Waste
When trash is burned and heat from incinerators is used to produce electricity it is called
trash to energy
The type of coal mining in which successive layers of a large hole, in which toxic groundwater accumulates, is called
open pit mining
When chemicals remain in the body, with the more prey eaten, the greater the dose is called
biomagnification
Interactions of multiple contaminant exposures in the body may be
additive, antagonistic, or synergistic
Disadvantages of tar sands (heavy oil) include
high water use, wastewater disposal, produces 20% high CO2, creates toxic sludge
The 3R’s of dealing with waste/trash are
Reduce, Recycle, Re-use
Leach extraction in which a cyanide solution is sprayed on ore is used in
copper and gold mining
The effects of acid rain, associated with burning coal include:
burns leaves and pine needles, weakens tree
Adverse health effects of mercury are
neurotoxic, affects brain and movement, baby development
Disadvantages of using natural gas include:
requires a lot of water, poisons streams for wildlife, livestock
A byproduct of decomposition generated in landfill that can be collected and used as an energy source is called
methane capture
The three major adverse environmental effects of coal mining are
land displacement, water pollution, and air pollution
Effects of mercury on wildlife include
affects schooling by fish, birds lay fewer eggs, mammals have impaired motor skills, cannot hunt prey or forage
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
Effects of fracking include:
releases toxic chemicals into groundwater, increases earthquakes
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
Adverse effects of strip mining include
loss of habitat, removal of topsoil which fills streams, smothers aquatic life, mercury bioaccumulation
Effects of pesticides on bees include
reduced immune function, affects homing ability
Effects of plastics on the body include
endocrine disruption, reproductive and neurological damage, cancer
Wind power is harnessed by
using windmills to spin turbines that generate electricity
Substances that are toxic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, flammable, corrosive, or explosive are designated as
hazardous waste
The cost to clean up its legacy of abandoned metal mines in the U.S. is paid by
the American taxpayer
Effects of oil spills on wildlife include
direct poisoning, hypothermia, loss of prey base, bioaccumulation in prey
Sources of PAHs that can cause cancers and respiratory effects include:
incomplete combustion from cigarettes, car exhaust, and grilled foods
Using mirrors reflect and concentrate sunlight to a tube with heat absorbing fluid that generates stream to produce electricity is
solar power