Deck 13: Air Pollution

Question 1

This source of primary pollutants is the greatest contributor to air pollution.

A)solid waste disposal
B)transportation
C)industrial processes
D)stationary source fuel combustion

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The most tragic air pollution episode occurred in London in 1952.More than ________ people died as a result of the five-day ordeal.

A)100
B)400
C)2000
D)4000

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following is a natural source of pollutants NOT accentuated by humans?

A)pollens
B)dust
C)bacteria
D)fire
E)viruses

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which one of the following is a secondary pollutant?

A)volatile organics
B)particulate matter
C)carbon monoxide
D)sulfuric acid

Question 5

The greatest reduction in solar radiation receipt in polluted cities will occur:

A)during the spring in low-latitude cities.
B)during the winter in high-latitude cities.
C)during the summer in middle-latitude cities.
D)equally in cities at every latitude.

Question 6

The single greatest air pollutant by weight is:

A)carbon monoxide.
B)nitrogen oxides.
C)volatile organics.
D)particulate matter.

Question 7

In his 1880 speech,what idea did Robert Ingersoll promote?

A)Limiting air pollution emitted from factories of the time.
B)Industrial smoke was a sign of prosperity and was thus highly desirable.
C)People should not be permitted to burn coal to heat their homes.
D)Industrial manufacturing should be confined to specific districts to reduce air pollution.

Question 8

This category of air pollutants is emitted directly from identifiable sources and pollutes the air immediately upon being emitted.

A)quaternary pollutants
B)tertiary pollutants
C)primary pollutants
D)secondary pollutants

Question 9

A reduction in visibility due to the absorption and scattering of light by air pollution is called:

A)haze.
B)smog.
C)photochemical fog.
D)particulate ocular reduction.

Question 10

More than 4000 premature deaths occur in the U.S.every year due to:

A)exposure to nuclear radiation.
B)exposure to acid rain.
C)inhalation of particulate matter.
D)elevated ozone concentrations.

Question 11

Which one of the source categories listed below is responsible for the most pollution?

A)solid waste disposal
B)transportation
C)industrial processes
D)electric utilities

Question 12

Smog is an example of a ________ pollutant.

A)primary
B)secondary
C)quaternary
D)tertiary

Question 13

This is the general term used for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.

A)particulate matter
B)volatile organic compounds
C)acid precipitation
D)smog

Question 14

________ are usually the most obvious form of air pollution because they reduce visibility and leave deposits of dirt on the surfaces with which they come in contact.

A)Volatile organics
B)Particulates
C)Sulfur oxides
D)Nitrogen oxides

Question 15

Volatile organic compounds:

A)can occur naturally.
B)are created primarily by the burning of coal.
C)consist of carbon,nitrogen and oxygen.
D)pose the greatest danger of all the primary pollutants.

Question 16

All of the following contributed to the severity of London's Great Smog of 1952 EXCEPT:

A)unusually cold weather
B)a passing cyclonic storm
C)widespread coal burning
D)a persistent temperature inversion

Question 17

This is the most abundant primary pollutant.

A)lead
B)sulfur dioxide
C)carbon monoxide
D)nitrogen oxide

Question 18

Important sources of ________ include power plants,smelters,petroleum refineries,and pulp and paper mills.

A)sulfur dioxide
B)particulate matter
C)nitrogen oxides
D)hydrocarbons

Question 19

________ encompass a wide array of solid,liquid,and gaseous substances that are composed exclusively of hydrogen and carbon.

A)Lead
B)Nitrogen oxides
C)Carbon monoxides
D)Volatile organic compounds

Question 20

Particulate matter is categorized according to:

A)its size.
B)its source.
C)its chemical components.
D)its toxicity.

Question 21

Ozone:

A)is a minor component of smog.
B)increases crop yields.
C)forms at a faster rate at night than in the day.
D)is a result of photochemical reactions at the surface.

Question 22

The factor involved with air pollution that is most subject to control by man is:

A)stability.
B)wind speed.
C)sources.
D)lapse rates.
E)turbulence.

Question 23

Exposure to this primary pollutant is associated with damage to the nervous systems of young children.

A)nitrogen oxide
B)sulfur dioxide
C)lead
D)carbon monoxide

Question 24

The dispersion of pollutant material into the atmosphere depends on the wind and the ________ of the air layer.

A)visibility
B)temperature
C)depth
D)pressure
E)stability

Question 25

Until regulation of air pollution began in the 1950s,the greatest influence on emissions of air pollutants was/were:

A)economic conditions.
B)population growth.
C)macroscale atmospheric changes.
D)both economic conditions and population growth.

Question 26

During what part of the day should ozone levels in an urban environment be highest?

A)mid-afternoon
B)early morning (6 A.M.)
C)late morning (11 A.M.)
D)night (midnight)

Question 27

The standardized indicator used to report daily air quality to the public is called the:

A)Air Pollution Indicator.
B)Criteria Pollutant Summary.
C)Pollution Snapshot.
D)Air Quality Index.

Question 28

________ pollutant levels cause gradual deterioration of a variety of physiological functions over a span of years.

A)Chronic
B)Major
C)Critical
D)Acute

Question 29

What triggers a photochemical reaction?

A)high humidity
B)turbulent winds
C)sunlight
D)ice particles

Question 30

Of the primary air pollutants monitored by the EPA,which one is found above recommended levels in more U.S.counties than any other?

A)ozone
B)particulate matter
C)carbon monoxide
D)sulfur dioxide

Question 31

A "London-type" smog is characterized by:

A)the combination of smoke and fog on very humid days.
B)the photochemical production of pollutants.
C)high concentrations of fine particulate matter on sunny days.
D)low humidity and high levels of industrial pollution.

Question 32

These six pollutants are known as the criteria pollutants and are covered by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

A)particulates,sulfur dioxide,carbon monoxide,nitrogen oxide,lead,and ozone
B)particulates,sulfur dioxide,nitrogen oxide,lead,VOC's and smog
C)particulates,sulfur dioxide,carbon monoxide,nitrogen oxides,lead,and VOC's

Question 33

Airborne lead

A)can cause damage to many organs.
B)is now banned world-wide as a gasoline additive.
C)has risen dramatically in amount in the United States.

Question 34

Although ________ forms naturally in the stratosphere,when produced near the surface it is considered a pollutant with many negative effects.

A)smog
B)ozone
C)nitric acid
D)sulfur dioxide

Question 35

The capacity of the atmosphere to disperse and dilute pollutant materials is

A)highly variable and based on the weather.
B)predictable and consistent from day to day.
C)the same in all locations.
D)large and unchanging.

Question 36

Which one of the following is a major component of photochemical smog?

A)ozone
B)lead
C)sulfur dioxide
D)soot

Question 37

Which one of the following is NOT a primary pollutant?

A)carbon monoxide
B)ozone
C)nitrogen dioxide
D)sulfur dioxide

Question 38

Many reactions that produce secondary pollutants are triggered by ________ and are called photochemical reactions.

A)strong sunlight
B)clouds
C)wind
D)pressure

Question 39

Meteorological conditions are important in air pollution episodes since they

A)control the emission of pollutants.
B)determine the location of sources.
C)determine the amount of dilution.
D)are important sources of pollutants.

Question 40

In the 1970s,the federal Clean Air Act made major strides in reducing air pollution and created this.

A)the Sierra Club
B)the Energy Protection Agency
C)the Environmental Protection Agency
D)the Air Pollution Protection Agency

Question 41

The term dry deposition refers to:

A)all pollution created through combustion of fossil fuels.
B)pollutants left behind by evaporating rainfall.
C)pollutants that fall to the ground as part of dust or smoke.
D)pollution that is incorporated into snowflakes through the Bergeron process.

Question 42

Forest fires triggered by lightning are one of many natural sources of air pollution.

Question 43

Air is never perfectly clean.

Question 44

The single largest source of air pollutants is highway vehicles.

Question 45

Inversions represent a hazardous meteorological condition with respect to air pollution because they always bring:

A)turbulent motion.
B)strong winds.
C)reduced oxygen content.
D)a near total lack of mixing.
E)cold temperatures.

Question 46

Dilution or mixing of air pollutants into the surrounding air is best when:

A)air is very cold.
B)winds are calm to light.
C)relative humidity is high.
D)air is unstable.
E)inversions are present.

Question 47

Which of these is LEAST important in determining the level of air pollution from a particular source?

A)stability of the air layer
B)relative humidity at ground level
C)height of stack used
D)amount of turbulent mixing
E)prevailing wind speed and direction

Question 48

Temperature inversions are associated with:

A)effective dispersal of pollutants.
B)unstable atmospheric conditions.
C)periods of good visibility.
D)a restricted mixing depth.

Question 49

The vertical height reached by convective currents in the atmosphere is called:

A)the convective inversion.
B)the mixing depth.
C)vertical transport potential.
D)a temperature inversion.

Question 50

Until the Industrial Revolution,humans had no significant impact on air pollution.

Question 51

Smoke released from a stack into a very stable air mass would tend to:

A)mix both upward and downward.
B)diffuse rapidly in all directions.
C)go almost straight up.
D)spread out horizontally but not mix up or down.
E)mix rapidly downward.

Question 52

The primary purpose of a smokestack is to:

A)burn off inversion layers.
B)change the lapse rate.
C)reduce the concentration of pollutants at ground level.
D)promote adiabatic cooling of the smoke.

Question 53

Assume you live in an urban setting and an inversion is present.Which of these best describes the visibility in your area if the inversion remains for 2 or 3 days?

A)Visibility improves greatly.
B)Visibility gets steadily worse.
C)improves slightly
D)little or no change

Question 54

Air pollution has only become an important urban problem in the last 75 years.

Question 55

A number of lakes in North America no longer have fish in them.One reason for this is:

A)the hole in the ozone layer has allowed too much UV to penetrate the water.
B)carbon monoxide dissolves in the water and makes it toxic.
C)acid rain falling directly onto fish kills them instantly.
D)acid rain has made the water more acidic,causing it dissolve toxic aluminum from the soil.

Question 56

Part of the reason that precipitation is more acidic in the northeastern United States is:

A)local pollution is compounded by pollution drifting in from upwind population centers.
B)many factories are using shorter chimney stacks.
C)the local vegetation influences the acidity of rainwater forming in the region.
D)water vapor contributed by the Great Lakes is naturally more acidic.

Question 57

Air pollution is likely to be most severe:

A)when the atmosphere is turbulent.
B)in the spring.
C)near the center of a cyclone.
D)near the center of an anticyclone.
E)along squall lines.

Question 58

The spreading or dilution of pollutants into the atmosphere is best when winds are:

A)less than 10 km/hr.
B)strong and turbulent.
C)steady.
D)calm.
E)neutral.

Question 59

How much more acidic is a substance with a pH of 5 than a substance with a pH of 6?

A)10 times
B)30 times
C)5 times
D)2 times

Question 60

There are no natural sources of air pollution.

Question 61

The formation of inversions is unrelated to the terrain of the earth's surface.

Question 62

When air pollution episodes occur they generally result from a dramatic increase in the output of pollutants.

Question 63

Volatile organic compounds,a primary pollutant,are also called hydrocarbons.

Question 64

The largest single air pollutant (in terms of the quantity emitted each year)is carbon monoxide.

Question 65

Air pollution declined significantly during the 1930s.

Question 66

Air pollution problems seldom occur when winds are weak or calm.

Question 67

Pollutants emitted directly from identifiable sources are termed primary pollutants.

Question 68

The ozone in smog is unrelated to the ozone in the stratosphere.

Question 69

As many as 12,000 people may have died as a direct or delayed result of the Great Smog of 1952..

Question 70

Clear nighttime skies lead to reduced concentrations of pollutants.

Question 71

During the Great Smog of 1952,visibility at Heathrow Airport remained above 0.5 mile despite the high levels of air pollution.

Question 72

The term "smog" originally referred to a mixture of smoke and fog.

Question 73

Between 1990 and 2009,emissions of the five major primary pollutants rose significantly.

Question 74

Photochemical reactions can lead to the formation of secondary pollutants.

Question 75

Inversions form most readily on sunny days.

Question 76

Clear sunny days are part of the cause of the air pollution known as smog.

Question 77

Small mixing depths are associated with stable air.

Question 78

Sulfur dioxide does not produce any secondary pollutants.

Question 79

Generally,the greater the mixing depth,the better the air quality.

Question 80

The Environmental Protection Agency was created in the mid-1980s.