Air Quality Issues Ch.16 Verified Test Bank

Environmental Science, 15e (Enger)

Chapter 16 Air Quality Issues

1) The greatest percentage of the earth's atmosphere is composed of

A) oxygen.

B) nitrogen.

C) carbon dioxide.

D) methane.

E) argon.

2) The troposphere is an area of the atmosphere

A) that has clouds.

B) closest to the Earth's surface.

C) where weather takes place.

D) All of these statements are correct.

E) None of these statements is correct.

3) Winds are produced by

A) the rotation of the Earth.

B) uneven heating of the Earth by the Sun.

C) air sinking at the equator.

D) All of these statements are correct.

E) None of these statements is correct.

4) Air pollution is

A) more common in economically developed countries.

B) concentrated near the equator.

C) caused by the actions of people.

D) low in economically less developed countries.

5) Photochemical smog forms when ________ and ________ are trapped by a thermal inversion and ozone, nitrogen dioxide and PAN form.

A) hydrocarbons; lead

B) volatile organic compounds; oxides of nitrogen

C) carbon monoxide; sulfur dioxide

D) carbon dioxide; lead

6) Smog begins to develop in the morning because

A) the sun comes up.

B) people turn on lights in their homes.

C) people drive their cars to work.

D) power plants begin operation for the day.

7) Which of the following situations is most likely to develop smog?

A) A small city on a mountain top with a cold climate.

B) A large city in a valley with a hot climate.

C) A small city in a valley with a cold climate.

D) A large city in a valley with a cold climate.

8) Acid deposition is most likely to occur

A) where the soil is already acid.

B) in mountainous areas.

C) down wind of a coal fired power plant.

D) in forested areas.

9) Which of the following chemicals is implicated in both global warming and ozone depletion?

A) chlorofluorocarbons

B) sulfur dioxide

C) carbon dioxide

D) methane

10) Radon

A) is a major problem throughout the world.

B) is responsible for most cases of lung cancer.

C) can become trapped in homes.

D) is expensive to remove from buildings.

11) The amount of lead released into the atmosphere

A) has declined since the introduction of lead free gasoline.

B) has increased with the increase in automobiles.

C) is greatest in rural areas.

D) is directly related to the amount of acid rain.

12) Which of the following is a secondary air pollutant?

A) Ozone

B) Particulate matter

C) Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

D) Sulfur dioxide

13) Carbon monoxide (CO)

A) is a secondary air pollutant.

B) naturally combines with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide.

C) persists for long periods.

D) is produced in large quantities by coal fired power plants.

14) What is the function of a catalytic converter?

A) It reduces nitrogen monoxide from vehicle exhaust.

B) It reduces volatile organic compounds from vehicle exhaust.

C) It reduces carbon monoxide from vehicle exhaust.

D) All options are correct.

15) The most common source of carbon monoxide is from

A) industry.

B) burning leaves.

C) vehicles.

D) swamps.

16) Why is carbon monoxide dangerous?

A) It results in an increase in the ozone hole in the stratosphere.

B) It binds with hemoglobin, reducing the blood's ability to carry oxygen.

C) It combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide.

D) It is carcinogenic.

17) Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

A) are released from many household chemicals.

B) contribute to the development of photochemical smog.

C) are less common in vehicle exhaust because of catalytic converters.

D) All of the statements are correct.

E) None of the statements are correct.

18) Particulate matter is a dangerous pollutant because it

A) irritates the lining of the respiratory tract.

B) results in heart attacks.

C) decreases asthma rates.

D) replaces oxygen in the blood.

19) Sulfur dioxide (SO2)

A) is produced primarily by power plants.

B) contributes to acid deposition.

C) causes respiratory problems.

D) All of these statements are correct.

E) None of these statements are correct.

20) Which of the following about improvements in air quality is correct?

A) Lead emissions have decreased greatly because of the use of catalytic converters which remove lead from vehicle exhaust.

B) Sulfur dioxide emissions have decreased greatly because power plants were required to reduce their emissions which caused acid deposition.

C) Carbon monoxide emissions have decreased greatly because carbon monoxide is destroyed by oxygen in the atmosphere.

D) Ozone levels have decreased greatly because there is less nitrogen gas in the atmosphere.

21) Which of the following air pollutants has been the most difficult to reduce?

A) Nitrogen dioxide.

B) Volatile organic compounds.

C) Ozone.

D) Lead.

22) PM10 (coarse particulate matter) levels in the United States have ________ between 1990 and 2015.

A) decreased by 39%

B) decreased by 95%

C) remained constant

D) increased slightly

23) The Clean Air Act of 1970 included responsibilities to

A) reduce acid rain (acid deposition).

B) reduce ozone in the upper atmosphere

C) reduce emissions from vehicles.

D) stop power plants from releasing mercury.

24) Which of the following is NOT a criteria air pollutant?

A) sulfur dioxide

B) particulate matter

C) Ozone

D) Volatile organic compounds

25) Which of these is listed by EPA as a criteria air pollutant?

A) carbon monoxide

B) mercury

C) chlorofluorocarbons

D) All of these are criteria air pollutants.

26) Ground level ozone is

A) a significant source of air pollution and contributes to the increase in the ozone hole.

B) a significant source of air pollution and contributes to the formation of smog.

C) not regulated.

D) found only in rural areas.

27) The amount of ozone in the upper atmosphere

A) contributes to smog.

B) increases with the presence of chlorofluorocarbons.

C) shields the earth from radiation from ultraviolet light.

D) All of these statements are correct.

28) To decrease exposure to second hand smoke, the EPA recommended that

A) people not smoke in their homes or near children.

B) people not smoke in restaurants or bars.

C) all cigarette sales should have a $4 tax added.

D) children should not be allowed to purchase cigarettes.

29) The Clean Air Act

A) set national ambient air quality standards for six pollutants.

B) set voluntary air quality standards for 187 pollutants.

C) provided tax incentives and grants for voluntary clean-up of air pollution.

D) provided funding to States to regulate air pollution.

Which of the following best matches the description?

30) Molecule consisting of three atoms of oxygen.

A) thermal inversion

B) acid deposition

C) secondary air pollutants

D) ozone

E) particulates

F) radon

G) greenhouse effect

H) primary air pollutants

J) photochemical smog

K) oxides of nitrogen

L) sulfur dioxide

31) Air pollutant consisting of nitrogen and oxygen compounds.

A) thermal inversion

B) acid deposition

C) secondary air pollutants

D) ozone

E) particulates

F) radon

G) greenhouse effect

H) primary air pollutants

J) photochemical smog

K) oxides of nitrogen

L) sulfur dioxide

32) Accumulation of potential acid-forming particles on a surface.

A) thermal inversion

B) acid deposition

C) secondary air pollutants

D) ozone

E) particulates

F) radon

G) greenhouse effect

H) primary air pollutants

J) photochemical smog

K) oxides of nitrogen

L) sulfur dioxide

33) Substances released into the atmosphere, which in their unmodified form are a health risk.

A) thermal inversion

B) acid deposition

C) secondary air pollutants

D) ozone

E) particulates

F) radon

G) greenhouse effect

H) primary air pollutants

J) photochemical smog

K) oxides of nitrogen

L) sulfur dioxide

34) Pollutants produced by the interaction of primary pollutants with other molecules or an energy source.

A) thermal inversion

B) acid deposition

C) secondary air pollutants

D) ozone

E) particulates

F) radon

G) greenhouse effect

H) primary air pollutants

J) photochemical smog

K) oxides of nitrogen

L) sulfur dioxide

35) Yellowish-brown haze that is the result of the interaction of volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen, and sunlight.

A) thermal inversion

B) acid deposition

C) secondary air pollutants

D) ozone

E) particulates

F) radon

G) greenhouse effect

H) primary air pollutants

J) photochemical smog

K) oxides of nitrogen

L) sulfur dioxide

36) Condition in which warm air is sandwiched between two layers of cold air.

A) thermal inversion

B) acid deposition

C) secondary air pollutants

D) ozone

E) particulates

F) radon

G) greenhouse effect

H) primary air pollutants

J) photochemical smog

K) oxides of nitrogen

L) sulfur dioxide

37) Small pieces of solid material or droplets of liquid that are dispersed into the atmosphere.

A) thermal inversion

B) acid deposition

C) secondary air pollutants

D) ozone

E) particulates

F) radon

G) greenhouse effect

H) primary air pollutants

J) photochemical smog

K) oxides of nitrogen

L) sulfur dioxide

38) Compound produced when sulfur-containing fossil fuels are burned.

A) thermal inversion

B) acid deposition

C) secondary air pollutants

D) ozone

E) particulates

F) radon

G) greenhouse effect

H) primary air pollutants

J) photochemical smog

K) oxides of nitrogen

L) sulfur dioxide

39) Gas emitted from certain kinds of rocks.

A) thermal inversion

B) acid deposition

C) secondary air pollutants

D) ozone

E) particulates

F) radon

G) greenhouse effect

H) primary air pollutants

J) photochemical smog

K) oxides of nitrogen

L) sulfur dioxide

40) Lead and nitrogen compounds are believed to contribute to the destruction of ozone in the upper atmosphere.

41) Ozone is a component of photochemical smog.

42) The stratosphere is a wind current that blows from west to east.

43) Atmospheric ozone shields the earth from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light radiation.

44) Loss of calcium ions from soil may be a major problem associated with acid rain.

45) One way to reduce the effects of acid rain is to remove lead from fuels.

46) The use of catalytic converters can reduce acid rain production.

47) Carbon monoxide is produced when organic materials are incompletely burned.

48) A large source of carbon monoxide is smoking tobacco.

49) Categories of air pollution include carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and lead.

50) Air pollution is an aesthetic problem with no documented cases of death directly related to poor air quality.

51) Since the prevailing wind patterns in the U.S. are from east to west, the best place to avoid air pollution is on the extreme East Coast.

52) Radon gas may cause lung cancer if exposure is prolonged at high concentrations.

53) Photochemical smog is considered a primary pollutant.

54) As a waterbody becomes more acidic, many aquatic species fail to reproduce.

55) Acid rain is caused by the emission of chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere.

56) Ozone, when found close to the surface of the earth, is a pollutant.

57) Unwanted sound or noise is considered to be a type of pollution.

58) Motor vehicle emissions are not a major source of air pollution.

59) Air can dilute and disperse significant amounts of pollutants.

60) There are six Criteria Pollutants.

61) Nitrogen dioxide is not included as one of the EPA Criteria Pollutants.

62) Newer, energy efficient homes have cleaner air quality than older, less efficient homes.

63) There are many positive actions that have improved air quality.

64) Efforts to reduce emissions of acid forming substances from industrial sources continue to be an important part of air pollution control.

65) Air pollution is

A) not a problem in economically developed countries.

B) unrelated to the amount of industrial activity in a country.

C) greatest in newly industrialized countries.

D) All these statements are correct.

66) All of the following contribute to high levels of air pollution in countries like China and India EXCEPT

A) they have large cities.

B) the pollution by industry is poorly regulated.

C) poor people use wood and dung to cook and heat homes.

D) the pollution from vehicles is poorly regulated.

67) All of the following are a common source of indoor air pollution EXCEPT

A) Ozone

B) Radon

C) Smoke from tobacco products

D) Volatile organic compounds

68) Noise

A) causes hearing loss.

B) affects the behavior of animals.

C) can affect a person's health.

D) All these statements are correct.

69) The hole in the Antarctic ozone layer in the upper atmosphere

A) continues to get larger each year.

B) occurs because of the destruction of ozone molecules.

C) caused countries to outlaw the use of spray cans.

D) All these statements are correct.

70) Nitrogen dioxide

A) is a natural ingredient of the atmosphere.

B) is produced when fossil fuels are burned.

C) can be reduced by using filters.

D) is produced by sunlight.

71) All the following are components of the mixture of gases known as photochemical smog EXCEPT

A) Ozone

B) Nitrogen dioxide

C) Peroxyacetyl nitrates (PAN)

D) Volatile organic compounds

72) Acid precipitation

A) affects aquatic ecosystems by lowering the pH of the water.

B) impairs the ability of aquatic organisms to get calcium for skeleton production.

C) has been significantly reduced in the United States.

D) All options are correct.

73) Acid precipitation

A) has little effect on forests.

B) increases in areas with greater rainfall.

C) has less effect in areas with where the soil is formed from sedimentary rock.

D) is caused primarily by vehicles exhaust.

74) Which of the following significantly improved air quality in the United States?

A) Eliminating lead in paint.

B) The use of catalytic converters.

C) The elimination of chlorofluorocarbons.

D) All these statements are correct.

E) None of these statements are correct.