Introduction to Environmental Science PDF

MODULE 1: TOPIC 1 Introduction to Environmental Science  When you hear the word “ENVIRONMENT” what comes to your mind? How about ENVIRONMENTAL EMVIRTNNNEO ENVIRONMENT ENOIRLNMENTAV ECISNCE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE ESYTMSCEO ECOSYSTEM ELIAOCOCLG EULQNATEIV ECOLOGICAL EQUIVAL...

MODULE 1: TOPIC 1 Introduction to Environmental Science  When you hear the word “ENVIRONMENT” what comes to your mind? How about ENVIRONMENTAL EMVIRTNNNEO ENVIRONMENT ENOIRLNMENTAV ECISNCE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE ESYTMSCEO ECOSYSTEM ELIAOCOCLG EULQNATEIV ECOLOGICAL EQUIVALENT INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE ENVIRONMENT French word “environner” which means “encircle or surround” It relates to organism that has interactions with one another through an array of interactions. INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE ECOLOGY the science that investigates the total relationships among living things and their non-living environment. Greek word “oikos” means a “place to live” First defined by ERNST HAECKEL in 1866  ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE the application of the knowledge of ecology to the management of the environment.  ENVIRONMENTAL Systematic study of our SCIENCE environment and our place in it. It is a multidisciplinary subject that applies many scientific disciplines.  ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE OTHER FIELDS Biology Agriculture SCIENCE Chemistry Forestry Physics Mathematics Geology Engineering Meteorology Resource conservation and Social Science management – Sociology – Economics – Political Science -Demography – Geography – Psychology – Ethics INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Environmental science becomes more meaningful when we place an organism at the core of all relationships. The total environment of an organism includes all other forms of life on Earth and its non-living environment which is made up of substances such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, calcium carbonate, and phosphate. INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE It also includes physical factors such as moisture, wind, tides, ocean currents, temperature, light and topographical factors (altitude and slope). INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Do you know? The air we breathe is composed of 78% nitrogen.  STUDYING AN ECOSYSTEM SYSTEM is any part of the environment that is selected for the purpose of the study. ECOSYSTEM or ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM is the basic functioning unit of nature. It consists of a non-living (abiotic) environment and a living (biotic) environment.  STUDYING AN ECOSYSTEM ECOSYSTEM  STUDYING AN ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGICAL EQUIVALENTS are unrelated organisms that occupy similar habitats and resemble each other. A shark and a dolphin line in a marine habitat and they resemble one another.  STUDYING AN ECOSYSTEM ORGANISM - is any form of life SPECIES are groups of organisms that resemble one another POPULATION is a group of the same species living in the same area COMMUNITY a group of different species living in the same area. ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY ANALYSIS Environmental chemistry analysis is a branch of chemistry that studies the chemical composition of the environment and the interactions between chemicals and the environment.  ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS MAJOR CHALLENGES TO CHEMISTS The properties of the environment change with time and space. Environmentally significant concentrations of substances are usually at trace levels – in parts per million (ppm), sometimes even in parts per billion (ppb) levels. Not all chemicals or concentrations in the environment can be measured properly.  ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS Before the development of sensitive analytical instruments, chemical analyses of environmental samples were very difficult.  UNIT OF MEASURE Certain substances in the environment can exert significant effects at concentrations you may consider significant. carbon dioxide (CO2) the air contains. The average concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere topped 411 parts per million in May 2018. (Loria, K., 2018)  UNIT OF MEASURE CO2 LEVEL EFFECTS 250-350ppm Normal background concentration in outdoor ambient air 350-1,000ppm Concentrations typical of occupied indoor spaces with good air exchange 1,000- Complaints of drowsiness and poor air. 2,000ppm 2,000-5,000 Headaches, sleepiness and stagnant, stale, stuffy air. ppm Poor concentration, loss of attention, increased heart rate and slight nausea may also be present. 5,000 Workplace exposure limit (as 8-hour TWA) in most jurisdictions. >40,000 ppm Exposure may lead to serious oxygen deprivation resulting in permanent brain damage, coma, even death.  LESSON 2: ENVIRONMENTAL EQUILIBRIUM AND THE ECOSYSTEM  Observe the pictures. Does it look exactly the same today as it was, for instance, a year ago? Do you think its properties changed?  Observe the pictures. Does it look exactly the same today as it was, for instance, a year ago? Do you think its properties changed? EVENT The occurrence of a change in the properties of an object or system. All natural changes occur because of the tendency of system to reach a state of balance or equilibrium. ENVIRONMENTAL EQUILIBRIUM A steady-state in nature and is established in an open system. Is the equilibrium established in a chemical system the same as the equilibrium attained in an ecosystem? Chemical Equilibrium – described as dynamic, where opposing reactions occur at equal rates. Environmental Equilibrium - A steady- state in nature and is established in an open system. Steady-state Equilibrium – means the input and output to and from the system in terms of energy or a given material are equal. SELF-REGULATING MECHANISM IN ECOSYSTEMS Ecosystems have the capability to self- regulate. Like any object or system, an organism or a group of organisms living together in the same environment also tends to resist change and remain in a state of equilibrium. This tendency is called homeostasis. SELF-REGULATING MECHANISM IN ECOSYSTEMS When the equilibrium of an ecosystem is upset, it responds to the upsetting factor by regulating some processes, either by turning them off or slowing them down. PARTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT ATMOSPHERE a thin envelope of gases that surrounds Earth. It extends to several kilometers (km) from the Earth’s surface up to space. The atmosphere is divided into different regions, each with its distinct characteristics (composition and PARTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT Changes in the atmosphere because of many human activities are a cause for concern. Ozone depletion, temperature inversion, acid rain, global warming and climate change are alarming results of atmospheric changes. PARTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT HYDROSPHERE consists of Earth’s water. It includes surface and underground water, ice, and water vapor in the atmosphere. This part of the environment is 70% of Earth’s surface. PARTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT Water chemistry, which is the study of the reaction of chemicals dissolved in water, can easily be linked to changes in a water environment. These changes include fish kill, diminishing diversity of the marine community, and eutrophication. PARTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT Eutrophication is the physical, chemical and biological changes that take place when a lake, river or slow-flowing stream has increased inputs of plant nutrient. PARTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT LITHOSPHERE the continuous layer of rocks that form the solid outer layer of Earth. This layer is about 100 km thick. The upper layer of the lithosphere is the crust. It forms the land masses and ocean beds. PARTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT BIOSPHERE The part of the environment where life exists. It is where living (biotic) organisms exist and interact with their nonliving environment. PARTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT The biosphere is an example of a grand- scale global ecosystem. These dynamic interactions bind the living and non-living components together in a stable system. THANK YOU! PERFORMANCE TASK Illustrate/draw1 one of the most pressing environmental problems we are facing today. In your cartoon, point out the cause and effect of the problem you chose. Then write a short paragraph stating how you can help address this problem. You may draw in a short coupon bond and color it.