Unit 7 - Air Pollution
A paper company located on the banks of a river discharges its treated wastewater into the river. Which of the following would be the best control group to evaluate the treated wastewater from the paper company?
A sample of water upstream from the same river
Which of the following shows the correct sequence of thermal layers as one moves vertically upwards from the surface of Earth?
Cool sea breeze →→ Warm →→ Cool
Indoor air pollution I. is of great concern in developed nations II. is of great concern in developing nations III. affects mainly those with compromised health
I and II only
Photochemical smog generally requires the presence of I. nitrogen oxides II. sunlight III. volatile organic compounds
I, II, and III
Which of the following are deficiencies in U.S. air pollution regulation? I. Airports are exempt from many air pollution regulations. II. Ultrafine particles are not regulated. III. Most laws focus on pollution clean up.
I, II, and III
Which of the following would be the best location to obtain a water sample from to determine if the paper plant is affecting the acidity of the river?
Immediately downstream from the paper plant
Which of the following would be the most effective plan for the manager to propose to the city with coal fire burning plants?
Install electrostatic precipitators at the plant.
Which of the following best describes why the authors claim that reducing noise exposure is currently more of a public policy problem than a scientific problem?
Most public health impacts of noise were already identified in the 1960s.
Which of the following best describes why the authors claim that noise exposure will be a major health problem in the twenty-first century?
Noise exposure is on the increase in both industrialized nations and in developing regions.
The air pollutant that computer simulations would likely show as being the most reduced by the installation of baghouse filters in exhaust systems is...
Particulate matter
The air pollutant that computer simulations would likely show as being the most reduced by the installation of electrostatic precipitators in exhaust systems is...
Particulate matter
Scientists have been monitoring CO2CO2 in the atmosphere from Mauna Loa in Hawaii since 1958. Which of the following units is used by scientists to measure CO2CO2 in the atmosphere?
Parts per million
Primary pollutants from industrial processes include all of the following, except
SO3
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 is...
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
Based on the layers in the diagram, which of the following best explains why a thermal inversion tends to concentrate pollutants in the air layer closest to the Earth's surface?
The air layer closest to the Earth's surface (cool air) is denser than the layer above it.
A paper company located on the banks of a river discharges its treated wastewater into the river. Which of the following water quality indicators should be measured to best determine if the wastewater is increasing the acidity of the river?
The amount of hydrogen ions
A student is setting up a model to study the carbon cycle and natural sources of carbon dioxide. They create a microenvironment that contains soil, leaf debris, an earthworm, heterotrophic bacteria, and a sun lamp. What natural source of carbon dioxide and major metabolic process was left out of the model?
There is no representation of photosynthesis in the model environment.
Which of the following statements is true?
Thermal inversions exacerbate pollution problems.
Which of the following best explains the cause of the trend shown in the graph for lead emissions in the United States from 1970 to 2011 ?
Unleaded gasoline was first introduced in 1974, and amendments to the Clean Air Act required cars with the model year 1975 or later to use only unleaded gasoline.
Which of the following activities would most likely account for the levels of indoor air pollution in India and sub-Saharan Africa, as shown in the graph?
Use of biomass fuel sources such as wood and charcoal for cooking
Which of the following sources should be examined in a study to determine the impact of a geologic source on levels of CO2 in the atmosphere?
Volcanoes
Which of the following is the best example of a point source pollutant? a. Oil tanker spill b. Farm field c. Golf Course d. Parking Lot
a. Oil tanker spill
Of the following strategies to reduce emissions of pollutants from stationary sources, the one which is least likely to help over the long run is
dispersing pollutants above the thermal inversion layer.
Human health depends on having
enough ozone in the stratosphere and little to no ozone in the troposphere
Secondary pollutants are always
formed from primary pollutants
Primary pollutants such as NO2 are typically able to be transported by prevailing winds above cities
in the warmer air above the inversion layer
Which area in the U.S. is most susceptible to impacts of acid deposition and why?
northeast, increased industrial processing
Radon-222 can be found most commonly in US households in
soil and rock surrounding the foundations
Which of the following is are natural sources of air pollutants?
volcanoes, forest fires, decaying plants, and salt particles from oceans
If the air layers in the diagram were relabeled to illustrate normal atmospheric conditions, the correct labeling from the air layer closest to the Earth's surface to the one farthest from the Earth's surface would be
warm air, cool air, cooler air