Test Bank Docx Ch.15 Test Bank Pollution And Waste Disposal

Chapter 15 Test Bank: Pollution and Waste Disposal

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The terms polluted and contaminated have different meanings when it comes to substances put in the environment by human activity. With respect to these substances, what does polluted mean?

A. concentration is below natural levels and unlikely to harm humans.

B. concentration is simply above the detection limit of modern instruments.

C. concentration is above natural levels, but not harmful to living organisms.

D. concentration is high enough to cause harm to living organisms.

E. concentration is above natural levels, but harmful only to humans.

2. Which of the following pollution sources would be considered to be a non-point source?

A. residual oil in parking lots from leaking cars and trucks

B. cows on dairy farms

C. pesticides spread on farm fields

D. all of the answers listed here

E. lawn fertilizers in housing developments

3. Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding groundwater contamination?

A. unconfined aquifers are highly susceptible to contamination from surface sources.

B. it can take thousands of years for an aquifer to flush itself of contaminants.

C. contaminated groundwater can contaminate streams.

D. once in an aquifer, contaminants spread out over time, forming a plume.

E. confined aquifers are highly susceptible to contamination from surface sources.

4. Which of the following best describes why open dumps in the U.S. were banned in 1983?

A. municipal waste was beginning to contain toxic household chemicals.

B. municipal waste was attracting wild animals and generating air pollution from fires.

C. municipal waste was beginning to contain toxic automobile batteries and tires.

D. urban development was making it harder to find suitable dump sites.

E. people became more educated on the benefits of sanitary landfills.

5. Which of the following makes up the largest percentage of U.S. municipal waste?

A. plastics

B. metals

C. paper

D. yard trimmings

E. food scraps

6. What explains why leachate is a problem in sanitary landfills?

A. reduces the ability of municipal trash to be compacted.

B. all of the answers listed here.

C. mixes with municipal waste and produces poisonous gasses that escape from the landfill.

D. picks up toxic chemicals from municipal waste and causes groundwater contamination.

E. slows down the natural decomposition of municipal waste.

7. What best explains why municipal governments are now focusing on waste reduction and recycling programs?

A. number of landfills has declined, which has increased the cost of waste disposal.

B. groundwater contamination around landfills is getting worse.

C. higher fuel prices are making it more expensive to transport waste.

D. waste reduction and recycling programs are now profitable.

E. citizens are more educated and now demand more green solutions.

8. Which of the following explains why many household septic systems end up contaminating the shallow groundwater system?

A. water table is too high for the system to operate properly

B. all of the answers listed here

C. permeability of material beneath drain field is too low for proper drainage

D. residents pouring household chemicals down their drains

E. drain field becomes plugged by solids leaving the septic tank

9. In addition to secured landfills, hazardous waste can be disposed of through high temperature incineration. What best explains why incineration is a controversial technique?

A. all of the answers listed here

B. medical wastes present in the material pose a biohazard

C. EPA regulations make incineration unprofitable for municipal governments

D. flammable compounds in the waste present an explosion hazard

E. since it’s not 100% effective, some hazardous compounds are released into the air

10. Eutrophication and oxygen depletion in natural wasters can be very damaging to stream ecosystems. Which of the following is the primary cause of oxygen depletion in streams?

A. excessive carbon dioxide

B. acid mine drainage

C. excessive nutrients

D. iron oxide runoff

E. acid rain

11. Municipal sewage treatment plants are very effective at breaking down human waste prior to discharging the wastewater into rivers. Why then, do so many U.S. plants continue to cause water quality problems in rivers?

A. all of the answers listed here.

B. plants are not very effective at removing pharmaceuticals.

C. plants are not very effective at removing hazardous chemicals.

D. combined sewage and stormwater systems release raw sewage during large rain events.

E. plants are not very effective at removing heavy metals.

12. Which of the following is responsible for the growing hypoxic, or dead zone, problem in the Gulf of Mexico?

A. acid rain falling on urban areas throughout the Midwest.

B. EPA requirement of oxygenated fuels throughout the Midwest.

C. animal feed lots and agricultural fertilizers used throughout the Midwest.

D. leachate escaping from landfills throughout the Midwest.

E. residual oil from roads and parking lots throughout the Midwest.

13. When radioactive isotopes decay they emit radiation that is harmful to humans. Which of the following forms of radiation have the highest energy and ability to penetrate solid materials?

A. gamma rays

B. beta particles (electrons)

C. microwaves

D. ultraviolet waves

E. alpha particles (helium nuclei)

14. What does the term half-life describe?

A. time needed for half of the radioactive atoms in a substance to convert into energy.

B. time needed for half of the radioactive atoms in a substance to decay into stable isotopes.

C. time needed for half the cells in an organism to turn cancerous from radiation damage.

D. half the time needed for cells in a living organism to recover from radiation damage.

E. half the time needed for a radioactive substance to become safe.

15. Which of the following is NOT an example of low-level radioactive waste?

A. tools used on nuclear reactors

B. nuclear reactor water residues

C. spent nuclear fuel

D. remains of laboratory research animals

E. contaminated protective clothing

16. Acid rain has a negative impact on ecosystems and accelerates the chemical weathering of concrete structures and marble building materials. Which of the following compounds released by human activity are responsible for acid rain?

A. sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide

B. carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide

C. ozone and nitrogen oxide

D. ozone and carbon monoxide

E. sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide

17. Certain forms of the element mercury move up through the food chain and into humans. What is primary problem that mercury is known to cause in people?

A. severe hearing loss

B. increased failure of metallic joint replacements

C. higher incidences of brain cancer

D. higher incidences of kidney cancer

E. birth defects and loss of cognitive ability in children

18. Radon gas can accumulate in people’s homes and pose a serious lung cancer risk. What is the source of the radon gas?

A. breakdown of natural gas deposits

B. byproduct from the breakdown of asphalt roofing shingles used in home construction

C. byproduct from the breakdown foam insulation used in home construction

D. radioactive decay of uranium minerals found in rocks and sediment

E. contaminated groundwater surrounding nuclear power plants

True / False Questions

19. Liquid hazardous wastes are commonly injected into deep, saline aquifers for disposal.

True / False

20. Scrubbers are being used in the U.S. to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions associated with the burning of fossil fuels.

True / False

Multiple Choice Questions

21. In what year was the Environmental Protection Agency first established?

A. 1810

B. 1933

C. 1945

D. 1970

22. Which piece of federal legislation first eliminated the discharge of raw sewage into the nation's waterways?

A. 1969 National Environmental Policy Act

B. 1972 Water Pollution Control Act

C. 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

D. 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

23. What is meant by the term "contamination?"

A. The concentration of a toxic substance is above natural levels.

B. The concentration of a toxic substance is not above natural levels.

C. The concentration of a toxic substance is harmful to humans.

D. The concentration of a toxic substance is harmful to all organisms.

24. Examples of nonpoint sources of pollution include all of the following except

A. agricultural fields.

B. pipe discharging waste from a factory.

C. parking lots.

D. golf courses.

25. What is the single greatest source of solid waste?

A. Mining

B. Municipalities

C. Agriculture

D. Industry

26. Why is electronic waste a problem?

A. It contains toxic PCBs.

B. It contains toxic dioxin.

C. It contains toxic heavy metals.

D. It contains lead-based paint.

27. Scrap tires are a problem for all of the following reasons except

A. they take up landfill space.

B. they make a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

C. they may catch fire and produce toxic smoke.

D. they cannot be recycled.

28. Strategies for disposing of hazardous liquid wastes include all of the following except

A. deep well injection.

B. secured landfill.

C. composting.

D. high-temperature incineration.