Chapter 5 Exam

A pesticide was applied to a population of roaches, and it was determined that the LD50 was 55mg/kg. If the average mass of a roach was 0.02kg, which of the following approaches will determine the dose in mg per roach?

(55mg/1kg)×0.02kg

How many units of energy are absorbed by Earth's surface?

120

The LD50for arsenic in humans is 13mg/kg. Which of the following approaches should be used to calculate the number of grams of arsenic it would take to reach the LD50LD50 in a 140-pound person? [Note: 1kg=2.2pounds]

140lb×(1kg/2.2lb)×(13mg/1kg)×(1g/1,000mg)

The average vehicle releases 1.39grams1.39grams of NOx per mile driven. If a vehicle is driven 22,000miles per year for 1515 years, how much NOx does that vehicle release?

458,700 grams

If an area was originally forested and then underwent urban development, which of the following shows the most likely effects on various parts of the water cycle in the area?

A. decrease, increase, decrease

A sanitary landfill with a surface area of 6000m26000m2 receives a yearly rainfall amount of 300mm300mm. About 2020 percent of this precipitation is runoff and does not infiltrate the surface. A leachate collection system, which is installed underneath the landfill, is 9090 percent effective at collecting and treating any water that infiltrates the surface of the landfill. Assuming consistent yearly rainfall amounts, what is the volume of leachate, in m3m3, that the landfill will be able to treat per year?

B. 1,296 m3

Which of the following identifies and describes the equipment needed to best determine the amount of water that infiltrated the soil?

B. A ruler should be used to measure the level of water above the pavers in both pallets immediately after pouring the water over the pavers and immediately after the one-hour wait time.

Of the following, which is the primary method of waste disposal in the United States?

B. Landfilling

(A) Radon (B) Mercury (C) Lead (D) Copper (E) Iron Was once widely used in the United States as a gasoline additive

C. Lead

Which of the following best describes why DDT is classified as a persistent organic pollutant?

DDT is very stable, and as much as 50% of the original concentration can remain in the soil 15 years after the initial application.

Which of the following federal laws specifically deals with the cleanup of abandoned hazardous waste sites?

E. Comprehensive Environmental Responsibility Compensation and Liability Act

The amount of sediment deposited at the mouth of a river system is likely to be increased by the presence upstream of which of the following? I. Artificial levees and embankments II. Dams III. Extensive natural wetlands

I only

Which of the following is a greenhouse gas that is also a by-product of anaerobic respiration?

Methane, CH4

All of the following gases have been implicated in contributing to the increase in global temperature via the greenhouse effect EXCEPT

O2

Step P. Water is passed through a screen to remove debris. Step Q. Pathogenic organisms are killed by chlorination, UV, or ozone. Step R. Suspended particles clump and settle out. Step S. A floccing agent, such as alum, is added to the water. The processes described above are steps in the purification and treatment of municipal wastewater. The steps are listed in random order. Which of the following lists the steps in the correct sequence?

P -> S -> R -> Q

This layer of Earth's atmosphere contains the ozone layer that absorbs the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Statosphere

The zone in which the greatest total mass of CO2 is absorbed from the atmosphere

Zone B

All of the following are commonly used to deal with the side effects of eutrophication in lakes EXCEPT

adding nitrates

Surface oceanic circulation results most directly in the

distribution of heat from tropical to temperate and polar regions

Most data indicate that, during the past 100 years, mean global annual temperature has

increased by 0.5°C

A laboratory study using rats showed a steady increase in physical effects as the concentration of a toxic substance in their food was increased. This suggests that

the dose-response relationship is linear

Of the phenomena that correlate with the data above, the one that is the most direct consequence of the trend in air travel is

the increase in the spread of infectious diseases

In models of global warming, the most important factor contributing to an increase in sea level is

thermal expansion of the oceans

The polar regions radiate away more heat energy than they receive from the Sun in the course of a year. However, they are prevented from becoming progressively colder each year primarily by the

transport of heat through the atmosphere and oceans

The spread of infectious diseases is expected to increase with climate change, mainly because

warmer temperatures allow disease-carrying insects to survive in areas that were once too cold

Large objects, such as sticks and rocks, are screened out and removed during this process.

A

(A) Asbestos (B) Radon (C) Lead (D) Carbon monoxide (E) Formaldehyde Composed of fibers known to cause lung disease

A. Asbestos

Which of the following best describes how an anthropogenic activity can increase ocean acidification?

A. Emissions from power plants that burn fossil fuels increase atmospheric carbon dioxide, which is absorbed by the ocean.

Based on the diagram, which of the following is associated with the primary treatment of sewage?

A. Grit chamber

Recent studies have found that fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less can have negative human health effects. Which of the following correctly links a negative human health effect to an anthropogenic source of fine particulate matter?

A. High rates of respiratory disease from power plant emissions

The presence of which of the following in soil is most likely to neutralize acid rain?

A. Limestone

The major human health problem related to radon accumulation is

A. Lung Cancer

An advantage of recycling aluminum rather than disposing of it in landfills is that aluminum can be

A. Produced from recycled metal using much less energy than is required for its production from aluminum ore

(A) Radon (B) Mercury (C) Lead (D) Copper (E) Iron A gaseous decay product of uranium that is found in rocks

A. Radon

Which of the following laws gave the EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from "cradle-to-grave", including the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste?

A. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

The air pollutant that computer simulations would likely show as being the most reduced by the use of fluidized-bed combustion in the boiler furnaces

A. Sulfur Dioxide

Consumers who get their electricity from coal-fired power plants are not paying the true cost of energy production in their monthly utility bills. Which of the following is true about utility bills for these consumers?

A. The bills do not include public health costs, such as those associated with air pollution.

Which of the following solutions would help decrease flood frequencies and flood sizes that are caused by urbanization?

A. Using new, more permeable materials for roads and sidewalks

A local citizen science group is monitoring the water quality of a nearby lake. They gather water samples once a week on Wednesday between the hours of 7 A.M. and 9 A.M. from the same location. One day in August they were unable to sample within that time frame and collected the sample at 3 P.M. How might this modification to the sampling procedure affect the results?

A. Water sampled later in the day may be warmer and therefore have lower dissolved oxygen levels.

If Earth has no atmosphere, the mean surface temperature would be approximately -15°C. With our present atmosphere, Earth's mean surface temperature is approximately +15°C. Which of the following is the best explanation for this difference?

Absorption of infared radiation by atmospheric gases.

When scientists discover the existence of an emerging infectious disease such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), they must take immediate steps to determine the cause of the disease and the method of transmission. These initial steps would include which of the following?

Acquiring recent medical and travel histories of the disease victims

Which of the following components of a wastewater treatment plants designed to facilitate the decomposition of organic material by aerobic microorganisms?

Activated-sludge tank

Which of the following best describes the action of an endocrine disruptor?

An endocrine disruptor blocks the receptor protein binding site of a hormone so that the cell cannot receive a signal.

The drop in stratospheric ozone levels in the Southern Hemisphere (the "ozone hole") is most evident during which season?

Antarctic spring (October)

The table below shows the oral LD50LD50 values for various household substances. Substance Oral LD50(mg/kg) Aspirin 1,000 Table salt 3,320 Antifreeze 460 Vinegar 3,300 Based on the LD50LD50 values, which of the following best describes the toxicity level of the household substances shown in the table?

Antifreeze is more toxic than aspirin.

Which of the following human health issues is linked to exposure to pollutants released during the incineration of plastic waste?

Asthma

At which of the following locations in the stream was there most likely a discharge of excess organic matter into the water?

B

Catalytic converters reduce which of the following pairs of pollutants in car exhaust?

B. Carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons

Increased use of which of the following technologies would cause the greatest reduction in the primary source of photochemical smog?

B. Catalytic Converter

Of the following cities, which regularly experiences the worst levels of photochemical smog that is enhanced by thermal inversions?

B. Los Angeles, California

Which of the following actions would be the most effective in decreasing acid rain and acid deposition problems?

B. Reducing use of fossil fuels

Based on the information above, which of the following best explains how noise pollution from the highway has affected the size of the bat population?

B. The highway noise is interfering with the bats' echolocation, preventing them from successfully locating and catching prey as they fly

Incineration is one solution to reduce the volume of municipal solid waste. Municipal solid waste can be used to produce energy at waste-to-energy plants. Based on the data in the graphs, which of the following materials would be best suited for incineration to reduce total volume, produce energy, and have minimal release of air pollutants?

B. Wood

Smoke from forest fires is most likely to affect air quality over larger areas for many days when

B. a persistent atmospheric inversion exists in the region

Eutrophication results in the death of trout and other fish as a result of

B. asphyxiation from lack of oxygen

The primary cause of acid precipitation in the northeastern United States is

B. burning of sulfur-containing fossil fuels to produce electricity

Major anthropogenic sources of nitrogen pollution include commercial fertilizers, vehicle exhaust, industrial air pollution, and

B. discharge of sewage to surface waters

Of the following, which is the most serious immediate problem associated with sanitary landfills?

B. leachate contamination of groundwater

In the United States, the largest single component of municipal solid waste is

B. paper

Most municipal solid waste in the United States is disposed of in

B. sanitary landfills

Integrated waste management employs all of the following EXCEPT

B. using disposable diapers instead of cloth diapers

The graph above shows the effect of sewage on biological oxygen demand (BOD) and dissolved oxygen (DO) in a flowing stream. The smallest fish populations will most probably be found at point

C

This process results in the biological breakdown of most of the organic matter in the sewage.

C

Storm water runoff from the new development into nearby Samel Creek will likely lead to which of the following?

C. Destruction of fish habitats by high levels of suspended solids and sediments

Based on the data in the graphs, which of the following strategies would best increase the total volume of municipal solid waste being recycled?

C. Enacting a single-stream recycling program and providing bins to residential homes.

Which of the following events would most likely lead to a decrease in the pH in the oceans?

C. Increased burning of fossil fuels in power plants

A. Carbon dioxide B. Carbon monoxide C. Methane D.Radon E. Sulfur dioxide Is a flammable gas produced by landfills

C. Methane

Which of the following is a point source pollutant that would likely affect the ecosystem health of a coral reef?

C. Oil released from the broken hull of a shipwrecked tanker

Rapid runoff following a heavy rainfall may cause flooding downstream from urban areas. Which urban design strategy will most likely slow water runoff though an urban area and decrease the risk of downstream flooding?

C. Preserve open areas with intact vegetation

Based on the data table above for a stream in Illinois, which site most likely has a construction site immediately upstream from it?

C. Site C

Why did the DO after one week decrease as the amount of waste increased?

C. The algae multiplied and then died and decomposed.

Which of the following is true of sewage treatment plants in the United States?

C. They are not designed to remove pharmaceutical chemicals from wastewater.

Which of the following identifies an unintended result from recycling programs?

C. When items are placed in recycling that cannot be recycled, the cost of recycling increases.

The majority of atmospheric mercury is produced by

C. coal-burning power plants

Most plastics pose a special problem in the waste stream because they

C. decompose slowly, if at all, and persist as solid waste

Based on the diagram, which of the following best describes how a malfunctioning air compressor would affect the process of sewage treatment?

C. fewer bacteria would be available to absorb dissolved organics in the tank

In the removal of a pollutant from wastewater, which of the following is true of the cost per unit of pollutant removed?

C. it increases as the concentration of the pollutant decreases

All of the following are likely consequences of indoor air pollution EXCEPT an increase in

C. the risk of developing skin cancer

Which of the following best identifies the reason that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were banned in 1996 by the Montreal Protocol?

CFCs led to the destruction of stratospheric ozone.

Which of the following best explains why DDT has been found in penguin eggs in the Antarctic?

Chemicals used in one region of Earth can circulate in the biosphere and affect organisms in a distant region.

Which of the following substances is released by CFC's and catalyzes a chain reaction that breaks down ozone in the upper atmosphere?

Chlorine

(A) Safe Drinking Water Act (B) Clean Water Act (C) Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) (D) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (E) Toxic Substances Control Act Mandates the restoration and maintenance of the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters

Clean Water Act

Global warming is most likely to directly cause which of the following?

Coastal flooding and submersion of low-lying areas

Large quantities of methane hydrates are located in this region and if released will contribute significantly to global climate change.

D

Which of the following is the human health impact most closely associated with atmospheric particulates?

D. Asthma

Which type of electricity-generating power plant releases radioactive materials as well as toxic metals such as lead and arsenic under normal operating conditions?

D. Coal-burning

Which of the following components, which are not shown on the diagram, are part of the tertiary treatment of wastewater?

D. Disinfectants

Which of the following characteristically produces non-point-source pollution?

D. Erosion from agricultural land

Critics of incineration of municipal solid waste suggests that it may not be the best solution for the future, for which of the following reasons?

D. Incineration contributes to air pollution

Which of the following describes an aspect of urbanization that would most increase the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere compared to rural and suburban areas?

D. Increased amounts of waste per unit areas that lead to higher rates of decay and decomposition

Which of the following best describes an environmental advantage of urbanization?

D. Individuals living in cities usually have a lower transportation carbon footprint than individuals living in rural areas.

Which of the following is true of the Clean Air Act?

D. It established a cap-and-trade program for SO2 in 1990

Which of the following correctly orders the methods of solid-waste management in terms of energy required??

D. Least Energy -> Most Energy Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Which of the following will result in accelerated eutrophication when introduced into streams, lakes, and bays?

D. Phosphates

(A) Safe Drinking Water Act (B) Clean Water Act (C) Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) (D) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (E) Toxic Substances Control Act Establishes cradle-to-grave tracking of hazardous waste

D. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

Which of the following is used to reduce SO2 emissions from coal-burning power plants?

D. Wet-scrubber units

(A) Sanitary landfill (B) Incineration (C) Discharge to sewers, streams, and rivers (D) Chemical treatment (E) Biological treatment Which method would be best suited for neutralizing the acidic components of waste?

D. chemical treatment

Which of the following would most likely reduce the concentration of ground-level ozone in the air of a city?

D. decrease in the emissions of nitrogen oxides

using disposable diapers instead of cloth diapers

D. decreasing taxes on recycled material

Which of the following is LEAST likely to be an effect of global warming?

Decreased rate of photosynthesis in vegetation

Which of the following human activities is most closely associated with depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer?

Disposal of refrigerators and air conditioners

Which of the following would add the most support to the reliability of this series of experiments?

Duplicate the experiment under identical conditions, and get similar results

Researchers are evaluating the waste treatment facility located on the Moose River in the northeastern United States. They are sampling the river and its tributaries at several locations, as shown on the map below. Researchers suspect that sewage leaked into the Moose River. Rates for which of the following diseases should be used to determine whether the human population using the river as a source of drinking water was exposed to sewage?

Dysentery

Which latitude on the diagram above experiences 24 hours of daylight on December 21?

E

A point source discharges organic waste into a stream. Which of the following graphs best depicts the expected pattern for dissolved oxygen (DO) in this stream as a function of distance from the discharge point?

E. ----U---------

Approximately 60 percent of municipal solid waste in the United States is composed of some form of organic matter that could be composted. Every American generates approximately 2 kg of waste every day. The amount of compostable waste that could be generated by one individual in a week would be closest to

E. 8.4 kg

Which of the following would be the strongest evidence in support of a scientist's contention that a local area was experiencing acid deposition?

E. An increase in the concentrations of soluble heavy metals in a local pond

(A) Sanitary landfill (B) Incineration (C) Discharge to sewers, streams, and rivers (D) Chemical treatment (E) Biological treatment Which method introduces microorganisms to break down hazardous organic compounds?

E. Biological treatment

(A) Sulfur dioxide (B) Lead (C) Ozone (D) Hydrocarbons (E) Particulates Is the major pollutant that electrostatic precipitators are designed to remove from power-plant smokestack emissions

E. Particulates

Waste from which of the following is an example of nonpoint source pollution?

E. Runoff from agricultural fields

Which of the following is an appropriate remediation strategy for removing radon gas from the home?

E. Seal or ventilate places where radon enters the living space.

Which of the following best illustrates point-source pollution?

E. Smokestack emissions from a large smelting company

Many homeowners are unaware that their garbage may contain hazardous waste, which should be taken to a designated hazardous waste dump site instead of being placed in their regular trash. All of the following are considered household hazardous waste EXCEPT

E. food scraps

The presence of which of the following contaminants would be the strongest reason for judging municipal sewage sludge unfit for use as fertilizer?

E. heavy metals

Ground-level ozone in most major United States cities results primarily from

E. motor-vehicle exaust

Which of the following is an effective alternative to chlorine for disinfecting wastewater in a municipal treatment plant?

E. ozone

Of the following strategies to decrease the landfill volume of packaging material from food and other consumer products, the most energy efficient is

E. promoting the use of reusable containers for consumer goods

One important step that homeowners in the new development can take to protect water quality in Samel Creek would be to

E. use rain barrels to reduce the flow of storm water into the creek

The danger from radon gas would most likely be greatest in

E. well-insulated homes

Which of the following examples includes both a point and a nonpoint source of pollution?

Fertilizer from suburban lawns and wastewater from a water treatment plant

(A) Asbestos (B) Radon (C) Lead (D) Carbon monoxide (E) Formaldehyde Emitted from most manufactured building materials and furniture

Formaldehyde

Which sequence of events best explains the interaction between the components of the Arctic ecosystem feedback loop?

Global temperature increases →→ permafrost thickness decreases →→ methane increases →→ global temperature increases

Endocrine disruptors directly affect which of the following in an organism?

Hormones

Regulations that deal directly with the disposal of hazardous materials in the United States include which of the following? I. RCRA II. Clean Water Act III. Clean Air Act

I. Only

Rachel Carson's contributions to the environmental movement include which of the following?

Increasing public awareness of the risks of using pesticides

Which of the following types of releases of greenhouse gases from an anthropogenic source is shown in the diagram?

Industrial and agricultural practices releasing CH4 (Methane) into the atmosphere

Which of the following best describes the effect of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide on marine organisms?

It will decrease the availability of carbonate ions in ocean water, decreasing the ability of coral to form shells.

(A) Sulfur dioxide (B) Lead (C) Ozone (D) Hydrocarbons (E) Particulates Implicated in human neurological damage

Lead

Significant increases in water temperature can drastically change dissolved oxygen (DO)(DO) levels in a lake. Why does the combined effect of these two environmental changes result in algal blooms?

Low dissolved oxygen leads to death for aerobic organisms, like fish, whose decomposition provides an overabundance of nutrients for the algae, resulting in the large blooms.

Which of the following best explains why scientists are increasingly concerned about the effects of methane gas emissions on global climate if they are a relatively small percent of greenhouse gasses released?

Methane gas has a higher global warming potential (GWP) than Carbon Dioxide does, so it can trap more heat in the atmosphere

Addressed the issue of stratospheric ozone depletion

Montreal Protocol

Which of the following best describes a way that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) cause harm in the environment?

Persistent organic pollutants are soluble in fat, so they accumulate in an organisms' fatty tissues.

Which of the following best explains the impact of climate change on polar regions?

Polar regions are warming more quickly than other regions because warming decreases the coverage of high-albedo ground cover like ice and snow.

According to the information in the graph above, which of the following would most effectively slow the loss of arable land?

Reduce urban development

A laboratory experiment was done to show the effects of organic waste on the dissolved oxygen (DO) content in water. Which of the following would best improve the validity of the experiment?

Repeating the experiment several times and comparing the results

Cholera is an acute infection of the digestive system that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Infected individuals can experience a range of symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting, muscle cramps, low blood pressure, rapid heart rate, and extreme thirst. If symptoms persist and severe dehydration results, an infected individual can die within hours of symptom onset. The diagram below shows how cholera is transmitted. Based on the diagram, which of the following is the most likely reason that a community with good sanitation could still have individuals who contract cholera?

Runoff from a nearby agricultural field pollutes a reservoir used for drinking water.

The graph below depicts the dose response curves for three common bacteria and a newly discovered bacterium found in streams near certain agricultural properties. If all four of the bacteria species shown in the graph are equally likely to contaminate agricultural products at a dose of 102 CFU102⁢ CFU, regulating which of the following species would have the greatest effect in reducing the likelihood of illness in humans?

Salmonella spp

a. Carbon dioxide b. Carbon monoxide c. Methane d. Radon e. Sulfur dioxide Is an important precursor to acid rain

Sulfur Dioxide

Which of the following best exemplifies global collaboration for a sustainable environment?

The Montreal Protocol

If the diagram illustrates Earth's relative position on December 21 of a given year, which of the following statements would be correct?

The Tropic of Cancer has a shorter day and lower solar radiation intensity because there is a direct relationship between day length and radiation intensity.

Based on the diagram, which of the following best predicts how an increase in greenhouse gases would affect the ocean?

The oceans would be warmed because of increased solar radiation being absorbed by the water, causing expansion and sea levels rise.

Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the figure below, which depicts the observed relation between dietary fat intake and rate of death from breast cancer in different countries. Which of the following statements is best supported by the data?

There is a positive correlation between breast cancer and dietary fate intake.

Many scientists maintain that a rise in sea level has occurred in the last hundred years as a result of global warming. If this is true, which of the following factors best explains such a rise?

Thermal expansion of the ocean

Which of the following is a measure of the amount of suspended material in water?

Turbidity

The risk that many cancer-causing chemicals pose to humans can be estimated using laboratory tests on rats. A significant scientific limitation of such tests is that

animal models may not reflect human responses

Toxicologists say, "the dose makes the poison," meaning that most substances are harmful in high enough concentrations. The data for anastrozole

does not support this concept because as concentration increases, response decreases

The increase in mean global temperature is likely to result in all of the following EXCEPT

increased ground-level ultraviolet radiation

The activity with the health risk most likely to be overestimated by the general public in the United States is

living near a nuclear power plant

The data in the graph can be useful in explaining the greenhouse effects when they are compared with

mean global temperatures