temperature inversion
cool air near the earth's surface is trapped under a layer of warm air. Pollutants are trapped with it. Pollutants are produced by industry burning fossil fuels.
photochemical smog
Thick brownish haze formed when certain gases in the air react with sunlight. (a mixture of the words smoke and fog) It can cause eye and throat irritatin and breathing problems.
acid rain
a general term to discrice precipitation that has a pH lowere than 5.6, witch is that of normal rain. ( pure water has a pH of 7.) caused by the emission from power plants and factories tat burn coal and oil
carbon monoxide
a dangerous indooor air pollutant. its a cololess and odorless that forms when wood, coal, or gas isnt completely burned. It can be deadly if it builds up in an enclosed space
radon
A dangerous indoor pollutant. it is coorless and derless gas that is radioactive. It can enter though cracks in bassment walls or floors. It is formed by certain types of rock underground.
sources of indoor air pollution
appliance,firplaces, stoves, ovens, air fresheners, cleaning supplies and cigarette smoke
what is the most significant source of air pollution?
most air pollution is caused by motor vehicles
pollution
anything that harms the environment and changes it for the worse. land, air and water pollution
hazardous waste
any discarded material that causes death or serious harm to human health. Produced when factories discard or release toxic (poisonous) chemicals. Toxic wastes are stored in barrels and buried in dumps. These barrels can leak over time, releasing toxic che
solid waste
garbage-unwanted, discarded materials. 3 sources: agricultural: waste or garbage from farming, household: garbage from homes, Industrial/commercial: garbage from factories or businesses
3 methods of handling solid waste
burning (incineration-COVANTA), burying in a sanitary landfill and recycling
sanitary landfill
garbage is compacted and then covered with a layer of topsoil and planted with grass. No hazardous wastes are allowed. When they are filled they can be used as parks or for other recreational area.
dump
garbage is in piles in a secluded area. There are many problems with dumps; rats, bacterial, smell, dangerous gasses and it oozes into the soil.
disposing of solids wastes and problems
SANITARY LANDFILLS: we can't find places to put them BURNING: pollutes the air RECYCLING: best solution, but not everything is recyclable and not all people recycle. Considered the solid waste solution of the future. OCEAN DUMPING: pollute our waters
leachate
polluted liquid produced by water passing through buried waste in a landfill.
incineration
burning of solid waste ADVANTAGE: does not take up much space, doesn't pollute groundwater. The heat from burning can generate electricity. "waste to energy plants COVANTA DISADVANTAGE some pollution is released into air, some waste still remains, expensi
biodegradable
capable of being broken down by bacteria and other decomposers
groundwater
water stored in underground layers of soil and rock
chernobyl
radioactive waste disaster
love canal
hazardous waste disaster
emissions
pollutants that are released into the air when fossil fuels are burned. Two emission control devices-Scrubber System and Catalytic Converter- fumes that come out of cars, trains, planes
ecology
the study of how living things interact with each other and their environment
ecosystem
the community of organisms that live in a particular area, along with their nonliving surroundings
strip-mining
to obtain coal, the land is destroyed. Strip mining gouges out (scars) the surface of the land. The fertile topsoil is buried under rocks. When rocks are exposed to precipitations, acids are washed away. These acids seep into the ground also polluting the
sewage
waste materials carried away by sewers and drains (from toilets). NEGATIVES: sewage is sometimes dumped directly into rivers and streams and also contains disease causing bacteria. kills marine life and is unsuitable for drinking or eating marine animals
pesticides
chemicals that kill crop-destroying organisms. These can pollute bodies of water.
agricultural wastes
animal waste, fertilizers and pesticides can be washed by rain into ponds or lakes and can cause an algae explosion
thermal pollution
heated water released by power plants can kill organisms in the body of water into which it is released.
What is the major cause of water pollution?
Obtaining and using certain energy resources-fossil fuels and nuclear energy can pollute the water
global warming
the theory that increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will raise earth's average temperature
greenhouse effect
trapping of heat near earth's surface by certain gasses (greenhouse gasses) in the atmosphere
CFC's
chlorofluorocarbons-the major cause of the ozone hole. They are a group of gasses which were used in many household products. They are gasses that contain chlorine and flouride. Had been used in refrigerators, air conditioners and fire extinguishers
renewable resource
A natural resource that can be replaced by nature in a short period of time. Example: people, plants, water, air, soil etc.
non-renewable resource
A natural resource that cannot be replaced by nature in a short period of time (takes hundreds to millions of years to replace itself) Examples: Fossil Fuels, rocks, minerals, some trees.
natural resource
Any item that is made by nature and can be used by man. (not man-made).
coal
This is the solid form of fossil fuel. It produces the least amount of energy of the fossil fuels.
fossil fuel
An energy source produced from the remains of dead organic matter millions of years ago. It is the most common source of energy used since the industrial revolution. There are three forms: coal, oil, natural gas.
oil
This is the liquid form of fossil fuel. It produces the most amount of energy of the fossil fuels.
natural gas
This is the vapor form of fossil fuel. It produces the middle amount of energy of the fossil fuels.
hydrocarbons
A chemical compound that contains both hydrogen and carbon. It contains a great amount of energy. Fossil fuels are made of hydro-carbons.
combustion
The process of burning. When fossil fuels are burned they release hydrocarbons into the atmosphere which leads to a great amount of pollution.
petroleum
Another name for oil. It is actually refined crude oil. In most countries gasoline is called petroleum, or petro for short.
petrochemicals
These are compounds made from oil. Petrochemicals are used to make: Plastics, medicines, cosmetics, paints, clothing, etc.
solar energy
An energy source produced by the sun. . (It is commonly used to run calculators, heat pools and recently to heat homes. Positives of using solar energy: it is clean and abundant. Negatives: In order to use solar energy when the sun is not out, you need to
wind energy
An energy source produced by the wind. It is an indirect form of solar energy. It is the fastest growing energy source in the world. It is used to produce energy to heat homes and run factories, turn turbines generate electricity and sail ships. Positives
gasohol
Biomass can be converted into an alcohol that is mixed with gasoline to form gasohol. This is used as a cheap, renewable car fuel.
hydroelectric power
This is the type of energy produced by running water and dams. The power plant uses the running water to create electricity. The town of Niagara Falls uses electricity produced by the Niagara power plant.
geothermal energy
In areas where magma is very close to Earth's surface its heat is used to boil water and the steam is used to generate electricity. Positives: It is clean and cheap. Negatives: there are very few places on Earth where the magma is this close to Earth's su
tidal energy
An energy source produced by the tides of the ocean. Positives: It is clean, and inexpensive. Negatives: Not every place has strong predictable tides.
nuclear power plants
The factory where nuclear energy is produced
3 types of pollution
land, air, water
3 types of waste
hazardous, solid, radioactive
3 sources of solid waste
househod, commercial, industrial
COVANTA
a waste to energy facility, Garbage is turned into electricity here.
Three R's
reduce, reuse, recycle