APES Chapter 18 Pollution Types

Question 1

The atmospheric layer largely responsible for absorbing the sun UV radiation is the 
A) thermosphere
B) cumulus cloud 
C) troposphere
D) stratonimbus
E) ozone

Answer 1

C) the atmospheric layer closest to the earth where life is protected from harmful cosmic radiation showers is the troposphere.

Question 2

Precipitation is considered acidic (eg rain, snow, sleet, hail, fog) if it has a pH less than
A) pH 5.6
B) pH 6.2
C) pH 7.0
D) pH 8.2
E) pH 9.0

Answer 2

A) natural rain has a pH of 5.6, so anything w a pH below that is considered acid rain.

Question 3

The four main polluting contaminant types include all the following except
A) inorganic
B) organic
C) acid-base
D) drought
E) radioactive

Answer 3

D) drought is a climatic condition not a contaminant.

Question 4

Atmospheric gases blanketing the Earth exist in a mixture. What percent of this mixture is nitrogen (by volume)?
A) 8%
B) 20%
C) 36%
D) 58%
E) 80%

Answer 4

E) nitrogen makes up the largest component of the atmosphere

Question 5

Taxes on fossil fuels, mining, energy, forestry, fishing and hunting licensing, garbage, effluent and emissions, and hazardous wastes are known as
A) recreation taxes
B) park taxes
C) green taxes
D) incentive taxes
E) single use taxes

Answer 5

C

Question 6

The atmospheric layer where all the local temperature, pressure, wind, and precipitation changes take place is the
A) stratosphere
B) ionosphere
C) mesosphere
D) troposphere
E) thermosphere

Answer 6

D) the troposphere is the most active of the atmospheric layers

Question 7

Why is thermal pollution a problem for marine organisms?
A) they are hot-blooded and overheat
B) their metabolic processes break down
C) they are adapted to wide temperature ranges
D) they don’t have a problem with it
E) they live in many temperature niches

Answer 7

B) unlike humans, who can adapt to wide temperature ranges, most organisms live in narrow temperature niches and their metabolism breaks breaks down at higher temperatures.

Question 8

When acid rain falls on limestones statues, monuments, and gravestones, discoloring and disfiguring surfaces, the process is knowns as
A) dispensation
B) sedimentation 
C) dissolution
D) suspension
E) cement action

Answer 8

C

Question 9

Brown urban smog is not emitted directly from specific sources, but formed in the atmosphere from nitrogen oxides and
A) inorganic compounds
B) volatile organic compounds
C) potassium chloride
D) fertilizer
E) helium

Answer 9

B) urban smog, regulated by the EPA, is not emitted directly from specific sources, but formed in the atmosphere from nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.

Question 10

In the workplace, bad air mixed with mold spores has led to
A) shorter coffee breaks
B) increased productivity
C) sick building syndrome
D) reduced medical costs
E) greater appreciation of weekends

Answer 10

C) people suffer headaches, allergies, fatigue, nausea, and respiratory problems leading to greater medical costs, sick days off, and low productivity.

Question 11

Looking at figure 18.1 (pg 227), what dose would be lethal to 25% of the population?
A) 4 ppm
B) 7 ppm
C) 9 ppm
D) 11 ppm
E) 14 ppm

Answer 11

D) starting at 25% of the population killed (vertical axis), intersect the dose response curve and then read the dose level (horizontal axis).

Question 12

City heat islands cause
A) pollutants to collect
B) residents to seek winter vacations
C) less dust and lightning strikes 
D) reduced rainfall
E) greater visibility

Answer 12

A) city heat islands collect pollutants such as dust and particulates.

Question 13

Total organic carbon (TOC) levels are used by hydrologists to check the health of freshwater as it affects bio geochemical processes and 
A) climate change
B) nutrient cycling
C) annual rainfall
D) biological unavailability
E) carbon nanotube levels

Answer 13

B) total organic carbon (TOC) levels are used by hydrologists to check the health of freshwater as it affects bio geochemical processes, bioavailability, and nutrient cycling.

Question 14

The comprehensive environmental response compensation and liability act (CERCLA) is commonly called the
A) superfund
B) clean air interstate rule
C) liability limitation act
D) clean water act
E) CAFE standards

Answer 14

A)

Question 15

The amount of dissolved oxygen in water depends on
A) temperature
B) water flow volume
C) water flow velocity
D) number of organisms using oxygen for respiration
E) all the above

Answer 15

E

Question 16

Turbidity is a measure of water's 
A) transparency
B) cloudiness
C) chlorination 
D) coagulation
E) flocculation

Answer 16

B

Question 17

The amount of oxygen depletion in water depends on the speed at which a stream can take up atmospheric oxygen and replenish its
A) color
B) pathogens
C) re-aeration capacity
D) turbidity
E) minerals

Answer 17

C) fast-flowing streams reoxygenate quickly, while deep, slow-flowing rivers take up oxygen much more slowly.

Question 18

The least likely way microscopic pathogens (eg. Bacteria, viruses, and Protozoa) enter waterways is thru
A) untreated urban sewage
B) farm runoff
C) bilge water
D) mining runoff
E) family per waste

Answer 18

D) mining runoff is often the source of heavy metal and chemical contaminants rather than pathogens

Question 19

Sometimes when trying to help the environment, we create other problems. For example, methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), a by-product of natural gas, increases octane levels and burns cleaner than gasoline. In 1990, the Clean Air Act mandated MTBE be added to gasoline in areas with ozone problems. Unfortunately, MTBE was a serious ground water pollutant. Like benzene, the most hazardous gasoline-related groundwater pollutant in the US, MTBE (less toxic) changes groundwater color and causes it to smell and taste like turpentine in the smallest quantities. Because of this, California and 11 other states are phasing MTBE out and looking for alternatives to reduce pollution and fossil fuel emissions.
A
a) Provide examples and descriptions of the three main water pollutants
b) long-term environmental effects from the use of MTBE must be prevented by cessation of MTBE as a fuel additive. Groundwater changes that occur w MTBE-related reactions foul water use for public consumption or recreational use as well as environmentally by marine species in he polluted area. Other fuel methods or chemicals to increase levels must be found.

Answer 19

a) Municipal: sewage is an example of municipal water pollution. Greater population growth and heavily populated urban centers produce vast quantities of waste water, which if untreated can find its way into the ground water and other freshwater supplies.
Industrial: MTBE is an example of an industrial water pollutant. Produced on a mass scale and mandated for use in gasoline by the government, MTBE rendered sourced of water in California hazardous to the environment and undrinkable.
Agricultural: Fertilizers and pesticides are major contributors to agricultural water pollution due to runoff and poor irrigation practices.

b) Individuals can get MTBE information from California and then check MTBE use in their own state. With this information in hand, they can approach their state representatives about discontinuing the additive.

Question 20

The federal centers for disease control estimate that 82% of all Americans have the widely used insecticide Dursban (now banned) in their bodies. To limit the use of this chemical and others, control pests, and protect waterways from pollution, people can (1) use pesticides sparingly, (2) focus on early identification of pests, (3) use natural controls ( eg, ladybugs eat aphids), and (4) plant naturally resistant native plants.

a) what are other practical ways in which we can keep our air and water clean?
b) what other pollutants have an impact on human health? Why?

Answer 20

a) we can keep our air and water clean by encouraging the food industry to use recycled packaging and natural dyes where possible and to keep to toxic dyes out of landfills and groundwater. Walking or biking, instead of driving everywhere, also cuts down on acid, hydrocarbon, and nitrogen oxide emissions to the atmosphere and therefore to worldwide freshwater supplies
b) oil spills, acid rain, radioactivity, and noise pollution all impact human health. For example, very loud work environments can damage the inner ear and cause hearing loss.

Question 21

Dust from construction sites, strip mines, or soil erosion is an example of which type of air pollution?
A) primary pollutant
B) secondary pollutant
C) fugitive emissions
D) natural pollutants
E) conventional pollutant

Answer 21

C

Question 21

Which of the following is an extremely hazardous gas produced by the incomplete burning of fossil fuels?
A) ozone
B) carbon dioxide
C) lead
D) nitrous oxide
E) carbon monoxide

Answer 21

E

Question 22

What is the chemical formula for ozone?
A) O
B) O2
C) O3
D) CO2
E) CH4

Answer 22

C

Question 23

Which statement most accurately describes a temperature inversion?
A) a stable layer of warmer air over cooler air
B) an unstable layer warm air over cooler air
C) a layer of cooler air over warmer air
D) a mixing of all the layers of the atmosphere
E) a layer of ozone concentrated in the stratosphere

Answer 23

A

Question 24

Which of the following is an indoor air pollutant found in particle board,, furniture, wallpaper, and carpeting?

Answer 24

D

Question 25

Which of the following kills pathogens and removes most organic material they aeration?
A) septic system
B) primary sewage treatment
C) secondary sewage treatment
D) tertiary sewage treatment
E) municipal septic systems

Answer 25

C

Question 26

Runoff from construction sites is an example of which of the following?
A) primary pollution
B) nonpoint source pollution
C) point source pollution
D) heat island
E) tertiary sewage

Answer 26

B

Question 27

What is the natural enrichment of a lake environment called?
A) primary treatment
B) secondary treatment
C) tertiary treatment
D) eutrophication 
E) algal bloom

Answer 27

D

Question 28

Phasing out the use of CFCs and reducing smog is covered under which of the following?
A) clean water act
B) safe drinking water act
C) clean air act
D) fugitive emissions act
E) environmental protection agency

Answer 28

C

Question 29

Which of the following is a point source of water pollution?
A) smoke stack
B) outflow pipe
C) runoff from streams
D) melt water
E) soil erosion

Answer 29

B