Deck 16: Air Pollution

Question 1

Since the 1986 ban on leaded gasoline in the United States,

A) there have been no appreciable improvements as a result of this legislation.
B) children's average blood lead levels have dropped and average IQ's have risen.
C) children's blood lead levels have continued to rise, calling into question the effectiveness of the legislation.

Answer 1

children's average blood lead levels have dropped and average IQ's have risen.

Question 2

________ are examples of secondary pollutants.

A) Aerosols
B) Volatile organic compounds
C) Photochemical oxidants
D) Combustion gases
E) Fugitive emissions

Answer 2

Photochemical oxidants

Question 3

Life expectancy for people in U.S. cities with the dirtiest air is significantly lower than for those with cleaner air.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Anthropogenic means

A) safe.
B) dangerous.
C) produced by humans.
D) produced by natural causes.

Question 5

Over the past 40 years, air quality has gotten substantially worse in many of the major cities of North America.

Question 6

The single most important air pollutant in terms of human health is cigarette smoke.

Question 7

Nitrogen oxides interact with water vapor in the atmosphere to produce acid rain.

Question 8

Primary pollutants are those that are

A) Released directly in dangerous forms
B) Produced in the greatest quantities
C) The most dangerous
D) The most threatening to people
E) Classified by the EPA as the most dangerous and abundant

Question 9

Which of the following is colorless, odorless, and highly toxic?

A) Carbon dioxide
B) Carbon monoxide
C) Nitrogen oxides
D) Ozone

Question 10

The US governmental agency responsible for regulating air pollutants is the

A) National Park Service
B) Fish and Wildlife Service
C) Bureau of Reclamation
D) Bureau of Remediation
E) Environmental Protection Agency

Question 11

Since increased numbers of women began smoking about 50 years ago, lung cancer rates in women have

A) remained the same.
B) increased slightly.
C) doubled.
D) increased by 600 percent.

Question 12

Unconventional (noncriteria) pollutants are characterized by all of the following except

A) they have anthropogenic sources.
B) they are considered particularly toxic or dangerous.
C) they are not yet regulated by the EPA.
D) they include mercury and organic compounds.

Question 13

The result of reduced concentrations of ozone in the stratosphere include

A) a substantial increased concentration of greenhouse gases.
B) a notable increase in ground temperatures in the tropics.
C) an increase in the amount of UV radiation reaching the ground.
D) a decrease in the absorbance of energy by greenhouse gases.

Question 14

Smoking causes the premature death of more people through heart attacks than through lung cancer.

Question 15

Substance(s) that qualify to be called particulate air pollutants include

A) nitrogen oxides.
B) carbon dioxide.
C) ozone.
D) smoke.

Question 16

Some hazardous air pollutants are known carcinogens.

Question 17

Emissions of all of the following have gone down in the last 40 years except for

A) carbon monoxide.
B) lead.
C) particulate matter.
D) sulfur dioxide.

Question 18

Secondary pollutants

A) Harm only vulnerable members of a population
B) Become dangerous after reacting in the atmosphere
C) Are produced in lesser quantities than primary pollutants
D) Are less dangerous than other pollutants
E) Are classified by the EPA as the second-most dangerous and abundant

Question 19

Most air pollution in the world is associated with

A) agriculture.
B) transportation and energy production.
C) nuclear power plants.
D) forest fires.

Question 20

Air pollution deaths related to a four-day long temperature inversion in London, England in December of 1952 resulted in an estimated __________ deaths.

A) 3,000
B) 6,000
C) 9,000
D) 12,000

Question 21

A common example of a photochemical oxidant is

A) NO₂
B) H₂S
C) CO₂
D) Methane
E) All of these are correct

Question 22

Many fish contain high levels of _____________ and should either not be eaten or their consumption should be limited.

A) Lead
B) Mercury
C) Chloroform
D) Ozone
E) Chlorophyll

Question 23

Aesthetic degradation is a term that describes

A) Health risks associated with pollution
B) Primarily the brown color of smoggy air
C) Noises, odors, and light pollution
D) The discomfort of knowing that the air is dirty
E) The apparent form of air pollution because they leave dirty residues

Question 24

Sulfur trioxide

A) Is a secondary pollutant
B) Is formed by the oxidation of sulfur dioxide
C) Reacts with water to form sulfuric acid
D) Is a major component of acid rain
E) All of these are correct

Question 25

Carbon monoxide is produced by

A) Normal respiration by animals
B) Normal respiration by plants
C) Incomplete burning of fuels
D) Photochemical oxidation of carbon
E) The burning of sulfur-laden coal

Question 26

Photochemical oxidation reactions are driven by

A) The great instability of the reactants
B) The heat of industrial activity
C) Solar energy
D) Entropy
E) Light, regardless of whether it is the sun or indoor light

Question 27

Criteria pollutants are those that

A) Contribute the most to air quality degradation
B) Are most highly toxic even in small quantities
C) Are easiest to get rid of
D) Cause the most damage to buildings
E) Set the standards for other pollutants

Question 28

The most dangerous airborne particulates are those that are

A) Large enough to damage the skin and eyes
B) Small enough to be drawn into the lungs
C) Anthropogenic
D) Liquid
E) Produced in industrial settings

Question 29

Fugitive emissions are produced by

A) Smokestacks
B) Power plants and other heating equipment
C) Reactions between pollutants and atmospheric gases
D) Strip mining, rock crushing, and other dust-producing activities
E) Industry and must go through a smokestack for filtration

Question 30

An aerosol is

A) A chemical propellant
B) A rigidly defined chemical composition
C) Any liquid droplet or solid particle suspended in air
D) Not considered as hazardous to human health as other air pollutants
E) Not as apparent in the air as other air pollutants

Question 31

A major source of VOCs is

A) Incomplete burning of hydrocarbons
B) Combustion of sulphur-containing fuel
C) Photochemical oxidation
D) CO in the atmosphere
E) CO₂ in the atmosphere

Question 32

The most common metallic air pollutant is

A) Iron
B) Cadmium
C) Nickel
D) Mercury
E) Lead

Question 33

Lead is dangerous because it acts as a(n)

A) Neurotoxin
B) Asphyxiant
C) Irritant
D) Respiratory fibrotic agent
E) Carcinogenic agent

Question 34

Anthropogenic sources of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are

A) Increasing at the rate of about 0.5 percent per year
B) Easily determined with recent technological advances
C) Measured with a great deal of precision
D) All offset by carbon storage in northern forests
E) All of these are correct

Question 35

Which of the following criteria pollutants result mainly from burning coal?

A) Photochemical oxidants
B) Sulfur dioxide
C) Suspended particulate materials
D) Methane
E) Carbon monoxide

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT a volatile organic compound?

A) Benzene
B) Methane
C) Formaldehyde
D) Chlorofluorocarbons
E) Terpene

Question 37

Ozone is produced by

A) Incomplete burning of fuels
B) Combustion of sulphur-containing fuel
C) Decaying organic matter
D) Photochemical oxidation
E) The burning of coal

Question 38

The term NOx is often used because

A) There are many different oxides of nitrogen
B) It is usually unclear how oxidized nitrogen is
C) NO₂ and NO easily convert into each other
D) Many different molecules often attach to NO
E) The pollutant is a nitrous oxide and the "Ox" identifies the oxygen

Question 39

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Most carbon monoxide produced in the United States comes from internal combustion engines (cars).
B) Nearly all emissions of sulfur compounds are anthropogenic.
C) Overall, in the past twenty years, air pollution conditions have steadily decreased in most North American and Western European cities.
D) Volatile organic compounds are produced exclusively by human activity.
E) None of these is correct.

Question 40

The brown haze in smog is caused by

A) Sulfuric acid
B) NO₂
C) Carbon monoxide
D) Chlorofluorocarbons
E) Particulates

Question 41

Pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and ozone cause

A) Relatively little damage to plants
B) Mortality in most plants
C) Reduced yields in crop plants as well as visible damage
D) Damage only to highly sensitive plant species
E) Immediate chlorosis and then death to most plants

Question 42

Which of the following statements is false?

A) The likelihood of having radon gas in your home depends largely upon the geology and soil types in your region.
B) According to the EPA, toxic air pollutants are generally much more concentrated indoors than outdoors.
C) One of the reasons indoor air pollutants are so dangerous is the high amount of time people are indoors.
D) In the less-developed countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, there is less indoor air pollution than in developed countries.
E) All of these statements are true.

Question 43

Pollutants such as chlorofluorocarbons deplete atmospheric ozone

A) When nitrogen combines with O₃ to form NOx
B) When chlorine-containing molecules are oxidized at the expense of O₃
C) Because chlorine is most stable as ClO₃
D) When carbon reacts with O₃ to form CO₃
E) None of these is correct

Question 44

Formaldehyde is an especially problematic indoor pollutant because it is

A) Far more toxic than most other substances
B) Produced naturally by the earth below buildings
C) So difficult to detect
D) Highly carcinogenic
E) Used in so many household materials

Question 45

Which of the following is the best example of synergistic effects?

A) The disappearance of plant life around Sudbury, Ontario
B) The prevalence of cancer among smokers exposed to asbestos fibers
C) The appearance of PCBs in residents of remote Arctic villages
D) Cancer caused by fibrosis in the lungs
E) Chlorosis in plant leaves

Question 46

An irreversible obstructive lung disease is called

A) Asthma
B) Bronchitis
C) Emphysema
D) Fibrosis
E) Upper respiratory infection

Question 47

What type(s) of building(s) and monument(s) is(are) most susceptible to acid damage?

A) Granite and basalt
B) Wood
C) Limestone and marble
D) Concrete and brick
E) Brick and bronze

Question 48

There are serious signs that ozone depletion may lead to

A) Increased incidence of skin cancers
B) Increased incidence of blindness
C) Depletion of plankton populations
D) Reduced agricultural production
E) All of these

Question 49

Persistent inflammation of bronchi in the lungs is known as

A) Asthma
B) Fibrosis
C) Pulmonary toxicosis
D) Bronchitis
E) An upper respiratory infection

Question 50

If stagnant air is trapped in the lung alveoli, the air sac swells and

A) Blood circulation is blocked
B) Cells die from lack of O₂
C) Cells die from lack of nutrients
D) The walls of the alveoli break down and are no longer able to exchange gases
E) All of these occur

Question 51

The most common human health response to air pollution is

A) Inflammatory responses in sensitive tissues
B) Lung cancer
C) Blindness caused by deteriorating eye tissues
D) Skin cancer
E) Heart disease

Question 52

Stable air masses over cities and warm updrafts between tall buildings often create _________ in and near cities.

A) Dust domes of suspended pollutants
B) Cyclonic dust storms
C) Convective rain storms
D) Low pressure zones that dissipate pollution
E) High pressure zones that dissipate pollution

Question 53

Native peoples living in the Canadian Arctic have some of the highest recorded PCB concentrations in their bodies because of

A) Unusually high susceptibility to contamination
B) Concentrated natural occurrence of PCBs in that region
C) Local production of PCBs
D) Long-range transport of airborne pollutants
E) An industrial accident that left the persistent PCBs in the environment

Question 54

The "ozone hole" is a depletion currently most serious

A) At the most populated latitudes
B) Over North America
C) In tropical latitudes
D) Near the equator
E) In Antarctica

Question 55

One of the principal ways lakes suffer from acid deposition is that

A) Rocks on the bottom begin to dissolve
B) Fish eggs die and fish populations fall
C) Aquatic vegetation turns yellow
D) Plants grow excessively and choke other life
E) All of these can happen in a lake from acid deposition

Question 56

Sudbury, Ontario's copper-nickel smelter is notorious for having

A) Destroyed the local ecosystem with sulfur-laden smoke
B) Caused brown lung disease in miners
C) Spread cyanide in nearby rivers
D) Caused childhood leukemia in nearby neighborhoods
E) Caused all of these

Question 57

Los Angeles has especially bad inversion problems because it

A) Lies on a flat space by the ocean
B) Is in a warm climate and is partly ringed by mountains
C) Occupies such a large geographical area
D) Generally has cloudy skies at night
E) All of these are correct

Question 58

___________ ozone is harmful, damaging plants and human health while ozone at the _________ level screens out mutagenic ultraviolet radiation.

A) Stratospheric; troposphere
B) Thermospheric; mesosphere
C) Tropospheric; stratosphere
D) Mesospheric; thermosphere
E) Stratospheric; mesosphere

Question 59

Tall smokestacks were effective ways of

A) Decreasing pollution
B) Displacing and dispersing pollution
C) Cleaning up air pollution
D) Eliminating the effects of pollution
E) Concentrating pollutants for easier cleanup

Question 60

A temperature inversion occurs when

A) Two warm air layers surround a cold air layer
B) Two cold air layers overlay a warm air layer
C) Stable cold air overlays warm air
D) Stable warm air overlays cold air
E) Air turbulence causes mixing between air layers

Question 61

Grasshopper transport causes contaminants to accumulate in the low latitudes, close to the equator.

Question 62

Norilsk, Russia has been notable in recent years for its

A) Widespread and terrible pollution conditions
B) Severe acid deposition
C) Complete lack of industrial pollution
D) Steady and successful cleanup accomplishments
E) None of these is correct

Question 63

Synergistic effects occur when there is more damage of exposure when two factors are together.

Question 64

Worldwide, air pollution control efforts are least advanced or least successful in

A) Major cities of leading industrialized countries
B) Major cities of developing countries
C) Small towns of developing countries
D) Rural areas of industrialized countries
E) Small towns of leading industrialized countries

Question 65

Cars use ______ to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.

A) Afterburners
B) Electrostatic precipitators
C) Fluidized bed combustion
D) Catalytic converters
E) Bag filters

Question 66

Although coal burning contributes a very small amount, the high mercury levels in fish result from spills of mercury directly into the water.

Question 67

Large filter bags can be used by industries to _________ airborne pollutants.

A) Electrostatically precipitate
B) Displace
C) Disperse
D) Trap
E) Prevent

Question 68

Acid precipitation often occurs downwind from dust-producing industries.

Question 69

The discharge of mercury and dioxins (both HAPs) is decreasing.

Question 70

Compare and contrast the effects of ozone in the stratosphere and troposphere.

Question 71

Electrostatic precipitators prevent fly ash from escaping by

A) Filtering them
B) Using electrodes to give particles an electrostatic charge
C) Preventing their production in the first place
D) Gravity
E) Burning the fly ash completely with electrodes

Question 72

Hydrocarbon emissions are produced mainly by cement manufacturing industries.

Question 73

Human-produced pollutants are different from natural particulates and gases because they are almost always chemically more dangerous.

Question 74

Old power plant facilities have been kept operating, expanding their capacity rather than building new ones because the older facilities have minimal contributions to smog and acid rain.