Environmental Pollution

Question 1

What does environmental pollution refer to?

Answer 1

The introduction of harmful substances, energies or other contaminants into the natural environment that causes adverse changes

Question 2

Which harmful substances add to air pollution?

Answer 2

Carbon monoxide
Sulphur dioxide
Nitrogen oxides
Particulate matter
Volatile organic compounds

Question 3

What are primary air pollutants?

Answer 3

Pollutants that directly contribute to air pollution
eg. sulphur dioxide emitted from factories

Question 4

What are secondary air pollutents?

Answer 4

Formed as a result of mixing and reaction of primary pollutants.
eg. smog is a result from mixing smoke and fog

Question 5

What are natural sources of air pollution?

Answer 5

Terrestrial ecosystems
Aquatic ecosystems
Forest fires
Volcanic and tectonic activities

Question 6

How to terrestrial ecosystems cause air pollution?

Answer 6

Aerobic and anaerobic decomposition - CO2 and methane
Biological oxidations and reduction of inorganic nitrogen in soils - nitric oxide and nitrous oxide

Question 7

How to aquatic ecosystems create air pollution?

Answer 7

Physical, chemical and biological processes occur at the surface of wetlands and oceans that affect the global cycle of a variety of organisms - carbon, sulphur, nitrogen, trace metals
Methane is the most critical emission mechanism
Phytoplankton produces dimethyl sulphide (DMS) during biological processes which enters the atmosphere

Question 8

What are anthropogenic sources of air pollution?

Answer 8

Industrial energy production and use
Transport
Agriculture - compost, crop burning
Biomass burning

Question 9

Which is the most serious and widespread air pollutent?

Answer 9

Sulphur dioxide - SO2

Question 10

Why is SO2 the most serious air pollutent?

Answer 10

It acts as an allergic agent and damages the lungs

Question 11

SO2 contributes to the formations of H2SO4 which is a main component of what?

Answer 11

Acid rain

Question 12

The burning of fossil fuels in power plants produces what and what does it lead to?

Answer 12

Mercury - leads to damage of brain, nerve and kidney

Question 13

Nitric oxide acts as a what and leads to what?

Answer 13

Respiratory irritant, leads to pulmonary haemorrhage

Question 14

Nickel emission results in what?

Answer 14

Respiratory damage
Cardiovascular and kidney diseases
Cancer

Question 15

What emits nickel?

Answer 15

Burning of fuel oils
Mining
Incineration of municipal waste

Question 16

What can lead cause?

Answer 16

Brain damage
Mental disability
Comma
Muscle spasm
Death in severe conditions

Question 17

What do particulates of cadmium cause?

Answer 17

Kidney failure
Cardiovascular disease
Liver damage

Question 18

What can hydrogen sulphide lead to?

Answer 18

Headache and eye irritation
Unconsciousness and death

Question 19

How can water pollution affect water ecosystems?

Answer 19

Disruption of food chain
Eutrophication - influx of nutrients to water can stimulate rapid growth of algae (block sunlight, consume O2 in water)
Bio-magnification - concentration of toxic substances progressively increases as they are transferred through the trophic levels of a food chain