Pollution Control Practice Test: Human Impact on the Environment — Flashcards

Human Impact on the Environment topics include: Chemical industries pollution types, pollution effects on environment and ecosystem, global warming, greenhouse effect, paper and chemical industries methods, textile, fertiliser and petroleum industries methods.

Humans have many impacts on the environment, including:

Deforestation: This is the clearing of trees from a forest, which can lead to an imbalance in the ecological system and a decrease in oxygen levels. Deforestation is driven by logging, agriculture, and urban development.
Pollution: This is the contamination of the environment by foreign or poisonous chemicals, as well as the use of excessive types of energy that are damaging to the ecosystem. Pollution disrupts the natural equilibrium and produces adverse living circumstances.
Water pollution: This is the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs, and groundwater. 

These impacts have contributed to:
Vast species extinctions
Incremental and continuous rises in the sea level
Record setting hot temperatures in the earth's greenhouse atmosphere 
Some ways to help conserve the environment include: Afforestation, Waste management. 

Chemical pollution is the presence of chemical pollutants in the environment that are not naturally present or are found in amounts higher than their natural background values. Chemical pollutants can be caused by a variety of chemicals from a variety of sources, including manufacturing, handling, storing, and disposing of chemicals. 
The chemical industry is one of the largest industries in the world. It consumes more than 10% of the world's fossil fuels and emits an estimated 3.3 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. 

Chemical production can also have other environmental impacts, including:
Water pollution: Chemical production can generate wastewater that contains hazardous chemicals, which can contaminate surface water and groundwater.
Soil pollution: Chemical spills and leaks can contaminate soil, making it unsuitable for agriculture or other uses.