Causes of
Pollution
Pollution
What type of pollution is caused by oil spills in oceans?
chemical pollution
What happens to fish populations in oxygen-depleted water?
they die
What percentage of the Earth’s surface is water?
70%
What is the most common single-use plastic item found in the ocean?
a plastic straw
Name the process that turns plastic waste back into usable materials
recycling
What common household appliance can release harmful detergent into water systems if misused?
What is a washing machine?
What type of disease can humans get from drinking polluted water?
cholera
What percentage of Earth's water is freshwater?
3%
What is the name for tiny plastic particles less than 5mm in size?
microplastics
What type of plastic pollution often causes entanglement of marine animals
discarded fishing nets (ghost nets)
What is the main cause of fertilizer runoff into water?
What is agricultural activity?
What heavy metal can build up in fish due to pollution?
What is mercury?
What percentage of Earth's water is available for human use?
less than 1%
What country is currently the largest producer of plastic waste?
China
what animal is the largest consumers of plastic waste
Whales
What gas released by cars contributes indirectly to acid rain in water bodies?
nitrogen oxide
Plastic pollution can cause sea turtles to mistake it for __________, which they eat and cannot digest
jellyfish
The average American uses how many gallons of water per day in their home?
80-100 gallons
How long does it take plastic waste to decompose?
20-500 years
name an organization that help reduce plastic in the ocean
4ocean, Oceana, Plastic Oceans International, ETC.
What type of pollution results from hot water discharged by power plants?
thermal pollution
Harmful algal blooms reduce __________ in the water, making it hard for fish to survive.
oxygen
In what year was the U.S. Clean Water Act passed? (Correct if the year is within 4 years from the answer)
1972 (answer should be somewhere 1968-1976)
What is the main ingredient used to make plastic?
petroleum (or crude oil)
This spiny marine animal can accidentally trap plastic within its protective body armor
sea urchin