All Flashcards
How can reducing waste help protect the environment?
Minimizes resource depletion, reduces pollution from manufacturing and disposal, and conserves energy.
How can reusing items help protect the environment?
Reduces the need for new products, conserves resources, and lowers waste generation.
How can recycling help protect the environment?
Converts waste into new materials, reducing the need for raw materials and lowering energy consumption.
How can improving sewage treatment help protect the environment?
Removes pollutants from wastewater, preventing contamination of waterways and protecting aquatic ecosystems.
How can protecting wetlands help protect the environment?
Provides natural filtration of pollutants, supports biodiversity, and helps control flooding.
What are the environmental consequences of agricultural runoff?
Excess nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) can cause eutrophication, leading to algal blooms, oxygen depletion, and dead zones in aquatic ecosystems.
What are the environmental consequences of oil spills?
Contamination of water, harm to marine life, damage to coastal habitats, and economic losses for fisheries and tourism.
What are the environmental consequences of thermal pollution?
Reduced oxygen levels in water, harm to aquatic organisms, and disruption of aquatic ecosystems.
What are the environmental consequences of landfills?
Leachate contamination of soil and groundwater, methane production (a potent greenhouse gas), and habitat destruction.
What are the environmental consequences of electronic waste?
Release of toxic materials (lead, mercury, cadmium) into the environment, posing risks to human health and ecosystems.
Why is waste reduction important?
It minimizes the need for landfills, conserves resources, and reduces pollution.
How do wetlands act as natural filters?
They trap pollutants, excess nutrients, and sediments, improving water quality.
Why are children and the elderly more vulnerable to pollution?
Their immune systems are often less developed (children) or weakened (elderly), making them more susceptible to the harmful effects of pollutants.
What is the significance of LD50 in toxicology?
LD50 helps determine the toxicity of a substance by measuring the dose required to kill 50% of a test population. It aids in setting safe exposure limits.
Explain the difference between point and nonpoint source pollution.
Point source pollution comes from a single, identifiable source, while nonpoint source pollution comes from diffuse sources.
What are the main concerns regarding electronic waste (e-waste)?
E-waste contains toxic materials that require special handling to prevent environmental and health hazards.
Why is it important to understand the difference between bioaccumulation and biomagnification?
Bioaccumulation is the build-up of toxins within a single organism, while biomagnification is the increasing concentration of toxins as you move up the food chain. Understanding the difference helps to predict and mitigate the impact of pollutants on ecosystems.
What is the role of sewage treatment plants?
Sewage treatment plants remove pollutants from wastewater to protect water quality and human health.
Why are oceanic dead zones a major environmental concern?
Dead zones are areas with very low oxygen levels, which cannot support marine life, leading to ecosystem collapse.
Why is it important to consider environmental justice when addressing pollution?
Pollution disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, and environmental justice seeks to ensure fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens.