ERSC 2700 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Nonpoint Source Pollution, Biogeochemical Cycle, Biomagnification
5 Apr 2016
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Document Summary
Polluion: the introducion of something in the environment that has negaive efects on humans and/or other forms of life. Contaminaion: similar to polluion, except it also implies that the polluion has rendered something unit for use (like soil contaminated with dioxins) Toxic: stronger than contaminaion, can harm or kill humans and/or other living things. Point source polluion: polluion coming from a single sit or human structure; e. g. a smokestack, pipe, landill. Nonpoint source polluion: polluion coming from many difuse source; e. g. pesicides or herbicides that come from farmland and end up in the our water- bodies. Two basic methods of expressing (and regulaing) quanity of polluion: amount per unit ime (tonnes/years; litres/day, concentraion (mg/litre; ppm; mg/cm3; mg/kg body mass) Organic compounds : persistent organic compounds (pops) They don"t break down or break down slowly. Fat-soluble and tend to accumulate in living issue. Nuclear radiaion : similar to x-rays, unstable and break down (can cause cancer)
