Biology: Human impact on the environment:
Air pollution:
Poisonous gases in air:
Cause: Lead and carbon monoxide is released in the manufacturing process.
Effects: These are highly toxic and cause poisoning and death.
Acid rain:
Cause: Sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxides (So2 and No2) combine with water vapour in the clouds and form sulfuric and
nitric acid.
Effects: Plants – Acid rain eats at the cuticle and kills trees and plants.
Animals – If river water drops below pH 5,6, the fish die.
Buildings – Acid rain corrodes statues and buildings.
Heath – Acid rain causes respiratory illnesses (asthma).
How to reduce acid rain: Use filters in factories and don’t use fossil fuels.
Greenhouse effect and global warming:
Cause: Co2 and methane gas is released when fossil fuels are burnt, this creates a blanket in the atmosphere above earths,
holding in the heat and making the temperature warmer.
How do humans contribute to the greenhouse effect?
Burning natural gas, coal and oil raises the level of co2 in the atmosphere.
Some farming practices and land-use changes increase the levels of methane.
Deforestation also contributes to global warming. Fewer trees to absorb co2.
Population growth is another factor in global warming, because as more people use fossil fuels for heat,
transportation and manufacturing the level of greenhouse gases continue to increase.
Effects: Weather patterns change, malaria spreads into new areas, animals go extinct if they can’t migrate, plants cant grow
in certain regions, and sea levels rise as ice in polar region melts.
Ozone depletion:
Cause: CFC’s, which are gases released from fridges and deodorant destroy the ozone (O3) layer, which is 6 miles above the
earth.
Effects: As the Ozone layer protects us from the dangerous UV rays, the presence of a hole means these rays are getting
through to cause skin cancer.
The carbon footprint: The total amount of greenhouse gases produced during your activities in one year. It is normally
measured in tons.
Water pollution:
Fracking:
Process: A deep, long vertical shaft is dug mechanically. Coat the vertical shaft with cement to prevent contamination of
the water source. Once the vertical shaft is complete a horizontal shaft in excavated. A special explosive gun is inserted
down the horizontal shaft and blows channels in the rock. Pump millions of gallons of water and sand and toxic chemicals
into the exploded channels. The shale rock fractures and releases the gas. The released gas is stored in tanks.
Cause: Sand with toxic chemicals like benzene are pumped under pressure into the shale rock to fracture it to get gas out.
Effects:
Chase the animals away and ruin biodiversity.
Aquifer (water) pollution.
Too much water been used.
Soil pollution.
Methane been released into air.
Acid mine drainage:
Cause: When rock is exposed the sulphides in the rock oxidases (sometimes with the help of bacteria) to form sulphuric
acid, which finds its way into the rivers. As it does so it takes other heavy metals with it such as arsenic, copper and lead.
Effects: Kills everything in the river.
Eutrophication:
Cause: Nitrates and phosphates from fertilizers find their way in to rivers and lakes. The algae bloom as a result of these
chemicals and the water will turn green. The light cant reach plants lower down and they die. When the algae die, the
decomposing bacteria multiply exponentially, using up all the oxygen in the water causing fish and other animals to die.
Effects: All the animals and the plants in the river die.
Air pollution:
Poisonous gases in air:
Cause: Lead and carbon monoxide is released in the manufacturing process.
Effects: These are highly toxic and cause poisoning and death.
Acid rain:
Cause: Sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxides (So2 and No2) combine with water vapour in the clouds and form sulfuric and
nitric acid.
Effects: Plants – Acid rain eats at the cuticle and kills trees and plants.
Animals – If river water drops below pH 5,6, the fish die.
Buildings – Acid rain corrodes statues and buildings.
Heath – Acid rain causes respiratory illnesses (asthma).
How to reduce acid rain: Use filters in factories and don’t use fossil fuels.
Greenhouse effect and global warming:
Cause: Co2 and methane gas is released when fossil fuels are burnt, this creates a blanket in the atmosphere above earths,
holding in the heat and making the temperature warmer.
How do humans contribute to the greenhouse effect?
Burning natural gas, coal and oil raises the level of co2 in the atmosphere.
Some farming practices and land-use changes increase the levels of methane.
Deforestation also contributes to global warming. Fewer trees to absorb co2.
Population growth is another factor in global warming, because as more people use fossil fuels for heat,
transportation and manufacturing the level of greenhouse gases continue to increase.
Effects: Weather patterns change, malaria spreads into new areas, animals go extinct if they can’t migrate, plants cant grow
in certain regions, and sea levels rise as ice in polar region melts.
Ozone depletion:
Cause: CFC’s, which are gases released from fridges and deodorant destroy the ozone (O3) layer, which is 6 miles above the
earth.
Effects: As the Ozone layer protects us from the dangerous UV rays, the presence of a hole means these rays are getting
through to cause skin cancer.
The carbon footprint: The total amount of greenhouse gases produced during your activities in one year. It is normally
measured in tons.
Water pollution:
Fracking:
Process: A deep, long vertical shaft is dug mechanically. Coat the vertical shaft with cement to prevent contamination of
the water source. Once the vertical shaft is complete a horizontal shaft in excavated. A special explosive gun is inserted
down the horizontal shaft and blows channels in the rock. Pump millions of gallons of water and sand and toxic chemicals
into the exploded channels. The shale rock fractures and releases the gas. The released gas is stored in tanks.
Cause: Sand with toxic chemicals like benzene are pumped under pressure into the shale rock to fracture it to get gas out.
Effects:
Chase the animals away and ruin biodiversity.
Aquifer (water) pollution.
Too much water been used.
Soil pollution.
Methane been released into air.
Acid mine drainage:
Cause: When rock is exposed the sulphides in the rock oxidases (sometimes with the help of bacteria) to form sulphuric
acid, which finds its way into the rivers. As it does so it takes other heavy metals with it such as arsenic, copper and lead.
Effects: Kills everything in the river.
Eutrophication:
Cause: Nitrates and phosphates from fertilizers find their way in to rivers and lakes. The algae bloom as a result of these
chemicals and the water will turn green. The light cant reach plants lower down and they die. When the algae die, the
decomposing bacteria multiply exponentially, using up all the oxygen in the water causing fish and other animals to die.
Effects: All the animals and the plants in the river die.
