Download What is Pollutant

Ecosystem
An area where interactions
between living and non-living
things taking place.
Producers (autotrophs)
• Manufacture organic molecules from
simple inorganic substances,
generally CO2, H2O, sunlight
(Photosynthesis)
• Incorporate the chemicals they
manufacture into their own bodies,
becoming potential food resources
for other organisms
Consumers (heterotrophs)
• Herbivores (primary consumers): Plant
eaters
• Carnivores: eat other animals (secondary
consumers eat primary consumers
whereas tertiary consumers eat
secondary consumers)
• Omnivores: eat both plants and animals.
Decomposers (saprotrophs)
• Are heterotrophs (consumers) that break
down dead organic materials.
• They typically release simple inorganic
molecules such as CO2, mineral salts (K, N,
P), that producers can re-use.
• Bacteria and fungi are important
decomposers.
• Without decomposers, important elements
(K, N, P) would remain permanently in dead
organisms, unavailable for new generation
of organisms.
Food chains and Food webs
Food chains
is a series of organisms occupying
different trophic levels through
which energy passes as a result of
one organism consuming another.
Food webs
When several food chains overlap
and intersect, they make up
a food web.
Energy movement
• Energy movement through food
chains is in one direction only.
• Approximately, 90% of the useful
energy is lost with each transfer
to the next highest trophic level.
Organism interactions
Kinds of Organism Interactions
1. Predation
2. Competition
3. Symbiotic relationship
4. Some relationships are difficult to
categorize
Kinds of Organism Interactions
1. Predation (predator & prey
relationship)
One organism known as a predator,
kills and eats another known as prey
Kinds of Organism Interactions
2. Competition
Two organisms strive to obtain the same
limited resources.
• Intraspecific competition
Is competition between members of the
same species.
• Interspecific competition
Is competition between members of different
species.
Kinds of Organism Interactions
3. Symbiotic relationships
Is a close, long lasting, physical relationship
between TWO different species.
3.1 Parasitism (+,-)
• Is a relationship in which one organism
(parasite) lives inside or on surface of
another organism known as the host,
from which it derives nourishment
3.1.1 Ectoparasite
Live on the surface of their hosts
such as fleas, lice, mildews.
3.1.2 Endoparasites
Live inside the bodies of their hosts such
as tapeworms, malaria parasites.
Kinds of Organism Interactions
3.2 Commensalism (+,0)
Is a relationship between organisms in
which one organism benefits while the
other is not affected.
Shark and remoras
(small fish)
Kinds of Organism Interactions
3.3 Mutualism (+,+)
Is actually beneficial to both species
involved.
The relationship is obligatory; the
species cannot live without each
other.
Kinds of Organism Interactions
4. Some relationship are difficult to
categorize
• How would you classify mosquitos?
• There are also mutualistic relationship
that do not require permanent contact
between participants in the relationship
Nutrient Cycles
Comparing C & N cycles
Carbon cycle
1. Need Food chain
YES
Nitrogen cycle
YES
2. Benefits to plants
Building C6H12O6 (glucose = Building protein which are
food) by photosynthesis
needed for cell growth
3. Benefits to animals,
humans
Carbon is the basic building Nitrogen is needed to make
block required to form
amino acids for proteins
proteins, carbohydrates and
fats
4. Mechanisms involved
• Photosynthesis
• Respiration
• Nitrogen fixation
• Nitrification (bacteria
need oxygen)
• Denitrification (without
oxygen)
Comparing C & N cycles
5. Nutrient Source
Carbon cycle
Nitrogen cycle
CO2 in the air + Dead
organic matter and wastes
N2 (gas) + Dead organic
matter and wastes with
help from following
bacteria in soil
• Nitrogen fixing bacteria
• Nitrifying bacteria
(nitrification)
• Denitrifying bacteria
(denitrification)
(Plants cannot uptake N2
(gas))
6. Form of nutrients uptake CO2 (carbon dioxide)
by plants
NH3 (ammonia) and NO3-1
(nitrate)
Relationship between
environment and industry
(+ sustainable development)
• The natural environment is the “sink” for
the wastes (produced from industry) and the
“source” for the resources (used to produce
goods & services by industry).
• Sustainable development: development that
does not cost the Earth!
• Sustainable development means handing
down future generations not only “man-made
capital” such as roads, schools, buildings, and
“human capital” such as knowledge and skills,
but also “natural/environmental capital” such as
clean air, fresh water, forests, the ozone layer
and biological diversity.
Ecosystem Services
This grouped ecosystem services into
four broad categories:
provisioning, such as the production of
food and water;
regulating, such as the control of
climate and disease;
supporting, such as nutrient cycles and
crop pollination; and
cultural, such as spiritual and recreational
benefits.
Pollution & Pollutant
What is Pollution?
• Pollution is the undesirable change in the
physical, chemical or biological characteristics
of air, water or land (soil) that may or will
harmfully affect human life or that of other
desirable species, our industrial processes,
living conditions or cultural assets or that may
or will waste or deteriorate raw material
resources.
• Pollution causes risks to environmental
quality, human health and damage to natural
resources.
What is Pollutant ?
• A substance or condition that
contaminates air, water, or soil.
• Pollutants can be artificial
substances, such as pesticides and
PCBs, or naturally occurring
substances, such as oil or carbon
dioxide, that occur in harmful
concentrations in a given
environment.
POLLUTION CONTROL (PC)
(The end of pipe method:
producing wastes firstly, then later
thinking of how to manage it)
Pollution Control
• Solve no problem
• It only alters the problem, shifting it from
one form to another.
• It takes resources to remove pollution,
pollution removal generates residues, it
make more resources to dispose of this
residue and disposal of residue also
produces pollution.
Pollution Prevention
(P2)
• Meaning thinking beforehand how to
reduce waste before it will be produced.
• Waste is simply material that is not being
used efficiently.
Pollution Prevention (P2)
• Includes practices that reduce OR eliminate
the creation of pollutants through increased
efficiency in the use of raw materials, energy,
water, or other resources, or protection of
natural resources by conservation.
• Involves waste minimization, source
reduction, design for the environment, and
clean technology.
• Since a number of pollution control measures
apply only AFTER wastes have been
generated, they cannot be called Pollution
Prevention.
Environment & Industry
(Hierarchy of waste management)
1st choice
Last choice
Definition of Pollution Prevention (P2)
• Pollution prevention (P2) is a way of
looking at what causes waste and
pollution and then figuring out the best
way to reduce the pollution BEFORE it is
created.
• P2 means avoiding pollution at the
source rather than trying to control it
afterwards.
• Source reduction and recycling are
considered as pollution prevention.
Definition of Pollution Control (PC)
• Historically, people looked for ways to control
pollution AFTER it was created.
• Treating wastewater, filtering air emissions, and
creating landfills for solid wastes are all methods
of controlling pollution AFTER it has been
created.
• Treatment & disposal are considered as Pollution
Control.
Landfill site