# Climate Change and Pollution As humans continue to advance, we have left, and are continuing to leave, a trail of destruction. Climate change is the most evident of the many effects humans made on the environment and this is from the release of pollutants into both our air and atmosphere. **This section touches on what pollution is and how it affects the Earth** ## Water quality water is a substance essential to life and used almost everywhere. The 5 categories of water use are: - human drinking water - recreation use - livestock drinking water - irrigation - aquatic protection ### Monitoring There are a few ways to monitor water quality. One of the ways is to observe the water for specific organisms including biological indicators, aquatic invertebrates, and microbiological indicators. #### Biological indicators Biological indicators are mainly insects that can indicate the water quality by their population. These insects include: - mosquito larva - midgefly larva - mayfly nymph - dragonfly nymph - stonefly nymph - flatworm #### Aquatic invertebrates Invertebrates are animals without backbones, but in this case, they are monitored because different invertebrates prefer different living conditions #### Microbiolgical Indicators Microscopic organisms, such as bacteria, can cause serious health problems if present in high concentrations. #### Chemical factors affecting organisms The following factors are monitored to determine water quality: - Dissolved oxygen - acidity - heavy metals - plant nutrients - pesticides - salts ##### Dissolved oxygen Dissolved oxygen is essential for aquatic life. It may be affected by: - temperature - turbulence - photosynthesis - population | Dissolved O<sub>2</sub> | biological indicators | | --- | --- | | 8 - Excellent | invertebrates & fish | | 6 - Good | mayfly, stonefly, midgefly larvae, beetles, worms, leeches | | 4 - Critical | shrimp, midge larvae, worms, leeches | | 2 - low | midge larvae, worms, leeches | | <2 - very low | midge larvae, worms | ##### Plant nutrients Plant nutrients consist of **phosphorus** and **nitrogen**. Too much of it in oceans feed plants which then feeds oxygen-consuming bacteria, killing aquatic life. It can come from: - sewage outfalls - runoff from fertilised fields ##### acidity Fish die at pH ≤4.5. Water acidity is usually increased by acid rain (pH of ≤5.6) and spikes during the spring because of accumulated "acid snow" melting ## Metrics ### LD50 LD50 is a dose of toxins that causes 50% of its recipients (must be same species) death if given all at once ### PPM PPM, or Parts per Million, is a measure of concentration in ratio of a substance to surrounding substance. ## Air quality air quality can be determined by: - measuring level of pollutants in the air - estimating amount of emissions from pollution sources ### Pollutants Pollutants in the air are usually formed from combustion. Manufacturing releases sulfur oxides and vehicles release nitrogen oxides, nitrogen oxides, ozone, and carbon monoxide. #### acid rain Sulfur Oxides and Nitrogen Oxides both cause smog and acid rain by combining with other elements in the air, such as hydrogen. Sulfur oxides are mainly formed through manufacturing while nitrogen oxides are a result of vehicle combustion. #### carbon monoxide A colourless and odourless gas produced through combustion with insufficient oxygen. The main producer of this are vehicles. #### ozone Ozone is very beneficial to life on Earth, that is, if it is higher up in the atmosphere, as it filters out harmful UV radiation. On the ground, however, it is a very harmful pollutant. It can cause respiratory problems and plastic damage. ## Climate change ### greenhouse effect The greenhouse effect is a natural process of Carbon dioxide and water vapour (called greenhouse gasses) trapping light as heat to regulate the planet's temperature. However, this effect is enhanced to the point of extreme heat due to the artificial release of greenhouse gases. ### long-term impacts - changing biomes - sea level rise - extreme heat waves - increased drought - higher frequency of extreme weather