Deck 18: Water Pollution

Question 1

The central goal of the U.S. Clean Water Act was to

A) make all surface waters swimmable and fishable.
B) categorize water into types of use and then establish an array of different cleanup goals.
C) end all water pollution in the U.S. by 2050.
D) eliminate all nonpoint source pollution where economically feasible.

Answer 1

make all surface waters swimmable and fishable.

Question 2

Runoff of pesticides from lawns, fields, golf courses, and other areas is considered to be one of the most important sources of toxic organic pollution of water.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Examples of point sources of water pollution include

A) runoff from farm fields.
B) a sewage outfall from a city sewer plant.
C) runoff from parking lots.

Answer 3

a sewage outfall from a city sewer plant.

Question 4

About 1.5 million Americans get sick annually from fecal contamination producing large health costs. Preventive measures would cost

A) much more.
B) slightly more.
C) about the same.
D) less.

Question 5

Pollution of water in large aquifers is essentially irreversible in the short term (decades).

Question 6

The Cyahoga river is notable because

A) it is polluted with selenium which led to the death of millions of birds.
B) it is routinely flooded with untreated sewage from the city of Cleveland.
C) it caught fire.
D) it is an Endangered Species Act success story.
E) it is a living machine cleaning pollution from the local area.

Question 7

Since the Clean Water Act of 1972, the quantities of nitrate and phosphate entering surface waters have

A) decreased significantly for both point and nonpoint sources.
B) have decreased for nonpoint sources but not point sources.
C) have decreased for point sources but not nonpoint sources.
D) essentially remained the same.

Question 8

Eutrophication is a natural process that has been greatly stimulated by human activities.

Question 9

Factories, sewage treatment plants, and oil wells are __________ sources of water pollution.

A) Point
B) Primary
C) Nonpoint
D) Tertiary pollutant
E) Secondary

Question 10

The discharge from a nonpoint source of pollution is

A) Usually constant throughout the year
B) Generally easier to regulate than a point source
C) Usually less polluting than a point source
D) Highly seasonal in quantity
E) Less damaging than other sources of pollution

Question 11

_________ sources of water pollution are relatively easy to monitor and regulate, while _____________ sources of water pollution are difficult to monitor and clean up.

A) Domestic; industrial
B) Primary; tertiary pollutant
C) Nonpoint; point
D) Tertiary pollutant; primary
E) Point; nonpoint

Question 12

The principal source of infectious waste material in water is

A) industrial waste.
B) surface runoff.
C) human feces.
D) agricultural pesticides.

Question 13

A 2006 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that resulted in the EPA dropping enforcement actions on at least 1,500 water pollution cases and the exclusion of the drinking water sources of over 117 million Americans was based on the court's interpretation of the word

A) aquifer.
B) navigable.
C) organic.
D) toxic.

Question 14

MTBE is a gasoline additive

A) intended to reduce carbon monoxide in vehicle exhaust.
B) which evaporates before entering groundwater.
C) that is a very serious source of groundwater pollution in the United States.
D) intended to reduce carbon monoxide in vehicle exhaust and evaporates before entering groundwater.
E) intended to reduce carbon monoxide in vehicle exhaust and is a very serious source of groundwater pollution in the United States.

Question 15

Atmospheric deposition of pollutants is an example of point source pollution.

Question 16

The greatest remaining need in rectifying remaining water pollution problems in the U.S. and Canada is solving the point source discharge problem.

Question 17

____________ is to a point source of water pollution as _____________ is to a nonpoint source of water pollution.

A) Golf course runoff; atmospheric deposition
B) Golf course runoff; power plant effluent
C) Power plant effluent; golf course runoff
D) Atmospheric deposition; golf course runoff
E) Power plant effluent; an underground coal mine drain

Question 18

The use of water to cool industrial facilities

A) can result in a thermal plume.
B) can attract certain fish, birds, and marine mammals.
C) was banned as a result of the Clean Water Act.
D) can result in a thermal plume and attract certain fish, birds, and marine mammals.

Question 19

The Clean Water Act has turned out to be ___________ in achieving its point source goals.

A) very effective
B) marginally effective
C) ineffective
D) a disaster

Question 20

Air pollution can lead to water contamination via a process called atmospheric deposition.

Question 21

In order to avoid producing thermal plumes, power plants often

A) Increase the efficiency of their energy use
B) Warm entire rivers to ease temperature gradients
C) Chemically alter their effluent
D) Build cooling towers or ponds
E) All of these are correct

Question 22

In the diagram, which of the following units would probably be used to label the numbers on the horizontal (X) axis?

A) Degrees Centigrade
B) Hours
C) Meters
D) Days

Question 23

In the diagram, which of the following organisms would probably be found in the area between 1 and 2?

A) Mayfly and stonefly larvae
B) Mosquito larvae
C) Bullhead catfish and gar
D) Gar, blackfly, and midge larvae
E) Trout, sludge worms, and mosquito larvae

Question 24

When natural waters are overloaded with plant nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate ions, they become

A) Oligotrophic
B) Dystrophic
C) Eutrophic
D) Metatrophic
E) Megatrophic

Question 25

Which of the following are inorganic toxic substances sometimes found in local water supplies?

A) Salts and lead
B) Red tides
C) Fecal coliform bacteria
D) Algal blooms
E) All of these are correct

Question 26

Algal blooms are a common problem in the Mediterranean sea because of

A) The particular species of algae there
B) Heavy tourism and untreated sewage
C) Nutrients from extremely active agriculture
D) The heavy storms and waves that occur there
E) Huge manure waste lagoons

Question 27

______________ is an example of a natural process that is accelerated by human activities.

A) Eutrophication
B) The weathering and release of toxic inorganic minerals from rocks
C) The mobilization and concentration of soluble salts from groundwater
D) Sediment loading of rivers
E) All of these are correct

Question 28

Dioxins, pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls are all types of

A) Inorganic toxic substances
B) Heavy metals
C) Suspended solids and BODs
D) Acidifying agents
E) Toxic organic compounds

Question 29

The most active decomposition occurs in the area marked _____ on the horizontal axis of the diagram.

A) 1 to 0
B) 0 to 1
C) 1 to 2
D) 2 to 3
E) 1 to 3

Question 30

In the diagram, the horizontal (X) axis should be labeled

A) Temperature
B) Time
C) Distance from outfall pipe
D) Depth
E) Oxygen content

Question 31

Acid precipitation is especially disruptive when it occurs in areas with ______________ because of the lack of _____________.

A) Limestone in the soil; buffering capacity
B) Alkaline soils; acid resistant mosses
C) Crystalline bedrock; buffering capacity
D) Crystalline bedrock; acid resistant mosses
E) Alkaline soils; buffering capacity

Question 32

The type of water pollutant that most commonly threatens human health is/are ______.

A) Pathogenic organisms
B) Dissolved plant matter
C) Toxic and hazardous chemicals
D) Thermal pollution
E) Oxygen-demanding wastes

Question 33

Coliform bacteria populations are routinely monitored in drinking water supplies, swimming pools, and at beaches because these bacteria

A) Are especially toxic to animals
B) May mutate into severely pathogenic strains
C) Indicate the presence of feces in water
D) Usually live in pesticide-contaminated water
E) Are more difficult to find in water

Question 34

Cultural eutrophication results from

A) Natural sediment and nutrient levels
B) A change in animal life as well as plants
C) The disappearance of tributary streams
D) Human activity
E) Natural topography

Question 35

An oxygen sag occurs most often

A) In estuaries closest to a pollution source
B) Immediately downstream from a pollution source
C) Immediately upstream from a pollution source
D) After the water recovers from the pollution source
E) At any of these places

Question 36

Toxic metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury

A) Rarely threaten water supplies
B) Can be toxic if high concentrations are reached
C) Can be toxic in extremely small quantities
D) Are the most common health threat in water
E) Usually don't accumulate in food chains

Question 37

High oxygen content in water is an indication that

A) Water is clean enough to support game fish
B) There are no contaminants present at all
C) There is a large population of coliform bacteria
D) Water is only able to support algae and bacteria
E) Sewage, paper pulp, or food processing wastes have been added to the water

Question 38

The sediments that make up the Ganges river delta in India are often toxic because they

A) Run through toxic soils
B) Originate in coastal industrial areas
C) Are highly acidic due to acid rain
D) Have concentrations of naturally occurring arsenic
E) Dissolve naturally-occurring sulfur dioxide

Question 39

Atmospheric deposition of contaminants is an excellent example of

A) The properties of water that allow it to disperse contaminants
B) Nonpoint pollution
C) A point source of pollution
D) The relative ease in determining sources of contaminants
E) A primary source of pollution

Question 40

In the diagram, which of the following organisms would probably be found in the area marked 3 and higher?

A) Mayfly and stonefly larvae
B) Mosquito larvae
C) Bullhead catfish and gar
D) Gar, blackfly, and midge larvae
E) Leeches and isopods

Question 41

Best practical technology (BPT) is legally required for all

A) Point source polluters
B) Priority toxic pollutants
C) Pollution and polluters
D) Common toxic pollutants
E) Municipal planning officers to control urban runoff

Question 42

Tertiary treatment of sewage produces water that is typically used for

A) Agriculture
B) Drinking
C) Industrial activities
D) Watering livestock
E) Dumping into freshwater systems

Question 43

Feedlots are a major cause of _________ in water.

A) Viruses
B) Coliform bacteria
C) Nitrates
D) Phosphates
E) All of these are correct

Question 44

The main reason that surface water pollution has largely decreased in the United States since 1950 is

A) The Clean Water Act
B) A series of epidemics that inspired action
C) The discovery of newer technology that makes it cheaper not to pollute
D) The decrease in water withdrawal for industrial uses
E) The emphasis, in 1950, on watershed management

Question 45

Wetland protection is one of the most controversial provisions of the ___________ because opponents believe that the legislation is _____________.

A) Endangered Species Act; an infringement on their use of private property
B) Clean Water Act; ineffective because it does not prevent pollutants
C) Land Use Act; an infringement on their use of private property
D) Clean Air Act; ineffective because it does not prevent pollutants
E) Clean Water Act; an infringement on their use of private property

Question 46

In 1998, a change in the approach to water quality was initiated by _________ with an emphasis on _________.

A) The EPA; cost-benefit analysis
B) A series of epidemics that inspired action; watershed management
C) Industry; cost-benefit analysis
D) The decrease in water withdrawal for industrial uses; cost-benefit analysis
E) The EPA; watershed management

Question 47

Which of the following would NOT help to improve water quality?

A) Composting yard waste
B) Stop using fertilizers
C) Not using jet skis
D) Watering plants with water from rain barrels rather than municipal water.
E) Keeping your car well maintained

Question 48

Best available economically achievable technology (BAT) standards are standards set for

A) Nonpoint pollution
B) Toxic substances
C) Radioactive waste, specifically
D) Organic compounds
E) All point sources

Question 49

Open sea bilge pumping and tank cleaning are legal ways to clean ships, once the ship is at least 300 miles offshore.

Question 50

Sediments in rivers are especially harmful to Louisiana's coastal wetlands.

Question 51

The following statements explain why contamination of aquifers is dangerous. Which of the statements is false?

A) The contaminants are concentrated by the different densities of water in the aquifers.
B) Pollutants are extremely stable once they contaminate an aquifer.
C) Minuscule amounts of a pollutant can contaminate an entire aquifer.
D) Aquifers can take an extremely long time to turn over their water content.
E) All of these statements are true.

Question 52

Primary sewage treatment involves

A) Removing solids from water
B) Removing all organic matter from water
C) Making water transparent again
D) Removing all bacteria
E) Making water usable for agriculture

Question 53

Using duckweed in a lagoon as low-tech sewage treatment plants is an example of

A) A containment method of remediation
B) Tertiary sewage treatment
C) Bioremediation
D) Extraction techniques of remediation
E) In vitro extraction techniques

Question 54

The cheapest and most effective way to reduce water pollution is to use technology to separate wastes for nonpoint sources.

Question 55

Aquifers are especially susceptible to contamination

A) Around wells
B) Near their recharge zones
C) When they are shallow
D) Around injection wells
E) All of these are correct

Question 56

Tertiary sewage treatment is designed to remove

A) Large solids
B) Suspended solids
C) Sludge
D) Nitrates and phosphates
E) Dissolved organic compounds

Question 57

The advantage of effluent sewerage is that

A) Since solids are removed, pipes and pumps to the central treatment plant can be small and cheap
B) Since solids remain in the liquid, disposal is easy and cheap
C) Families can do all their processing at home
D) Large, expensive municipal systems are no longer needed
E) Since solids are digested like a septic system, the effluent can be used as fertilizer

Question 58

__________ should never be allowed down a drain when a septic tank and drain field system is being used for sewage disposal.

A) Kitchen wastes from cooking
B) Dog or cat urinary or fecal matter
C) Chlorine and antimicrobial cleansers
D) Oils and greases
E) Solid materials

Question 59

Using Bentonite slurries to stabilize liquids in porous substances is an example of

A) A containment method of remediation
B) Tertiary sewage treatment
C) Bioremediation
D) Extraction techniques of remediation
E) In vitro extraction techniques

Question 60

The potential problem with natural decay for human waste is that

A) It never really works
B) It only works where population density is low
C) It is an expensive process to maintain
D) Unlike sewage treatment, it produces toxic by-products
E) Natural processes take a long time

Question 61

Compare and contrast the cleanup and control of nonpoint and point sources of water pollution.

Question 62

The first estuary in the United States to be targeted for protection and restoration was Chesapeake Bay.

Question 63

Explain the connections between oxygen sag and biological oxygen demand (BOD). Use a drawing in your explanation and use appropriate labels.