Republic of the Philippines

ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY

Region IX, Zamboanga Peninsula
R.T. Lim Blvd., Zamboanga City

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
REVIEWER
Prepared by: Ms. Yna Hayudini,LPT
(Midterm)

Hi, there are topics that were not

discussed, kindly read the little notes I
gave for your guide in studying the
topics that were missed. Thank You!

 The Clean Air Act (RA) 8749: Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1999
 The Clean Air Act provides an air quality
management policy and program which aims to
achieve and maintain healthy air for all Filipinos.

 The Philippines has been divided into different air

sheds. Air sheds are to be designated based on
climate, weather, metreology and topology, which
affect the mixture and diffusion of pollutants in the
air.
 The clean air act is the very reason why smoke
belching vehicles need to undergo emission testing.
Our communities need clean air by having clean
fuels hence all leaded gasoline were phased out,
sulfur content of industrial and automotive diesel
were lowered as well the lowering of benzene in
unleaded gasoline.

 The Philippine Clean Water Act (RA) 9275: Clean Water Act
(CAA) of 2004
 The Clean water act aims to protect the country’s water
bodies from land- based pollution sources. The law
provides an integrated strategy to prevent and minimize
pollution through a multi sectoral and participatory
approach involving all the stake holders.

 In this act, the highlight is pinned on controlling discharges

of wastewater by requiring owners of establishments to get
a permit to discharge from Environmental Management
Bureau.
  Ecological Solid Waste Management (RA) 9003 Act of 2000

 This Act makes provision for the efficient solid waste

management, for the volume reduction of the waste, its
environment friendly disposal, composting, recycling, re-use,
recovery, green charcoal process; for the collection, treatment
and disposal in environmentally sound solid waste
management facilities whereas it shall be possible to correctly
dispose the proper segregation, collection, transport, storage,
treatment and disposal of solid waste.

The Seven Environmental Principles

1. Everything is connected to everything else. (Ang lahat ng

bagay ay magkakaugnay.)

The intricate relationships of various elements of the ecosystem

bind the components together into one functional unit. The trees in the
forest are home to ferns, orchids, birds, insects and mammals. When
these plants and animals die, their products of decomposition contribute
to soil fertility. Plants provide oxygen to animals for aerobic respiration
while animals furnish carbon dioxide to plants for photosynthesis. The
quality of the soil determines the type of vegetation that exists while
vegetation contributes to the minerals of the soil when they die. The living
component of the ecosystem affects and is affected by the abiotic
components, such as air, temperature, land. Inter-specific relationships
create a dependency with each other so that they both have to co-exist to
live. All these relationships provide dependencies, check and balances
that compose the details of our life-support systems.

2. All forms of life are important.(Ang lahat na may buhay ay

mahalaga.)

All living organisms were created for a purpose in relation to

humans, other species on earth and global ecosystem in general. Thus,
when a species becomes extinct, it is like removing a piece of a jigsaw
puzzle from the web of life. The variety of life forms, manifested by the
different levels of biological diversity – community, species and genes –
contributes to the stability of the environment. Food webs, food chains
and ecological relationships link plants and animals together in the web of
life. Even bacteria, insects, snakes and rats have ecological functions even
though humans perceive them as parasites or pests.
3. Everything must go somewhere. (Ang lahat ng bagay ay may
patutunguhan.)

By-products of consumption go back to the environment. Everything

that we throw away – pieces of paper, left-over food, peelings of fruits,
plastic wrappers, used containers – have to go somewhere. Even plants
and animals have their own wastes – feces, urine, dead leaves and
branches. It is the law of nature that the by-products of metabolism return
to the soil, acted upon first by worms, bacteria and fungi, and then
converted into minerals, to be again absorbed by plants and eaten by
animals. In short, they enter into a material cycle that is an integral part
of the ecosystem. But what happens if what we throw is an artificial
product such as plastic? Then natural bacteria can not recognize them
and may not be capable of breaking them apart. These non-biodegradable
products must enter another material cycle – the one that goes to the
factory to be manufactured into a new product. Thus the retrieval,
collection and recycling of these materials become necessary so that they
do not pollute land and water habitats.

4. Ours is a finite earth. (Ang kalikasan ay may hangganan.)

Everything that we need is provided by nature in abundance – food,
water, energy, minerals and air. However, some resources that we depend
upon nowadays are extracted excessively but are slow to replace. These
non-renewable resources experience limits of supply. For instance, fossil
fuels produced over thousands of years may be exhausted in a hundred
years. Some energy sources like water, and wood may be replaced easier
but have become inaccessible due to pollution and excessive extraction.
Diminishing forest cover have resulted from logging, ineffective
reforestation and continued land conversion. However, food scarcity and
poverty may have resulted from failed distribution systems rather than
inability of the land and water bodies to yield food.

5. Nature knows best. (Ang kalikasan ang mas nakakaalam.)

Nature manifests certain processes that enable it to maintain

balance and remain in a state of equilibrium. The nutrient cycling of
nitrogen, carbon, sulfur and phosphorous in the air, water and land
indicates that minerals are utilized within the confines of the earth. The
flow of energy from the sun enables light to be converted into sugar in
plants through photosynthesis, and later for consumer organisms to
obtain energy from plant starch. Food chains and food webs allow transfer
of energy from producers and consumers and provide the means for all
living organisms to acquire nutrition. Population control also occurs
naturally through predator – prey relationships.
 6. Nature is beautiful and we are stewards of God’s creation. (Ang
kalikasan ay maganda at tayo ang tagapangasiwa ng lahat na
nilikha ng Diyos.)

Creation presupposes the existence of a Creator. The beautiful

nature around us, perfect by itself, has deteriorated due to the negative
impacts of human use. This principle suggests how a Human-Creator
relationship is translated in our attitude towards creation. Theologians
explain that there are different levels of this relationship. First is a
relationship determined by dominion of humans over creation, that
humans can do as they wish because this was given by God. The book of
Genesis says “have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the
air…” The second level is one of stewardship, that of a caretaker where
humans are not owners but guardians of the integrity of nature. The third
level promotes a kinship relationship postulated by St. Francis de Assisi in
the famous verse “Bother sun, Sister moon”, where humans are no higher
than the birds and fishes of the sea. Fourth is one of sacrament, where
nature becomes a testimony of God’s love. Fifth is a covenant
relationship, where protection of the earth is a life mission manifested in
the things that we do and say.

7. Everything changes. (Ang lahat ay nagbabago.)

Changes in the biophysical world occur naturally. As they say, there

is nothing more permanent in this world than change. Consider the
following examples. Metamorphosis of caterpillars to butterflies illustrates
morphological changes that occur in living forms. The increase of
vegetation on earth augmented the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere
through time. Seasons are cyclic changes that contribute to the diversity
of flowers, fruits, vegetables and other crops during the year. Random
changes manifested by natural catastrophe such as typhoons destroy
forests, coral reefs and mangroves. Volcanic eruptions annihilate surface
flora and submerge rivers.

NOTE: For REPUBLIC ACT and 7 ENVIRONMENTAL

PRINCIPLES you don’t need to memorize word per word. You
need to UNDERSTAND the LAW and the ENVI PRINCIPLES then
you should also know the real life situations that are
Instruction: Segregate
applicable the
to the said following materials according to their
matter.
decomposition.
Solid wastes Recyclable Bio degradable Non-
biodegradable
1.banana peel
2.cellphone case
3.yard trimmings
4.tin can
5.sanitary napkin
6.used cooking oil
7.leftover food
TRY THIS OUT!
You also search more of these examples for your exam.

The NATURE of MATTER

Many of us can clearly define matter as anything that occupy space
and has mass and volume. To that all physical objects are called
matter. It is also taught in school that anything that occupies space is
matter therefore it must be made up of building blocks that are
responsible for its nature.

To deduce the idea, matter can be divided into two(2); pure substances
and mixtures.
Pure substances can either come in a form of elements or compounds
while,
mixture on the other hand may come in a form of homogeneous or
heterogeneous substances.
LET US TALK ABOUT ATOM…
An atom is a particle of matter that uniquely defines a
chemical element. An atom consists of a central nucleus that is
surrounded by one or more negatively charged electrons. The
nucleus is positively charged and contains one or more relatively
heavy particles known as protons and neutrons.

Atoms are the basic building blocks of matter. Anything that takes
up space and anything with mass is made up of atoms.

What are protons and neutrons?

Protons and neutrons are subatomic particles that make up the
center of the atom, or its atomic nucleus.

A proton is positively charged. The number of protons in the

nucleus of an atom is the atomic number for the chemical
element. Different elements' atomic numbers are found in the
Periodic Table of Elements. For example, sodium has 11 protons,
and its atomic number is 11. (NOTE: Understand well)

A neutron is electrically neutral (NO CHARGE) and has a rest mass,

denoted mn, of approximately 1.675 x 10-27.
The mass of a proton or neutron increases when the particle attains
extreme speed, for example in a cyclotron or linear accelerator.
Electrons are negatively charged. It contributes only a tiny part to
the mass of the atomic structure, however, they play an
important role in the chemical reactions that
create molecules.

Additional information: Protons and electrons have equal and

opposite charges. Protons have a positive charge ,and electrons a
Note: You have to familiarize me (ATOM) because you
will draw me in your exam! So practice and do not
forget my parts (PEN-Proton, Electron,Neutron) and
also my charges. (+,-0) 0 means NO CHARGE
FIGURE A

In figure A you observed that the distances among molecules vary

according to the state of matter they are in.

Solid has the least energetic state, atoms in solids are in close contact
with each other with forces between then that allow the particles to
vibrate but not change position with neighboring particles.

*This can be observed in solid objects such as concrete walls of buildings.

Even if the temperatures are really high due to the extreme heat of the
sun during summer for instance, the concrete walls do not change form. It
still remains concrete.

Liquids on the other hand, have a more excited state than that of
solids. Particles are able to slide smoothly thus explain its ability to flow
although they are still held together by their mutual attraction.

 Liquids take the shape of the container in which they are kept.
 Liquids are difficult to compress as particles have less space between them to
move. Liquids have fixed volume but no fixed shape.
Gases are observed to have the most excited state compared to
the previous states. Take for instance you have sprayed a perfume inside
your room but the people at the living room can still smell the fragrance.
This so because gaseous molecules are broken free of their bonds hence
they are s separated by distances that are large compared with the sizes
of the particles.

 A gas is a substance that has no fixed size or shape. When inside a closed
container, a gas will expand to fill the container.
 Gas is a state of matter that has no fixed shape and no fixed volume.

PLASMA superheated matter – so hot that the electrons are ripped

away from the atoms forming an ionized gas

 Like gases, PLASMA have no fixed shape or volume, and are less dense than
solids or liquids. But unlike ordinary gases, plasmas are made up of atoms in
which some or all of the electrons have been stripped away and positively
charged nuclei, called ions, roam freely.

Try these out!

Following are different examples of the 4 states of

matter. Identify which state they belong.

1. Salt -
2. Thunder/Lightning-
3. Helium-
4. Mercury-
5. Aurora-
6. Stars-
7. Blood-
8. Books-
9. Phone-
10. Sun-

PHASES
 A phase change or phase transition is a change between solid,
liquid, gaseous, and sometimes plasma states of matter.

List of Phase Changes

Here is a list of the phase changes of matter.

1. Melting (Solid → Liquid)

2. Freezing (Liquid → Solid)
3. Vaporization or Evaporation (Liquid → Gas)
4. Condensation (Gas → Liquid)
5. Deposition (Gas → Solid)
6. Sublimation (Solid → Gas)
7. Ionization (Gas → Plasma)

8. Deionization or Recombination (Plasma → Gas)

MEMORIZE the PHASE CHANGES!

Phase Changes for States of Matter
Another way to learn phase changes is to associate them with the starting
state of matter:

 Solid: A solid can melt into liquid or sublimate into gas.

 Liquid: A liquid can freeze into a solid or vaporize into a gas.
 Gas: A gas can deposit into a solid, condense into a liquid, or ionize into
plasma.
 Plasma: Plasma can deionize or recombine to form a gas. Remember,
plasma is like a gas, except the particles are even further apart and they
are ionized.

Examples of Phase Changes

 Melting: Solid ice melts into liquid water.

 Freezing: Freezing water changes it from a liquid into solid ice.

 Evaporization: An example of vaporization is the evaporation of

rubbing alcohol from skin into the air.

Most fire extinguishers are filled with liquid carbon dioxide under
extremely high pressure. When the trigger is pulled on a fire
extinguisher, this releases the carbon dioxide into a lower-pressure
environment. In this new setting, the liquid carbon dioxide quickly turns
into gas

 Condensation: A good example of condensation is dew formation from

water vapor in air.

 Deposition: Hoarfrost is grayish-white frost that forms during clear, cold

weather when water vapor deposits as ice. Another example is
deposition of silver vapor onto glass to form a silver mirror.
  Sublimation: Dry ice undergoes sublimation to change from solid
carbon dioxide directly into carbon dioxide gas. Another example is the
transition from ice directly into water vapor on a cold, windy winter day.

 Ionization: When you turn on a plasma ball toy, the noble gases inside
are ionized by an electric charge and become plasma. The aurora is
another example of ionization.

 Deionization or Recombination: Lightning is an example of plasma.

After a lightning strike, nitrogen ions eventually draw closer together and
lose their charge to become N2 gas.

Try these out!

Following are different examples of the phases of

matter. Identify which phase they belong.

1. Frost-
2. Clouds-
3. Spraying of perfume-
4. Aurora Borealis-
5. Fire Extinguisher-
6. Boiling of water-
7. Perspiration/Sweat-
8. Snow-
9. Moth balls-
10. Dew drops-
11. Cold water bottles-
12. Foggy mirror in a bathroom-
13. Drying clothes (under heat of the sun) -
14. Steam from a pot-
15. Water droplets forming outside the water glass-
16. Water sitting in a bowl and disappears after few days-
17. Dry ice-
18. Plasma ball toy-
19. Lightning
20. X-rays-

NOTE: Examples were given, all you have to do is to

be familiarize and understand. These may appear in
LETS TALK ABOUT AURORA
BOREALIS or NORTHERN LIGHTS
In the ionosphere, the ions of the solar wind collide with atoms of
oxygen and nitrogen from Earth's atmosphere. The energy released
during these collisions causes a colorful glowing halo around the
poles—an aurora. Auroras occur when charged particles (electrons and
protons) collide with gases in Earth's upper atmosphere. Those
collisions produce tiny flashes that fill the sky with colourful light.

Different gases give off different colours when they are heated.
The same process is also taking place in the aurora.

The two primary gases in the Earth’s atmosphere are nitrogen

and oxygen, and these elements give off different colours
during an aurora display.
The green we see in the aurora is characteristic of oxygen,
while hints of purple, blue or pink are caused by nitrogen.

“We sometimes see a wonderful scarlet red colour, and this is

caused by very high altitude oxygen interacting with solar
particles,” adds astronomer Tom. “This only occurs when the
aurora is particularly energetic.”

NOTE: This maybe asked during essay, so better understand how

Aurora borealis occurs. You may also search for other information. Do
not just rely on this example.

GOD BLESS YOU MY DEAREST

STUDENTS!
I hope this reviewer will help you even a little. I ask
for an apology for my lapses, I apologize for
everything that caused you in confusion and lastly if
there are times I have hurt your feelings inside my
class. But anyhow, ENJOY LEARNING!

KEEP GOING! :)