Section 4d – Human Influences on the Environment

4.11 Understand the biological consequences of pollution of air by sulphur dioxide and by carbon
monoxide
Sulphur dioxide is produced in car engines, and as a waste product in the reactions in power
stations.

Many fossil fuels contain sulphur as an impurity. When the fossil fuel is burnt, the sulphur reacts
with oxygen in the air to form sulphur dioxide. Sulphur dioxide can dissolve in water vapour to form
dilute sulphuric acid. This is known as acid rain. When acid rain falls, it can ruin ecosystems and
plants.

Acid rain can cause lakes and rivers to become more acidic. Many fish and water organisms have a
very strict range in pH in which they can survive. The acidity of the water could potentially kill them.

Acid rain can also damage the nutrients in soil. This means that trees take up less of the mineral ions
that they need. As a result, trees may be unable to grow properly.

Carbon monoxide is produced when substances combust in conditions with low oxygen levels.

Carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas because it is poisonous to the human body. Carbon monoxide
binds with the haemoglobin in the blood to form carboxyhaemoglobin. The carbon monoxide does
not dissociate itself with the haemoglobin, preventing oxygen from binding with the haemoglobin to
form oxyhaemoglobin. Therefore, carbon monoxide reduces the blood’s capacity for oxygen. This is
dangerous as a person could fall unconscious or in some cases die.

Carbon monoxide is especially dangerous because it has no scent, taste or colour. It can often go
undetected.

4.12 Understand that water vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and CFCs are
greenhouse gases
4.13 Understand how human activities contribute to greenhouse gases
4.14 Understand how an increase in greenhouse gases results in an enhanced greenhouse effect
and that this may lead to global warming and its consequences
The Sun emits infra red radiation to the Earth. This is then reflected by the earth. Greenhouse gases,
such as carbon dioxide, re-emit the infrared radiation back to the earth. This in turn warms the earth
up. This is known as the greenhouse effect.

Greenhouse gases are gases which reflect IR radiation back to the earth. These include carbon
dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and CFCs. Whilst these gases are naturally found in the atmosphere,
recent human activity is accelerating the production of them:
Greenhouse Gas Ways in which human activity accelerates its production
Previously used in aerosols
CFCs
In leakages from old fridges

Carbon Dioxide Deforestation

Section 4d – Human Influences on the Environment

Decomposition of waste in landfill sites

Methane Fermentation in the guts of cows
Rice paddy fields
Nitrous Oxides Burning petrol, e.g. in car engines

Whilst the greenhouse effect is essential to human life, as it warms the earth up, human activity has
increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere greatly. This means that the
greenhouse effect is being accelerated, and the earth is warming up at an unusual rate.

Global warming has several potential detrimental consequences:

- Polar ice caps will melt. This can cause sea levels to rise. Flooding may increase.
- Rising sea levels means that there is more water. More water would lead to more
evaporation and subsequent condensation as clouds. More clouds would result in more
rainfall.
- The increased temperature could make major ecosystem changes. Plants may not be
adapted to survive in warmer conditions and die. This could lead to the deaths of many
animals.
- The insects which kill crops may grow quicker, killing more crops.
- Changes in ocean streams would warm colder countries. E.g. melted ice caps divert the Gulf
Stream.

4.15 Understand the biological consequences of pollution of water by sewage, including increases
in the number of micro-organisms causing depletion of oxygen
If untreated sewage is released into rivers, microorganisms and other decomposers will be attracted
to the matter.

The bacteria will decay the sewage waste, respiring as they do so. The increased numbers of
decomposers will lead to increased respiration, which will use up the oxygen in the river faster than
it is being produced.

The water will become oxygen depleted or anoxic as a result of the respiring microorganisms.

Without enough oxygen, fish and animals in the water will not be able to respire. They may die as a
result. However, there are some organisms which are adapted to survive in water with low oxygen
levels.

4.16 Understand that eutrophication can result from leached minerals from fertiliser
Fertilisers contain nitrate ions. These nitrate ions are highly soluble in water, and as a result, can
often be carried out of the soil by water (leached).

As nitrate ions are easily leached, they can easily be carried into streams and rivers.

An increase in mineral ions in the water is known as eutrophication.

Section 4d – Human Influences on the Environment

When eutrophication occurs, the nitrate ions will be used by algae plants for growth. The
accelerated growth in these algae plants results in an algal bloom. An algal bloom is when lots of
algae grow on the surface of the water.

The algal bloom blocks sunlight. This means that the plants beneath the surface of the water will be
unable to photosynthesise. The plants will therefore produce less oxygen, so oxygen levels will fall.

The algal bloom will begin to die as it uses up all of the nitrate ions. The plants will also begin to die
as they are unable to photosynthesise. The dead matter will attract decomposers, which will decay
the dead plants, respiring as they do so.

The decomposers will use up most of the oxygen in the water by respiring. This means that other
animals in the water will be unable to respire, and will die as a result of the water being anoxic.

4.17 Understand the effects of deforestation, including leaching, soil erosion, disturbance of the
water cycle and of the balance in atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide
Deforestation also has many detrimental effects:
- Animals and insects that live in trees will lose their habitat when the trees are cut down.

- Trees absorb nutrients from the soil. When trees die, these nutrients are returned to the
soil, when the tree is broken down by decomposers. Deforestation of trees means that the
nutrients don’t get returned to the soil. The remaining nutrients will get leached, and the soil
will have less nutrients.

- The tree roots keep soil clumped together and in place. If the tree, and therefore the roots,
is removed, the soil will not be kept in place. They soil will be eroded by the rain. The soil will
as a result have fewer nutrients, and will be infertile.

- Trees photosynthesise, producing oxygen, and absorbing carbon dioxide. When

deforestation occurs, the carbon dioxide stores are released into the atmosphere. Also, if
the trees are burnt, carbon dioxide will also be released into the atmosphere. If trees are cut
down, they cannot photosynthesise, and produce oxygen. Therefore, oxygen levels can also
decrease.

- Trees release water into the atmosphere by transpiration. If trees are cut down, the air will
become less humid, as water will not be released into the atmosphere.