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Marine Pollution MAF 415
Quiz prep for policy rules and science fundamentals
185
Science
Undergraduate 4
02/10/2010

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Term
What's the first step in the Policy Process?
Definition
Problem Identification
Term
What is Problem Identification?
Definition
The first step in the policy process which demands the government see the problem or the opportunity. Realizing the problem depends on perception and the definition.
Term
Perception
Definition
registering the event. Based on your values and shaping factors (the spin) which can distort your values
Term
Definition
Definition
How the event is interpreted. There are multiple definitions to one problem and they are usually associated with different solutions to that problem.
Term
What are the 3 styles of identifying & defining the problem?
Definition
1. Narratives, often stories of decline or loss. 2. statistics used to drive action. 3. based on explaining (and people understanding) the underlying cause.
Term
Who generally prevails in policy disputes?
Definition
Who ever can define and frame the discussion of an issue.
Term
What is the 2nd step in the Policy Process?
Definition
Agenda building or opening the window of opportunity.
Term
What is the Agenda building stage?
Definition
The 2nd step in the policy process. An issue will become part of the agenda through the conjunction of 3 streams. The problem stream, policies stream and political stream. This opens the window which can then lead to 3 things. Outside initiative, mobilization or inside initiative.
Term
Problem Stream
Definition
The problem identification stage
Term
Policies stream
Definition
the community of people coming up with proposals to to deal with the problem. Is there a good solution to the problem??
Term
Political Stream
Definition
Composed of swings in national mood, changes in public opinion, the current administration, election results, interest-group pressure campaigns and shifts in the ideological distributions of congress.
Term
Outside Initiate
Definition
Most common. Public or interest group takes up the issue and the government responds.
Term
Mobilization
Definition
When political leaders attempt to mobilize public support
Term
Inside initiative
Definition
issue arises within government but then is not expanded to the public. Is secretly pushed along.
Term
What is the third step in the Policy Process?
Definition
Policy Formulation
Term
What is policy formulation?
Definition
The 3rd step in the policy process. The development of a plan to remedy the problem. Policy analysis is used to examine and evaluate alternative courses of action with models or such. resolution and compromise may be used. There are 5 generic policy Solutions. (+/- inducements, rules or mandates, fact campaigns, giving people rights, and powers which changes the way decisions are made within government.)
Term
What are the 5 generic policy solutions?
Definition
1. +/- inducements, 2. rules or mandates, 3. fact campaigns, 4. giving people rights, 5. powers which changes the way decisions are made within government.
Term
Non governmental policy solutions?
Definition
Information campaigns and market incentives are often not government controlled.
Term
What's the fourth step in the Policy Process?
Definition
Policy Adoption
Term
What is Policy Adoption?
Definition
The 4th step in the policy process. Made by the president (inside initiative aka executive order) or a group like congress (open process). Often the policies are very broad and need to be defined by agencies giving rise to the term "no hands government".
Term
What's the fifth step in the Policy Process?
Definition
Budgeting * very important
Term
What is Budgeting?
Definition
The 5th step in the political process. Usually executive proposes a budget and the legislature distorts, changes and passes it. A program budget will largely affect what can be accomplished and how successful the program is. No money, no solution.
Term
What's the problem with future spending or future authorizations?
Definition
Spending that was authorized or appropriate for several years can after the first year start to wreak havoc on budgets.
Term
What's the sixth step in the Policy Process?
Definition
Implementation
Term
What is Implementation?
Definition
The sixth Step in the policy process. Involves Organization- who will carry out the program (is it important enough to get an agency?), Interpretation- rules and regulations to define vague polices, and Application of those rules.
Term
What does NPDES stand for?
Definition
National Pollution Discharge Elimination System established by the Federal Water pollution Control Act amendments of 1973 under the EPA. Deals with point sources like treated effluent and storm water discharge.
Term
What's the seventh step in the Policy Process?
Definition
Evaluation
Term
What is evaluation?
Definition
the seventh step in the policy process. Can be systematic or unsystematic/impression-based. It should look at unintended consequences.
Term
What is the eight and final step in the Policy Process?
Definition
Policy and Program Sucession
Term
What is Policy Succession?
Definition
Can go two ways. No change- based on popularity, politics or evaluation. Or Modification/termination based on lack of satisfaction.
Term
Program Failure
Definition
Can be caused by lack of time, staff, money, political leadership or failure to implement the program.
Term
Theory Failure
Definition
The program was implemented fine but the goals were still not reached.
Term
What law do you deal with when discharging?
Definition
Inside 3 miles is the Clean Water Act (usually pipe discharge) and Outside 3 miles is MPRSA- Marine Protection Research and Sanctuary Act (For dumping) Yet the government has combined and integrated these laws in terms of marine pollution.
Term
MPRSA
Definition
Marine Protection Research and Sanctuary Act
Term
When was NEPES founded?
Definition
1972
Term
Water pollution control act of 1948
Definition
first attempt at water pollution control. had a health focus and was mostly state run.
Term
Water quality act of 1965
Definition
Create interstate quality standards and waste load allocations. Only half of stats complied and enforcement was very weak.
Term
When was the EPA formed?
Definition
1970
Term
Refuse Act Permit Program
Definition
RAPP was intended by the corps of engineers and president to control water pollution but courts struck it down.
Term
Federal Water Pollution Control Act
Definition
Water-quality controls and end-of-the pipe/technology controls. Very ambitious and created NPDES.
Term
What did NPDES say?
Definition
All facilities discharging pollutions from a point source into US waters need a permit. the permits were facility specific with effluent and monitoring rules that must be understood. It used both technology and water quality-based limits and required BPT and BAT standards.
Term
BPT stand for and mean?
Definition
Best Practicable Control Technology Currently Available which is the average of the best preforming plants within each industrial category.
Term
BAT stand for and mean?
Definition
Best Available Technology economically achievable. Used for toxic substances.
Term
What's wrong with BPJ?
Definition
Best Professional Judgement as a standard is not an expert opinion but a subjective one. Was often used in NPDES
Term
1977 Amendments of the Clean Water Act
Definition
1st priority pollutants (toxic) and convention pollutants were identified. Best Pollution Control Technology replaced BPT yay and BAT remained for toxic and non-conventional pollution
Term
technology-based limits
Definition
based on the ability of dischargers in the same industrial category to treat wastewater
Term
water quality-based limits
Definition
if technology-based limits are not
sufficient to provide protection of the water body
Term
3 types of pollutants
Definition
Conventional (BOD5, Total Suspended Solids, pH, Fecal Coliform, oil and grease) Toxic/priority and Non-conventional (such as chlorine and ammonia).
Term
Water Quality Act of 1987
Definition
An amendment to the CWA. Shifted towards water quality-based control for toxins and required EPA to identify and limit toxins.
Term
1988 Ocean Dumping Ban.
Definition
Last act which was followed by syringes found on beaches.
Term
1978 Ocean dumping act
Definition
NYC didn't listen to it.
Term
1977 FWPCA revised
Definition
No pollution that "unreasonably degrades" the water.
Term
What preceded the 1972 Federal Water pollution control act?
Definition
1970 council on environmental quality report: ocean dumping and 1972 London dumping convention.
Term
River and harbor act
Definition
in 1899 to control dumping so ships could move around. (first ocean dumping regulation)
Term
Federalism
Definition
Power broken up between the Fed and state.
Term
Separation of power
Definition
Legislative, Judicial and Executive branches of government.
Term
Pluralism vs Elitism
Definition
Different interests and players come together to find a solution vs a few people deciding for all of us.
Term
Incrementalism
Definition
government processes move in small steps.
Term
What is a popular detritivore in New England?
Definition
Groundfish
Term
What are the 3 dumping philosophies?
Definition
Protectionist- only as a last resort if ever. Conservationist- Some wastes under monitored decisions & when a multimedium prospective says it's the least damage. Max use- when ever economically feasible.
Term
Types of wastes discussed in class
Definition
Degradable, dissipating, heat, acids & alkaline, cyanide, particulates and conservative wastes (metals, halogenated wastes, radioactive, ect)
Term
Marine pollution vs Marine contamination
Definition
value-based. introduction by humans direct or indirectly of substances or energy into the marine environment which have deleterious affects vs presence of elevated concentrations of substances beyond background planetary rate (no judgement).
Term
assimilate capacity
Definition
The amount of material that could be contained in a body of seawater without producing an unacceptable biological impact.
Term
North sea story
Definition
conservative materials were being dumped and lab testing showed that this could be dangerous so they said as a precaution don't dump it. the word precaution has since been expanded to mean don't take unreasonable risks.
Term
What's wrong with DDT
Definition
Very conservative, doesn't breakdown easily!
Term
What usually limits in marine vs freshwater?
Definition
Nitrogen vs Phosphorous.
Term
NYC Bicentennial
Definition
Diatom bloom > anoxic > dead lobsters. Created by rain and ocean stratification (physical factors) which caused N to be such an extreme problem. Vs ducks which was solely N or a nutrient factor.
Term
Redfield ratio
Definition
N:P of 15:1
Term
importance of physical factors?
Definition
affects nutrient supply.
Term
What is the importance of vertical mixing?
Definition
stimulates the recycling of nutrients from the deepwater, reduces the amount of light available by increasing the mixed layer depth.
Term
Shallow system vs deep system
Definition
Mix layer almost always near the bottom, highly efficient nutrient cycling, usually impossible for mixed layer to extend beyond the euphoric zone vs overturning may never reach the bottom, inefficient nutrient cycle and mixed layer may reduce sunlight. aka productive vs non productive.
Term
Oligotrophic
Definition
few nutrients/unproductive
Term
Eutrophic
Definition
Many nutrients/ productive
Term
Mesotrophic
Definition
in between oligo and eutro with intermediate characteristics and nutrient levels.
Term
What systems are least susceptible to anoxic conditions, what are the most?
Definition
deep, olitrophic systems vs shallow eutrophic systems when the wind dies down.
Term
What's special about estuaries?
Definition
they have a natural mechanisms to recycle food and inorganic nutrients which means pollution in them tends to persist!
Term
Why are estuaries important?
Definition
important coastal fisheries, breeding/nursing grounds and as passageways for migratory fish species.
Term
Case study: Jiulong river watershed and Xiamen Bay
Definition
Cultural eutrophication from the river and run off, leading to potential health risk in the food and water quality. There are been problems with focusing too much on point source, lack of public participation and too much top-down management. ***(look up actions currently taken vs solution actions in notes)
Term
What is the most pervasive, persistent and diverse water quality problems facing the US?
Definition
Non-point source pollutions.
Term
Both Soil erosion and eutrophication are natural phenomena and become water quality problems only when human activities accelerate them.
Definition
Term
Problems associated with Agricultural runoff?
Definition
Pesticides!
Term
Problems associated with urban runoff?
Definition
Pathogens, heavy metals, oil, and O2-consuming wastes.
Term
bead load vs suspended load
Definition
larger particles transported along the bottom of a stream or storm sewer vs smaller particles suspended in the water column. Together both make up the total sediment load.
Term
Biochemical Oxygen Demand
Definition
the amount of O2 consumed in a 300-ml sample of water incubated in a stoppered bottle in the dark at 20*C for five days. Both chemical and biological processes can occur, thus biochemical.
Term
Chemical oxygen demand
Definition
amount of O2 consumed when the substances in water are oxidized by a strong chemical oxidant. Takes 2 hours.
Term
why use BOD and COD?
Definition
They are arbitrary measurements however one can usually estimate from experience the impact of a particular wastewater on the O2 content of the receiving water from empirical correlations between either BOD or COD and the impact of the wastewater.
Term
The characteristics of domestic raw sewage are much less variable than those of urban runoff and rainfall. and urban runoff has higher pollutant concentrations than rainfall.
Definition
Term
What's a major problem with land runoff?
Definition
Highly irregular and unpredictable.
Term
Urban runoff vs treated sewage?
Definition
Urban runoff can contribute about half as much BOD and six to seven times as much SS to the receiving body of water as treated sewage. however treated sewage is a far more important source of nutrient loading than is urban runoff. However urban runoff can still cause eutrophication in and of itself.
Term
How much topsoil is eroded from US croplands each year and from what forces?
Definition
2 billion tonnes per year 55% from water and 45% from wind.
Term
Until 1980 flooding was considered the prinicple danger of land runoff, not pollution potential. However as point sources were reduced in the 1970s it became apparent that land runoff had significant water pollution problems.
Definition
Term
How much of the population is served by separate sewer systems and what's the problem with this?
Definition
over 50% and this allows for no treatment of land runoff. storm drains just dump water untreated.
Term
How much of the population uses combined sewage systems?
Definition
about 20%. Good most of the time but most can't handle floods without dumping a lot of untreated wastes. Allows about 3% of raw sewage to escape untreated during storms. Negatives are usually considered to be outweighed by the positives.
Term
Why is land runoff considered a misplaced resource
Definition
only minimal treatment would make it's quality sufficient for a variety of uses that do not including drinking.
Term
Settling Basins
Definition
large basins through which runoff is routed. Intended to reduce the intensity of runoff from storms. Some of the sediments sink and in some basins the water can percolate. In practice retention time is too short to allow a much settling during storms and storms may even re-suspend previously settled solids.
Term
Ground Recharge basins
Definition
runoff is routed to recharge basins where water has a chance to percolate into the soil. From time to time it must be dredged but a series of smaller pits to reduce erosion and sediment load is the optimal. There is a major concern the pollutants in the runoff could contaminate groundwater supplies. danger is minimized since most animal wastes and suspended solids are removed by percolation but for substances that are not effectively absorbed by soil particles it can be a major worry.
Term
Underflow tunnels or tanks
Definition
overflow from combined sewer systems is sometimes diverted into underflow tunnels or tanks until it can be treated. tanks in Berlin increase the amount of wastes that received treatment from 55 to 85%.
Term
TARP
Definition
Chicago's ambitious tunnel and reservoir plan. Phase I works on pollution control and Phase II deals with flood control. Phase I can handle about 85% of overflow. and in the end 99% of SS and BOD from overflows will be eliminated. also Phase II will give flood benefits to homes and lake Michigan of 96 million per year. operating costs are 13.6 million per year.
Term
With careful planning it is possible to reduce the amount of overland water flow but how?
Definition
large number of individually small preventative measures and a good deal of planning by public authorities and cooperation by developers. vs. intercepting and treating the runoff which can be handled by one single government entity.
Term
When was the first sewage treatment facility built in the US?
Definition
1886 in New York City.
Term
POTW and how much of the population do the deal with?
Definition
Publicly owned treatment works. treat 75% of the US population's waste water.
Term
problem with treated sewage?
Definition
can still cause nutrient enrichment.
Term
Problems in creating sewage treatment plants?
Definition
Do they have to deal with runoff? Industrial wastes? Cesspool pumping?
Term
Basic features of a secondary POTW?
Definition
1) passes through a screening device for large objects, which either removes them or pulverizes them, 2) grit chamber where particles the size of sand grains or larger settle out. 3) primary settling tank or clarifier where settable or floatable solids are removed. these solids are removed to the anerobic digester. SECONDARY TREATMENT STARTS 4) a second tank uses biological processes to remove BOD 5) another clarifier tank to remove the organisms from step 4. 6) Disinfection (applies to primary treatment too).
Term
Requirements of primary and secondary treatment?
Definition
primary: must remove at least 30% of the BOD and SS. Secondary: must remove 85% of the SS and BOD.
Term
Trickling Filter
Definition
One common type method for removing BOD. a cylindrical tank filled with rocks. for downward flow of sewage and upward flow of air. effluent in sprinkled over and trickles down through bacteria and fungi which digest organic substances. oxidizes about 70% of organic wastes and converts 15 to 20% to biomass. rock film is occasionally sloughed off and goes to secondary clarifier or some back to the rocks to maintain the population. Has several trophic levels. want to optimize population growth to be fast enough to consume most organic substances but slowly enough to keep biomass production low.
Term
Activated Sludge
Definition
Another common type method for removing BOD. long rectangular tank. residence time about 4 to 8 hours. bubbles of air keep the tank in a turbulent state. small organisms only bacteria and others clump into activated sludge. smaller percent are oxidized and a larger percent incorporated into biomass vs the trickle. sludge removed in a clarifier. Some to anerobic digest and rest recycled to the tank again.
Term
Pros and Cons of Trickle Filter and Activated Sludge
Definition
activated sludge seems to have higher SS and BOD removals while trickle filters produce less secondary sludge. Trickle filters are generally less expensive to operate thank activated sludge systems. However they require more land area and are more costly to construct. Also they smell bad and attract flies. Generally easier to reach federal mandates with activated sludge systems. Fluctuations in sewage characteristics favors trickle systems.
Term
Anerobic Digester
Definition
Where the sludge goes. Necesary before sludge can go to a landfill or be used for land application because of the sludge's putrescible or rotten nature. Makes sludge stable and inoffensive and 1/3 of it's original volume. Works to convert some organics to gases and to dewater the sludge. Is heated to speed metabolic rate. methane gas produced by the digest is used to hear it. the fluid goes to secondary treatment. all that is left is stabilized sludge.
Term
Tertiary Treatment
Definition
Usually means nutrient removal in the US. both primary and secondary treatment are not aimed at removing nutrients. In fact oxidation releases nutrients and POTWS prefer to have a lot oxidized to minimize sludge removal costs.
Term
Phosphorous Removal
Definition
Most common method is chemical precipitation. Precipitate can later be processed to recover phosphate for it's agricultural value. cheap for up to 90% removal.
Term
Nitrogen Removal
Definition
convert to NH4+ and the NH3 gas and drive the gas off by aeration. Caused by raising the PH to about 11 and vigorously aerating. Possible to combine P and N removal. Requires a lot of air and doesn't work well in cold temperatures.
Also you can remove N by converting it to N2 gas. 2 methods one involving oxidation to nitrate and then denitrification. or by breakdown chlorination. Again efficient to about 90%.
Term
Land application of sewage
Definition
Sewage has high nutrient concentrations and could be used to recharge groundwater. However fear of pathogens(especially if sprayed which creates aerosols), salt accumulation, heavy metals and nitrates in drinking water persist.
Term
What do scientists say about land application of sewage?
Definition
safe and practical way to dispose of sewage if reasonable precautions are exercised. Especially in certain cases to prevent build up of nitrates. Arid regions should be cautious of salt built up potential.
Term
Flushing Meadows Project
Definition
land application process with flooding and drying periods. No crop was harvested. removed 100% of SS, BOD and fecal bacteria. potential to remove up to 90% of N and P. reduced Cu and Zn concentrations by 80% and Hg concentrations by 35%. No change to Cd and Pb.
Term
How should we use our waste water?
Definition
70% are croplands used to grow hay and feed for livestock. using wastewater to irrigate these lands would pose virtually no risk to humans. Alas irrigation from groundwater remains too cheap!
Term
How much do fertilizers cost farms?
Definition
6% of there expenses. no need for cheap sludge really.
Term
How much of the US's N need could all solid sludge produce?
Definition
only about 1 to 2 %. Additionally municipalities would have to bear the cost of transportation to keep sludge competitive with fertilizer.
Term
What should we do with solid sewage sludge?
Definition
Use it to reclaim strip-minded areas. it works great. Sludge can be transported economically much greater distances than waste water. Thus land application can be very practical.
Term
Pros and Cons of sludge
Definition
Pro: great for strip mined areas. OK for ever where else.
Con: nutrient content not as consistent for fertilizer. can have potentially toxic substances and pathogens that could grow into plants or get into groundwater.
Term
Unconventional types of sewage treatment
Definition
artificial marshes,artificial rock marshes, solar aquatics and other natural systems of micrograms and higher plants.
Can save money in building and operation. Solar aquatic systems require no more land than convential sewage treatment and can provide advanced waste water treatment at about 2/3rds the cost. Also unconventional systems produce little or no sludge, can achieve tertiary nutrient removal. and can remove heavy metals, pesticides and industrial toxins. Cons: Need a certain kind of expertise and are less thoroughly tested than other systems.
Term
Main types of human pathogens?
Definition
Viruses, protozoans, helminths (intestinal worms), or bacteria.
Term
How do you define an outbreak? what is wrong with this definition?
Definition
An incident in which at least two cases of acute infectious disease(microbial) or one case of acute intoxicating illness(chemical) occurred and originated from a common source.
Isolated microbial cases will not be reported by the Center for Disease Control.
Term
Average before and after 1980 of US waterborne disease outbreaks in the US?
Definition
10,000 before only 7,000 after.
Term
Between 1987 and 1996 how many cases of outbreaks were from unknown sources and what were they classified as?
Definition
28% down from 50% before 1980 and they were called AGI or Acute gastrointestinal illness.
Term
What are the 2 factors that have confounded the problem of identifying the causative agent of microbial outbreaks?
Definition
1) there is a delay in illness recognition that can cause the causative agent to die or be flushed away in the meantime.
2) It's hard to culture and identify microbiological agents from natural waters.
Term
Problem with viruses?
Definition
too small to be seen under a light microscope and are not self-propagating. They need in vitro cell cultures (living cells). Additionally they are more resistant than indicator bacteria which mean 'safe' waters could still contain dangerous concentrations of viruses.
Term
VBNC condition
Definition
Viable-but-nonculturable. Dormant pathogens that may still be able to be pathogenic.
Term
What's the problem with PCR DNA techniques for identifying pathogens?
Definition
Does not prove there are living pathogens in the water or that the pathogens were virulent.
Term
virulent
Definition
the relative ability of a pathogen to cause disease
Term
What can enhance bacteria survival time?
Definition
low temperatures and high nutrient levels.
Term
When did the particularly pathogen strain of E. Coli emerge?
Definition
1982. Now causes about 250 deaths and 20,000 cases of illness per year in the US.
Term
Convalescence carriers
Definition
people recovering from an illness who can still transmit the disease.
Term
Protozoan
Definition
inhabit the intestinal tracks of warm-blooded animals. Most harmless.
Term
oocysts
Definition
eggs produced by some protozoa that are not readily killed by chlorination and can last along time. Must be removed by filtration.
Term
cysts
Definition
encapsulated from of a protozoa. are more resistant that free-living form and the dominate form to cause outbreak. Example is Giardia that are readily found in cold mountain waters from beavers.
Term
Problem with using a single indicator organism?
Definition
Can lead to the assumption that waters are safe when other organisms with greater survival time or resistance may still be at dangerously high levels.
Term
Helminth eggs
Definition
may last for months if kept cool and moist. example of worm is Schistosoma.
Term
What's wrong with using indicator organisms?
Definition
Monitoring the concentrations of only one or a few pathogens would not necessarily provide a good measure of disease probability.
Term
Ideal traits of an indicator organism:
Definition
1) The organism is proportional in abundance to the number of pathogens in the water and survives just as long.
2)easily detectable and present in greater quanity than any potential pathogen
3) absent from the marine environment unless the water has been polluted with sewage or animal excrement.
Term
What was used as a indicator in the 1970s?
Definition
Total coliform
Term
define fecal coliform
Definition
grows at 44.5*C. Includeds E.coli and other 'fecal coliform' sources that may not even be from human excrement.
Term
What did the EPA switch to as an indicator. Is that a better choice?
Definition
Fecal coliform. There were poorer correlations between fecal coliform and swimmer GI illness than between the already poor correlation of total coliform and GI. Thus fecal coliform is an almost worthless indicator.
Term
what is better coorelated with GI illness caused by water than E.coli?
Definition
Enterococci and it survives better in salt water. But it's lower concentrations may negate it's usefulness as a indicator organism.
Term
what was the 3rd indicator EPA used?
Definition
Enterococci
Term
What's an acceptable level of GI illness? What was it changed to for the enterococci tests?
Definition
6 per 1000 swimmers. Now 16 and 8 per 1,000 swimmers for marine and fresh waters respectively. Based on ecterococci levels correlated to old fecal measures which makes little sense.
Term
Treatment of Public Water Supplies
Definition
Removal of Suspended Solids by sedimentation, filtration important for cyst removal, & Chlorination
Term
What are possible Alternatives to Cholorination?
Definition
UV, ozone and chlorine dioxide. Most are more expensive except for UV in smaller plants. Main advatanges are less chlorinated organics, though Cl02 is better a inactivating viruses is 2 to 5 times as expensive.
Term
What is Toxicology?
Definition
The quantitative study of the effects of harmful substances or stressful conditions on organisms.
Term
Main considerations of toxicology?
Definition
What information is needed to manage water quality and how that information should be applied to standards, who or what are we trying to protect, whether or not there is a threshold level associated with exposure to a particular toxic substance or stressful condition(is some adverse effect acceptable), what is the relevance of studies with animals to human healths, and finally how to various toxic substances interact and should this be taken into account?
Term
What % of an organism's lifetime is considered for toxic effects?
Definition
10%
Term
2 category of toxicity studies?
Definition
first is general overall effects of a compound or stress on an organism and second is toxicity studies designed to evaluate in details specific kinds of toxicity.
Term
aim of water quality standards in the US?
Definition
eliminate or at least minimize the sub-lethal effects of pollutants.
Term
Southern California brown pelican story
Definition
seriously effected by DDT. in 1969 only nine fledglings were produced from a total of 1.852 nesting attempts. after waste dumping was stopped and DDT restricted 1,575 fledglings out of 2,175 were reported although measurable levels of toxins are still reported in the eggs.
Term
If the presence of a toxin in the water significantly reduces photosynthetic rate of a particular species, it is possible that the species will be grazed to extinction by herbivores without being directly killed by the toxin
Definition
It's true!
Term
Problems with toxins among multiple species?
Definition
May affect some more than others and alter the community and food chains, by upsetting population balances.
Term
A temperature that would cause only a modest reduction in growth when food supply is unlimited could be lethal when food supply is low.
Definition
Additionally modest reductions in growth in a competitive environment could cause lethal effects.
Term
Modifications in behavior patterns:
Definition
alterations in migratory behavior, learning ability, feeding behavior, predation avoidance, and so on.
Term
thermal shock
Definition
fish encouraged not to migrate by warmer waters of power plants can die from thermal shock in the winter if the power plant temporarily shuts down.
Term
Should one use the most sensitive or the least sensitive organisms for an effect on a species?
Definition
US tends to use the median response of a sample of individuals as a measure of tolerance of that species to a stress.
Term
How are water quality measures ultimately based in the US?
Definition
the tolerance levels of the 5% of the genera that are most sensitive to a stress.
Term
Median tolerance limit
Definition
toxic concentration corresponding to 50% survival after 48 to 96 hours. for acute toxicity determination.
Term
chronic toxicity determination
Definition
level of stress that would kill half the test organisms after a period of exposure roughly equal to their natural lifetimes. Median survival times are calculated at a number of concentrations. and the data is extrapolated to an infinite median survival time or incipient lethal level.
Term
Median survival time
Definition
The time half of the organisms are able to survive a given level of stress.
Term
Testing sublethal effects
Definition
Compare a control group to a toxin level group and see if the performance of the stressed group was significantly worse ( fewer offspring, less growth or strange behavior) than the control group.
Term
Marine criterion for determining acute toxic concentrations?
Definition
At least 8 families, where 3 are vertebrates, 1 is not a vertebrate or insect, crustacean or shrimp, 3 other non vertebrates and one other family. Then species group to genera and 4 genera with cumulative probabilities closest to .05 are used to determine the final acute value.
Term
Chronic toxicity determination
Definition
If the number of species necessary for acute testing are not available a small number of species data is used with an average acute/chronic toxicity ratio. Needs at least 3 species. 1 fish, 1 invertebrate and one acutely sensitive species.
Term
Two number criterion
Definition
criterion maximum concentration is the 1 hour level not to be exceeded more than once every 3 years and criterion continuous concentration which is a four day level not to be exceed more than once every three years.
Term
Final plant value
Definition
the lowest concentration of a toxicant that reduces plant growth in an appropriate experiment. Used for the 2 number criterion.
Term
Complicating factors for pollutants in the water?
Definition
pH level, Temperature effects of a given toxin may become more rapid in warmer water because of increased and metabolic levels, and water hardness.
Term
conformers or regulators
Definition
organisms that adapt to stress. regulators may change the level but not the optimum state but conformers may change optimal state and range.
Term
Types of additive effects:
Definition
strictly additive, supra-additive and infra-additive.
Term
Oil in numbers
Definition
accounts for over 42% of world energy production and over half of that is used for transport.
Term
Sources of oil discharge into the marine environment
Definition
1) Natural marine seeps, 2) sediment erosion, 3) offshore production, 4)tanker operations, 5) dry docking where ship must be cleaned out to go offline, 6) marine terminals, 7) blige and fuel oil which is waste sludge that is sometimes dumped at sea, 8) vessel accidents, 9) Atmosphere, 10) municipal wastes 11) industrial wastes 12) runoff and 13) ocean dumping.
Term
Efforts to limit ballast water oil contributions?
Definition
LOT or load on top procedure which lets the oil and water separate out so only clean water is released. and Crude oil washing systems or COWS which involves cleaning the takn with high-pressure jets of crude oil while the ship is offloading to pump out residues. After this came segregated ballast tanks and clean ballast tanks.
Term
MARPOL
Definition
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from ships.
Term
Number of over 700 tonne spills of oil per year?
Definition
24 times before 1980s and now only 8 times per year. Most associated with tanker collisions and groundings. tend to occur close to land which increases thier impact.
Term
Largest oil spill to date?
Definition
1979 when Atlantic express and Aegean captain collided. .3mt released.
Term
Exxon Valdez amount and date
Definition
1989 prince William sound and .036mt.
Term
Persian gulf
Definition
shallow and sensitive and susceptible to military based spills.
Term
The genesis of oil
Definition
1) formation of energy rich organic compounds via photosynthesis 2) Sedimentation of C in an aerobic environment to prevent oxidation, 3) Metamorphosis, 4) Migration through porous rock til it is stopped and collected by an impervious layer.
Term
Paraffins
Definition
Alkanes or Apliphatics.
Term
Naphthenese
Definition
Cycloalkanes
Term
Fractional distillation
Definition
separating hydrocarbons by series of steadily increasing temperatures and collections at successively higher boiling points.
Term
How do you make more gasoline from crude oil?
Definition
Catalytic cracking procedure.
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