Contaminant Effects
Interactions of multiple contaminant exposures in the body may be
additive, antagonistic, or synergistic
When trash is burned and heat from incinerators is used to produce electricity it is called
trash to energy
When water falls to land as precipitation it can:
go into surface water, become groundwater, be locked in glaciers, or be taken up by plants
The type of coal mining which involves scraping successive layers of a large hole, in which toxic water accumulates, is called
open pit mining
Disadvantages of fossil fuels as an energy course include:
climate change and non-renewable
Sources of PFAS (forever chemicals) that are linked to cancers include products that are
heat, water and stain resistant, such as Teflon coating and flame retardants
The 3R’s of dealing with waste/trash are
Reduce, Re-use, Recycle
Loss of wetlands has resulted in
increased flooding, erosion, and loss of habitat
Leach extraction, in which a cyanide solution is sprayed on ore, is used in
copper and gold mining
Disadvantages of using natural gas include: requires a lot of water, poisons streams for wildlife, livestock
requires a lot of water, poisons streams for wildlife, livestock
Effects of plastics on the body include
endocrine disruption, reproductive and neurological damage, cancer
Issues associated with electronic waste include:
contains toxic metals and plastics, is shipped to other countries where it is burned, contaminates water sources and soil
Disruptions to the water cycle include
depleting aquifers, dams, urbanization, and climate change
The three major adverse environmental effects of coal mining are
land displacement, water pollution, and air pollution
Wind power is harnessed by
using blades to spin turbines that generate electricity
Effects of pesticides on bees include
reduced immune function, affects homing ability
Substances that are toxic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, flammable, corrosive, or explosive are designated as
hazardous waste
Effects of climate change on the water cycle include
increased glacier and snow melt, increased flooding and soil erosion, and intensity of storms
Adverse effects of strip mining include
loss of habitat, removal of topsoil which fills streams, smothers aquatic life, mercury bioaccumulation
Using mirrors reflect and concentrate sunlight to a tube with heat absorbing fluid that generates stream to produce electricity is
solar power
Effects of mercury include
neurotoxic, affects brain, movement, baby development affects schooling by fish, birds lay fewer eggs, mammals have impaired motor skills, cannot hunt prey or forage
A byproduct of decomposition generated in landfill that can be collected and used as an energy source is called
methane capture
The two methods of desalination are
distillation and reverse osmosis
The cost to clean up the legacy of abandoned metal mines in the U.S. is paid by
the American taxpayer
Disadvantages of biofuels include:
results in habitat loss and removes land from food crop production