Deck 15: Pollution and Waste Disposal

Question 1

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

A) animal feed lots and agricultural fertilizers used throughout the Midwest.
B) residual oil from roads and parking lots throughout the Midwest.
C) leachate escaping from landfills throughout the Midwest.
D) acid rain falling on urban areas throughout the Midwest.
E) EPA requirement of oxygenated fuels throughout the Midwest.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

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) citizens are more educated and now demand more green solutions.
C) higher fuel prices are making it more expensive to transport waste.
D) groundwater contamination around landfills is getting worse.
E) waste reduction and recycling programs are now profitable.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

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 nitrogen oxide
B) carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide
C) sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide
D) ozone and carbon monoxide
E) ozone and nitrogen oxide

Answer 3

A

Question 4

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

A) municipal waste was attracting wild animals and generating air pollution from fires.
B) municipal waste was beginning to contain toxic household chemicals.
C) urban development was making it harder to find suitable dump sites.
D) municipal waste was beginning to contain toxic automobile batteries and tires.
E) people became more educated on the benefits of sanitary landfills.

Question 5

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

Question 6

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) combined sewage and stormwater systems release raw sewage during large rain events.
C) plants are not very effective at removing heavy metals.
D) plants are not very effective at removing hazardous chemicals.
E) plants are not very effective at removing pharmaceuticals.

Question 7

What does the term half-life describe?

A) time needed for half of the radioactive atoms in a substance to decay into stable isotopes.
B) time needed for half of the radioactive atoms in a substance to convert into energy.
C) half the time needed for a radioactive substance to become safe.
D) time needed for half the cells in an organism to turn cancerous from radiation damage.
E) half the time needed for cells in a living organism to recover from radiation damage.

Question 8

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

A) confined aquifers are highly susceptible to contamination from surface sources.
B) unconfined aquifers are highly susceptible to contamination from surface sources.
C) contaminated groundwater can contaminate streams.
D) it can take thousands of years for an aquifer to flush itself of contaminants.
E) once in an aquifer, contaminants spread out over time, forming a plume.

Question 9

What explains why leachate is a problem in sanitary landfills?

A) picks up toxic chemicals from municipal waste and causes groundwater contamination.
B) slows down the natural decomposition of municipal waste.
C) mixes with municipal waste and produces poisonous gasses that escape from the landfill.
D) reduces the ability of municipal trash to be compacted.
E) all of the answers listed here.

Question 10

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

A) radioactive decay of uranium minerals found in rocks and sediment
B) breakdown of natural gas deposits
C) byproduct from the breakdown foam insulation used in home construction
D) contaminated groundwater surrounding nuclear power plants
E) byproduct from the breakdown of asphalt roofing shingles used in home construction

Question 11

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 high enough to cause harm to living organisms.
B) concentration is above natural levels, but not harmful to living organisms.
C) concentration is above natural levels, but harmful only to humans.
D) concentration is below natural levels and unlikely to harm humans.
E) concentration is simply above the detection limit of modern instruments.

Question 12

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

A) all of the answers listed here
B) pesticides spread on farm fields
C) lawn fertilizers in housing developments
D) residual oil in parking lots from leaking cars and trucks
E) cows on dairy farms

Question 13

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

A) spent nuclear fuel
B) contaminated protective clothing
C) nuclear reactor water residues
D) tools used on nuclear reactors
E) remains of laboratory research animals

Question 14

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

Question 15

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

A) paper
B) food scraps
C) plastics
D) yard trimmings
E) metals

Question 16

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) birth defects and loss of cognitive ability in children
B) higher incidences of brain cancer
C) increased failure of metallic joint replacements
D) higher incidences of kidney cancer
E) severe hearing loss

Question 17

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 nutrients
B) acid rain
C) acid mine drainage
D) iron oxide runoff
E) excessive carbon dioxide

Question 18

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

A) all of the answers listed here
B) water table is too high for the system to operate properly
C) drain field becomes plugged by solids leaving the septic tank
D) residents pouring household chemicals down their drains
E) permeability of material beneath drain field is too low for proper drainage

Question 19

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) since it's not 100% effective, some hazardous compounds are released into the air
B) flammable compounds in the waste present an explosion hazard
C) EPA regulations make incineration unprofitable for municipal governments
D) medical wastes present in the material pose a biohazard
E) all of the answers listed here

Question 20

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) alpha particles (helium nuclei)
D) microwaves
E) ultraviolet waves