Name: _________________________

1.4.9 Human Impact on an Ecosystem 1

Pollution Worksheet

Human Impact on Ecosystems

We are going to look at 3 ways that humans affect ecosystems:

• _______________________

• _______________________

• _______________________

Pollution must be related to habitat studied.

Pollution
Pollution is ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
It is the ____________________________________________ and affects _________,
____________ _____________, __________, ____________ and ____________.
Chemicals of human origin that harm the environment are called _______________________.

Some types of Pollution

1. _________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
4. ______________________________________

Pollutants
are produced by ________________________________________

• CO2 from respiration is _________________________________ – why?

______________________________________________________________________________

• excess CO2 from burning fossil fuels is

• SO2 from marshes & volcanoes is _______________________________________ – why?

______________________________________________________________________________

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 Name: _________________________

• SO2 from factory chimney is

Pollutants
Some pollutants are __________________________________________ in an environment, e.g.
________________, but levels are _________________________ by human activity.
Other pollutants never exist in an environment e.g. ________________________________

From the Syllabus & Guidelines

The Syllabus states: “Study the effects of any one pollutant.”
The Guidelines for Teachers states: “Give the effects of one pollutant from any of the
following areas: domestic, agricultural, industrial.” and
“Give an example of one way in which pollution may be controlled in the selected area.”
What follows is only a sample of the pollutants available.

Effect of one pollutant from one area

- Agricultural, Industrial or Domestic

Area Pollutant Source Effects

Agricultural

Industrial

Domestic

Eutrophication & Algal bloom

eutrophication: a condition where lakes become ______________________________, resulting
from excess artificial fertilisers washed into rivers and lakes.
There is a _____________________________________ (algal bloom) as they use up the nutrients.
When __________________________________ the ___________________ and are
_____________________________________, which _____________________ in the water
resulting in the ______________________________________ such as fish.

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Control of Pollutants
in the selected area - Agricultural, Industrial or Domestic
Area Pollutant Control Measures

Slurry &
Agricultural Fertiliser

Sulphur
Industrial dioxide

Domestic Plastic bags

Ecological impact of one human activity

Burning Fossil Fuels

Acidic oxides and acid rain

• All rain is acidic – __________________________________

• CO2 in the air dissolves in rainwater to form _______________________________ – pH =

5.5 in unpolluted air

• Acid rain refers to __________________________ with a pH of _________________

(Note: pH 4.5 is 10 times more acidic than pH 5.5)

Acid rain
• Burning of fossil fuels (e.g. ______________________________________________)
releases ___________________ into the air, especially __________________ and nitrogen oxides
(NOx)

• SO2 dissolves in rainwater to form __________________________ (H2SO3) or reacts with

particles in the air to form ________________________ (H2SO4)

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 Name: _________________________

• The resulting rain is _________________ and can be __________________________

Effects of acid rain

• Reduces ___________________

• Phosphorus (P) ___________________________ and is ________________ to plant roots

• __________________ becomes soluble and poisonous and with ______________,

___________and _____________ is washed (leached) from the soil into lakes and water supplies
Soil is ___________________ and ____________ in highly mineralised water. Why?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Effects of acid rain

• Erodes _________________________________ buildings

• Causes _______________________________________ – irritates the delicate lining of the

lungs

• Inhibits ________________________ formation and ___________________________ of

plants

Effects of acid rain

Acid rain is a ‘______________________________’ i.e. it is formed in one country but transported
or blown huge distances to another.
Norway ‘imported’ its acid pollutions from the __________________________________ and the
______________________ in Germany.

• Ireland is lucky that the prevailing winds are from the Atlantic and not from Europe.

Dealing with acid rain

• Reducing the __________________________________________________________

• Using __________________________________________________________________

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(‘scrubbers’ are fitted to the insides of chimneys)

• ______________________________________ fitted to modern cars

• Developing ___________________________________________ sources

Need to know
• Define the term: Pollution.

• State areas affected by pollution.

• State mechanisms to control pollution.

• Explain the difference between the terms pollutant and pollution.

• Discuss the ecological impact of one human activity.

END

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