AP Environmental Practice Final
RCRA
A regulation that deals directly with the disposal of hazardous materials in the US
30 years
A sample of radioactive waste has a half-life of 10 years. How many years will it take for this waste to be reduced to 1/8 its original activity
is a strong oxidant and a respiratory irritant
Although ozone in the stratosphere has been decreasing in recent years, ozone near Earths surface is on the increase. This ozone near the surface is undesirable because it
2.5%
Approximately what percentage of the water on earth is freshwater
15 years
If the population of a country grows at a rate of 5% per year, the number of years required for the population to double is
thermal expansion of the oceans
In models of global warming, the most important factor contributing to an increase in sea level is
landfills
In the US, most municipal solid waste is disposed of by
Methane
Is a flammable gas produced by landfills
peat, lignite, bituminous, anthracite
Name the stages of coal in order.
ultraviolet light
Ozone in the stratosphere is most important to life at earths surface because it absorbs
biomagnification
Some toxic compounds are ingested and retained in the tissues. These pollutants pose special risks to humans and other organisms high on the food chain of what process
artificial levees and ambankments
The amount of sediment deposited at the mouth of a river system is likely to be increased by the presence upstream of
Aluminum
The element commercially extracted from bauxite
increasing loss of habitat
The factor that likely poses the greatest threat of extinction of species worldwide is
Oxygen
The most abundant element in Earth's crust
Iron
The most abundant element in Earths core
Nitrogen
The most abundant element in earth's atmosphere
the boiling points of components
The separation of the various components of crude oil in refineries is accomplished primarily by taking the differences of
photosynthesis and respiration
The two major processes involved in the carbon cycle are
Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico
The use of nitrogen-based fertilizers in the Midwestern US is a major contributing factor to
Comprehensive Environmental Responsibility Compensation and Liability Act
What federal law specifically deals with the cleanup of abandoned hazardous waste sites
paper
What is the greatest component (by weight) of municipal solid waste in the US
chlorine
What substance released by CFC's and catalyzes a chain reaction that breaks down ozone in the upper atmosphere
Tropical East Pacific
Where does el nino occur
clear-cutting
a commercially used method for harvesting trees and is most likely to lead to a fragmented landscape with serious impacts on biodiversity
methane
a greenhouse gas that is also a by-product of anaerobic respiration
Incineration
a method that reduces the volume of waste but could release toxic emissions into the atmosphere
volcanism
a natural event that would be most likely to contribute to the cooling of Earth's atmosphere
beef
compared with people in developing countries, people in industrialized countries are more likely to eat
ozone
considered harmful in the troposphere but beneficial in the stratosphere
incineration contributes to air pollution
critics of incineration of municipal solid waste suggest that it may not be the best solution for the future because
evolution
exemplified by a population of mosquitoes developing resistance to a pesticide
mutualism
exemplified by bees consuming nectar and pollen from one flower to another
commensalism
exemplified by moss growing on a tree trunk in a forest
competition
exemplified by starlings displacing bluebirds from nesting sites
tragedy of the commons
exemplified by the depletion of fishing stocks in the North Atlantic
parasitism
exemplified by ticks feeding on a deer
eutrophication
if waste water treatment plant effluent contains nitrates and phosphates is allowed to flow into a body of water, what may result?
death rate
in a human population undergoing the demographic transition, what generally decreases first
Biological treatment
introduces microorganisms to break down hazardous organic compounds
particulates
is the major pollutant that electrostatic precipitators are designed to remove from power-plant smokestack emissions.
Sulfur dioxide
most often cited as the causative factor for acid deposition
plate boundries
most volcaniam in the world is associated with
clay-silt-sand
order of soil particles in increasing size
national parks
road construction, logging, and mining are banned in which type of federal lands
coal-burning power plants
the majority of atmospheric mercury is produced by
the water is contaminated with animal waste
the presence of fecal coliform bacteria in a sample of river water suggests
destruction of habitat and invasion by nonnative species
two factors thought to be the most harmful to biodiversity
uranium
type of metal that is considered an energy resorce
wet-scrubber units
used to reduce SO2 emissions from coal-burning power plants
activated-sludge tank
what component of a waste water treatment plant is designed to facilitate the decomposition of organic material by aerobic microorganisms
the tilt of Earth's axis of rotation
what is fundamentally responsible for seasons on Earth
abyssal zone
which ocean region is least likely to contain photosynthetic organisms