Pollution - Physical

Mass per unit volume.

Length of time a pollutant remains in the environment before degrading.

How poisonous a substance is to a living organism.

Variations in toxicity to different groups of organisms.

Likelihood to undergo a chemical reaction.

Attachment to the surface of materials.

Lipids - How well a substance dissolves in lipids. Water - How well a substance dissolves in water.

Amount of a substance in an organism increases.

Substance becomes more concentrated at higher trophic levels (up the foodchain).

Pollutants acting together to have a different, greater effect than on their own.

Gonadic - Changes to chemical structure of DNA. Somatic - Mutation in an egg, sperm, or embryo. Mutations in a body cell. Carcinogenic - Mutagens that can cause cancer due to uncontrolled cell division.

Non-inherited birth abnormalities.

Ability of a pollutant to move in the environment.

Pollutant released by human activities.

Pollutant produced from chemical reaction with primary pollutants.

• Temperature: chemical reactions occur rapidly at higher temperatures. • Light: Energy to drive chemical reactions. • Oxygen: Aerobic decomposition of sewage by bacteria etc. • Pollutant interactions

• pH: can affect solubility of substances. • Wind/water currents: impact direction and how far it is dispersed/diluted. • Adsorbent materials: pollutants and naturally toxic metal ions may adsorb onto materials like clay particles, immobilising the pollutant.

• Warm effluent gases usually have lower density than surrounding air, so rise to disperse. • If the layer of air above is warmer then as these gases cool they are less dense and so are not dispersed.

• Valleys: trap cooler air below. • Low wind: no mixing of air layers. • Cloudless skies (at night): IR radiation from ground emitted so cools down. • Fog during day: higher albedo reflects sunlight, warming upper layer.

• Predicts movement of pollutants in environment to predict the severity and location of pollution. • If pollution is diluted or transported to locations with minimal impact risk then no action needs to be taken. • If transported to sensitive locations, control of releases required. • Largely used to monitor the dispersal of radioactive waste.

• Assesses risk to member of the public (not workers) who are deemed most at risk due to their lifestyle. • This is the critical group. • Used to monitor exposure and assess risks before health impacts occur. Emissions can be controlled to reduce exposure.

Whoever is responsible, pays. Incentive to prevent pollution if costs of payment > benefit from release of pollutant.

Assumes waste released will cause pollution unless research confirms it is unlikely. Ensures that being unaware of potential problems does not exclude responsibility.

Non-Living: - Corrodes metals - Damages water pipes, pylons, powerlines. - Buildings made of limestone damaged. Living: - Acids toxic to living organisms. - Denature proteins in cell membranes. - Inhibit enzyme action.