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Leaving certificate biology

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  1. Unit 1
    Ecology theory
    5 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  2. Nutrient recycling
    4 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  3. Ecological relationships and population dynamics
    2 Topics
  4. Human impact on the ecosystem
    2 Topics
  5. Study of a grassland ecosystem
    3 Topics
  6. Responses in the Flowering Plant
    4 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  7. Unit 3
    Sexual reproduction in the flowering plant
    1 Topic
  8. The human reproductive system
    3 Topics
  9. The menstrual cycle
    2 Topics
  10. Pregnancy
    2 Topics
  11. The circulatory system
    4 Topics
  12. Blood
    5 Topics
  13. The heart
    5 Topics
Leaving certificate biology Human impact on the ecosystem Pollution
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Lesson 4, Topic 1
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Pollution

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What is pollution ?

  Pollution is any harmful addition to the environment

Man made examples:

  • Litter
  • Dumping
  • Sewage disposal
  • Noise
  • Radioactivity

Natural examples:

  • Volcanoes
  • Smoke from fires

What are pollutants ?

  Pollutants are substances that cause harm to the environment

Examples:

  • Carbon dioxide 
  • Sulfur dioxide
  • Smoke particles
  • Fertilizer

The effects of pollution

  • If too much fertiliser is spread on grassland, the fertilizer may get washed into streams, rivers and lakes
  • The minerals in the fertiliser cause algae to grow  in the water
  • When the algae die they are decomposed by bacteria . This uses up oxygen
  • All the oxygen in the water gets used up so that all living things die.
  • This process is called eutrification

Controlling pollution

  • Limit the use of fertiliser
  • Animal waste (slurry) should be spread on grassland only when grass is actively growing in spring and when the weather is dry