5 Pollution and Environmental Health Free Online FlashCards

What makes a substance or form of energy pollution?

Pollution occurs when substances or forms of energy enter the environment at levels that harm people, other organisms, or ecosystems.

How can pollutants move between parts of the environment?

Pollutants can move among air, water, and soil. For example, air pollution can settle onto land or water, and contaminated soil can release pollutants into groundwater, waterways, or dust.

What four factors shape pollution risk?

Risk depends on the pollutant, its amount, how long exposure lasts, and how people or wildlife encounter it.

How does ground-level ozone form, and how does it differ from the ozone layer?

Ground-level ozone forms when other pollutants react in sunlight. It differs from the protective ozone layer high in the atmosphere.

What are major health effects linked to air pollution?

Breathing polluted air can irritate or damage the lungs and is linked to respiratory and cardiovascular disease, stroke, and lung cancer.

Why can air-pollution risks differ between communities?

People living near busy roads or industrial sources may face higher risks, so exposure to air pollution is not evenly distributed.

What is the most effective general approach to preventing air pollution?

The most effective measures reduce pollution at its source, such as using cleaner energy and industrial processes, efficient public transport, and cleaner household cooking and heating.

How does identifiable water pollution differ from diffuse pollution?

Point-source pollution comes from an identifiable outlet, such as a wastewater pipe. Diffuse pollution can be washed from many places into waterways by rain or snowmelt.

How can excess nutrients in water harm fish?

Excess nitrogen and phosphorus can fuel algal growth. When algae die and decompose, oxygen levels can fall, stressing or killing fish and other aquatic organisms.

What illnesses can microbes in contaminated drinking water cause?

Microbes in contaminated drinking water can cause illnesses such as diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid.

Name key ways to reduce water pollution before it reaches waterways.

Treat sewage and industrial wastewater before discharge, reduce excess fertilizer and pesticide use, and use vegetated buffers or wetlands to slow runoff and trap some pollutants.

How can people be exposed to contaminated soil?

People can be exposed by swallowing or inhaling contaminated soil or dust, through skin contact, or by eating food grown in contaminated soil.