All Flashcards
What are the steps of coral bleaching?
Increased water temperature/ocean acidification -> Coral stress -> Algae expulsion -> Coral turns white.
What are the steps involved in bio-magnification of mercury in Minamata Bay?
Industrial waste contaminates bay with mercury -> Mercury accumulates in fish -> Humans consume contaminated fish -> Mercury poisoning and Minamata Disease.
What were the environmental consequences of the Exxon Valdez oil spill?
Widespread damage to the coastline and a significant reduction in biodiversity. Hundreds of thousands of animals died.
What were the effects of the Chernobyl disaster?
High rates of cancer and birth defects in the surrounding area. High radiation levels persist, making the area uninhabitable.
What were the effects of the Great Smog in London?
Many deaths due to respiratory illness.
What were the effects of the Bhopal disaster?
Thousands of deaths within hours and about 15,000 more deaths from complications. 500,000 total injuries and many children born with defects.
What were the effects of the Love Canal disaster?
Families were forced to evacuate due to birth defects and endocrine disruption caused by chemical contamination of drinking water.
What were the effects of the Minamata Bay disaster?
Many people developed Minamata Disease, with symptoms including fatigue, convulsions, loss of motor functions, and slurred speech.
What were the effects of the Fukushima disaster?
11,580 square miles were contaminated with radioactive materials. Exclusion zones were created, leading to the abandonment of cities.
What were the effects of the Three Mile Island disaster?
Public distrust in government regulation of nuclear reactors in the USA. This led to a decrease in the use of nuclear energy in the US.
What is the effect of increased water temperature on coral reefs?
Coral reefs become stressed, leading to coral bleaching and loss of biodiversity.
What is the effect of ocean acidification on coral reefs?
Coral reefs become stressed, leading to coral bleaching and loss of biodiversity.
What is a thermal inversion?
A reversal of the normal temperature gradient in the atmosphere, trapping pollutants near the ground.
What is bio-magnification?
The increasing concentration of a substance, such as a toxic chemical, in the tissues of organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain.
What is a nuclear meltdown?
A severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating.
What is ocean acidification?
The ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.
What is coral bleaching?
The expulsion of algae from coral, causing it to turn white, often due to environmental changes like increased water temperature.
What is industrial smog?
Smog resulting from emissions from industry and other sources of gases, often containing sulfur dioxide and particulate matter.
What is photochemical smog?
Smog formed when ultraviolet light from the sun reacts with pollutants in the air, primarily from vehicle exhaust.
What is methyl isocyanate (MIC)?
A highly toxic chemical compound whose accidental release caused the Bhopal disaster.
What is the Superfund Program?
A U.S. federal government program designed to fund the cleanup of hazardous waste sites.
What are scrubbers?
Air pollution control devices that remove particulate matter and/or gases from industrial exhaust streams.