Unit 5
A sample of radioactive waste has a half-life of 10 years and an activity level of 2 curies. After how many years will the activity level of this sample be 0.25 cure?
30 years
Which of the following is an environmental problem associated with abandoned coal mines?
Alkaline solutions that pollute streams
What is most likely to result from destruction of wetlands surrounding a river?
An increased frequency of flooding of the river valley
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 because of which process?
Bio magnification
The process of extracting and separating gold in remote regions often results in environmental contamination with what?
Cyanide
If wastewater treatment plant effluent that contains nitrates and phosphates is allowed to flow into a body of water, which of the following may result?
Eutrophication
Which of the following is the best example of a point source of water pollution?
Factory effluent
In order for biomagnification to occur, a pollutant must
I and III only
most serious immediate problem associated with sanitary landfills
Leachate contamination of groundwater
What will result in accelerated eutrophication when introduced into streams, lakes, and bays
Phosphates
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
correctly orders the methods of solid-waste management
Reduce Reuse Recycle.
Which of the following actions would be the most effective in decreasing acid rain and acid deposition problems?
Reducing use of fossil fuels
Which of the following best illustrates point-source pollution?
Smokestack emissions from a large smelting company.
Which of the following would most likely have the greatest positive impact on the quality of the natural environment worldwide?
Stabilization or reduction of the size of the human population
Which of the following is most likely to occur in a forested region that has been recently clear-cut?
The concentration of nitrates in streams running through the region will increase
Which method introduces microorganisms to break down hazardous organic compound
biological treatment
4. Which method would be best suited for neutralizing the acidic components of waste?
chemical treatment
The process of flocculation
combines small particles into larger particles that become sediment
16. Waste from which of the following is an example of nonpoint source pollution?
e. Runoff from agricultural fields
1. Which method reduces the volume of waste but could release toxic emissions into the atmosphere
incineration
the presence of high levels of fecal coliform bacteria in a water source indicates that the water
is safe to drink
primary method of waste disposal in the U.S.
landfilling
Most municipal solid waste in the United States is disposed in
landfills
an effective alternative to chlorine for disinfecting wastewater in a municipal treatment plant
ozone
All of the following are considered toxic metal pollutants EXCEPT
potassium
An advantage of recycling aluminum rather than disposing of it in landfills is that aluminum can be
produced from recycled metak using much less energy that is required for its production from aluminum ore
2. Which method is used most frequently in the United States today?
sanitary landfilling
Which of the following best explains why more contaminants are leached when solid waste is crushed into small particles and put in contact with water than when the particles are large
smaller particles have a larger surface area per unit volume that larger particles
In contrast to low level radioactive waste, most high level radioactive waste is currently
stored at reactor centers
Environmentalists oppose the mining of antarctic mineral resources because
the antarctic environment is fragile and extremely vulnerable to the disturbance that would accompany development
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
The presence of fecal coliform bacteria in a sample of river water suggests
the water is contaminated with animal waste
integrated waste management employs
using disposable diapers instead of cloth diaper