Chapter 3

Question 1

The makeup of asbestos is …?

Answer 1

Answer: A mineral fiber

Question 2

Tom has popcorn ceilings in his home, which he suspects could contain asbestos. He is a do-it-yourself guy, so he spends the weekend scraping the ceilings and repainting. When Jeff, the buyer, asks about it, Tom assures him there is no further need for testing, because he’s removed the problem. As the real estate agent for the buyer, Sam suggests …?

Answer 2

Answer: Jeff should have a professional test the rooms since fibers could now be loose and create issues

Question 3

A chronic lung disease caused by inhaling asbestos fibers is known as…?

Answer 3

Answer: Asbestosis

Question 4

The buyers have decided to get the property they are purchasing inspected for EMFs. They ask their real estate agent who they should get to do the inspection, and she tells them…?

Answer 4

Answer: To get an expert who is trained in the detection of EMF and radio frequency (RF) to do the inspection.

Question 5

Leslie is a new real estate agent, and she’s just listed her first house, but she thinks there is a Superfund Site somewhere nearby. She’s not sure, but she thinks it’s important to find out. What can Leslie do?

Answer 5

Answer: Check with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has a list of Superfund Sites.

Question 6

A buyer purchases a property in the country with a septic system and well. The buyer, having only lived in the city, knows nothing about either, or is concerned about the quality of the well water. To practice due diligence, the buyer should…?

Answer 6

Answer: Ask for the driller’s well log and have a water analysis test done.

Question 7

Lead is not a problem for humans or animals if the level is…?

Answer 7

Answer: There is no level of lead exposure that is believed to be safe.

Question 8

Asbestos can cause health problems, such as …?

Answer 8

Answer: Lung problems

Question 9

Discovering the presence of lead is…?

Answer 9

Answer: Difficult, because contamination cannot be tasted, smelled, or seen.

Question 10

The quantity of lead-based paint dust that’s required to cause lead poisoning in a child is…?

Answer 10

Answer: An amount as small as just three grains of sugar.

Question 11

Since lead can be present in drinking water, the best way to find out is…?

Answer 11

Answer: The only way to determine if there is lead in drinking water is to have it tested.

Question 12

Asbestos can be identified by …?

Answer 12

Answer: None of the answer choices provided are correct

Question 13

When Lead-Safe Certified renovators work on lead remediation, they…?

Answer 13

Answer: Use approved work practices such as containing the work area, using HEPA vacuum attachments, and disposing of the waste correctly.

Question 14

People who are exposed to radon…?

Answer 14

Answers: Often show no symptoms but might have respiratory issues.

Question 15

The EPA believes radon tests should be done…?

Answer 15

Answer: On every home, even if they are built to be radon-resistant.

Question 16

Radon is …………. than air.

Answer 16

Answer: Heavier

Question 17

When testing houses that sit side-by-side, the radon levels…?

Answer 17

Answer: Can vary dramatically, because it moves through the water that travels underground.

Question 18

A recent test on a house came back with a high level of radon, and both the buyer and seller are worried. The inspector is not, however, because…?

Answer 18

Answer: Any house with a high level of radon can be fixed, and it’s one of the easiest environmental risks to correct.

Question 19

Asbestos can cause …?

Answer 19

Answer: Cancer

Question 20

The seller has an old UST on his land that was already abandoned when he bought the property. As far as he knows, no one has used it for years. He should…?

Answer 20

Answer: Get an inspection to establish that the UST was decommissioned properly, including the details of who did the work and how it was verified.

Question 21

Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation (UFFI) is…?

Answer 21

Answer: An expandable foaming material that insulates walls and ceilings, especially in hard-to-reach areas.

Question 22

Asbestos is either friable or non-friable, and the most dangerous is …?

Answer 22

Answer: Friable, because it can be crumbled and made into a powder

Question 23

Studies done on workers in industrial jobs and mortuaries found that high exposure to formaldehyde can cause…?

Answer 23

Answer: Neurological complications, myeloid leukemia, and it is implicated in rare cancers like sinonasal and nasopharyngeal cancer.

Question 24

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), or Superfund, was a federal program established in 1980 to…?

Answer 24

Answer: Clean up locations where pollutants were, or could be, hazardous.

Question 25

If asbestos is found in a home or building, what action should be taken …?

Answer 25

Answers: A professional should be called in to take care of it

Question 26

Mold is…?

Answer 26

Answer: A naturally occurring element, made of microscopic-sized spores, found everywhere, in dust and floating in the air.

Question 27

Kelly is working with a seller who has found a small amount of mold in the bathroom. What can Kelly tell the seller about how to handle this?

Answer 27

Answer: Explain to the seller that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has Mold Cleanup Techniques instructions for cleaning small areas.

Question 28

The buyer of a house is walking through a house she’s interested in buying. The real estate agent, Todd, shows her the smoke detectors, which she appreciates. The agent notices that there are no carbon monoxide detectors in the older home, and the buyer doesn’t understand why they would be needed. To her, they seem redundant. Todd explains:

Answer 28

Answer: Carbon monoxide detectors sound an alert when CO concentrations reach a certain level, much like smoke detectors do for fire and smoke dangers.

Question 29

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) cool by absorbing heat as a vapor in low pressure and releasing it under high pressure. When it enters the atmosphere, it…?

Answer 29

Answer: Causes depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer.

Question 30

A home that is under contract was found to have a problem with levels of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). The buyer has asked Sylvia, the real estate agent, what can be done to remove or remediate the contamination. Sylvia suggests one of the following actions:

Answer 30

Answer: Hire trained professionals who use methods described in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations to remediate.

Question 31

Ken is showing a property in an older neighborhood to a family with three children under the age of ten. He notices that the windowsills and baseboards have several thick coats of paint on them. He recommends the buyers ask for …………. tests before making an offer.

Answer 31

Answer: Lead-based paint

Question 32

Both past and present owners may be held accountable by the EPA for cleaning up hazardous conditions that threaten clean air and water. For this reason, it is risky to convert manufacturing sites to residential sites without…?

Answer 32

Answer: Obtaining a complete history of the property ownership and use.

Question 33

Meghan is negotiating a deal to buy an abandoned property “as is” from a mortgage company. Her agent advises her to ask the seller to remove some old metal drums with an unknown liquid in them, which have been stored in a shed. Her reasoning is that…?

Answer 33

Answer: People who transport substances on the EPA’s National Priorities List may be subject to penalties and fines.

Question 34

Which EPA regulation covers water sources like lakes, rivers, springs, streams, and underground wells?

Answer 34

Answer: The Safe Water Drinking Act (SWDA)

Question 35

What was the primary EPA objective in establishing the Clean Water State Revolving Fund?

Answer 35

Answer: To empower states to proactively manage water quality.

Question 36

Which of the following is an example of a friable substance?

Answer 36

Answer: Asbestos

Question 37

Some differences between electric fields and magnetic fields are…?

Answer 37

Answer: Electric fields are produced by devices, whether they are on or off, while magnetic fields are active only when on.

Question 38

What is groundwater?

Answer 38

Answer: Groundwater is water that is below the earth’s surface.

Question 39

The demographic most threatened by lead poisoning is…?

Answer 39

Answer: Children, between one and five years of age.

Question 40

The most common way children are exposed to lead poisoning is…?

Answer 40

Answer: By eating or inhaling lead-based paint.

Question 41

Mary is the sales agent on a home that was built before 1978. It’s likely there is lead present in the house somewhere. The sellers have no knowledge of any lead, and they are very healthy. Should Mary suggest the buyers get the home tested?

Answer 41

Answer: Yes, because pre-1978 homes are known to have lead, and it’s a good way to protect all parties.

Question 42

When the real estate agent is representing the buyer, regarding the question of lead, they need to…?

Answer 42

Answer: Provide the buyer with an EPA pamphlet called Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home.

Question 43

Radon is…?

Answer 43

Answer: A colorless, odorless gas that comes from dirt, rocks, and water as a result of radioactive decay.

Question 44

Nancy’s buyers are moving from another state, and they don’t know anything about radon, but as their real estate agent, she advises them…?

Answer 44

Answer: To have a radon inspection requirement included in the home inspection contingency.

Question 45

If the state is a “buyer beware” or “caveat emptor” state, the buyer does not necessarily have to be told about USTs, but the real estate agent…?

Answer 45

Answer: Should encourage the seller to disclose, even if there is just a possibility of USTs, and explain the process of inspection to the buyer, to avoid problems later.

Question 46

Sellers only have to disclose information about USTs when…?

Answer 46

Answer: They are selling the house, because sellers always have to disclose anything and everything they know about USTs on the property.

Question 47

Newer USTs are better today because…?

Answer 47

Answer: Improved design incorporates leak detection, spill and overfill controls, and stricter technical specifications that aim to minimize leakage.

Question 48

There are many consequences from a leaking tank, but one of the worst is…?

Answer 48

Answer: Contaminated groundwater, because groundwater is the primary source of drinking water for nearly 50% of Americans.

Question 49

Sick building syndrome is…?

Answer 49

Answer: An industrial or commercial building that has indoor air quality issues but no specific cause or identifiable contaminant has been found.

Question 50

Mindy’s buyer has found a great piece of property that she’s interested in, but it’s located on a brownfield site. The buyer wants to know what Mindy thinks about purchasing it. Mindy tells him…?

Answer 50

Answer: It could be a great investment, because all around the county brownfield sites have been cleaned up successfully, and there are often favorable financial incentives for developing such sites.

Question 51

When asbestos has entered the body, it …?

Answer 51

Answer: Cannot be removed and might affect other organs

Question 52

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), originally funded by taxes collected from …………., established a superfund to clean up uncontrolled hazardous waste at sites identified by the EPA as priorities in need of immediate attention.

Answer 52

Answer: The oil and gas industry

Question 53

Both past and present owners may be held accountable by the EPA for cleaning up hazardous conditions that threaten clean air and water. For this reason, it is risky to convert manufacturing sites to residential sites without…?

Answer 53

Answer: Obtaining a complete history of the property ownership and use.

Question 54

Terry had questions for her real estate agent, Ted. She didn’t know very much about asbestos and homes, so she wanted to know more. During their conversation, Ted wanted to reassure her with the facts, so he told as much as he knew, including …?

Answer 54

Answer: Asbestos was used most often in homes that were built before 1980 because people didn’t know the risks

Question 55

Asbestos is …?

Answer 55

Answer: A material that was used for centuries

Question 56

Joe is buying a house that currently uses an underground storage tank to hold heating oil, and he wants to know what rules and regulations apply. According to the EPA…?

Answer 56

Answer: Tanks used for the storage of heating oil for consumptive use on the premises where it’s stored are excluded from federal UST regulations, but there could be local or state regulations to follow.

Question 57

The potential buyer of a property, which has a registered tank that falls under the federal regulations, wants to know what his responsibilities will be if he becomes the new owner. His real estate agent tells him…?

Answer 57

Answer: Owners must prove they have the money to pay for cleanup costs, if needed, and have the means to provide compensation to people who might be harmed.

Question 58

Carol, a new homeowner, is looking for ways to lower the levels of formaldehyde in her home. These are three of the things she can do to help avoid exposure…?

Answer 58

Answer: Increase ventilation, ban smoking in the building, keep the temperature and humidity down.

Question 59

The EPA was originally established to…?

Answer 59

Answer: Stem the escalating negative impact on human health and the natural environment.