Deck 43: Applied Environmental Microbiology

Question 1

The membrane filter technique can be used in all waters and has completely replaced the MPN technique.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Rapid sand filtration,used in many water purification plants,is sufficient to ensure that Giardia will be consistently removed.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

In the testing of water for coliforms,the presumptive test involves detection of

A)gas production in a lactose broth medium.
B)sheen production on a selective medium.
C)a gram-negative nonspore-forming rod.
D)all of the choices

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The presence-absence test is a modification of which test?

A)membrane filter
B)MPN
C)virus plaque assay
D)none of these

Question 5

Coliforms and fecal coliform are often differentiated based on their responses to

A)temperature.
B)salinity.
C)pressure.
D)heavy metals.

Question 6

Fecal enterococci are increasingly being used as an indicator of fecal contamination in brackish and marine water because they die at a faster rate than fecal coliforms thus providing a more reliable indicator of pollution.

Question 7

Slow sand filtration effectively removes

A)Giardia lamblia.
B)Cryptosporidium parvum.
C)most heavy metals.
D)viruses.

Question 8

Potable water is unfit for consumption or recreation because of the high levels of microbial contaminants present.

Question 9

Indicator organisms are added to drinking water to test whether the purification process is being carried out effectively.

Question 10

Cryptosporidium is an important waterborne disease.This organism is a

A)virus.
B)bacterium.
C)fungus.
D)protozoan.

Question 11

Canada geese have become a major source of Giardia and Cryptosporidium contamination of soil and fresh water.

Question 12

Methods used to remove or destroy viruses from drinking water include

A)coagulation and filtration.
B)chemical oxidation and high pH.
C)photooxidation.
D)all of the choices

Question 13

Removal of 99% of the indicator organisms in drinking water will be sufficient to avoid disease transmission.

Question 14

All coliforms can grow at 44.5 $\degree$ C.

Question 15

Chlorination alone will usually suffice to inactivate viruses present in drinking water.

Question 16

Fecal coliforms are useful indicator organisms for the contamination of water by

A)agricultural fertilizer runoff.
B)sewage.
C)phosphates.
D)all of the choices

Question 17

Potable water

A)requires boiling to make it safe to drink.
B)is not suitable for human consumption.
C)is suitable for human consumption.
D)requires chemical or biological treatment to remove heavy metals.

Question 18

If a leach field floods it becomes anoxic and effective treatment ceases.

Question 19

Molecular techniques using 16S rRNA gene targeted primers are now used routinely to detect coliforms in water.

Question 20

Cryptosporidium has recently become of concern because it is hard to remove from water supplies.

Question 21

Filamentous organisms such as Sphaerotilus and Thiothrix can lower the efficiency of activated sludge processes by causing

A)anaerobic sludge.
B)acidified sludge.
C)bulking sludge.
D)building sludge.

Question 22

Removal of environmental pollutants using microorganisms is called __________.

Question 23

Which of the following is not an advantage of anaerobic sludge digestion?

A)Most of the biomass produced aerobically is used for methane production.
B)The remaining sludge can be dried easily before disposal.
C)Heavy metals are concentrated in the sludge.
D)all of the choices

Question 24

The solubilization of metals from low-grade ores by microorganisms is called __________.

Question 25

A septic tank will function effectively without a leach field.

Question 26

Primary treatment of sewage involves the use of which type of process?

A)Biological removal of dissolved organic matter.
B)Physical/chemical removal of insoluble particulate materials.
C)Biological removal of inorganic nutrients.
D)Virus removal/inactivation.

Question 27

Additions of a remediating microbe to natural environments can be more successful if

A)the microorganism is added together with a microhabitat that gives the organism physical protection.
B)the microorganism is inoculated onto a leaf,root,or a seed.
C)the microorganism is provided with nutrients.
D)all of the choices

Question 28

Activated sludge is used in which sewage treatment step?

A)primary
B)secondary
C)tertiary
D)all of the choices

Question 29

Sewage treatment that involves horizontal flow in an agitated aeration tank is referred to as

A)lagooning.
B)activated sludge treatment.
C)trickling filter processing.
D)endogenous respiration.

Question 30

Microbial fuel cells are an emerging technology whereby _________ are donated to an anode during heterotrophic bacterial respiration.

Question 31

The inability of the "superbug" to successfully clean up oil spills in the ocean environment was mostly a matter of its inability to survive and compete in that environment.

Question 32

The acceleration of microbiological processes by the addition of known active microorganisms to soils,waters,or other complex systems is called __________.

Question 33

The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)test is primarily a measure of carbon demand and should not include nitrogen oxidation demand.

Question 34

Secondary treatment of sewage involves the use of which type of process?

A)Biological removal of dissolved organic matter.
B)Physical/chemical removal of insoluble particulate materials.
C)Biological removal of inorganic nutrients.
D)Virus removal/inactivation.

Question 35

In the total organic carbon (TOC)test,microorganisms are used to measure the levels of carbon in a water sample.

Question 36

It is usually beneficial to add nitrogen when one attempts to stimulate hydrocarbon degradation in the ocean.

Question 37

The enhancement of the degradation of recalcitrant compounds by the addition of an easily metabolized carbon source such as glucose is called

A)spiking.
B)cometabolism.
C)balancing.
D)Such enhancement does not occur.

Question 38

Which of the following contributes to the removal of organic material in home sewage treatment system leach fields?

A)Aerobic digestion.
B)Adsorption of organic material.
C)Entrapment of microbes.
D)All of the choices.

Question 39

In the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)test,the factor that should limit biological activity is

A)nitrogen.
B)phosphorus.
C)oxygen.
D)carbon.

Question 40

Purification of waters while generating power and providing energy for monitoring environmental processes is an application of microbial fuel cells.