Study guide for exam 2

Pesticides, Water Pollution

What are the advantages and disadvantages of synthetic organic pesticides versus the organophosphates and carbamates? Include the threat they pose to human health.

How do organophosphates/carbamates exert their toxic effect? Know that they prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine by acetylcholinesterase because they inhibit acetylcholinesterase. You need to know the terms.

What is the difference between a target and a nontarget species?

What are five natural physical processes that clean water?

What are two natural chemical processes that clean water?

What are two ions present in hard water?

How does the intended use of water affect the allowable concentration of pollutants?

Where and for what purpose was DDT first used?

What are the good qualities of DDT?

Why is DDT's use severely restricted by the USEPA?

What problem does Lake Charles soil cause septic tanks?

What are the units for effluent standards? Ambient concentration in water? Ambient concentration in air?

What pollutants sometimes need tertiary treatment for their removal?

Why have a pretreatment standards program?

Know the basics of natural selection, as it applies to pests.

What are two ways by which oxygen is added to water?

What do indicator organisms indicate?

All indicator organisms are pathogens. True or false?

Name three human sources of aquatic plant nutrients.

Metal toxicity to humans is usually the result of enzyme inhibition. Explain.

Give four adverse effects of excessive concentrations of suspended sediments.

How is the Law of the Minimum connected to eutrophication?

Give the adverse effects of thermal pollution.

Characterize the speed of groundwater movement.

Why can groundwater pollution "last a long time and be difficult to remedy"?

Name three options for the management of sludge.

When will ambient water quality determine a discharge limit?

What does technology-based control mean?

Tolerance = Acceptable Daily Intake divided by the Amount. Explain.

What do we mean by an “infinite half life”?
A large fraction on pesticides are removed from the environment by physical degradation; why doesn't biological degradation affect them? (This is a review question from Set1.)

Read the Main Findings of this World Health Organization study and know the answers to the following questions:
1. How many deaths does diarrhea cause annually?
2. Which age group and in what area of the world are most affected by diarrhea disease and death?
3. What fraction of the world's population lacks adequate excreta disposal facilities?

Read about a new public health problem involving well water and know the answers to these questions:
1. What is the water pollutant?
2. Where is this problem?
3. What is the source of the water pollutant in the well water?
4. The well water has only recently been used extensively as a drinking water supply. What was the source of drinking water before the wells were installed? Why did the people begin using the groundwater?

Groundwater questions

http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/en/info/pubs/FS/e_FSA5.htm

Questions from this site:

1. Why are pore spaces smaller at greater depths?

2. What is the range of aquifer thicknesses?

3. Give three point sources that contaminate groundwater.

4. What are DNAPLS?

5. Why are deep aquifers free of disease-causing organisms?

6. Which is harder, groundwater or surface water?

Septic tanks, how they work.

What kind of soil is best for a septic tank system?

What kind of soil make the water percolate poorly? (Lake Charles has this kind.)

What forms the scum in a septic tank?

Ocean pollution

What is the source of 80 percent of ocean pollution?

What are the main sources of debris in the Gulf of Mexico (Padre Island area) according to a recent study?

Why do ocean turtles often eat plastic bags?

target species
nontarget species
natural selection and pesticides
pesticide registration
pesticide tolerance
reference dose
acceptable daily intake
water's intended use
point source
nonpoint source
Integrated Pest Management
hydrolysis
photolysis

dissolved oxygen
biochemical oxygen demand
oxygen sag curve
photosynthesis
aerobic
anaerobic
fish kill
pathogen
epidemiology
coliform
indicator organism
natural eutrophication
cultural eutrophication
limiting factor
Liebig's law of the minimum
adsorption
enzyme inhibition
agricultural runoff
turbidity
thermal pollution
point source
nonpoint source
saltwater intrusion
leachate
landfill
septic tank
Chicot aquifer
Sabine River diversion canal
primary treatment
secondary treatment
agglomerate
coagulate
chlorination
sludge
biosolids
activated sludge
suspended sediments
tertiary treatment
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
effluent standards
technology-based controls
ambient water quality standards
intended use
activated carbon
pretreatment standards

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