Download Environmental Pollution: Water and Air Pollutants, Thermal Inversion, and Ozone Depletion and more Study notes Biology in PDF only on Docsity! Major Water Pollutant Acid Wastes: Organic Wastes: Phosphates (PO4) from Detergents: Water Pollutants from agriculture ◦ Inorganic fertilizers: Nitrogen and Phosphorus causes algae growth ◦ Organic fertilizers: Manures, dissolved oxygen ◦ Sediment: erodes from farm land /covers feeding grounds and reservoirs and blocks sunlight ◦ Pesticides and Herbicides: Kill sea grasses and other aquatic vegetation and life Primary and Secondary Air Pollutants Primary ◦ Chemicals that are added directly to the air Secondary ◦ Produced by chemical reactions. For example, Ozone + smog Anthropogenic Pollutants Anthropology: of or relating to the study of the origins and development of human beings Human Generated Over load on the bio-geochemical cycles / Too much CO2 = pollutant More Nitrogen and Sulfur in the air leads to acid rain Thermal Inversion Normally, as we go up in the atmosphere temperature decreases During thermal inversion, the layers are flipped. Pollution stays low since cold air does not rise Heat Islands / Dust Domes Urban areas are islands of heat since built on radiators Circular air pattern traps pollutants - How air pollutants affect climate Temperature ◦ May Cause heating – fossil fuels ◦ May cause cooling – solar heat bounces off dust in atmosphere / airisols = more albedo ◦ Role of clouds: can either heat or cool the earth ▪ Positive Feedback: ▪ Negative Feedback: Input vs Output Control Inputs: prevents the pollution ◦ Cleaner fuels ◦ Coal to a cleaner generator ◦ Reduce overall energy use ◦ Limiting Population Outputs: treating the symptoms/outcomes of pollution ◦ Clean Air Act ◦ Electric precipatator: reduces air pollution by sucking up the particles ◦ Wet scrubbers are sprayed w/ water so dirt water becomes clean air Ozone Decline and Consequences Decline caused by chlorofluorocarbons made in 1930's big molecule with CL/F/C CFCs are inert, non-flammable, non-corrosive, stable. Cheap to make with many uses CFCs are broken down by UV rays releasing the chlorine atom. The chlorine atom then attaches to the Ozone, stealing an oxygen from it and changing it from Ozone. Consequences ◦ Proportional UV increase: 10% less ozone = 20% more UV ◦ Plant Effects: decrease biomass, changes properties of the plants, more susceptible to disease, lower yield on agriculture ◦ Water Effects: decreases phytoplankton productivity which leads to more CO2 in air since they are a major sink. Effects larvae or fish etc ◦ Animal Effects: Cancer, skin cancer in humans, eye damage, immune system damages, genetic damage, amphibian mortality Biodiversity Value ◦ Having many different types of plants means more medicines. 50% already made from plants ◦ Ecosystem services: soil, vegetation removing CO2, marsh filtering water, sustainability Decline: Due to an increasing human population Anthropogenic vs Biocentric Anthropogenic – human centered Biocentric – all life equal Agriculture and the Environment See Jen:
