Topic 5 Topic 6 Not in my Backyard Getting Away From it All Topic 6 Not in my Backyard

Some Definitions to Know Biological Indicator - An organism we study to detect changes to the environment Macroinvertebrates - Organisms visible to the naked eye that do not have a backbone Point Sources - specific, easy to monitor and control, locations that spread pollutants (drainpipes, smokestacks) Non Point Sources - general locations, which are difficult to control, spreading pollution (fields, golf courses, construction lots) Persistent - Waste that doesn’t break down easily Non Persistent - Waste that breaks down easily and naturally Substrate - the natural environment in which an organism lives, or the surface or medium on which an organism grows or is attached.

HOORAY YOU DID TOPIC 5

Topic 6 Pollution used to be thought of as a localized problem Due to wind patterns, ocean currents and the water cycle pollution is able to spread globally without being detected Chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) are a man made pollutant that was used in coolants and propellants CFCs were found to break down in ultraviolet light and bond with ozone molecules (O3 ) creating oxygen gas (O2)

Controlling Water Pollution Ground water is water that filters through the soil This ground water is usually free from bacterial contamination and filters into large areas known as aquifers If a pollutant is not filtered out before the water reaches an aquifer, the entire supply can become contaminated

Disposing of Wastes Some materials are biodegradable and be broken down by bacteria Hazardous wastes must be disposed of properly according to their WHMIS markings Many hazardous substances are solvents which can dissolve other substances These hazardous solvents can be very dangerous to humans and to the ecoysystem

Landfills Much of the waste that we create is dumped in landfills around the world Sanitary landfills cover the top layer of material every day to stop windblown litter and scavengers Many sanitary landfills have a clay liner (or plastic liner) that stops liquids from leaching into the ground water The liquid that is collected by the liners (leachate) is then transported and treated