CP Environmental Science Final Exam 2010
Air pollution and the atmosphere: 2.1, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.9, 2.13, 2.14, 2.15
Specific criteria pollutants: sources, ways to reduce
Acid precipitation
Layers of atmosphere
Indoor air pollutants including radon
Global Climate Change and ozone depletion: 2.3, 2.1
Municipal waste and toxics: 6.6, and power point/notes
Energy: 6.1 to 6.5 (know pros and cons of different energy types)
fossil fuels
nuclear
renewable energies including solar, different types of biomass, hydropower, geothermal, wind,
Biodiversity and endangered species: 1.13, 1.14
Introduced species
Reasons for endangerment
Air Pollution, Global Climate Change, and Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
- Know all criteria pollutants, their sources, effects, and reduction methods
- catalytic converter
- wet scrubber
- temperature inversion
- smog
- Secondary pollutants vs. primary pollutants
- radon – sources, effects, remediation
- ozone depletion, CFCs, stratosphere, UV radiation
- global climate change
Gasses: CO2 , methane
the Greenhouse effect – describe this
Forests – role in absorbing CO2
How to deal with
Evidence of climate change
Effects of climate change
Temperature changes: past and predicted
Kyoto Protocol
- acid deposition (precipitation, rain)
- pH scale (acid rain below 5.6)
- streams natural buffering
- leaching (aluminum and other metals due to acid precipitation)
hard vs. soft water
- Clean Air act, NAAQS, and criteria pollutants
- emissions vs. ambient air
- synergistic effect (synergism)
- Agencies: DEP, EPA
- externalities of pollution
- layers of atmosphere
Biodiversity
- Types of biodiversity: species, genetic, ecological
- Reasons maintaining biodiversity is important: ecological and human implications
- Key causes: habitat loss, introduction exotic (introduced) species, pollution, direct killing
- Specific species and why they are endangered
- Extinct species: key examples and why they became extinct
- Introduced species: key specific examples, how introduced, problems associated with them
- Laws: Endangered Species Act, CITES, Marine Mammal Protection Act
- carrying capacity
- “Helping” endangered species:
breed and release
capture and release
habitat protection: preserves, national parks, state protected areas
laws/regulations to reduce/stop direct killing and/or capturing
ecotourism
- PA’s non-endangered species and wildlife management (just the basics on this)
Waste and Toxics
- municipal, industrial
- Disposal: advantages and disadvantages of each disposal method
landfills, incineration, deep well injection
- Trends in waste production: amounts and types of waste produced
- per capita changes in waste production
- recycling vs. reusing: materials that can be recycled and/or reused; advantages; disadvantages
- biodegradable
- bioaccumulation/biomagnifications
- persistance
- hazardous: flammable, toxic, corrosive, pathogenic
- NI MBY
- Superfund (CERCLA) and RCRA: purposes of laws,
- renewable vs. non-renewable, and products made from each
- toxicity: how determined, LD50, factors/variables that affect toxicity of different substances
- “the dose makes the poison”
- Palmerton: smelting, the “story” of Palmerton Superfund Site
Energy
- renewable vs. non-renewable
- Uses and trends in U.S.; how much; for what purposes;
- energy efficiency and “wasted” heat energy
- fossil fuels: types, advantages, uses of each type, amounts for future
- hydrocarbon and stored energy in chemical bonds
- Solar: photovoltaic, flat-plate solar water heater (solar collector), passive and home design
- hydrogen: as a fuel and as use in fuel cell
- nuclear: design of plants, fuel, disposal of waste, TMI, Chernobyl, types of radiation, half-life of radioactive isotopes
- biofuels: know how produced, uses, advantages and disadvantages
methane
methanol
wood
anaerobic (which does this produce?)
- electric cars
- hybrid cars
- fuel cells
- hydroelectric: pros and cons