Environmental Health Flashcard Review

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What is bioaccumulation?

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Bioaccumulation is the process by which individual organisms accumulate toxins in their bodies over time, often from their environment or food.

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What is biomagnification?

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Biomagnification is the process by which the concentration of toxins increases as they move up through the trophic levels of a food chain.

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How do bioaccumulation and biomagnification differ?

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Bioaccumulation occurs within individual organisms, while biomagnification occurs across trophic levels in a food chain.

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What is a persistent organic pollutant (POP)?

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Persistent organic pollutants are organic compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation and can accumulate in the environment and living organisms.

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What are the environmental concerns associated with dumpsites?

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Dumpsites can lead to environmental concerns such as groundwater contamination, air pollution, and soil degradation.

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What is the role of organisms at trophic level one in a food chain?

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Organisms at trophic level one are the first organisms in a food chain to absorb toxins from their environment.

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What characteristics of persistent organic pollutants contribute to environmental contamination?

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Persistent organic pollutants are characterized by slow degradation and high toxicity, making them harmful to the environment.

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What is urban sprawl?

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Urban sprawl refers to the uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into surrounding rural land, often leading to habitat fragmentation.

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What is habitat fragmentation?

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Habitat fragmentation is the process by which large habitats are broken into smaller, isolated patches, negatively impacting wildlife.

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What is groundwater contamination?

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Groundwater contamination occurs when pollutants seep into the groundwater supply, affecting drinking water quality.