Variations in Precipitation
Name two types of floods.
Flash flood, River flood
Who is at the top of the food chain?
Humans
Which human activity uses the most amount of water?
Agriculture
What is the impact of littering in rivers?
kill plants and poison animals
When did the chemical spill at the Rhine River happen?
1986
What are floods?
An overflow of a large amount of water onto what is normally dry land
Who is at the bottom of a food chain?
Phytoplankton
Which is the crop and animal that uses the most water?
Crop: Nuts
Animal: Cattles
Name two sources of pollutants from homes and industries.
Industries: toxic chemicals
What is the impact of the chemical spill on the river's biodiversity?
Many fishes died and some species were extinct
What are the signs of drought?
Water stores (e.g. reservoirs and groundwater) dry up
Little or no rainfall over a long period of time
Name a predator and prey of insects.
Predator: Fish
Prey: Zooplankton/ small aquatic animals
Give two examples of uses of water at home and for leisure each.
Home: Showering, washing, cooking
Leisure: Kayaking, Fishing, Swimming
What is water pollution?
Harmful substances enter water bodies and cause water quality to fall
Name 4 countries that the Rhine River passes through.
Switzerland
Germany
France
Netherlands
Austria
Liechtenstein
Name the four areas where floods usually occur.
Low-lying areas
River banks
Floodplains
Deltas
What does a food chain show?
It shows the relationships among organisms as energy is transferred through food.
Besides being a cleaning agent, what is water used for in industries?
To generate electricity (hydroelectricity)
To cool equipment
As a resource for production of goods (e.g. beverages)
What are the five causes of water pollution?
L2I2E
Littering (by people/ visitors)
Leakage from landfills
Illegal Dumping of chemicals (by industries)
Improper sewerage systems
Excessive fertilisers (from farms)
What as the pollutants in Rhine River?
Pesticides
Phosphoric acid ester insecticides
Fungicides marked with red dye rhodamine B
When and why do floods happen in cities?
When: exceptionally heavy rainfall over a short period of time
Why: insufficient drainage capacity and low infiltration rate (due to concrete ground surfaces)
What is the definition of a river ecosystem?
A community of plants and animals found in rivers that interact with each other
Describe an example where water is used as a cleaning in industries.
Intel & Micron uses NEWater in their production of components for electrical circuitry found in computers and mobile phones.
Explain how excessive use of fertilizers can lead to lower dissolved oxygen in rivers.
1) Rainwater washes the excessive fertilizers into rivers
2) Excess nutrients leads to algae bloom and covers the surface of the water
3) Algae blocks sunlight and causes aquatic plants to die (as they cannot photosynthesize)
4) Cause a drop in DO and fishes to die
What are the action taken to clean up the water pollution in Rhine River?
1) Governments of Switzerland, Germany and France worked together
2) Monitoring stations were installed (to monitor water quality)
3) Industries responsible for the pollution were fined