units 7 and 8

What is one of the most direct consequences of the trend in air travel in recent years?

(A) the increase in the spread of infectious diseases

describe the use of fluidized bed combustion in the boiler furnaces

(controls of sulfur dioxide an acid rain) used to remove SO2 from emissions by combusting coal close to calcium carbonate (limestone), which removes sulfur in a reaction that produces gypsum, the mineral used in drywall

what is commonly used to deal with the side effects of eutrophication in lakes?

-applying herbicides to kill nuisance plants -dredging out lakes to deepen them -pumping oxygen into the lowest layers of water -introducing insects that eat certain nuisance plants

what are three common methods employed in the cleanup of oil spills?

-burn surface waters -use bacteria -skim the surface area

A sanitary landfill with a surface area of 6000m2 receives a yearly rainfall amount of 300mm. About 20 percent of this precipitation is runoff and does not infiltrate the surface. A leachate collection system, which is installed underneath the landfill, is 90 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 m3, that the landfill will be able to treat per year?

1,296m3

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 what number?

1.2

For a certain insecticide, the LD-50 dosage level for rats is determined to be 250 milligrams per kilograms of body mass. On the basis of this information, what is the best prediction regarding the consequences of receiving this dosage of the insecticide?

500 out of every 1000 rats would die

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. Water from which location would best serve as a control group for the study?

A

The diagram illustrates a sewage treatment plant. The different processes at the plant are labeled A to D. This process results in the biological breakdown of most of the organic matter in the sewage.

A

Which of the following would most likely neutralize the effect of acid rain on bodies of water, based on the composition of soils and bedrock in the region?

A forest underlain by limestone

Which of the following best describes a potential unintended negative consequence of implementing measures to control acid deposition?

A reduction in sulfur for crops as a result of less acidic rainfall, leading to an increased need for sulfur supplements

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 what?

Acquiring recent medical and travel histories of the disease victims.

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

Aeration tank

An ecologist examining several different ponds discovers that in one pond all the frogs are female. Which of the following most likely led to the all-female population of frogs?

An endocrine disruptor

Based on the LD50 values, which of the following best describes the toxicity level of the household substances shown in the table?

Antifreeze is more toxic than aspirin.

The graph shows how biological oxygen demand (BOD) and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration change over the length of a stream. Points A-D indicate different locations within the stream. At which of the following locations in the stream was there most likely a discharge of excess organic matter into the water?

B

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.List some common household hazardous waste.

Batteries, oil-based paint, motor oil, bug spray, antifreeze, bleach, electronic devices, ammonia

the graph below depicts the various components pf 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. which of the curves on the graph depicts the concentration of ozone, which requires sunlight to form?

C

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 the point?

C-decreasing slope

what are the direct products of the use of hydrocarbon fuels in automobile engines?

CO2, NOx (nitrogen oxides), VOCs (volatile organic compound)

Which of the following best describes a natural process that adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?

Carbon dioxide is released from the interior of Earth during volcanic eruptions.

This pathogen infects the intestine and is spread through contaminated water or food.

Cholera

Industrial scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators collect enormous amounts of particulate matter (coal ash) at coal-burning power plants. Which of the following best describes an environmental disadvantage of using industrial scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators for pollution abatement?

Coal ash contains toxic levels of several different pollutants, so when it is collected and stored long-term in coal ash ponds, there is increased risk of exposure to toxic metals.

What is the primary method of waste disposal in the United States?

Contaminating groundwater (leachate)

Based on the diagram, what is an expected consequence of runoff and sewage in an aquatic environment?

Decreased oxygen levels in surface water as a result of a decrease in photosynthetic rates by algae

What would encourage recycling?

Decreasing taxes on recycled materials

Researchers suspect that sewage leaked into the Moose River. Rates of what diseases should be used to determine whether the human population using the river as a source of drinking water was exposed to sewage?

Dysentery

If wastewater treatment plant effluent that contains nitrates and phosphates is allowed to flow into a body of water, what may result?

Eutrophication

What water quality tests would best indicate if sewage from the wastewater treatment plant has contaminated the Moose River?

Fecal coliform measured at site B

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

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

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

Grit chamber

defining characteristics of a wetland involve which of the following? 1-hydrology 2-soil type. 3-species composition

I, II, and III

True statements about ozone include which of the following? 1. Ozone is a precursor of acid rain. 2. Contact with ozone can be injurious to human health. 3. Ozone absorbs some wavelengths of ultraviolet radiation

II and III

Critics of incineration of municipal solid waste suggests that it may not be the best solution for the future. Why?

Incineration contributes to air pollution.

Which of the following best describes one way the Clean Air Act helped reduce air pollution?

Introduced regulatory measures to control the amount of lead in fuels

which cities regularly experience the worst levels of photochemical smog that is enhanced by thermal inversions?

LA/Mexico city

What is the most serious immediate problem associated with sanitary landfills?

Leachate contamination of groundwater.

Scientists are interested in measuring the effect of pollution on the water quality of a stream. They will use observations of various bottom-dwelling insects, or macroinvertebrates, collected in the stream as indicators of the physical, chemical, and biological conditions within the stream. Which of the following best describes why macroinvertebrate sampling can be used to assess the overall health of a stream?

Macroinvertebrates live in an aquatic ecosystem for a long enough time to show the chronic effects of pollutants, and many tend to remain in the same area throughout their life span.

In addition to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which of the following components must be present in the atmosphere to create photochemical smog?

NOx and UV light

Which of the following correctly pairs a greenhouse gas with its primary anthropogenic source?

Nitrous oxide and agricultural practices

Regulations that deal directly with the disposal of hazardous materials in the United States include which of the following?

RCRA

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

RCRA

what is a natural source of atmospheric carbon dioxide?

RESPIRATION, volcanic eruptions and decompositin

Which law establishes cradle-to-grave tracking of hazardous waste?

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

The diagram shows how cholera is transmitted. Based on the diagram, what 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.

what is a primary air pollutant produced from burning coal?

SO2 (sulfur dioxide)

Why do more contaminants get 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 than larger particles.

Based on the diagram, why does a population in an area that has poor sanitation can be particularly at risk for a cholera outbreak?

The bacterium that causes cholera is spread through ingestion of contaminated water or food.

Bats use echolocation to find prey by emitting high-pitched bursts of sound and analyzing the reflection. Scientists studying a population of bats in a forest observed that their population size had declined in the years following the completion of a nearby highway. 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?

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

Some drinking water standards allow bacteria in water at dosages up to the 10% probability of illness.Why?

The newly discovered bacterium would have the lowest allowable dosage to meet the drinking water standards.

Based on the diagram, what is the most likely reason that V. cholerae can spread rapidly through a population?

V.cholerae is a microscopic bacterium that can survive in various aquatic environments for prolonged periods of time and can cause a delayed onset of visible symptoms.

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?

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

Which of the following best describes a supporting ecological service provided by wetlands?

Wetlands provide a habitat for a wide variety of organisms.

What is an unintended result from recycling programs?

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

What is phytoremediation?

a biological way to treat hazardous wastes that involves using natural or genetically engineered plants to absorb, filter, and remove contaminant from polluted soil and water

smoke from forest fires is most likely to affect air quality over larger areas for many days when this happens?

a persistent atmospheric inversion exists in the region

what location in the US would most likely receive acid deposition?

a town downwind from a coal fired power plant

describe the use of baghouse filters in exhaust systems

a type of filtration device that allows gases to pass through them but remove PARTICULATE MATTER

describe the use of electrostatic precipitators in exhaust systems

a type of filtration device that uses an electrical charge to make particles coalesce so they can be removed

The diagram illustrates a sewage treatment plant. The different processes at the plant are labeled A to D. This process uses chlorine, ultraviolet radiation, or ozone as part of the disinfection of wastewater.

aerobic treatment

An ecologist examining several different ponds discovers that in one pond all the frogs are female. Which of the following most likely led to the all-female population of frogs?

an endocrine disruptor

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

an increase in the concentrations of soluble heavy metals in a local pond

what is most likely to result from the destruction of wetlands surrounding a river?

an increased frequency of flopping

what is composed of fibers known to cause lung disease?

asbestos

eutrophication results in the death of trout and the fish as a result of what

asphyxiation from lack of oxygen

what is the human health impact most closely associated with atmospheric particulate?

asthma

West Nile virus was identified in the Western Hemisphere during the summer of 1999 and was associated with human, equine, and avian deaths. This virus is acquired how?

being bitten by an infected mosquito

The release of a large amount of sewage and other organic wastes into a river would likely result in a sharp increase in what

biological oxygen demand

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?

biomagnification

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

burning of sulfur containing fossil fuels to produce electricity

what pollutant is has a stronger affinity for hemoglobin that oxygen has?

carbon monoxide

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

carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons

what is a natural process that adds carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

cellular respiration

what 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 law mandates the restoration and maintenance of the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nations water?

clean water act

what is primarily responsible for acid rain in the northeast United States?

coal

describe an environmental disadvantage of using industrial scrubbers and electrostatic precipitation for pollution abatement

coal ash is stored and not disposed which contributes to acid mine drainage, surface and groundwater pollution

the majority of atmospheric mercury is produced by what?

coal burnin power plants

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

coal burning

the data that were used to create the graph were collected in the winter. how would the graph be different if the data were collected in the middle of the summer?

concentration for components C would be higher in the graph

in the figure below, the letters A, B, C, and D represent the different thermal layers present in an inversion. what is the correct sequence of thermal layers as one moves vertically upwards from the surface of earth?

cool seas breeze --> warm --> cool

Most plastics pose a special problem in the waste stream. why?

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

what would most likely reduce the concentration of ground level ozone in the air of a city?

decrease in the emissions of nitrogen oxides

what would be the most likely effect of acid deposition on a northern forest?

decreased ability of trees to withstand cold weather

what is an expected consequence of runoff and sewage in an aquatic environment?

decreased oxygen levels in surface water as a result of a decrease In photosynthetic rates by algae

alligators in a Florida lake polluted by high levels of dioxins had low testosterone levels and failed to reproduce. scientists came to the conclusion that the dioxins were acting as

endocrine disruptors

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

list examples of point sources of pollution

factories sewage treatment plants underground mines oil tankers

what are the consequences of indoor air pollutants?

fatigue, eye stinging, respiratory issues

Ticks are vectors for various diseases. The ticks acquire the disease-causing organisms from what?

feeding on host animals

Factors that increase the spread of infectious diseases include what?

flooding, global warming, introducing new insects

what pollutant is emitted from most manufactured building materials and furniture?

formaldehyde

describe the formation of photochemical smog in large cities in the US?

formed when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react to sunlight, creating a brown haze above cities.

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

heavy metals

endocrine disruptors directly affect what in an organism?

hormones

Mercury concentrations were measured in freshwater shrimp populations in two different ponds, one polluted with mercury and one unpolluted, with a similar food web in each pond. Which of the following best identifies the scientific question that would guide this investigation?

how much mercury accumulates in the tissues of freshwater shrimp living in a polluted pond?

The use of nitrogen-based fertilizers in the Midwestern United States is a major contributing factor to what?

hypoxia in the gulf of mexico

what is the most likely consequence of runoff transporting chemicals that are endocrine disruptors to a pond?

increased frequency of birth defects in fish populations

what is a common characteristic of lakes undergoing cultural eutrophication?

increased levels of plant nutrients

in a river ecosystem, dissolved oxygen concentrations drop quickly downstream from a point source input of organic matter into the river. the effect is due to what?

increasing bacterial activity as organic matter decays

Rachel Carlsons contributions to the environmental movement include what?

increasing public awareness of the risks of using pesticides

the three main anthropogenic sources of gaseous air pollutants in the united states are what?

industry, transportation, and energy production

what is a way to potentially eliminate one of the greatest threats to the worlds mangrove wetlands?

integrate ecologically sound shrimp aquaculture practices with mangrove management

Although ozone in the stratosphere has been decreasing in recent years, ozone near Earth's surface is on the increase. The ozone near the surface is undesirable because it does what?

is a strong oxidant and a respiratory irritant

what pollutant is found in pod plumbing pipes and fixtures and some ceramic glazes?

lead

what toxin is implicated in human neurological damage?

lead

the use of what type of controlling agricultural insect pests is most likely to have a negative and persistent impact on an ecosystem?

lindane (chlorinated hydrocarbon)

scientists are interested in measuring the effect of pollution on the water quality of a stream. they will use observations of various bottom-dwelling insects, or macro-invertebrates, collected in the stream as indicators of the physical, chemical, and biological conditions within the stream. why can macroinvertebrate sampling be used to assess the overall health of a stream?

macro invertebrates live in an aquatic ecosystem for a long enough time to show the chronic effects of pollutants, and many tend to remain in the same area throughout their life span.

This pathogen is primarily transmitted by mosquitoes and is found most often in sub-Saharan Africa.

malaria

what poses a health risk to humans who eat large quantities of marine fish such as swordfish and tuna?

mercury

list some common heavy metal toxins

mercury, lead, chromium, cadmium, and arsenic

What is a flammable gas produced by landfills?

methane

describe the action of the endocrine disrupter

mimic or interfere with the body's hormones

A state highway was constructed over wetlands. The state obtained a permit to fill the existing wetlands in accordance with the provisions of the Clean Water Act of 1972, and agreed to create another wetland . This trade-off approach to addressing an environmental issue is known as

mitigation

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

motor vehicle exhaust

what will result in accelerated eutrophication when introduced into streams, lakes, and bays?

nitrates and phosphates

What components are part of the tertiary treatment of wastewater?

nitrogen and phosphorus

what is a common component of photochemical smog and is a reddish brown gas with a pungent odor?

nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

what is an important precursor to acid rain?

nitrogen oxides

what chemical compounds leads to the formation of photochemical smog in the troposphere when it reacts with other compounds in the presence of sunlight?

nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Lakes that are characterized by high water clarity and low concentrations of dissolved nutrients are classified as

oilgotrophic

although the use of DDT was banned in the united states in 1972, a test of the body tissue of an average United States resident today would most likely reveal the presence of DDT. why?

other countries that export produce to the United States still use DDT

What is an effective alternative to chlorine for disinfecting wastewater in a municipal treatment plant?

ozone

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

paper products

Is the major pollutant that electrostatic precipitators are designed to remove from the power plant smokestack emissions

particulates

describe a way that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) cause harm to the environment

persistent organic pollutants are soluble in fat, so they accumulate in an organism's fatty tissues

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?

photosynthesis

a beach community was recently negatively affected by a hurricane. community leaders are looking for a potential solution to prevent damage from future hurricanes. what solutions would best address the issues of greatest concern in the community?

planting mangrove forests

what practices would best help to protect against inland and coastal flooding in urban areas?

preserving wetland and coastal mangrove habitats

Many synthetic chemicals, such as PCBs, act as estrogen mimics. In an ecosystem, these persistent chemicals would have the greatest effect on what?

primary producers

What is an advantage of recycling aluminum rather than disposing of it in landfills?

produced from recycled metal using less energy

Which waste reduction strategies to decrease the landfill volume of packaging material from food and other consumer products is the most energy efficient?

promoting the use of reusable containers for consumer goods

what pollutant has been implicated as the cause of as much as 15 percent of lung cancer case?

radon

what pollutant is a colorless, odorless gas that is a naturally occurring decay product of uranium?

radon

describe one way the clean air act helped reduce air pollution

reduce use of lead and caps on trade

what actions would be the most effective in decreasing acid rain and acid deposition problems?

reducing the use of fossil fuels

What is involved in integrated waste management?

reducing, reusing, and recycling before landfills and incineration.

How can you deal with Eutrophication?

regulating the nutrient sources reducing the use of fertilizers proper soil management practices phytoremediation

What is the main purpose of primary treatment?

removal of larger solids and substances

what is a potential human health effect most likely to be associated with a thermal inversion?

respiratory problems

list examples of non point sources of pollution

runoff of chemicals and sediments from cropland livestock feedlots clear cut forests urban streets parking lots lawns golf courses

The diagram illustrates a sewage treatment plant. The different processes at the plant are labeled A to D. Large objects, such as sticks and rocks, are screened out and removed during this process.

screenig (?)As sewage enters a plant for treatment, it flows through a screen, which removes large floating objects such as rags and sticks that might clog pipes or damage equipment

what is an appropriate remediation strategy for removing radon gas from the home?

seal or ventilate places where radon enters the living space

scientists are interested in determining if selenium, from a nearby mine, magnifies in the tissues of fish living in a lake. describe a testable hypothesis for the study.

selenium will be at a higher concentration in fish tissue than in the tissue of fish prey

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

smoking

what is true about noise pollution?

sudden or persistent noise may lead to permanent hearing loss

Most often cited as the causative factor for acid deposition

sulfur dioxide

acid rain is associated with what?

sulfur dioxide (SD2) the burning of fossil fuels

in addition to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), what components must be present in the atmosphere to create photochemical smog?

sunlight, nitrogen oxides and at least one volatile organic compound (VOC)

Information gathered by a scientist abut the toxicity of chemical X and chemical Y showed that they had individual safe limits for fish at particular concentrations. But when they were used together at the safe concentrations, there were extensive fish kills. This is an example of what?

synergism

what important phenomenon that often plays a role in air pollution episodes in some cities?

temperature inversion

why does a thermal inversion tend to concentrate pollutants in the air layer closest to the earth's surface?

the air layer closest to the earths surface is denser than the layer above it

A massive bluegill fish kill was observed in a lake near a power plant during the winter months. It was determined that the plant was releasing large amounts of hot water into the lake. Which of the following explains what likely caused the death of so many bluegills in the lake?

the influx of warmer water caused an unexpected increase in the metabolic rate of the bluegills, which led to increased physiological stress from limited resource availabilty

acid deposition would most likely result in what?

the release of aluminum ions from soil

how does mercury enter the food web?

through pollution when fossil fuels are burned and municipal waste is incinerated

Why does oxygen need to be added during Secondary Treatment?

to encourage the growth of the bacteria.

What is the main purpose of a grit chamber?

to slow down the flow so that solids such as sand, coffee grounds, and eggshells will settle out of the water. Grit causes excessive wear and tear on pumps and other plant equipment.

in august of 2014, residents of several Ohio cities that use Lake Erie as a drinking water source were warned not to drink tap water because of the presence of toxins released by blue-green algae(cyanobacteria). what is most the likely cause of recent blooms of blue-green algae in Lake Erie?

toxins from a harmful algal bloom

What is the goal of tertiary treatment?

treatment removes nitrogen and phosphorus from the wastewater.

This pathogen infects the respiratory system, typically the lungs, and can spread through the air when a person coughs, sneezes, or talks.

tuberculosis

what is the measure of the amount of suspended material in water

turbidity

the major source of radon in houses in the United States is what?

uranium

how do we reduce SO2 emissions from coal burning power plants?

use coal that contains less sulfur or wet scrubbers

What method would be best suited for neutralizing the acidic components of waste?

using limestone

what sources should be examined in a study to determine the impact of a geological source on levels of CO2 in the atmosphere?

volcanoes

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 what?

warm air, cool air, cooler air

The water used in this type of power plant is often released back into a reservoir. Which of the following effects could this released water have on the reservoir?

warm water is released into the reservoir which increases dissolved oxygen levels

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?

water sampled later in the day may be warmer and therefore have lower dissolved oxygen levels

the danger from radon gas would most likely be greatest in what situation?

well insulated homes

list the supporting ecological service provided by wetlands

wetlands serve as a major location for cycling of carbon and nitrogen

describe the process of bioaccumulation

when a substance is consumed by a consumer and accumulates faster than it is excreted

what is a problem that is associated with thermal inversion?

wind pollution

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. What materials would be best suited for incineration to reduce total volume, produce energy, and have minimal release of air pollutants?

wood