Unit 7 apes

Radon

A leading cause of lung cancer in the United States Radon Mercury Iron Lead Copper

The amount of hydrogen ions

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 species richness The total suspended solids The amount of dissolved oxygen The amount of hydrogen ions

The burning of fossil fuels

Acid rain is associated with which of the following? Release of PCBs into the atmosphere Formation of the antarctic ozone hole The burning of fossil fuels Damage to tropical rain forests The increasing pH of lake waters

Carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons

Catalytic converters reduce which of the following pairs of pollutants in car exhaust? -Methane and particulates -Carbon dioxide and particulates -Carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons -Carbon dioxide and ozone -Lead and mercury

Radon

Colorless, odorless gas that is a naturally occurring decay product of uranium Lead Radon Asbestos Caron monoxide Formaldehyde

lead

Found in old plumbing pipes and fixtures and some ceramic glazes -Formaldehyde -Asbestos -Lead -Radon -Caron monoxide

motor-vehicle exhaust

Ground-level ozone in most major United States cities results primarily from -burning coal -burning fuel for cooking -motor-vehicle exhaust -industrial emissions -producing electric power

Carbon monoxide

Has a stronger affinity for hemoglobin than oxygen has Radon Sulfur dioxide Carbon dioxide Carbon monoxide Methane

Pb

Implicated in human neurological damage O3 SO2 Particulates (PM10) Pb Hydrocarbons

coal

Is primarily responsible for acid rain in the northeast United States -Coal -Oil -Uranium-238 -Solar -Natural Gas

Electrostatic precipitators

Particulates can be removed from smokestack emissions by which of the following methods? -Liquid chromatography -Irradiation by UV light -Catalytic converters -Electrostatic precipitators -Exhaust-stream aeration

Mercury

Poses a health risk to humans who eat large quantities of marine fish such as swordfish and tuna Mercury Radon Lead Copper Iron

Toxic metals freed by acid deposition

Recent studies show that the decline of some tree populations in the northeastern United States is due to a combination of factors. Which of the following is the most important factor? -Carbon monoxide released in motor vehicle exhaust -Toxic metals freed by acid deposition -Radon produced in the Earth's crust -Lead emissions produced by smelters -Carbon dioxide produced by coal-fueled electric power plants

Parts per million

Scientists have been monitoring CO2 in the atmosphere from Mauna Loa in Hawaii since 1958. Which of the following units is used by scientists to measure CO2 in the atmosphere? Percent saturation Dobson units pH Parts per million

a persistent atmospheric inversion exists in the region

Smoke from forest fires is most likely to affect air quality over larger areas for many days when -oak trees are burned, releasing terpenes into the atmosphere -a persistent atmospheric inversion exists in the region -smog is produced due to chemical reactions in the atmosphere -vegetation in the region is green and burns more slowly -primary, rather than secondary, forests are burned

well-insulated homes

The danger from radon gas would most likely be greatest in high-rise office buildings well-insulated homes airplanes at high altitudes areas with a high density of automobiles crop-dusted agricultural fields

Cool sea breeze ® Warm ® Cool

The figure below illustrates how a thermal inversion can form over major urban centers. In the figure above, the letters A, B, and C represent the different thermal layers present in an inversion. Which of the following shows the correct sequence of thermal layers as one moves vertically upwards from the surface of Earth? Warm sea breeze ® Warm ® Cool Warm sea breeze ® Cool ® Warm Cool sea breeze ® Cooler ® Coolest Cool sea breeze ® Warm ® Cool

limestone

The presence of which of the following in soil is most likely to neutralize acid rain? -Humus -Granite -Limestone -Sand -Radon

Particulates (PM10)

What is the major pollutant that electrostatic precipitators are designed to remove from power-plant smokestack emissions -SO2 -Particulates (PM10) -Pb -Hydrocarbons -O3

CO2, NOx, and VOCs

Which of the following are direct products of the use of hydrocarbon fuels in automobile engines? CO2, H2O, and O3 CO2, NOx, and VOCs O, N, and CO CO2, O3, and Pb CO, Ar, and O3

Use filtered water for drinking and bathing.

Which of the following is an appropriate remediation strategy for removing radon gas from the home? -Do not occupy the basement of the home. -Place monitors in suspect areas of the home. -Remove and replace soil in crawl spaces under the home. -Use filtered water for drinking and bathing. -Seal or ventilate places where radon enters the living space.

Cracks in the basement foundation

Which of the following is most likely responsible for the indoor air pollutant shown in the graph? -Cracks in the basement foundation -Synthetic fiber in carpets and furniture -Pet hair -Leaking water

I and III only

mportant factors that contribute to smog formation in the Los Angeles basin include which of the following? I. Ample summer sunshine II. Sea-level elevation III. High concentration of automobiles III only I only I and III only I, II, and III II and III only

Radon

Has been implicated as the cause of as much as 15 percent of lung cancer cases -Methane -Sulfur dioxide -Radon -Carbon dioxide -Carbon monoxide

A

Which of the following devices is correctly paired to the air pollutant it would be used to measure?

Nitrogen dioxide, NO2

Which of the following is a common component of photochemical smog and is a reddish-brown gas with a pungent odor? -Carbon monoxide, CO -Methane, CH4 -Ozone, O3 -Nitrogen dioxide, NO2 -Ammonia, NH3

Wet-scrubber units

Which of the following is used to reduce SO2 emissions from coal-burning power plants? Ultrafine mechanical filters Electrostatic precipitators Wet-scrubber units Catalytic converters Afterburners

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

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? -The bills include the cost of environmental damage associated with transporting coal. -The bills do not include the cost of marketing electricity. -The bills include the cost of cleaning up acid mine damage. -The bills do not include public health costs, such as those associated with air pollution. -The bills do not include the cost of power distribution.

Use of biomass fuel sources such as wood and charcoal for cooking

Scientists have observed that the health of people living in moderately developed regions, which have developed transportation and industry but lack environmental control measures, is more likely to be affected by urban outdoor pollution than by indoor air pollution.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? -Industrial power plants burning fossil fuels for electrical energy generation -Use of chemical pesticides on croplands -Use of biomass fuel sources such as wood and charcoal for cooking -Construction of homes with more efficient insulation and increased ventilation

lung cancer

The major human health problem related to radon accumulation is malignant melanoma heart disease pancreatic cancer lung cancer cataracts

Coal-burning

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

There is no representation of photosynthesis in the model environment.

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 decomposition in the model environment. -There is no representation of cellular respiration in the model environment. -There is no representation of ingestion in the model environment. -There is no representation of photosynthesis in the model environment.

the risk of developing skin cancer

All of the following are likely consequences of indoor air pollution EXCEPT an increase in -flulike symptoms, chronic fatigue, and nausea -the development and exacerbation of asthma -the risk of developing lung cancer -respiratory diseases leading to premature death -the risk of developing skin cancer

the underlying bedrock

The major source of radon in houses in the United States is -furniture and carpets -nuclear power plants -fossil-fuel combustion -the troposphere -the underlying bedrock

industry, transportation, and energy production

The three main anthropogenic sources of gaseous air pollutants in the United States are -industry, transportation, and energy production -soil erosion, volcanoes, and energy production -soil erosion, volcanoes, and forest fires -industry, transportation, and agriculture -industry, construction, and agriculture

There will be an increase in the level of nitrogen dioxide and a decrease in the level of ground-level ozone.

Air pollution from a power plant is being monitored for levels of nitrogen dioxide and ground-level ozone. The levels are measured daily at the same time. Which of the following best predicts the impact of a dark and cloudy day on the readings for the levels of air pollutants measured? -There will be an increase in the level of nitrogen dioxide and a decrease in the level of ground-level ozone. -There will be an increase in the levels of both nitrogen dioxide and ground-level ozone. -There will be a decrease in the level of nitrogen dioxide and an increase in the level of ground-level ozone. -There will be no change in the levels of nitrogen dioxide or ground-level ozone.

Wind direction and speed

An air pollution expert set up a monitoring program to determine the amount of particulate matter ( PM ) leaving a farmer's field after crops were harvested and the soil was bare. She set up high-volume air samplers 10 meters from each edge of the square field and collected samples weekly for two months. When she looked at her data, she was surprised by how much the PM levels varied, both from site to site on a given date and over time at each site. Which of the following parameters would have been best to measure to help explain the variation in her results? Depth of the organic matter in the soil Percent of cloudy days over the two months Particle size of the soils in the field Wind direction and speed

Particulate matter

An engineer is assigned the task of reducing the air pollutants being released from a power plant that generates electricity by burning coal. The engineer performs a variety of computer simulations to determine which techniques and methods would be most effective at reducing air pollution generated by the plant. The air pollutant that computer simulations would likely show as being the most reduced by the installation of baghouse filters in exhaust systems Sulfur dioxide Particulate matter Carbon dioxide Carbon monoxide

Sulfur dioxide

An engineer is assigned the task of reducing the air pollutants being released from a power plant that generates electricity by burning coal. The engineer performs a variety of computer simulations to determine which techniques and methods would be most effective at reducing air pollution generated by the plant. 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 -Sulfur dioxide -Carbon monoxide -Carbon dioxide -Particulate matter

Wet scrubbers using a flow rate of 450 L/min are best suited to remove large particles.

An experiment to evaluate the efficiency of wet and dry scrubber networks that filter particulate gas at different flow rates was conducted under different flow rate conditions. The results are shown below. Based on the data in the graph, which of the following methods would be most effective at removing the greatest amount of particulate matter from coal-burning power plant emissions? -Dry scrubbers using a flow rate of 450 L/min are best suited to remove large particles. -Dry scrubbers using a flow rate of 200 L/min are best suited to remove small particles. -Wet scrubbers using a flow rate of 300 L/min are best suited to remove small particles. -Wet scrubbers using a flow rate of 450 L/min are best suited to remove large particles.

Dry scrubbers are less than 10% efficient at removing particles less than 1µm in size.

An experiment to evaluate the efficiency of wet and dry scrubber networks that filter particulate gas at different flow rates was conducted under different flow rate conditions. The results are shown below. Which of the following best describes the efficiency of dry scrubbers at removing particles that are less than 2 micrometers in diameter? -Dry scrubbers are less than 10% efficient at removing particles less than 1µm in size. -Dry scrubbers are between 50% and 90% efficient at removing particles less than 2µm , depending on the flow rate. -Dry scrubbers are between 5% and 40% efficient at removing particles less than 2µm in size. -Dry scrubbers are less than 20% efficient at removing particles less than 1µm and increase to over 50% efficiency at removing particles between 1 and 2µm .

warm air, cool air, cooler air

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 cool air, cooler air, warm air cooler air, warm air, cool air cooler air, cool air, warm air

Sudden or persistent noise may lead to permanent hearing loss.

Of the following, which is true of noise pollution? -Noise pollution is an insignificant occupational hazard. -Noise at 100 decibels has twice the energy of noise at 50 decibels. -In urban areas, few individuals are exposed to noise pollution. -Sudden or persistent noise may lead to permanent hearing loss. -Hearing damage occurs most quickly when the intensity level of the sound is low.

The amount of sulfur dioxide released will decrease.

Scientists are testing the effect of different scrubber technologies on the removal of pollutants from coal power plants. The scrubbers use a slurry of limestone and water. Which of the following best describes the impact of modifying the slurry by increasing the amount of limestone? -The amount of water released will increase. -The amount of carbon monoxide released will increase. -The amount of sulfur dioxide released will decrease. -The amount of ground-level ozone released will decrease

In moderately developed regions such as China and Latin America, an individual's health is more or as likely to be affected by urban outdoor pollution than by indoor pollution.

Scientists have observed that the health of people living in moderately developed regions, which have developed transportation and industry but lack environmental control measures, is more likely to be affected by urban outdoor pollution than by indoor air pollution. Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the data presented in the graph? -In moderately developed regions such as China and Latin America, an individual's health is more or as likely to be affected by urban outdoor pollution than by indoor pollution. -Indoor air pollutants decrease and urban outdoor pollutants increase as countries become more industrialized. -Developing regions such as sub-Saharan Africa are less affected by indoor air pollution because there is no source of radon in the region. -The amount of both indoor and outdoor air pollution is directly linked to the size of each region.

The coal-burning power plant would not appear to have a large impact because the pH levels of the two lakes would be similar.

Scientists want to examine the effects of a coal-burning power plant on the pH of a lake that is downwind of the power plant. They take samples from a lake that is not downwind of the power plant to serve as a control. However, they did not realize that the lake they chose as a control group was a geothermal hot spring with acidic water. Which of the following best describes how their choice of control group could affect the results of their experiment? -The coal-burning power plant would affect both lakes because the Coriolis effect and weather patterns would circulate pollutants in the atmosphere. -The coal-burning power plant would appear to have a much larger effect on the pH of the experimental group because the pH in the control lake would be elevated from the acidic water. -Using this control would not have an effect on the outcome because the high temperature of the hot spring reduces the acidity of the water in the lake. -The coal-burning power plant would not appear to have a large impact because the pH levels of the two lakes would be similar.

Location A has the greatest need for remediation because the radon levels in the building are the highest and exceed the EPA action level.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United States recommends taking corrective measures to reduce exposure to radon gas. The EPA has set an action level of 4 pCi/L for radon gas. The graph below shows radon samples taken from seventeen buildings in California. The radon samples were taken from the air inside the buildings, and the uranium concentrations were sampled from the soil under the buildings. Data points from four of the seventeen building locations are labeled A-D. Which of the following conclusions can best be drawn from the data in the graph? -Location D has the lowest need for remediation because there is no measurable radon in the air or the soil samples. -Location B has the lowest need for remediation because the radon levels in the building are below the suggested action level. -Location A has the greatest need for remediation because the radon levels in the building are the highest and exceed the EPA action level. -Location C has the greatest need for remediation because the radon levels in the soil are the highest.

NO is produced by rush-hour traffic and is quickly oxidized in the atmosphere.

The following questions(s) refer to the diagram below, which depicts the concentrations of various gases in the air over a city on a typical smoggy day. Which of the following best explains the pattern in NO concentration? -NO does not play a significant role in smog formation. -NO is formed in the lower atmosphere in the morning by the rising Sun. -NO is produced by rush-hour traffic and is quickly oxidized in the atmosphere. -NO is a secondary pollutant with a long residence time in the atmosphere. -NO is quickly absorbed by plants and converted to sugars.

Concentrations for component C would be higher throughout the graph.

The graph below depicts the various components of smog for a densely populated urban area in the Northern Hemisphere. Each plotted line (A, B, C, and D) is a different component of smog.The data that were used to create this graph were collected in the winter. Which of the following best describes how the graph would be different if the data were collected in the middle of the summer? -The peaks for every data line would be at a lower concentration. -Concentrations for component C would be higher throughout the graph. -Concentrations for all the data lines would be the horizontal throughout the day. -Components A , B , and D would peak in the afternoon instead of in the morning.

10

The graph below shows the average pH of precipitation from several regions of the world.Approximately how many more times acidic, in terms of H+ concentration, is precipitation in the northeastern United States as compared to precipitation in the South Pacific? 100 10 20 0.1 2

Reducing use of fossil fuels

Which of the following actions would be the most effective in decreasing acid rain and acid deposition problems? -Relocating power plants to areas of lower population density -Reducing use of fossil fuels -Adding lime to acidified lakes -Using higher smokestacks -Developing acid-resistant crops

Less-dense, warm air creates a temperature inversion between more-dense layers, trapping pollutants near the ground.

Which of the following best describes the process shown in the diagram? -Movement of air currents over urban areas decreases the amount of photochemical smog during summer months. -Less-dense, warm air creates a temperature inversion between more-dense layers, trapping pollutants near the ground. -Dense, warm air from the mountains on the right pushes into the less-dense, cool air mass, causing an inversion layer. -Less-dense, cool air rises up and mixes with the denser warm air above it, increasing the amount of thermal pollution in the atmosphere.

Increase in respiratory irritation due to increased levels of fine airborne particulates

Which of the following describes a potential human health effect most likely to be associated with a thermal inversion? -Increase in allergies due to increased household mold -Increase in infant mortality due to increased atmospheric CO2 levels -Increase in respiratory irritation due to increased levels of fine airborne particulates -Increase in skin cancer due to increased ozone levels -Increase in heart attacks due to increased barometric pressure

An increase in air emission standards that began in 1970 that regulated corporate average fuel economy ( CAFE ) standards.

Which of the following is most responsible for the change in the emissions of volatile organic compounds ( VOC ) from 1970 to 2020 as shown in the graph? -An increase in air emission standards that began in 1970 that regulated corporate average fuel economy ( CAFE ) standards. -A decrease in the number of vehicles fitted with catalytic converters and an increase in the number of hybrid vehicles beginning in 1970. -A decrease in the average driving distance in the United States from 1970 to 2020 that resulted from increased urbanization. -An increase in VOC emissions from car exhausts that resulted from increased driving distances from 1970 to 2020.

They allowed power plants to buy and sell SO2 pollution allowances.

Which of the following is true about the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990? -They allowed power plants to buy and sell SO2 pollution allowances. -They increased the allowable level of tropospheric ozone from 80 ppb to 100 ppb. -They regulated the emission of CO2 by power plants. -They regulated the concentration of eleven common pollutants inside homes. -They decreased the CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) standards for light trucks from 29 mpg to 12 mpg.

Volcanoes

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? -Cellular respiration -Decomposition -Volcanoes -Photosynthesis

Decrease in the emissions of nitrogen oxides

Which of the following would most likely reduce the concentration of ground-level ozone in the air of a city? -Formation of a temperature inversion -Occurrence of several consecutive days of sunny weather -Release of VOCs into the air of the city -Release of CFCs into the air of the city -Decrease in the emissions of nitrogen oxides