Comprehensive Guide to APES Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution

Pollution

The introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change.

Point Source Pollution

A single, identifiable source of a pollutant, such as a smokestack or waste discharge pipe.

Nonpoint Source Pollution

Diffused pollutants that come from many sources over a large area, often carried by runoff.

Clean Water Act

Legislation that regulates discharges of pollutants into US waters and sets wastewater standards.

Coral Bleaching

The expulsion of symbiotic algae from coral due to stress factors like high temperature.

Eutrophication

The process of nutrient enrichment in a body of water, often leading to algal blooms and hypoxia.

Hypoxia

Low oxygen levels in water, which can lead to dead zones where aquatic life cannot survive.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Synthetic carbon-based compounds that do not easily break down in the environment.

Bioaccumulation

The buildup of a substance in the tissue of a single organism over its lifespan.

Biomagnification

The increase in concentration of a toxin as it moves up the trophic levels (food chain).

Thermal Pollution

When water is returned to a source at a temperature significantly higher or lower than ambient levels.

Leachate

Liquid produced from waste material, which can contaminate groundwater if landfill liners fail.

Methane Collection System

A system in landfills that collects gas produced by anaerobic decomposition to be flared or used.

Aquatic Ecosystems

Ecosystems found in water such as lakes, rivers, and coral reefs, which are affected by pollution.

Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Sag Curve

A graph showing the relationship between dissolved oxygen and biochemical oxygen demand downstream from a pollution source.

DDT

An insecticide that is a persistent organic pollutant, now banned in many countries.

Atrazine

A common herbicide that acts as an endocrine disruptor.

Benthic Impact

Effects on bottom-dwelling organisms due to heavy oil components sinking during oil spills.

Endocrine Disruptors

Chemicals that interfere with the endocrine system by mimicking or blocking hormones.

Oligotrophic

Characterized by low nutrients, clear water, high oxygen, and low productivity.

Eutrophic

Characterized by high nutrients, turbid water, potential for hypoxia, and high productivity.

Sanitary Landfill

Engineered landfills designed to minimize environmental impact, unlike open dumps.

Primary Treatment

The initial stage of wastewater treatment that removes large solids through physical processes.

Secondary Treatment

The biological treatment stage where bacteria decompose organic waste into CO2 and sludge.

Tertiary Treatment

The chemical or ecological stage of wastewater treatment that removes remaining impurities, especially nutrients.

Pathogens

Microorganisms that can cause disease, often linked to water pollution.

Clean Zone

An area with high dissolved oxygen, low biological oxygen demand, and high biodiversity.

Septic Zone

An area with the lowest dissolved oxygen levels, where only anaerobic organisms can survive.

Recovery Zone

An area where dissolved oxygen begins to rise after waste breakdown and biological processes.

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

Legislation that sets standards for drinking water quality and groundwater safety.

Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA)

Legislation that regulates hazardous waste management from creation to disposal.

Love Canal

A site in New York associated with hazardous waste contamination, leading to the Superfund program.

Dysentery

A disease caused by untreated sewage in water, leading to severe diarrhea and dehydration.

Mesothelioma

A cancer of the lung lining caused by exposure to asbestos.

Mercury

A neurotoxin that biomagnifies in fish and can cause significant neurological damage.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

An area in the Pacific Ocean where floating plastics and microplastics accumulate due to gyres.

Cooling Towers

Structures used to cool water before it is discharged back into the environment to prevent thermal pollution.

Cyanide Fishing

A destructive fishing method that poisons corals and other marine life.

Eutrophication Mechanism

The series of steps leading from nutrient load to algal blooms, oxygen depletion, and dead zones.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

The amount of oxygen that microorganisms will consume while decomposing organic matter.

NIMBY (Not In My Backyard)

A phenomenon where local communities resist having landfills or hazardous waste sites near them.

Plastic Pollution

A major environmental issue resulting from the accumulation and improper disposal of plastic products.

Aquatic Organisms

Living creatures in aquatic systems that are affected by changes in their environmental conditions.

Oil Spills

Accidental release of petroleum into the ocean or coastal waters, causing environmental damage.