Ch 5 Human Impact on an Ecosystem 1

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Ch 5 Human Impact on an Ecosystem 1

• Pollution

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Need to know

• Define the term Pollution.
• State areas affected by pollution.
• State mechanisms to control pollution.
• Explain the difference between the terms
  pollutant and pollution.
• Discuss the ecological impact of one human
  activity.

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Human Impact on Ecosystems

• We are going to look at 3 ways that humans affect
  ecosystems
• Pollution
• Conservation
• Waste Management

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Pollution

• Pollution is the addition of harmful substances
  to the environment.
• It is the most harmful human impact and affects
  air, fresh water, sea, soil and land.

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Some Types of Pollution

• Domestic Pollution
• Industrial/Air Pollution
• River/Water Pollution
• Agricultural Pollution slurry, if it gets into
  a river/pond

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Pollutants

• are substances that cause harm to the
  environment.
• CO2 from burning fossil fuels
• SO2 from factory chimney

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Pollutants

• Some pollutants are normally present in an
  environment, e.g. CO2
• but levels are increased by human activity.
• Other pollutants never exist in an environment
  e.g. oil slick, CFCs

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Learning Check 1

1. Explain the term Pollution.
2. Name some Types of Pollution.
3. Explain the term Pollutant.

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Effect of one pollutant from one area-
Agricultural, Industrial or Domestic
Area Pollutant Source Effects
Agricultural Slurry Fertiliser Washed or leached from land Formation of algal blooms and eutrophication
Industrial Sulphur dioxide Burning fossil fuels Forms acid rain
Domestic Plastic bags Shopping Non-biodegradable Suffocate small animals, Litter
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Eutrophication Algal bloom

• Eutrophication a condition where lakes become
  over-enriched with nutrients, resulting from
  excess artificial fertilisers washed into rivers
  and lakes.
• There is a rapid increase in the growth of alga -
  algal bloom as they use up the nutrients.

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Eutrophication Algal bloom

• When all the nutrients are used up the algae die
  and are broken down by bacteria, which use up the
  oxygen in the water resulting in the death of
  aquatic organisms such as fish.

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• Eutrophication animation
• Water Pollution
• Water pollution - Kate Bush

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Control of Pollutants in the selected area -
Agricultural, Industrial or Domestic
Area Pollutant Control Measures
Agricultural Slurry Fertiliser Avoid spreading these on wet, waterlogged, frozen or steeply sloping land within 1.5m of any watercourse.
Industrial Sulphur dioxide Fit catalytic scrubbers in factory chimneys
Domestic Plastic bags Bag tax/levy. Reuse/Recycle bags
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Learning Check 2

1. Explain the term Eutrophication.
2. Explain the term Algal bloom.
3. Give an example of a method used to Control
   Agricultural Pollutants.
4. Give an example of a method used to Control
   Industrial Pollutants.
5. Give an example of a method used to Control
   Domestic Pollutants.

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Ecological impact of one human activity
Industrial PollutionBurning Fossil Fuels
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Acid rain

• Burning of fossil fuels releases acidic oxides
  into the air - Sulphur dioxide (SO2) and
  nitrogen oxides.
• SO2 dissolves in rainwater to form sulphuric acid
  (H2SO4)
• The resulting rain is very acidic pH 4.0,
  normal rain water - pH 5.5.

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• Video on Coal-Combustion-and-Acid-Rain
• Air pollution Facts

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From 1997 to 2006 the EU-27 recorded a 28 
decline in weighted emissions of acidification
gases.
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Effects of Acid Rain

1. Causes soil to become more acidic.
2. The lower pH causes minerals e.g. Al, K, Ca and
   Mg, required for normal plant growth to be washed
   (leached) from the soil into lakes and water
   supplies.
3. Soil becomes impoverished and fish die in highly
   mineralised water.
4. Inhibits chlorophyll formation.
5. Burns the leaves of plants.

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• 6. Erodes limestone buildings
• 7. Causes breathing difficulties irritates the
  delicate lining of the lungs

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• Effects of acid rain global warning

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• 6. Erodes limestone buildings
• 7. Causes breathing difficulties irritates the
  delicate lining of the lungs

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Dealing with acid rain

1. Reducing the quantity of fossil fuels burned.
2. Using catalysts to treat chimney gases (scrubbers
   are fitted to the insides of chimneys).
3. Catalytic converters fitted to modern cars.
4. Developing alternative clean energy sources.

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Learning Check 3

• What is acid rain?
• How is acid rain formed?
• List some of the effects of acid rain.
• How can the probloms dealing with acid rain be
  controlled?

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END