Flashcards
pollution
Cards in this deck (6)
- 1What is pollution- The release into the environment of materials that do harm by causing changes that would not normally have occurred.
- 2Toxicity- Measured in the poisonous a material is, and harms the biological processes that take place within living organisms
examples: carbon monoxide; binds to haemoglobin in the blood and prevents it carrying oxygen, lead inhibits the enzyme action, DDT prevents nerve impulses by inhibiting enzyme action - 3Non-toxic pollutants- cause harm indirectly by altering some other environment factor, which then cause harm
examples: sewage; deoxygenation of lakes and rivers, greenhouse; cause the Earth to become warmer, CFCs; cause ozone depletion - 4Persistence- a measure of the rate at which a material breaks down and therefore the length of time it remains in the environment
example: CFCs; chemically stable and break down slowly, remain in the atmosphere of decades, DDT; stable, gradually breaks down - 5Biodegradability- process of breakdown of a material by living organisms, usually bacteria
- rate of this process affected by environmental factors like temperature and oxygen availability - 6Mobility- measure of how easily a material moves in the environment
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- Environmental Studies Summer Work AS – A2 summer progression test in September
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- spoopy Gonzalez
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