Download APES REVIEW: “140 WAYS TO GO APE(S)”

Many Ways to Go APES
This is a great review. Put these facts on index cards. All cards must be handwritten by your very own hand.
The term or phrase before the colon (:) goes on one side, and the definition/explanation goes on the other side.
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Ionizing radiation: enough energy to dislodge electrons from atoms, forming ions; can cause cancer (gamma, X rays, UV)
High Quality Energy: organized & concentrated; can perform useful work (fossil fuel & nuclear)
Low Quality Energy: disorganized, dispersed (heat in ocean or air wind, solar)
First Law of Thermodynamics: energy is neither created nor destroyed, but may be converted from one form to another
(Law of Conservation of Energy)
Second Law of Thermodynamics: when energy is changed from one form to another, some useful energy is always
degraded into lower quality energy, usually heat
Natural radioactive decay: unstable radioisotopes decay releasing gamma rays, alpha particles, and beta particles
Half-life: the time it takes for ½ the mass of a radioisotope to decay
Estimate of how long a radioactive isotope must be stored until it decays to a safe level: approximately 10 half-lives
Nuclear Fission: nuclei of isotopes split apart when struck by neutrons
Nuclear Fusion: two isotopes of light elements (H) forced together at high temperatures till they fuse to form a heavier
nucleus (He). Process is expensive; break-even point not reached yet
Ore: a rock that contains a large enough concentration of a mineral making it profitable to mine
Mineral Reserve: identified deposits currently profitable to extract
Organic fertilizer: slow-acting & long-lasting because the organic remains need time to be decomposed
Best solutions to energy shortage: conservation, increase efficiency, explore alternative energy options
Surface mining: cheaper and can remove more minerals; less hazardous to workers
Humus: organic, dark material remaining after decomposition by microorganisms
Leaching: removal of dissolved materials from soil by water moving downwards
Illuviation: deposit of leached material in lower soil layers (B horizon)
Loam: perfect agricultural soil with optimal portions of sand, silt, clay (40%, 40%, 20%)
Solutions to soil problems: conservation tillage, crop rotation, contour plowing, organic fertilizers
Conservation: allowing the use of resources in a responsible manner
Preservation: setting aside areas and protecting them from human activities
Parts of the hydrologic cycle: evaporation, transpiration, runoff, condensation, precipitation, infiltration
Aquifer: any water-bearing layer in the ground
Cone of depression: lowering of the water table around a pumping well
Salt water intrusion: near the coast, over-pumping of groundwater causes saltwater to move into the aquifer
ENSO: El Niño Southern Oscillation, see-sawing of air pressure over the S. Pacific
During an El Niño year: trade winds weaken & warm water sloshed back to SA
During a non El Niño year: easterly trade winds and ocean currents pool warm water in the western Pacific, allowing
upwelling of nutrient rich water off the west coast of South America
Effects of El Niño: upwelling decreases disrupting food chains; N U.S. has mild winters, SW U.S. has increased rainfall,
less Atlantic hurricanes
Nitrogen fixing: because atmospheric N2 cannot be used directly by plants it must first be converted into ammonia
(NH3)by bacteria (rhizobium)
Ammonification: decomposers convert organic waste into ammonia
Nitrification: ammonia (NH3) is converted to nitrate ions (NO3)Assimilation: inorganic nitrogen is converted into organic molecules such as DNA/amino acids & proteins
Denitrification: bacteria convert nitrate (NO3)- and nitrite (NO2)- back into N2 gas
Phosphorus does not circulate as easily as nitrogen because: it does not exist as a gas, but is released by weathering of
phosphate (PO4)3- rocks
Excess phosphorus is added to aquatic ecosystems by: runoff of animal wastes, fertilizer discharge of sewage
Because soils contain very little phosphorus: it is a major limiting factor for plant growth
Sustainability: the ability to meet the current needs of humanity without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their needs
How excess phosphorus is added to aquatic ecosystems: runoff of animal wastes, fertilizer, discharge of sewage
Photosynthesis: plants convert atmospheric carbon (CO2) into complex carbohydrates (glucose C6H12O6)
Aerobic respiration: O2-consuming producers, consumers & decomposers break down complex organic compounds &
convert C back into CO2
Largest reservoirs of C: carbonate (CO3)2- rocks first, oceans second
Biotic and abiotic: living and nonliving components of an ecosystem
Producer/Autotroph: photosynthetic or chemosynthetic life
Major trophic levels: producers-primary consumer-secondary consumer-tertiary consumer
Fecal coliform/Enterococcus bacteria: indicator of sewage contamination
48. Energy flow in food webs: only 10% of the usable energy is transferred because usable energy lost as heat (second law);
not all biomass is digested and absorbed; predators expend energy to catch prey
49. Chlorine: good= disinfection of water; bad = forms trihalomethanes
50. Primary succession: development of communities in a lifeless area not previously inhabited by life or those in which the
soil profile is totally destroyed (lava flows); begins with lichen action Secondary succession: life progresses where soil
remains (clear-cut forest, fire)
51. Cogeneration: using waste heat to make electricity
52. Mutualism: symbiotic relationship where both partners benefit
53. Commensalism: symbiotic relationship where one partner benefits & the other is unaffected
54. Parasitism: relationship in which one partner obtains nutrients at the expense of the host
55. Biome: large distinct terrestrial region having similar climate, soil, plants & animals
56. Carrying capacity: the number of individuals that can be sustained in an area
57. R strategist: reproduce early in life; many small unprotected offspring.
58. K strategist: reproduce late in life; few offspring; care for offspring
59. Positive feedback: when a change in some condition triggers a response that intensifies the changing condition (warmer
Earth - snow melts - less sunlight is reflected & more is absorbed, therefore warmer earth)
60. Negative feedback: when a changing in some condition triggers a response that counteracts the changed condition
(warmer earth - more ocean evaporation - more stratus clouds - less sunlight reaches the ground - therefore cooler Earth)
61. Malthus: said human population cannot continue to increase exponentially; consequences will be war, famine & disease
62. Doubling time: rule of 70; 70 divided by the percent growth rate
63. Replacement level fertility: the number of children a couple must have to replace themselves (2.1 in developed countries)
64. World Population: ~ 6.7 billion U.S. Population: ~ 305 million
65. Preindustrial stage: (demographic transition) birth & death rates high, population grows slowly, infant mortality high
66. Transitional stage: (demographic transition) death rate lower, better health care, population grows fast
67. Industrial stage: (demographic transition) decline in birth rate, population growth slows
68. Postindustrial stage: (demographic transition) low birth & death rates
69. Age structure diagrams: broad base = rapid growth; narrow base = negative growth; uniform shape = zero grow
70. First, second and third most populated countries: China, India, U.S
71. Most important thing affecting population growth: low status of women
72. Ways to decrease birth rate: family planning, contraception, economic rewards and penalties
73. Percent water on earth by type: 97.5% seawater, 2.5% freshwater
74. Salinization of soil: in arid regions, water evaporates leaving salts behind
75. Ways to conserve water: agriculture = drip/trickle irrigation; industry = recycling; home = use gray water, repair leaks,
low flow fixtures
76. Point vs. non point sources: Point, from specific location such as a pipe. Non-point, from over an area such as runoff
77. BOD: biological oxygen demand, amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic decomposers to break down organic
materials
78. Eutrophication: rapid algal growth caused by an excess of nitrates (NO3)- and phosphates (PO4)3- in water
79. Hypoxia: when aquatic plants die, the BOD rises as aerobic decomposers break down the plants, the DO drops & the
water cannot support life
80. Minamata disease: (1932-1968, Japan) mental impairments caused by methylmercury (CH3Hg)+ poisoning
81. Primary air pollutants: produced by humans & nature (CO, CO2 ,SOx, NOx, hydrocarbons, particulates)
82. Secondary air pollutants: formed by a reaction of primary pollutants
83. Natural selection: organisms that possess favorable adaptations pass them onto the next generation
84. Particulate matter: Source: burning fossil fuels and diesel exhaust
Effect: reduces visibility & respiratory irritation
Reduction: filtering, electrostatic precipitators, alternative energy)
85. Nitrogen Oxides (NOx):
Source: auto exhaust
Effects: acidification of lakes, respiratory irritation, leads to smog & ozone
Equation for acid formation: NO + O2 = NO2 + H2O = HNO3
Reduction: catalytic converter
86. Sulfur oxides (SOx):
Source: coal burning
Effects: acid deposition, respiratory irritation, damages plants
Equation for acid formation: SO2 + O2 = SO3 + H2O = H2SO4
Reduction: scrubbers, burn low sulfur fuel)
87. Carbon oxides (CO and CO2):
Source: auto exhaust, incomplete combustion
Effects: CO binds to hemoglobin, reducing blood’s ability to carry O2; CO2 contributes to global warming
Reduction: catalytic converter, emission testing, oxygenated fuel, mass transit
88. Ozone (O3):
Formation: secondary pollutant,
NO2 + uv = NO + O* O* + O2 = O3, with VOCs (volatile organic compounds)
Effects: respiratory irritant, plant damage
Reduction: reduce NO and VOC emissions
89. Industrial smog: found in cities that burn large amounts of coal
90. Radon (Rn): naturally occurring colorless, odorless, radioactive gas, found in some types of soil and rock, can seep into
homes and buildings, formed from the decay of uranium (U), causes lung cancer
91. Photochemical smog: formed by chemical reactions involving sunlight (NO, VOC, O*)
92. Acid deposition: caused by sulfuric and nitric acids (H2SO4, HNO3), resulting in lowered pH of surface waters
93. Greenhouse gases: Examples: H2O, CO2, O3, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), methane (CH4). Effect: they trap outgoing
infrared (heat) energy, causing Earth to warm
94. Effects of global warming: rising sea level (thermal expansion), extreme weather, drought, famine, extinctions
95. Causes of ozone depletion: CFCs, methyl chloroform or trichloromethane (CHCl3), carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), halon
(haloalkanes), methyl bromide (CH3Br)— all of which attack stratospheric ozone
96. Effects of ozone depletion: increased UV, skin cancer, cataracts, decreased plant growth
97. Love Canal, NY: (1950s +) chemicals buried in old canal; school and homes built over it; caused birth defects and cancer
98. Main component of municipal solid waste (MSW): paper; most is landfilled
99. True cost / External costs: harmful environmental side effects that are not reflected in a product’s price
100. Sanitary landfill problems and solutions:
problem = leachate; solution = liner with collection system
problem = methane gas; solution = collect gas and burn
problem = volume of garbage; solution = compact and reduce
101. Incineration advantages: volume of waste reduced by 90%, and waste heat can be used
102. Incineration disadvantages: toxic emissions (polyvinyl chloride, dioxins), scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators
needed, ash disposal (contains heavy metals)
103. Best way to solve waste problem: reduce the amounts of waste at the source
104. Keystone species: species whose role in an ecosystem are more important than others, such as a sea otter, sea stars,
grizzly bear, prairie dogs
105. Indicator species: species that serve as early warnings that an ecosystem is being damaged ex. Trout
106. Characteristics of endangered species: small range, large territory, or live on an island
107. In natural ecosystems, methods which control 50-90% of pests: predators, diseases, parasites
108. Major insecticide groups (and examples): chlorinated hydrocarbons (DDT); organophosphates (malathion); carbamates
(aldicarb)
109. Pesticide pros: saves lives from insect-transmitted disease, increases food supply, increases profits for farmers
110. Pesticide cons: genetic resistance, ecosystem imbalance, pesticide treadmill, persistence, bioaccumulation, biological
magnification
111. Natural pest control: better agricultural practices, genetically resistant plants, natural enemies, biopesticides, sex
attractants
112. Electricity generation methods: using steam from water boiled by fossils fuels or nuclear reactions; falling water to turn a
turbine to power a generator
113. Petroleum formation: microscopic aquatic organisms in sediments converted by heat and pressure into a mixture of
Hydrocarbon
114. Pros of petroleum: relatively cheap, easily transported, high-quality energyCons of petroleum: reserves will be depleted
soon; pollution during drilling, transport and refining; burning makes CO2
115. Steps in coal formation: peat, lignite, bituminous, anthracite
116. Major parts of a nuclear reactor: core, control rods, steam generator, turbine, containment building
117. Two most serious nuclear accidents: Chernobyl, Ukraine (1986) and Three Mile Island, PA (1979)
118. Alternate energy sources: wind, solar, waves, biomass, geothermal, fuel cells
119. LD50 (LD-50, LD50): the amount of a chemical that kills 50% of the animals in a test population
120. Mutagen; Teratogen; Carcinogen: (in order) causes hereditary changes through mutations; causes fetus deformities;
causes cancer
121. Endangered species: a group of organisms in danger of becoming extinct if the situation is not improved; population
numbers have dropped below the critical number of organisms; North spotted owl, Arctic polar bear, many others
122. Invasive/Alien/Exotic species: non-native species to an area; often thrive and disrupt the ecosystem balance examples
:kudzu vine, purple loosestrife, African honeybee ―killer bee‖, water hyacinth, fire ant, zebra mussel
123. The Tragedy of the Commons: (1968 paper by ecologist Garret Hardin) global commons such as atmosphere and oceans
are used by all and owned by none
124. Volcano and Earthquake occurrence: at plate boundaries (divergent= spreading, mid-ocean ridges) (convergent= trenches)
(transform= sliding, San Andreas)
125. Sources of mercury: burning coal, compact fluorescent bulbs
126. Major source of sulfur: burning coal
127. Threshold dose: the maximum dose that has no measurable effect.
128. Temperature Inversion: layer of dense, cool air trapped under a layer of warm dense air, pollution in trapped layer may
build to harmful levels. Frequent in Los Angeles, California and Mexico City, Mexico.
129. Transpiration: process where water is absorbed by plant roots, moves up through plants, passes through pores (stomata) in
leaves or other parts, evaporates into atm. as water vapor
130. Monoculturecultivation: growing a single crop, usually in a large area
131. Food Wheat, rice and corn provide: more than ½ of the calories in the food consumed by the world’s people.
132. Forest Fires: Types – Surface, Crown, Ground (in order) usually burn only under growth and leaf litter on forest floor;,
hot fires, may start on ground but eventually leap from treetop to treetop; go underground, may smolder for days or weeks
133. Multiple use US public land: National Forests & National Resource lands
134. Moderately restricted use land: National Wildlife Refuges
135. Restricted Use lands: National Parks, National Wilderness Preservation System
136. Survivorship Curves
a. Type I: low mortality at birth, survive to old age, then die (humans, annual plants)
b. Type II: uniform death rates, subject to predation (insects, birds)
c. Type III: high mortality at birth but long life spans otherwise (turtles, trees)
137. Density dependent factors: competition, parasitism, predation
138. Density independent factors: fires, floods, extreme cold
139. Biotic potential: maximum amount of offspring a species can have
140. Effects of Global Warming: bleaching of coral reefs, animals and plants forced out of their current range, melting
glaciers, rising sea levels, droughts, spread of infectious diseases and more extreme weather conditions
141. Exotic species are known as invasive species because: they often can grow at an uncontrolled rate because they have no
natural predators, disrupt the balance of the ecosystem, have no competition because they kill off many natural inhabitants
142. Forests regulate: climate, control water runoff, produce oxygen and provide food and shelter for many creatures
143. Clear cutting: increases soil erosion dramatically, increases nitrate runoff, increases difficulty for recovery of an area,
leaves animals with no place to live and can lead to extinctions
144. Selective cutting: harvesting only mature trees of certain species and size, more expensive but less disruptive to wildlife
than clear cutting
145. Utilitarianism: belief that something is right if it produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people for the
longest time.
146. NIMBY: Not in my backyard, public protests cause wastes and other pollutants to be dumped in someone else’s
backyard; mostly hurts the poor who cannot pay for representation to fight against potential pollution
147. Range of tolerance: minimum and maximum levels of conditions in which organisms can survive
148. 1.5 billion people lack access to clean drinking water and 3 billion people lack good sanitation needed to prevent
communicable diseases from spreading.
149. 75% of water pollution in the US is caused by: soil erosion, atmospheric deposition and surface runoff
150. 95% of water pollution in developing countries comes from: raw sewage high population without the money for treatment
plants)
151. The US: uses 77% of all pesticides used in the world
152. The troposphere contains: weather. The stratosphere contains: ozone
153. The atmosphere is: 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and a small amount of argon, carbon dioxide, water, salt and dust
154. Weather: moves from west to east across the US
155. Winds: are named for the direction from which they come
156. Bioaccumulation: is the selective absorption and storage of a great variety of molecules
157. Biomagnification: is a continued increase in the concentration of pollutants in higher levels of a food chain
158. Acute effects are: caused by a single exposure to a toxin and results in an immediate health crisis of some sort
159. Chronic effects are: long lasting and can result form a single exposure of a very toxic substance of a continuous exposure
to the toxin
160. Watershed: land surface and groundwater aquifers drained by a particular river system
161. Forests cover 32% of land surface: 11% is for crops and 26% is for range and pasture
162. 99% of all species that have ever existed: are now extinct but the average rate is one species per decade
163. Humans have caused: extinction rates of hundreds to thousands of species per year: if this continues 1/3 to ½ of all
current species will be gone by 2050.
LEGISLATION:
164. Surface Mining Control & Reclamation Act: (1977) requires coal strip mines to reclaim the land
165. Madrid Protocol: (1991) Suspension of mineral exploration (mining) for 50 years in Antarctica
166. Safe Drinking Water Act: (SDWA, 1974) set maximum contaminant levels for pollutants in drinking water that may
have adverse effects on human health
167. Clean Water Act: (CWA, 1972): set maximum permissible amounts of water pollutants that can be discharged into
waterways; aims to make surface waters swimmable and fishable
168. Water Quality Act: attempts to reduce non-poing source pollution
169. Ocean Dumping Ban Act: (1988): bans ocean dumping of sewage sludge and industrial waste in the ocean
170. Low Level Radioactive Policy Act: regulates the effectiveness of pesticides
171. Nuclear Waste Policy Act: US government must develop a high level nuclear waste site by 2015
172. Clean Air Act: (CAA, 1970) set emission standards for cars and limits for release of air pollutants
173. Kyoto Protocol: (2005) controlling global warming by setting greenhouse gas emissions targets for developed countries
174. Montreal Protocol: (1987) phase-out of ozone depleting substances
175. Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA): (1976) controls hazardous waste with a cradle to grave system
176. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Act (CERCLA): (1980) ―Superfund, designed to
identify and clean up abandoned hazardous waste dump sites
177. Nuclear Waste Policy Act: (1982) U.S. government must develop a high level nuclear waste site (Yucca Mtn)
178. Endangered Species Act: (1973) identifies threatened and endangered species in the U.S., and puts their protection ahead
of economic considerations
179. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES): (1973) lists species that cannot be commercially
traded as live specimens or wildlife products
180. Magnuson-Stevens Act: (1976) Management of marine fisheries
181. Food Quality Protection Act: (1996) set pesticide limits in food, & all active and inactive ingredients must be screened for
estrogenic/endocrine effects
182. Migratory Bird Treaty Act: prohibits shooting non-game migratory birds
183. Wilderness Act: recognizes wilderness areas and strives to preserve them by keeping them road and development Free
184. Delaney Clause: prohibits adding cancer causing agents to food
185. National Environmental Policy Act: (1969) Environmental Impact Statements must be done before any project affecting
federal lands can be started
186. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants: (2004) Seeks to protect human health from the 12 most toxic
chemicals (includes 8 chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides / DDT can be used for malaria control
187. Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act: FIFRA, regulates the effectiveness of pesticides
188. Food Quality Protection Act: set pesticide limits in all food and all active and inactive ingredients must be screened for
estrogenic/endocrine effects
189. Agenda 21: UN program to make development environmentally and socially sustainable in the 21 st century
190. London Dumping Convention (Law of the Sea): international agreement banning ocean dumping of plastics, oil and
industry waste
191. Healthy forest initiative: primary goal is to reduce the fire danger and return out forests and rangelands to a healthier
state; done by clearing underbrush and setting controlled burns.
192. US Climate Bill: reduce gases linked to global warming; to force sources to power to shift away form fossil fuels, which
when burned, release heat-trapping gases, and toward cleaner sources of energy such as wind, solar and geothermal
193. Lacey Act: protects both plants and wildlife by creating civil and criminal penalties for a wide array of violations;
prohibits trade in wildlife, fish, plants that have been illegally taken, possesses, transported or sold.
194. OSHA: primary federal law which governs occupational health and safety in the private sector and federal government in
the US
195. Rio Earth Summit: UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), Rio de Janeiro, June 1992. Nothing less
than a transformation of our attitudes and behavior would bring about the necessary changes
Diseases you need to know:
196. Carcinogens: is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer.
197. Herbicides: commonly known as a weedkiller, is a type of pesticide used to kill unwanted plants.
198. Mercury: harmful if swallowed, causes burning in throat, diarrhea, vomiting, numbness, uncontrollable shaking,
blindness, memory problems, seizures and even death.
199. Pesticides: The health effects of pesticides depend on the type of pesticide. Some, such as the organophosphates and
carbonates, affect the nervous system. Others may irritate the skin or eyes. Some pesticides may be carcinogens. Others
may affect the hormone or endocrine system in the body.
200. Pollution: Adverse air quality can kill many organisms including humans. Ozone pollution can cause respiratory
disease, cardiovascular disease, throat inflammation, chest pain, and congestion. Water pollution causes approximately
14,000 deaths per day, mostly due to contamination of drinking water by untreated sewage in developing countries.
201. Radiation: Radiation sickness is also called acute radiation sickness, acute radiation syndrome or radiation poisoning.
Common exposures to low-dose radiation, such as X-ray or CT examinations, do not cause radiation sickness. Although
radiation sickness is serious and often fatal, it's rare.
202. Asthma: a condition in which breathing is difficult, affects millions of Americans. Environmental triggers for asthma are
everywhere and include naturally occurring triggers such as animal dander, plant pollen, dust, and mold, and manmade
triggers such as chemicals. Not everyone is sensitive to these triggers, but many people are sensitive to some of them.
203. Black lung disease: is an illness in which coal miners' lungs become coated with coal dust, causing a chronic condition in
which breathing becomes difficult and painful.
204. Bronchitis: an inflammation of the airways of the lungs, can be caused by breathing in certain chemicals or smoke.
Welders and fire fighters are some of the people at risk for this condition. Smokers are also at increased risk for the
development of bronchitis and lung cancer.
205. Breathing asbestos (a natural mineral fiber): can lead to asbestosis, a severe lung disorder, and lung cancer. Schools,
homes, and businesses that have asbestos in them as a fire retardant put people at risk when the asbestos dust begins to
leak into the air during repairs and renovations. These buildings used asbestos in the walls and ceilings as insulation
before laws were passed to ban their use.
206. Silicosis: is a lung disease caused by exposure to the silica dust in clay. Pottery workers are at risk of developing this
disease.
207. Sick Building Syndrome: Sick Building Syndrome describes an elusive health problem in which people attribute a variety
of symptoms to the buildings where they work. Common complaints include headaches, dizziness, nausea, tiredness,
concentration problems, sensitivity to odors, dry itchy skin, a dry cough, and irritated eyes, nose, and throat.
208. Malaria: is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium.
209. Chagas disease: Caused by parasites, typically contracted by American’s visiting Mexico. The acute phase lasts for the
first few weeks or months of infection. It usually occurs unnoticed because it is symptom free or exhibits only mild
symptoms that are not unique to Chagas disease. These can include fever, fatigue, body aches, headache, rash, loss of
appetite, diarrhea, and vomiting.
210. Lyme disease: Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere. Borrelia is transmitted
to humans by the bite of infected ticks belonging to a few species of the genus Ixodes ("hard ticks"). Early symptoms may
include fever, headache, fatigue, depression, and a characteristic circular skin rash called erythema migrans.
211. African Sleeping sickness: caused by a parasite, fever, headaches, joint pains, and itching. Invasion of the circulatory and
lymphatic system by the parasites is associated with severe swelling of lymph nodes, often to tremendous sizes
212. AIDS: a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This condition
progressively reduces the effectiveness of the immune system and leaves individuals susceptible to opportunistic
infections and tumors.
213. Hepatitis: is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence
of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ.
214. West Nile: WNV produces three different outcomes in humans. The first is an asymptomatic infection; the second is a
mild febrile syndrome termed West Nile Fever; the third is a neuroinvasive disease termed West
Nile meningitis or encephalitis.
215. SARS : Initial symptoms are flu-like and may include: fever, myalgia, lethargy, gastrointestinal symptoms, cough, sore
throat and other non-specific symptoms. The only symptom that is common to all patients appears to be a fever above
38 °C (100.4 °F). Shortness of breath may occur later.
216. Coliform bacteria: are a commonly-used bacterial indicator of sanitary quality of foods and water. While coliforms are
themselves not normally causes of serious illness, they are easy to culture and their presence is used to indicate that other
pathogenic organisms of fecal origin may be present. Fecal pathogens include bacteria, viruses, or protozoa and many
multicellular parasites.
Places to Know:
217. Chernobyl, Ukraine: April 26, 1986, unauthorized safety test (irony), leads to fire and explosion at nuclear power plant—
millions exposed to unsafe levels of radiation.
218. Three-Mile Island, Pennsylvania: March 29, 1979, nuclear power plant loses cooling water 50% of core melts, radioactive
materials escape into atmosphere, near meltdown (disaster).
219. Yucca Mountain, Nevada: controversial as proposed site for permanent storage of high-level nuclear waste, 70-miles
northwest of Las Vegas, near volcano and earthquake faults.
220. Aral Sea, Uzbekistan/Kazakhstan (former Soviet Union): large inland sea is drying up as a result of water diversion.
221. Love Canal, NY: chemicals buried in old canal, school and homes built over it led to birth defects and cancers.
222. Aswan High Dam, Egypt: the silt that made the Nile region fertile fills the reservoir. Lack of irrigation controls causes
waterlogging and salinization. The parasitic disease schistosomiasis thrives in the stagnant water of the reservoir.
223. Three Gorges Dam, China: world’s largest dam on Yangtze River will drown ecosystems, cities, archeological sites,
fragment habitats, and displace 2 million people.
224. Ogallala Aquifer: world’s largest aquifer; under parts of Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado,
Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas (the Midwest). Holds enough water to cover the U.S. with 1.5 feet of water. Being
depleted for agricultural and urban use.
225. Minamata, Japan: mental impairments, birth defects, and deaths were caused by mercury dumped in Minamata Bay by
factory. Mercury entered humans through their diet (fish).
226. Bhopal, India: December 2,1984, methyl isocyanate released accidentally by Union Carbide pesticide plant kills over
5,000.
227. Valdez, Alaska: March 24, 1989, tanker Exxon Valdez hits submerged rocks in Prince William Sound—worst oil spill in
US waters.