All Flashcards
What are the steps of coral bleaching?
Increased water temperature/ocean acidification -> Coral stress -> Algae expulsion -> Coral turns white -> Potential death of coral.
Outline the process of bio-magnification of mercury in Minamata Bay.
Industrial waste contaminates bay with mercury -> Mercury absorbed by small organisms -> Small organisms consumed by fish -> Fish consumed by humans -> Mercury concentrates in humans, causing Minamata Disease.
What is the process of creating photochemical smog?
NOx emissions -> UV light reacts with NOx -> Formation of ozone and other pollutants -> Photochemical smog.
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 impacts of the Chernobyl disaster?
High rates of cancer and birth defects; high radiation levels making the area uninhabitable; radioactive cloud spread across Europe.
What were the impacts of the Three Mile Island accident?
Public distrust in government regulation of nuclear reactors in the USA; decrease in the use of nuclear energy in the US.
What were the effects of the Fukushima disaster?
Contamination of 11,580 square miles with radioactive materials; creation of exclusion zones; abandonment of cities.
What were the impacts of the Exxon Valdez oil spill?
Widespread damage to the coastline; significant reduction in biodiversity; death of hundreds of thousands of animals.
What were the impacts of the Great Smog in London?
Many deaths due to respiratory illness.
What were the impacts of the Bhopal disaster?
Thousands of deaths within hours; about 15,000 more deaths from complications; 500,000 total injuries; children born with defects.
What were the impacts of the Love Canal disaster?
Families were forced to evacuate; birth defects and endocrine disruption caused by chemical contamination of drinking water.
What were the impacts of the Minamata Bay disaster?
Many people developed Minamata Disease, with symptoms including fatigue, convulsions, loss of motor functions, and slurred speech.
What are the impacts of coral reef bleaching?
Loss of biodiversity; loss of habitat for many fish species.