Name: ________________________________ Period: ________ Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution Topics (Textbook Module Numbers) I. II. III. IV. Sources of Pollution (41) Human Impacts on Ecosystems (41) Endocrine Disruptors (42) Human Impacts on Wetlands and Mangroves (43) IX. Solid Waste Disposal (51) X. Waste Reduction Methods (52) XI. Sewage Treatment (41) XII. Lethal Dose 50% (LD50) (57) V. Eutrophication (41) VI. Thermal Pollution (44) XIII. Dose Response Curve (57) XIV. Pollution and Human Health (56) VII. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) (42) VIII. Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification (42) XV. Pathogens and Infectious Diseases (56) Vocabulary • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Acid deposition Algal bloom Bioaccumulation Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) Biomagnification Boom Brownfield Bubonic plague Cholera Composting Coral bleaching Dead zone Decomposition Dispersant Dose Response Curve E-waste Endocrine disruptors Eutrophication/ Cultural Eutrophication Fecal coliform bacteria Great Pacific Garbage Patch Hypoxic Incineration Indicator species • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Landfill mitigation LD50 Leach field Leachate Malaria Mangroves Manure lagoon Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) MERS Mesothelioma Methylmercury Nonpoint source Oligotrophic Oxygen sag curve Pathogen Perceived obsolescence Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Planned obsolescence Point source Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) Primary treatment 1 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Range of tolerance Recycling Runoff Safe Drinking Water Act Sanitary municipal landfill SARS Secondary treatment Sedimentation Septage Septic system Septic tank Sludge Tertiary treatment Thermal pollution Thermal pollution Thermal shock Clean Water Act Tuberculosis Wastewater Water pollution West Nile virus Wetland Zika virus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GorqroigqM 21:17 1. Copy the sketches of the 5 stages of the materials economy Extraction Production Distribution Consumption Disposal 2. How much of our natural resources have been trashed in the last few decades? One-third. 3. How many planets are needed to support current rates of consumption in the US and Australia? 3-5 (Doesn’t mention Australia) 4. How many trees are being lost in the Amazon each minute? 2000 5. What is being added to the production system that is created dangerous waste products? Toxic chemicals 6. What food is at the top of the food chain and threatening the health of future generations? Human breast milk 7. What is meant by “externalising costs of production”? The real cost of producing a commodity isn’t captured in the price. The price is reduced at the cost of environmental damage in communities around the globe. 8. Who is paying for the real cost of cheap electronic equipment (i.e. the $4.99 radio)? List three groups at least. Children in the Congo who must mine for the metals used, people losing access to clean air, those who have increased cancer and asthma rates, 9a. How much material is still in the system after 6 months?_____1____%. 9b. Where have the remaining materials gone? In the trash. 10. When did the modern consumer economy come into being? Why? It was conceived in Post-WWII economic philosophy, to make endless consumption the spiritual purpose of the country. 2 11. According to Annie Leonard, what are some of the social and community interests being neglected while we are busy consuming “stuff”? Health care, education, public transport, sustainability, and justice. 12. What do these terms mean? Give an example of each. • planned obsolescence: designing products to fail after a set time example________Mops, DVDs, cameras, computers__________________________ • perceived obsolescence: the perception that you need newer stuff to fit in example_____________Monitors, fashion_____________________ 13a. What is happening to the levels of measured happiness? Declining after a peak in the ‘50s 13b. What reasons are given? A bombardment of adverts tells us we’re living life incorrectly, and we have less leisure time and less time with friends & family. 14. Draw or summarize the steps in the treadmill. Work-watch-spend 15. One solution which many countries use to deal with increasing waste is to burn it. What problem is associated with burning rubbish? It releases the toxins in the materials and creates new ones. 16. How does recycling help? It reduces the pressure to mine for new materials. 17. Why is recycling not enough? (Clue: How many rubbish bins are needed to produce one bin of recycled materials?) For all the consumer trash, far more is produced industrially. 3 I. Sources of Pollution Objective: • Identify differences between point and nonpoint sources of pollution Waste should be viewed as a ___system____ , just like other materials. Human systems: Inputs Soil, water, minerals, sunlight Outputs Waste Waste:______Material outputs from a system that are not useful or consumed________________ Is natural waste “useful” or not? Yes, they’re essential in biogeochemical cycles ______Point source pollution___________ : Produced from a single, identifiable location. Examples: ______Non-point source pollution______________: Produced from a more diffuse, broadly defined area Examples: (See PPT). Rural/suburban homes & streets, roads, animal feedlots, roads, irrigation/drainage How is it helpful to a community to identify point sources of pollution? Can try to reduce, mitigate, or penalize direct sources Which type of pollution is more difficult to control and why? Nonpoint—difficult to identify and control and may have many more stakeholders II. Human Impacts on Aquatic Ecosystems Objective: • Describe negative environmental impacts on suffered by coral reefs. • Explain how oil spills happen, and their negative economic consequences and effects on aquatic ecosystems. • Explain what a dead zone is and how it forms. • Describe how heavy metals can impact water supply. • Identify the major sources of solid waste pollution. • Explain the harmful effects of sediment pollution. Why are coral reefs important? Biodiversity, food source, tourism, protection, medicine 4 THREATS: Chemical Physical • • • • • • • Boat damage, anchors, chains, snorkelers and divers Blast fishing Cyanide poisoning Overharvesting • • Sedimentation Oil spills Plastic waste & microplastics Rising sea temps— bleaching Other Toxins—Sunscreens, Pesticides, Metals Indirect Biological Pathogens ex. Black Band Disease (Bacterial) Invasive predators— lionfish, Crown-ofThorns starfish Natural Threats Storm impacts Temperature changes Salinity changes Predation Algal overgrowth How does human activity exacerbate (magnify) this threat? Climate change—Bigger, more frequent hurricanes Climate change—Currents changing Climate change—melting ice Invasives—aquarium pets and boat ballast Sedimentation from development, eutrophication (nutrients)... à Article: The Problem with Nurdles. https://www.nurdlehunt.org.uk/the-problem.html What are nurdles? (don’t copy word for word! Explain in your own words) Tiny plastic pellets Why are nurdles likely to be ingested by sea animals? They can be mistaken for food How are nurdles harmful when they are eaten? Plastic can get trapped in an animal's stomach causing ulceration, making them feel full and stopping them eating real food. This can lead to starvation and potentially death. Toxic chemicals can also transfer from microplastic to animals that eat them, causing further harm – another route for these chemicals to enter the food chain. 5 How are nurdles harmful to beach ecosystems? “Pellets might also have indirect effects on ecosystems; on the beach, microplastics can change the characteristics of sand, such as its temperature and permeability, which can affect animals like sea turtles that incubate their eggs on beaches.” Hover over the images in the infographic to see more information List five of the specific species (not just “birds”) that have been documented in research studies to have ingested large amounts of plastic. Answers vary. How do most of the nurdles end up in the ocean? “After plastic pellets (or nurdles) are produced they are transported acorss the world in their billions. During each stage of the industrial process, from pellet to product, nurdles are spilt. When not cleaned up properly they can enter our rivers and waterways, eventually reaching our oceans” Hover over the images in the infographic to see more information Draw a simplified diagram showing where nurdles get lost during their life cycle. Define primary vs. secondary microplastic. Because they enter the oceans already in microplastic form, they are known as a ‘primary microplastic’. ‘Secondary microplastics’ are formed when larger plastic items break up once at sea. Explain whether it is better to focus on cleaning up the nurdles or preventing them at the source and why. At the size of a grain of sand, plastic particles can be mistaken as food for even tiny animals at the base of our food chain, like plankton. Once eaten, microscopic plastic particles can pass straight into an animal’s blood stream and lodge in their tissues. Unlike larger pieces of plastic like bottles, nets and bags there is no practical way of removing these nurdles or microplastics from the sea. Hover over the images in the infographic to see more information What causes nurdles to get even smaller? UV rays and oxygen breaks them down into smaller and smaller particles. What are POPs? (These will come up again later) Persistent organic pollutants Hover over the images in the infographic to see more information Which of the 4 groups of chemicals... _PCBS__ Interferes with hormones, causes developmental abnormalities—found in coolants __DDT__ Found in pesticides, concentrates up the food chain Oil spills 6 Cause harm from surface to bottom of ocean, at all trophic levels 1. Marine mammals and birdsà Oil coats feathers and fur 2. Fishà Health Issues/ Death From Ingestion, Blocking Gills 3. Invertebrates à smothering, immobilization Case Studies 1. ___ Exxon Valdez oil spill (1989)_____ × Supertanker crashed into a reef in Prince William Sound, AK × 42 million liters (11 million gallons) × Half a million birds and thousands of marine mammals killed 2. __ ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge)_ × Exploration might yield up to 1.4 trillion L of oil and natural gas × Opponents: will harm pristine habitat and the human population as well 3. ____Deepwater Horizon (2010)___________ × Explosion at a BP oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico × Released 780 million L (206 million gal)—87 days × 6000 sea turtles, 26,000 marine mammals, 82,000 birds killed BP Oil Spill Timeline (2:58) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiF-X-Ez9Bs BP Oil Spill 5 Years Later: Wildlife Still Suffering MSNBC (5:53) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcZ9MLDuIl0 Why were there so many birds on the neighboring barrier islands off the Lousiana coast at the time of the spill? Barrier islands serve as wildlife sanctuaries. Birds use those islands to nest, as they’re far away from predators.. What occurred with the land and mangroves? (positive feedback loop!) The oil killed off the mangroves, taking their root systems with them, accelerating erosion. 7 Why are they in danger of losing the pelican population? With the disappearance of the islands, there are very few placing left for the birds to nest. What are the steps being taken right now to protect the pelicans? Who is supporting and not supporting? Naturalists want to rebuild the nesting island, using funds from individual donors, Shell oil, local parishes. BP is not donating any money. Deepwater Horizon disaster, five years later (10:24) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZKBDVurCdk How does Correctsit dispersant work? A chemical used to clean up the spilled; legal in the US, banned in Canada. When mixed with oil, the mixture sinks, and studies say that it’s toxic. Physical evidence that remains even 5 years later There’s discolored foam, and fisheries often pull up diseased fish and tar balls. Human medical issues A local fisherman and his family suffers from memory lapses. Diving turn a marine biologist’s skin spotty. Another fisherman developed a cough. BP’s responses to the complaints They claim the that levels of exposure were not enough to cause health and safety issues, and they’ve set up a healthcare fund for those who claim that they were harmed as well as a cleanup fund. Economic issues in Grand Isle The local housing market has collapsed. _____ Wastewater_____________ : Produced by livestock operations and human activities Types: Clear, gray, black water • Why is wastewater a problem? _Wastewater has a higher BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) à more oxygen is required for the bacteria to decompose all the organic material à ____ Higher_______ BOD = ____ More___ pollution à High BOD = Less ____DO (Dissolved oxygen) ____________________ for other forms of life; may cause _____dead zones__________ BOD in the waters of North America has (increased/decreased) since 1976 because: Water quality legislation and pollution control measures BOD in the waters of Africa and Asia has (increased/decreased) since 1976 because: population increase and little progress in pollution control measures 8 How is the creation of a dead zone in the ocean or river an example of a positive feedback loop? (Draw it) Oxygen Sag Curve Sediment Pollution (________sedimentation_______________) • Caused by construction, agriculture, erosion • Increases ______ turbidity____________, reduces sunlight • Clogs gills • _____ Eutrophication_______________ 9 Heavy metals used for industry, especially mining and burning of fossil fuels, can reach the groundwater, impacting the drinking water supply Heavy Metals and other toxins Metal/Toxin Source Lead • Lead lined pipes • Lead paint, toys • Older buildings, apts Removal Water filtration Laws banning lead paint, import of toys Replacement of old pipes Federal guidelines for building Filtration and reverse osmosis Health Effect Nervous system and kidney damage to fetuses and infants Arsenic • • In crust naturally Mining Mercury --Aquatic bacteria convert to methylmercury (highly toxic) • Reduce use of coal Burning of coal & garbage Once airborne, can fall into waterwaysàseafood Biomagnification—can damage CNS, esp. fetuses/children Acids • Acid deposition/acid rain (sulfuric/nitric) Abandoned mines Coal scrubbers Water treatment Lethal to many forms of life, food web effects Destroy statues, bridges, roads, buildings Increase crop production Use organic methods Ban certain chemicals (DDT) Kill many non-target organisms Flushed into waterways Proper waste disposal Varying effects on food web • • Pesticides Pharmaceuticals/ hormones • • • Skin, lung, kidney, bladder cancers Other compounds: _____Perchlorates________ (rocket fuel), __PCBs___--polychlorinated biphenyls (plastics/electrical transformers), _PBDE____ (flame retardants) 10 http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/chemical-study-ground-zero-house-flint-water-crisis180962030/ Scientists Now Know Exactly How Lead Got Into Flint's Water –Smithsonian magazine What was the root cause of the crisis and what happened in 2014 that exacerbated it? Corrosion. The city drew its water from the Flint river, the increased acidity of which exacerbated the corrosion of Flint’s water pipes. What safety measures might have prevented the problem, but were not being followed by Flint? “Officials never used common corrosion control methods that Detroit and many other cities use in their water systems. Those methods include adding phosphates to the water, which help keep lead from dissolving into the water flowing through the pipes. When the city switched water supplies, this rust began to be stripped away, strongly discoloring the water and leaching the large amounts of lead from that rust into the water” What has Flint done since 2014, and is it working for the long term? “Flint switched back to using water from Detroit in October 2015, and is now adding extra phosphates to that water to help reduce lead levels. But these measures amount to just a "band-aid," according to Edwards.” Is Flint the only place this contamination could be a problem? “While Flint is also planning to replace galvanized iron pipes as well as lead pipes, Guyette says, there are thousands of cities across America where lead and iron pipes have been and are still being used together.” III. Endocrine Disruptors Objective: • Identify endocrine disruptors and describe the effects of endocrine disruptors on ecosystems. _________Endocrine disruptors __________ : Mimic hormones causing overstimulation, or bind to a receptor within a cell and block the real hormone, stopping response. Examples: Dioxins, phthalates, flame retardants, phenol, PCB, pesticides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, phytoestrogens Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals https://youtu.be/ibfAF66JzFE (2:54) 11 IV. Human Impacts on Wetlands and Mangroves Objective: • • Describe wetlands and mangroves, and the ecological services they provide. Describe the impacts of human activity on wetlands and mangroves. _____Wetland____ : a distinct ecosystem that is flooded by water, either permanently or seasonally, where anaerobic processes prevail Ecological Services provided by Wetlands 1. Flood control 2. Shoreline stabilization 3. Storm protection 4. Habitat and Nursery • • • • 5,000 species of plant life 1/3 of all species of birds 190 species of amphibians ALL of America's wild ducks and geese need wetlands to survive ___Mangroves____________ : • ___Salt-tolerant trees_____ that grow along tropical shorelines • inhabit the ________intertidal zone___ • _____ Underwater roots _____________ × substrate for inverts like corals, sponges, tunicates × shelter many species of juvenile fish Threats to Mangroves and Wetlands • • • • Commercial development Dam construction Overharvesting Pollutants from agriculture and industrial waste 12 àThe Disappearing Wetlands in California’s Central Valley, High Country News 2/29/16 https://www.hcn.org/articles/the-disappearing-wetlands-in-californias-central-valley What are the natural and anthropogenic causes of the wetland loss in CA? Drought What are two ways that bird populations are impacted by shrinking wetlands? There is reduced breeding in the changing ecosystem, and due the greater concentration of birds in small areas, avian flu is more communicable. What was a mitigation solution that conservationists came up with to preserve some habitat for migrating birds? They used rice plantations as a surrogate habitat that could also serve as agriculture. Why is that no longer a viable solution? Diminished water availability pushed farmers away from rice. How does the Central Valley Project Improvement Act fit into the story? “The Central Valley Project Improvement Act, passed by Congress in 1992, promised 800,000 acre-feet of water for restoring wetlands and fish populations across the state. As High Country News reported in 1995, for the first time, the law put nature into the equation of California water use. But it hasn’t worked out that way in practice. "Even in a good year, the refuges have never received their full allotment of water," about 550,000 acre-feet, Hertel says.” V. Eutrophication Objective: Explain the environmental effects of excessive use of fertilizers and detergents on aquatic ecosystems • • • Define eutrophication and algal blooms. Discuss the characteristics of hypoxic, oligotrophic, and eutrophic waterways. Describe anthropogenic causes of eutrophication. Excess nutrients in the water à _______eutrophication_________ (anthropogenic causes = ________ cultural_______ eutrophication) à especially _____N & P____ à ___Algal blooms_________ à again leads to High BOD and dead zones Waterways low in oxygen = ___hypoxic or anoxic __Oligotrophic__ waterways: low nutrients, stable algae populations, high DO 13 1. Sewage, treated and untreated (N/P) 2. Detergents (P) 4. Fertilizer/manu re (N/P) 5. Runoff (N/P) 3. Combustion (NOX Compounds—N) VI. Thermal Pollution Objective: • Define thermal pollution and describe its causes. • Describe the effects of thermal pollution on aquatic ecosystems. Also called ____thermal enrichment_____ • Power plants/factories use cooling water, pump hot water back into waterways • Warm water contains less __dissolved oxygen (DO)_______ • Decreased respiration, suffocation • To reduce temperature: use of _______cooling towers _______ Temp vs. DO VII. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Objective: • Define POP and identify examples. • Explain how and why POPs are toxic to organisms and how they can spread long distances. POPs are types of pollutants that are especially harmful because 1. POPs do not easily break down because they are synthetic, carbon-based molecules 2. They can travel long distances before being redeposited 3. POPs are fat-soluble, so they bioaccumulate and biomagnify Stockholm Convention: (2001) Treaty focused on eliminating or restricting production and use POPs 14 5 examples of POPs Answers vary—dioxins, dieldrin, DDT, brominated compounds, etc VIII. Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification Objective: • Define bioaccumulation and biomagnification and explain the difference between them. • Describe harmful effects on ecosystems and humans that are a result of bioaccumulation and biomagnification. • Identify examples of substances that are capable of bioaccumulating and having measurable negative environmental impact. ______Bioaccumulation______________ : Increase in concentration of a pollutant in an organism ______Biomagnification___________ : Increase in concentration of a pollutant in a food chain à Effects on top carnivores—thinning eggshells, reproductive malformities à DDT banned after Rachel Carson wrote about its effects on songbirds in ______Silent Spring____________ à Human body systems that can be most severely affected: ___________ Reproductive, nervous, and circulatory system issues Food Web Activity Consider the food web diagram and the passage of the pesticide DDT from organism to organism. (Organic debris = decomposed organic matter from dead organisms) Remind kids that organisms are labeled based on their highest possible trophic level (for example, we are top predators as humans even though we also eat plants.) 1. Label each plant/animal as a primary producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, or tertiary consumer. You can use the standard abbreviations PP, 1° C, 2° C, and 3° C. 15 2. Which of the following groups is most susceptible to problems from DDT: primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, or tertiary consumers? Why? Tertiary consumers and other top predators are the most susceptible because the toxins accumulate and magnify from their prey and the other levels on the food chain. 3. What are some differences between the food chain of ospreys and the food chain of northern harriers? How might these differences in the diet of osprey and northern harriers result in exposure to different amounts of DDT? Northern harriers eat lower on the food chain so they will be less exposed to DDT. 4. Suppose an osprey eats 300 g of fish per day. The fish tissue consumed by the osprey has an average DDT concentration of 0.1 μg/g. How much DDT is the osprey consuming in one day? 300 g x (0.1 μg/g) = 30 μg 5. Now suppose a bald eagle also eats 300 g of food per day. But, the bald eagle eats seal carcasses that have washed up on the beach. The seal had eaten fish-eating fish with 1.0 μg/g DDT in their tissue. Much of the seal’s body is made of blubber (a fatty substance) and the DDT bioaccumulates in the seal. So, the seal has 2.0 μg/g DDT in its tissue. If the bald eagle eats 300 g of seal, how much DDT does the bald eagle consume in one day? 300 g x (2.0 μg/g) = 600 μg 6. Rank the relative concentration of DDT using the following scale: 1 = lowest concentration, 10 = highest concentration. You should consider this approximate, just use your best judgment to guess. Numbers may vary, but this is the order they should be in and the ones that should be approximately the same are grouped together. 1) Plants • insects/rodents/crayfish (only eats PP) • small fish/northern harrier (only eats 1C) • large fish (eats 1C and 2C) • seabird (eats only 2C) • osprey (eats 2C and 3C) • seal (eats only 3C) 10) bald eagle (eats 3C and 4C) à Article: High Level of Mercury Found in Pumas Linked to Coastal Fog https://www.worldatlas.com/news/high-level-of-mercury-found-in-pumas-linked-to-coastal-fog.html Explain how a puma is a victim of BOTH bioaccumulation and biomagnification due to methylmercury in the fog. The mercury builds up through the lichens and then the deer and then the puma through biomagnification (going up through food chain levels). The puma is eating MANY deer, which is bioaccumulation (and the deer themselves have eaten many lichen). 16 IX. Solid Waste Disposal Objective: • Define solid waste and how and where it is generated. • Describe the negative impacts of improperly designed landfills. • Define e-waste and discuss its recent prevalence. • Describe the design of sanitary municipal landfills. • Describe factors in landfill decomposition rates. • Explain the pros and cons of incineration as an alternative. • Identify items that cannot be accepted in landfills, such as rubber tires • Discuss the prevalence and negative impacts of ocean dumping https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkfAnQtIUCw Where is the Biggest Garbage Dump on Earth? (4:03) How has it formed? What is it composed of? The Great Pacific Garbage Patch formed in the Subtropical Convergence Zone that runs across the Pacific ocean. Plastic pollution in the ocean is drawn to this Zone by currents. No one is quite sure how much plastic there is. The Patch is a hotbed of nurdles, which attracts other pollutants like oil slicks, and these pollutants are absorbed by the Ocean’s ecosystem. 17 Landfills à Traditional landfills must confront two large environmental problems: 1. Leachate 2. Gases ____Leachate______ : Contaminated water that passes through MSW into the soil and waterways ________Sanitary Landfills____________ aim to contaminate the surrounding environment as little as possible. Important Features: 1. Plastic or clay bottom layer 2. Stormwater collection 3. Leachate collection 4. Methane recovery for energy use 5.Clay and soil cap How fast will decomposition happen? Depends on... 1. Composition of the trash 2. Conditions needed for microbial decomposition __________Incineration__________ : Burn waste to reduce volume and mass; sometimes can generate electricity or heat (called a ___waste-to-energy______ system) à ___Ash_ : Residual non-organic material that does not combust 18 à Article: Is Burning Trash a Good Way to Dispose of It? PBS KQED https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/is-burning-trash-a-good-way-to-dispose-of-it-waste-incineration-in-charts What does the author consider negative impacts of burning waste? “Emissions from burning waste worsen environmental inequalities, create financial risks for host communities and reduce incentives to adopt more sustainable waste practices.” Why is the U.S. waste incineration industry declining? Due to “a volatile revenue model, aging plants, high operation and maintenance costs, and growing public interest in reducing waste, promoting environmental justice and combating climate change.” ____72_ incinerators operate in the U.S., and __ 80___ % are in “environmental justice communities”. How are these communities defined? “Areas where more than 25% of residents are low-income, people of color or both. “ Where specifically in the U.S. are most of them? In northeast states and Florida What has changed over the last 50 years in terms of what is burned? Synthetic materials such as plastics have increased, while biogenic, compostable materials such as paper and yard trimmings have decreased. What are some modern solutions that are being demanded by the public? The public is increasingly demanding more upstream solutions in the form of extended producer responsibility bills, plastic bans and less-toxic product redesign. There is also a growing movement for less-consumptive lifestyles that favors zerowaste goals. How do incinerator plants compare to natural gas power plants in terms of emissions? According to recent figures from the waste industry, incinerator plants emit more sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide per unit of electricity generated than power plants burning natural gas. NIMBY! = Not in my backyard Some items are not accepted in landfills and are prone to be disposed of illegally Answers vary—paint, oil, electronics, batteries, appliances 19 _______E-waste______________ is only ___2%__ of the waste stream. Why is it such a significant concern? 70% of Toxic Materials in US Landfills come from E-waste Ocean Dumping • Prohibited in 1972 by Ocean Dumping Act (MPRSA) • China, Indonesia, Phillippines, Vietnam, Thailand dump more than the rest of the world combined Animals ingest trash and become entangled • Explore: Nat Geo’s Planet or Plastic? https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/planetorplastic/planetorplastic-backup/ __________________________________________________ : Consider all materials and energy used in the lifetime of a product, from raw materials to final disposal The life cycle of a T-shirt (6:03) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiSYoeqb_VY Which is better for the environment??? None of these have a simple answer…write down both pros and cons for both. Paper vs. Plastic cup? We predict: Studies suggest: TIE! Paper/plastic each lowest in 5 categories Disposable vs. Cloth diaper? We predict: Studies suggest: Cloth: more water and more waterborne emissions Disposables: more solid waste and natural resource consumption Notebooks or an iPad? We predict: Studies suggest: GHG emissions: Ipad 7 hours = 1 sheet paper 113 notebooks = ipad BUT mining rare-earth metals/ e-waste 20 X. Waste Reduction Methods Objective: Describe changes to current practices that could reduce the amount of generated waste and their associated benefits and drawbacks • Define recycling and discuss its pros and cons. • Define composting and discuss its pros and cons. • Discuss options for disposing of e-waste and the issues with improper disposal. • Describe landfill mitigation strategies. • Describe the option of methane recapture in landfills. How much waste is produced by a nation has a direct correlation to that nation’s _GDP; wealth_. ______Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) __________: Refuse collected by municipalities from households, small businesses, and institutions. What caused the shift to the “throw-away society”? • Industrialization: --New materials technology --Access to energy sources • Cultural shift: --Prioritize convenience and speed --Outsource/externalize costs How does our industrialization lead to developing countries’ increasing their MSW? We export our manufacturing and disposal. Undercover in a Bangladesh clothing factory (CBS news) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1mvcFuiTts (4:39) Composition of the Waste Stream (flow of solid waste before recycling) 1/3 MSW But 75% of recycled material is _paper & food waste___ 21 is recycled. The Three Rs and Composting 1. ___Reduce_______ à_____Source reduction____________ : Reduce use of potential waste materials in early stages of design and manufacture. Examples: 2. ___Reuse__ : increase of _____residence time______ in the system • Better if reuse does not require much additional energy Examples: 3. ____Recycle____ : objects converted to raw materials which can be used to produce new products 2 Types of Recycling: ___Open Loop___________ • Requires more energy input • Will produce some waste • “Downcycling” • Degradation in quality _____Closed Loop_____ Recycling Pros?’ Recycling Cons? Consume fewer raw materials Reduce use of energy in manufacture and processing Reduce need for disposal Decrease in pollution/emissions Not cost effective Recycling sites often not safe— contanimants/emissions New products are degraded in quality and not durable Hard to implement on large scale or certain regions Many plastics aren’t recyclable All-in one efficient FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY A manufactured good is broken down to raw materials and recycled back into a similar product without significant degradation or waste ____ Composting______ : Creation of organic matter (humus) by decomposition under controlled conditions to produce an organic-rich material that enhances soil structure, cation exchange capacity, and fertility. • Ensure a good ___C:N ____ ratio that will boost ____microbial_____ activity • Layer “dry” material (leaves, grass) will “wet” (kitchen scraps) • Rotation and aeration to provide ____oxygen___ . If decomposition occurs anaerobically like in landfills, _______methane___ will be produced (bad greenhouse gas!) • Drawbacks: odor and rodents 22 Solid Waste Management Hierarchy Most preferred Least preferred (last resort) ______Hazardous Waste______________ : Liquid, solid or gas that has been shown to be harmful to humans or the environment Examples of Hazardous Waste • Paint, batteries, pesticides, solvents, cleaning agents, varnishes, automotive fluids What’s the best option? à There are no perfect options à ______Chemical treatment_______________ happens first à_______Source reduction_______________ is best! Legislation: ____CERCLA/Superfund Act (1980)________ • Taxes on chemical and petroleum industries • Funds cleanup of non-operating hazardous waste sites 23 • Authorizes federal government to respond immediately to release of hazardous substances à______Brownfields_______ : Newer federal program (1995) to clean up industrial sites that do not yet have Superfund status Important Case Study: ___Love Canal Disaster_____ • Used to be a hazardous waste landfill • Benzene, dioxin, and trichloroethylene (carcinogens) found in basements in 1978 • Residents evacuated in 1983 The Love Canal Disaster (11:02) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjobz14i8kM Where did the chemicals come from originally, and when? From 1947-1952, the Hooker Chemical Company used the canal as a toxic waste dump. What were some of the health problems people experienced? Skin rashes, birth defects, miscarriages, and cancer. Why did residents protest against the EPA and the government? The EPA had initially deemed the area safe to live, angering residents who had long noticed seepage of chemicals in their living spaces. How many toxic sites has the Superfund Act remediated at the time of this video? __400__ Was Love Canal remediated? What happened to it? It was, however it took two decades for the full cleanup, and the housing market in the area crashed. Why did activists continue to protest when Love Canal was repopulated in 1998? There remained 20,000 chemicals in the center of the Canal. Why is it so hard to identify and eliminate carcinogens around us? There are many different carcinogens one can be exposed to, and developing cancer takes time, making it difficult to ascribe causality to any carcinogen with precision. ___Landfill mitigation strategies_______________________ • • Burning waste for energy and to reduce volume Restoring habitat for use as parks 24 XI. Sewage Treatment Objective: • • Describe best practices in sewage treatment. Explain primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment, and disinfection. Treating wastewater 1. _______Septic System__________ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IftsX9Z7vHI How a septic system works (2:09) 2._Sewage Treatment Plants : centralized systems in large municipalities in developed countries 1) ____Primary treatment___________________ : × Physical removal of large objects through the use of screens and grates × Settling of waste at the bottom of the tank 2) ____Secondary treatment______________ : × Water ___aerated___, ___oxygen_ added, promotes growth of aerobic bacteria × Bacterial breakdown into CO2 and inorganic sludge 3) ______Tertiary treatment___________________: ______Disinfection_________________ using chlorine, ozone, UV light --Released to waterway Heavy rain and flooding—plants can ___legally dump___ raw sewage into bodies of water ______Sewage Lagoon__________ : man-made outdoor earthen basin filled with animal waste that undergoes anaerobic respiration as part of a system designed to manage and treat refuse created by CAFOs. https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/drone-factory-farm-pig-feces-lakes 25 XII. Lethal Dose 50% (LD50) & XIII. Dose Response Curve (Hazards and Risk) Objective: • Identify the five major types of hazards. • Differentiate between transmissible and non-transmissable diseases, with examples. • Describe at least three emergent diseases and the pathogens that cause them. • Discuss ways to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases, and the roadblocks. • Identify important toxic substances. • Describe their effects on the different physiological systems of the body. • Define LD50 and compare the toxicity of different substances. • Explain and evaluate dose response curves. Five types of Hazards: 1. Biological hazards (>1400 pathogens) 2. Chemical hazards 3. Natural hazards: fire, earthquakes, floods, storms, volcanoes 4. Cultural hazards: unsafe highways, poverty, unsafe working conditions, assault 5. Lifestyle choices: smoking, alcohol, drugs, unsafe sex, driving fast, eating poorly ____Non-transmissible___________: caused by non-living factors; does not spread ____Infectious disease_________: (also transmissible/contagious/communicable): caused by pathogens Look up 5 examples each of diseases caused by…. Add VA if there is a vaccine, add A if there is an antibiotic Virus Bacterium Protist (Protozoan) 26 Fungus Methods of transmission ____Epidemic_____: regional large- scale outbreak ____Pandemic__________: worldwide outbreak Copy the 5 deadliest diseases in history, their pathogen, and method of transmission Transmission Vaccine International (not on poster-look Pathogen or up) antibiotic? Droplets Virus Vaccine 1. Smallpox 2. Measles 3. Spanish flu 4. Black death 5. HIV/AIDs airborne Virus Vaccine droplets Virus Vaccine Flea bites/rats Bacterium Sexual contact and needle sharing Virus Antibiotic Neither https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7xlGcLGTu8 1918 Pandemic: The Deadliest Flu in History (6:08) the 1918 flu was also known as _____The Spanish Flu______________ Why did many countries not report the flu? Due to WWI press restrictions What percent of the world was infected? 1/3 of the world. Flu viruses are categorized by two types of _________surface proteins_______________ H5N1 Virus = Bird Flu H1N1 Virus = Swine Flu (2009 pandemic) Small mutations that your immune system can protect against: ___antigenic drifts__ Large mutations that your body cannot protect against: ________antigenic shifts_________ Why did it especially affect 20-40 year olds? (2 reasons) 1. They didn’t get an “antigenic imprint” when they were young from earlier outbreaks 2. They have a stronger immune response, leading to cytokine storms. 27 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySClB6-OH-Q The Past, Present and Future of the Bubonic Plague (4:12) Visit the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) website and the WHO (World Health Organization) website for information about current disease concerns in the US and internationally. Write down at least 5 of each, and put VI, B, P, or F for pathogen, and VA or AN for vaccine or antibiotic. https://www.cdc.gov/outbreaks/index.html CDC http://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/en/ WHO United States Pathogen Vaccine or antibiotic? International Pathogen Vaccine or antibiotic? Antibiotic Resistance https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-antibiotics-become-resistant-over-timekevin-wu#watch (4:35) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yybsSqcB7mE (2:02) Watch Antibiotic Resistance Evolve Draw a positive feedback model showing how antibiotic resistance occurs. Solutions to the Problem of Infectious Disease: • Research on vaccines • Reduce poverty and malnutrition • Improve drinking water quality • Reduce unnecessary antibiotic use • Reduce use of antibiotics on livestock • Immunizations • Awareness campaigns (STDs, mosquito nets, etc. There are CHEMICALS in my food!!! Name something that has scary CHEMICALS in it: ____________________________________ Penn & Teller get hippies to sign water banning petition 3:23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi3erdgVVTw&t=41s 28 Top 5 Toxic Substances (What they are) 1. 2. 3. 4. Arsenic Lead Mercury Vinyl Chloride (PVC plastics) 5. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) 3 Types Toxic Agents (What they do) 1. Carcinogens—cause cancer 2. Mutagens—cause mutations in DNA 3. Teratogens—cause birth defects Other Hazardous Effects: System Example Immune Nervous Endocrine Examples 1. Tobacco, UV rays, asbestos, radon, acrylamide (in fried food), processed meat, alcohol, exhaust 2. Ethidium bromide, UV rays, x-rays 3.Alcohol, cocaine, mercury, lithium Disease/Effect Arsenic Methylmercury Dioxins Neurotoxins --methylmercury --PCBs --Arsenic --Lead --Other pesticides Weaken the immune system, leaving it vulnerable to infection Endocrine disruptors and mimics --BPA (bisphenol A) --aluminum --phthalates --DDT Prevention of hormone from working properly Birth defects Developmental delays and disabilities Mercury poisoning ADD Paralysis Learning disabilities __Toxicity__________: a measure of the harmfulness of a substance—ability to cause injury, illness, or death to a living organism Answers the question: At what level of exposure to a particular toxic chemical will the chemical cause harm? ___Dose____: The amount of a harmful chemical that a person has ingested, inhaled, or absorbed at one time What factors affect toxicity? Variables • Age • Genetic makeup (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) • Performance of detox systems (liver, lungs, kidneys) • Solubility • Persistence • Biomagnification/ Bioaccumulation 29 Types of Response: _____Acute______: immediate, rapid, possibly temporary _____Chronic_________: permanent, long-lasting What’s a safer chemical: a naturally occurring one, or a synthetic (human-made) one? Trick question—that is not one of the factors you can consider. There are many deadly and totally safe natural chemicals; there are many deadly and naturally safe man-made chemicals. ___LD50____ (Lethal Dose 50) : Amount of a substance required to kill 50% of the test population (you might also see reference to ___LC50____ ) Remember: 1. Results are applicable to only the test population 2. The lower the amount (dose), the more lethal the substance ____Dose-Response Curve______________ (Refer to LD50 Brine Shrimp Lab) × Shows the response of a population to a dose of a chemical/toxin _____Precautionary Principle__________________________ : When there is substantial preliminary evidence that an activity/technology/chemical substance can harm humans or the environment, we should take precautionary measures to prevent/reduce harm, rather than wait for more conclusive scientific evidence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1SWkqZCD24 The Precautionary Principle Animation (1:43) What are some other issues besides toxins to which we could/should be applying the Precautionary Principle? Diseases, construction of bridges and roads, traffic signs and signals (example: even if a crossroad has never had an accident before, there should be a stop sign put there) __Risk____: probability of suffering harm (usually percentage or fraction) __Risk assessment____________________________: Use statistical methods to estimate risk __Risk management_____________________________: Whether and how to reduce risk, and at what cost Refer to Risk Survey Lab 30 Which of these do people consider to be riskier? What are the reasons behind these perceptions? Being pushed out of an airplane with a parachute Involuntary Sky-diving Voluntary Government chlorination of drinking water Uncontrollable Hiking on an open cliffside trail Natural Using a chemical water softener in your home Controllable Living next to an oil refinery Industrial Driving in a car Familiar Living near a nuclear reactor Unfamiliar Or Driving in a car Ordinary Flying in a jet airplane Catastrophic Using tobacco Certain Using a product containing dioxin Uncertain Drinking tapwater in your house in Cupertino Trustworthy Living near a factory that exports goods Unfair Drinking tapwater from a well in Senegal Untrustworthy Living near a factory that sells goods you use Fair XIV. Pollution and Human Health Objective: • • Explain the difficulty behind establishing cause and effect between pollutants and human health issues. Identify the probable pollution-related causes of human diseases such as dysentery, mesothelioma, asthma, and respiratory problems. https://time.com/4982099/quackery-medicine-history/ (1:43) 3 Strange Treatments Doctors Used to Think Were Good for You https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/57983/9-terrifying-medical-treatments-1900-and-their-safer-modernversions × Difficult to establish _______cause and effect ___________ between pollutants and human health issues × humans are exposed to a variety of chemicals and pollutants Disease Cause Dysentery (bacterial) Untreated/raw sewage Mesothelioma (cancer Asbestos Respiratory Illnesses Tropospheric (ground-level) Ozone 31 XV. Pathogens and Infectious Diseases Objective: Explain human pathogens and their cycling through the environment. • • • • Discuss how and why pathogens may appear in certain locations. Explain how climate change is affecting the spread of pathogens. Explain why poverty-stricken regions are more in danger of the spread of infectious diseases. Define and explain the spread of plague, tuberculosis, malaria, West Nile virus, SARS, MERS, Zika, and cholera. × Pathogens __adapt____ to take advantage of new opportunities to infect and spread through human populations × Specific pathogens can occur in many environments regardless of the appearance of sanitary conditions × ____Climate change _______ leads to pathogens and associated diseases spreading into new areas × Poverty-stricken areas more often lack _____sanitary waste disposal __ and have _____contaminated drinking water__ à so they have a much __higher__ likelihood for spread of infections disease Wastewater carries a wide variety of ______pathogens_______ (disease-causing microorganisms and viruses) Examples: 32 Notable Pathogens Disease Plague (bacterial) Tuberculosis (bacterial) Malaria (protist) West Nile virus Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) Middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS) (virus) Zika virus Cholera (bacteria) Transmission infected organism bites human or contact with contaminated fluids or tissues breathing bacteria from bodily fluids of an infected person bites from infected mosquitoes Sub-saharan africa bites from infected mosquitoes inhaling or touching infected fluids transferred from animals to humans -bites from infected mosquitoes -Sexual contact from infected water https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2j_Ka3XTgA Ganges: India’s dying mother (3:13) What are some sources of the pollution in the Ganges? Sewage, chemical waste, heavy metals, animal flesh. REMEMBER!!!! • ____Over 1 billion people _____ people do not sufficient access to safe water • About _40% _ of the world’s population lacks access to proper sanitation and hygiene • In ___sub-Saharan Africa_____, up to 64% lack access _______Indicator Species____________: indicates whether or not pathogens are present à _____Fecal coliform bacteria________ such as E. coli shows human waste has entered the water (not necessarily pathogens) 33 If a species is highly sensitive to pollution, what does its presence indicate? Its presence indicate very healthy air, water, or soil that has insignificant levels of pollution. If a species has a wide range of tolerance, will it dominate a habitat in low pollution or high pollution? Why? It will dominate in high pollution, as more and more species are outcompeted with their narrower ranges. Bozeman Review Videos Water Pollution (9:07) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNGKsubYJ9U Health Impacts of Pollution (8:09) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcDjyxanOyk Solid Waste (7:39) http://www.bozemanscience.com/ap-es-031-solid-waste 34 FRQorner 2002 #3 An experiment is performed to test the toxicity of copper sulfate (CuSO4) using brine shrimp as a test organism. Six different concentrations of CuSO4 solution are prepared in separate petri dishes, and 100 brine shrimp are placed in each dish. After 48 hours, the number of brine shrimp that have died is counted and recorded. The results of this experiment are shown in the table. See https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/apc/sg_envir_sci_02_11517.pdf for KEY a) Plot the data on the blank semi-log graph provided below. Draw a smooth curve through the data points to illustrate the overall trend of the data. b) Explain the meaning of the term LD50. What is the LD50 concentration of CuSO4 for brine shrimp? c) Explain the meaning of the term “threshold level of toxicity”. What is the threshold level of toxicity of CuSO4 for brine shrimp? Label this point on the graph. d) Provide one argument for extending these toxicity results to humans and one argument against doing so. 35 36
