Pollution Flashcards

A substance that pollutes something.

Air, soil, plastic, radioactive and water

everything in the air that is not gas

Outdoor air pollution resulting from human activity

• Production of electricity
• Burning of solid fuels
• Agriculture
• Industry
• Road transportation

Outdoor air pollution resulting from natural events

• Airborne dust from deserts
• Smoke from wildfires
• Seaspray
• Pollen
• Volcanic ash

accumulation in the environment of synthetic plastic products to the point that they create problems for wildlife and their habitats as well as for human populations.

• Synthetic polymer made from petroleum
• Carcinogen
• Causes cancer, oxidative stress, cell damage, inflammation, and impairment of energy allocation functions6
• Can absorb toxins
• Can create perfect environment for spread of viruses

where garbage gathers.

a current system in the ocean moving in a circular pattern

the presence of toxic chemicals (pollutants or contaminants) in soil, in high enough concentrations to pose a risk to human health and/or the ecosystem.

Soil pollution resulting from human activity

• Accidental spills and leaks

• Gasoline, diesel at gas stations

• Manufacturing
• Mining activities
• Construction activities
• Asbestos
• Agricultural activities
• Chemical waste dumping
• Landfills
• Cracked paint chips (lead paint)

Soil pollution resulting from natural events

• Natural accumulation of minerals and salts
• Natural formation of minerals and salts
• Perchlorate in the presence of chlorine

Biological, agricultural, radioactive, urban and industrial

petroleum, heavy metals and pesticides

• Plants/food grown can be contaminated
• Could prevent plants from growing
• Could be harmful to humans or animals that disrupt the soil
• Kills off natural microbiota in soil
• Fungi and bacteria that bind soil die = more soil erosion
• Trash can be released during landslides, sinkholes, etc.
• Can lead to widespread famine
• Can contaminate water table
• Increased risk of fires

the increase in the natural radiation levels caused by human activities.

• Unstable nuclei
• Able to naturally release energy while trying to shed high speed particles in order to become stable

• Accident
• Natural event
• Act of terrorism

Internal contaminatio

• Swallowed or breathed in radioactive materials
• An open wound or absorbed through lungs
• Accumulate in organs or are released in sweat, blood, urine, feces

External contamination

• When radioactive dust, liquid, or powder get on a person’s hair, clothing, or skin
• Can be absorbed into skin

• Acute Radiation Syndrome (radiation sickness)
• Cutaneous Radiation Injury (large dose causes injury to skin)
• Cancer
• Prenatal Radiation Exposure (stunted growth, deformities, abnormal brain function, cancer later in life)
• Hair loss
• Less white blood cells

Brain Thyroid gland, GI tracts, bone morrow and blood vessels, and skin

• Get out of the area immediately
• Take off contaminated clothes
• Put them in a bag and place it far away from yourself
• Wash your body/hair

caesiom, thorium,uranium,nickel, cobalt and rado

• Colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas
• Huge problem in the midwest
• Specifically Iowa
• Highest indoor Radon concentration in the nation
• Glaciers deposited rocks that contain radium
• 400 Iowans die from radon each year
• Second leading cause of lung cancer in US
• Kills 21,000 people each year

radon,radium and uranium

harmful substances—often chemicals or microorganisms—contaminate a stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, degrading water quality and rendering it toxic to humans or the environment.

• Arsenic – a known human carcinogen associated with skin, lung, bladder, kidney, and liver cancer
• Lead – behavioral and developmental effects in children; and cardiovascular and kidney problems
• Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) chemicals – damage to the immune and reproductive systems
• Pesticides – neurodevelopmental effects and Parkinson’s disease

• Pollute coastlines and fisheries
• Kill and injure wildlife
• Lost tourism revenue

The use of either naturally occurring or deliberately introduced microorganisms or other forms of life to consume and break down environmental pollutants, in order to clean up a polluted site.