Waste Management and Pollution
Recap Waste Management and Pollution for GCSE Biology with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Foundation and Higher exam-style questions with worked answers for AQA, Edexcel and OCR. A rapidly growing human population increases the pollution of land, water and air.
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These worksheets and mark schemes are original, written for Virtus Academy and checked against the current AQA, Edexcel and OCR specifications. Every worksheet comes with a full mark scheme.
Topic overview
Humans reduce the amount of land available for other animals and plants by building, quarrying, farming and dumping waste. Rapid population growth and higher living standards mean more resources are used and more waste is produced.
Unless waste and chemical materials are properly handled, more pollution is caused. Pollution occurs in water, from sewage, fertiliser and toxic chemicals. It occurs in air, from smoke and acidic gases. And it occurs on land, from landfill and from toxic chemicals.
Pollution kills plants and animals, which reduces biodiversity. Fertiliser washed into water bodies causes algae to grow rapidly, blocking light and using up oxygen when they decay, which kills fish and other aquatic life.
Revision notes
Land use and waste
Humans reduce land available to other organisms through building, quarrying, farming and dumping waste.
A rapidly rising population and increasing standard of living mean more resources are used and more waste is produced.
Types of pollution
Water: sewage, fertiliser and toxic chemicals. Air: smoke and acidic gases such as sulfur dioxide.
Land: landfill and toxic chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides, which may be washed into water systems.
Effects on biodiversity
Pollution kills plants and animals, reducing biodiversity.
Fertiliser washed into rivers and lakes causes algae to grow rapidly. The algae block light from plants below, and when the algae die, decomposers use up the oxygen in the water, killing fish and other aquatic organisms.
Key points
- Humans reduce land available through building and farming.
- A rising population increases resource use and waste.
- Water pollution comes from sewage, fertiliser and toxic chemicals.
- Air pollution comes from smoke and acidic gases.
- Land pollution comes from landfill and toxic chemicals.
- Pollution kills organisms and reduces biodiversity.
Worked examples
Example 1
Give three ways humans reduce the land available for other organisms. [3 marks]
Model answer
Building (1 mark), quarrying or farming (1 mark), and dumping waste in landfill (1 mark).
Example 2
Explain how fertiliser washed into a lake can kill fish. [3 marks]
Model answer
The fertiliser causes algae to grow rapidly on the surface (1 mark), blocking light from the plants below so they die (1 mark). Decomposers break down the dead material and use up the oxygen in the water, so the fish cannot respire and die (1 mark).
Example 3
Explain why pollution reduces biodiversity. [2 marks]
Model answer
Pollution kills plants and animals (1 mark), so fewer species are able to survive in that habitat and the variety of species falls (1 mark).
Common mistakes
Saying pollution only affects water.
Air and land pollution are equally examinable.
Not explaining the oxygen depletion mechanism.
The full chain is algae grow, light blocked, plants die, decomposers use oxygen, fish die.
Confusing landfill with recycling.
Landfill is dumping waste; recycling reduces the need for it.
Saying more people automatically means more pollution.
It is more resource use and waste, unless properly handled, that causes pollution.
Exam tips
- Learn the three pollution categories with examples.
- Give the full chain when explaining fertiliser pollution.
- Link pollution explicitly to reduced biodiversity.
- Mention that proper waste handling reduces the impact.
Key terms
- Pollution
- The release of harmful substances into the environment.
- Landfill
- A site where waste is buried.
- Fertiliser
- A chemical added to soil that can pollute water systems.
- Biodiversity
- The variety of species in an ecosystem.
Related topics
Written and reviewed against the current AQA, Edexcel and OCR specifications. Spotted an error? Let us know.