Government water resource specialists have estimated that the Great Lakes currently contain about 200 thousand tons of pesticide pollutants, the amount of new pesticide pollutants that enter the lakes are about 20 thousand tons per year, and the stock of pesticide pollutants was about 200 thousand tons last year. Based on this information, what is the stock dissipation rate?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The stock dissipation rate is the rate at which the existing stock of pesticide pollutants is being reduced or dissipated. We can calculate it using the formula: Stock Dissipation Rate = (Existing Stock - New Stock) divided by Existing Stock x 100%. 
Using the given data, we can plug in the values: 
Stock Dissipation Rate = (200,000 - 200,000) divided by 200,000 x 100% = 0%
This means that there is no change in the existing stock of pesticide pollutants, and the rate of dissipation is zero. However, this calculation is based on the assumption that the estimate of new pesticide pollutants entering the lake each year is accurate. If this assumption is incorrect and the actual amount is less, then there may be some dissipation occurring. 
Therefore, the answer cannot be A (zero) or D (20%). 
The only remaining choices are B (5%) and C (10%). 
To determine which of these is correct, we need to consider the information given about the stock of pesticide pollutants last year. 
If the stock of pesticide pollutants was also 200,000 tons last year, then there has been no change and the dissipation rate is zero. 
However, if the stock of pesticide pollutants was less than 200,000 tons last year, then some dissipation must have occurred. 
Since the question does not provide this information, we have to assume that the stock of pesticide pollutants was stable last year, which means that there is no dissipation occurring. 
Therefore, the best answer is C (10%) with the explanation that the given data does not support any dissipation of pesticide pollutants in the Great Lakes.

Government Water Resource Specialists Have Estimated That the Great Lakes