs |
Montreal Protocol |
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Long thin fibrous mineral with insulating properties. Known carcinogen |
Asbestos |
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Naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the decay of uranium. Seeps into basements Causes lung cancer |
Radon |
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Controls SOx emissions from coal power plants by burning coal in presence of calcium carbonate |
Fluidized bed combustion |
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Controls NOx emissions from vehicles |
Catalytic Converter |
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Uses a combination of water and air to remove particulates from smoke stack emissions |
Scrubber |
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This is reduced by thermal pollution and contamination by organic waste |
Dissolved Oxygen |
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Naturally occurring water pollutant that is easily removed from drinking water. Causes lung cancer, skin cancer, kidney cancer, and bladder cancer. |
Arsenic |
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Groundwater pollutant found near military test sites. |
Perchlorates |
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Sets National standards for acceptable levels of pollutants in drinking water. |
Safe Drinking Water Act |
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Largest component of MSW |
Paper |
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Recycling of a product into the same product |
closed loop recycling |
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Recycling of a product into another different product |
open loop recycling |
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Alternative pathway for organic waste that converts it into an organic rich material that enhances soil quality |
composting |
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Greenhouse gas produced by anaerobic digestion in landfills |
Methane |
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Caused by lack of oxygen and water deep inside a landfill |
Incomplete Digestion |
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reduces volume of waste sent to landfills, but generates air pollution |
incineration |
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Storage of hazardous waste in impermeable pools until it is dry enough to be sent to a Haz Waste landfill. |
Surface Impoundment |
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Pumping hazardous waste deep underground into a porous rock layer far below the water table. |
Deep well injection |
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diseases that slowly impair the functioning of a person's body over time |
chronic disease |
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diseases that rapidly impair the functioning of a person's body over a short period of time |
acute disease |
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Historically important disease carried by fleas |
Plague |
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Tropical disease that kills millions each year. Caused by Plasmodium parasite that spends part of its life in mosquitos. |
Malaria |
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Highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs. Can be treated with antibiotics |
Tuberculosis |
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Has killed more than 33 million people. Can be treated but not cured by expensive antiviral drugs. Most concentrated in sub-saharan Africa. |
HIV / AIDS |
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Emerging infectious disease with 90% mortality rate |
Ebola |
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Emerging disease spread by eating infected cattle |
Mad Cow Disease |
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H1N1 virus |
Bird Flu |
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Spread by mosquitoes, this emerging disease causes a painful inflammation of the brain |
West Nile Virus |
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Chemicals that disrupt the nervous system |
Neurotoxins |
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Chemicals that cause cancer |
Carcinogens |
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Chemicals that interfere with normal development of embryos and fetuses |
Teratogens |
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Chemicals that cause allergic reactions |
Allergens |
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The dose at which an effect is detected |
Threshold dose |
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Lethal dose to 50% of the population |
LD-50 |
