Pollution PDF

POLLUTION BIO3 – Ecosystem Dynamics Water Pollution Water Pollution  Pollution of water can occur from urban, industrial or agricultural sources  It can enter ground water or directly into surface waterways through runoff  Some pollution alters the water (pH, temperatu...

POLLUTION BIO3 – Ecosystem Dynamics Water Pollution Water Pollution  Pollution of water can occur from urban, industrial or agricultural sources  It can enter ground water or directly into surface waterways through runoff  Some pollution alters the water (pH, temperature, turbidity etc), and some pollution adds potentially harmful substances to the water Sources of Water Pollution  Sediment – soil erosion and  Sewage – while treatment is often silt/sediment build up can alter carried out, human waste, soaps and waterways and their habitats detergents are often released into waterways Sources of Water Pollution  Infectious particles – disease causing  Organic compounds – oil spills and microbes from animals and humans manufacturing waste products such as can be major issues, particularly with dioxins can be released into drinking water waterways and be toxic to organisms Sources of Water Pollution  Thermal changes – some industries  Radioactive pollution – mining and such as power generation can increase nuclear power stations can release water temperatures which can alter dangerous levels of radioactive habitats and reduce oxygen levels material Sources of Water Pollution  Inorganic chemicals – mining, acid  Plastic waste - plastic waste escapes rain, heavy metals (mercury, arsenic) into the oceans from coastal nations, can enter ground water and which can take up to 400 years to waterways, many of which are toxic break down Sources of Water Pollution  Inorganic plant nutrients – fertiliser with large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous can lead to accelerated nutrient enrichment (eutrophication), causing algal blooms and weed growth  The nutrients can be introduced via leaching from soil, by rainfall, or released as part of sewage  Eutrophication is common around agricultural lands where the use of artificial fertilisers are prevalent Eutrophication  An increase in nutrient supply within waterways will result in several ecological consequences:  A rapid growth in algal populations will occur (algal blooms) from the increased availability of nutrients  As the algae die, there will be a subsequent spike in the numbers of saprotrophic microbes (decomposers)  The high rate of decomposition will result in an increased biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) by saprotrophic bacteria (consume available quantities of dissolved oxygen, leading to deoxygenation)  This will stress the survival of aquatic organisms, potentially leading to a reduction in biodiversity within the ecosystem Eutrophication Plastic Pollution Case Study – Marine Plastics  Carry out some basic research to complete the following:  Description of macroplastic and microplastic pollution (including ocean gyres)  Research the effects of plastic pollution on the Laysan albatross, sea turtles, and two other examples of your choice  What measures are currently being used to address marine plastic pollution? Air Pollution Air Pollution  Air pollution consists of gases, liquids or solids present in the atmosphere at levels high enough to be harmful to organisms  It tends to be concentrated around areas of dense human population and industry  It also has the potential to effect enclosed or indoor environments such as buildings, cars etc  Forest fires, volcanic activity, burning of fossil fuels, industry and vehicles all can produce air pollution  In the presence of sunlight, the mixture of pollutants from industry and vehicles reacts to form smog (e.g. ozone, nitric acid, formaldehyde) Air Pollution  Forest fires, volcanic activity, burning of fossil fuels, industry and vehicles all can produce air pollution.  In the presence of sunlight, the mixture of pollutants from industry and vehicles reacts to form smog (e.g. ozone, nitric acid, formaldehyde). Types of Air Pollution Air Quality Standards  Most countries have air quality standards for the main air pollutant categories Indicator Species What is an indicator species?  A species whose presence, absence or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition, habitat or community  Indicator species may:  Provide information on the overall health of an ecosystem  Reflect a particular environmental condition, such as pollution  Be indicative of a particular habitat type or biological community  Indicator species can provide an early warning of environmental changes  They can be used to assess the health of an environment or ecosystem – they are often termed ‘bio-indicators’  They can be a useful management tool Using Indicator Species  Increase or decrease in abundance  Presence or absence  Change in behaviour  Change physiologically or chemically Note: Indicator species may be used passively or actively Air Pollution Indicators  Lichen often grow on exposed rocks and trees, and need to be efficient at absorbing water  Air pollutants dissolved in rainwater, especially sulphur dioxide, can damage lichens and prevent them from growing Leafy lichens can survive a small Crusty lichens can survive in Green, bushy lichens need really amount of air pollution more polluted air clean air Air Pollution Indicators  Blackspot fungus grows well on plants such as roses in unpolluted areas because it is killed by the presence of sulphur dioxide that would be found in polluted air Water Pollution Indicators  Many aquatic animals can’t Mayfly and stonefly larvae prefer survive in polluted water, so their clean water presence / absence can indicate the level of pollution in a water body Freshwater shrimp can tolerate low levels of pollution  Different invertebrate species are able to tolerate different levels of water pollution The water louse can tolerate high levels of pollution  The composition of species within a study area can indicate the Species such as the rat-tailed level of pollution maggot and sludgeworm can tolerate very high levels of pollution Water Pollution Indicators  Mussels are suspension feeders and accumulate heavy metals and toxins in their tissues  Mussels are often used as indicator species for monitoring the health of coastal environments Water Pollution Indicators  Bacteria begin to break down the dead plant material, using up oxygen as they do so, resulting in the death of fish and other organisms  This process is known as eutrophication  The composition and total amount of algae species can indicate the amount of organic pollution Water Pollution Indicators  Amphibians have moist, permeable skin which is easily affected by changes in water quality  For example, some chemicals may potentially cause physical abnormalities and malformations  Amphibians live both on land and in water Biotic Index  A Biotic index compares the relative  A high biotic index indicates an frequency of indicator species abundance of pollution sensitive  It provide an overall environmental organisms = unpolluted environment assessment of an ecosystem  A low biotic index indicates the  A change in the biotic index over time absence of pollution sensitive indicates a change in the organisms = polluted environment environmental conditions Biotic Index  Biotic indices compare the relative frequency of indicator species and provide an overall assessment of environmental health  Calculating a biotic index involves multiplying the population size of each indicator species by its pollution tolerance rating Biomagnification Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification  Along with energy and nutrients, other substances are able to move through an ecosystem  Bioaccumulation  The increase in concentration of a pollutant from the environment to the tissues of an organism.  Smaller, simpler organisms towards the bottom of a food chain will often absorb these pollutants more easily  Biomagnification  A pollutant's ability to increase in concentration as it moves from one trophic level to the next  It involves an increase in concentration from one link in a food chain to another due to the relative amount each organism in the chain consumes Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification Biomagnification  In order for biomagnification to  Examples: occur, the pollutant must be:  DDT  Long lived – does not break down  PCB’s easily in the environment  Mercury  Mobile – through air, water etc  Marine plastics  Soluble in fats – does not readily dissolve and be excreted, which means it can accumulate in fat tissue and be retained for long periods of time in an organism  Biologically active – can affect living matter Silent Spring Case Study - DDT  Carry out some basic research to answer the following questions:  What is DDT and what is/was it used for?  What impact does the biomagnification of DDT have on birds?  What impact does it have on humans?  Then construct a list evaluating the pros and cons of DDT’s use