APES Unit 8, APES Unit 9, APES UNIT 8
Based on the data in the table, which of the following concentrations of sodium chloride is most toxic to brine shrimp?
0/100
One benefit of solid waste disposal in landfills is that the methane produced from decomposition can be harnessed for energy. Based on the data in the graph, methane production from waste management most likely peaked during which of the following years?
1990
Based on the LD50 data in the table, which of the following equations should be used to calculate how many times greater the resistance of a rabbit to x-rays is than that of a dog?
800/325
DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane)
A persistent organic pollutant that is commonly found in insecticide that has been identified as a major pollutant affecting various organisms, specifically birds.
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
Amount of oxygen required by aquatic bacteria to decompose given load of organic waste; a measure of water pollution.
Which of the following is an example of a point source of pollution? A A leaking septic tank B Agricultural pollution from a group of cattle farms C Runoff following road construction D Acid mine drainage
Answer A A leaking septic tank
Which of the following approaches would best decrease the impact of frequent flooding in a community that is subject to the hazard of flooding? A Construct wetland areas near the rivers and streams. B Remove forested areas around all streams and rivers and change land use to agriculture. C Increase the height of natural levees downstream from the community. D Encourage developers to build housing developments on the floodplain.
Answer A Construct wetland areas near the rivers and streams.
Which of the following is the most likely impact of thermal pollution from power plants on a river ecosystem? A Decreased oxygen levels because warm water holds less dissolved gas than cold water does B Increased sedimentation because minerals precipitate out of the water column in warm water C Reduced growth rates of primary producers such as aquatic plants and algae D Decreased metabolic rates of aquatic animals exposed to the heated water
Answer A Decreased oxygen levels because warm water holds less dissolved gas than cold water does
Scientists are interested in studying the bioaccumulation of mercury in different species of dolphins exposed to the same concentration of mercury. The dolphins in the study will be of similar age and living in the same habitat. Which of the following best identifies a testable hypothesis for the study? A Different species of dolphins will have different levels of mercury in their fatty tissues depending on the species' ability to absorb and excrete mercury. B Dolphins will have the highest levels of mercury in their fatty tissues when they are exposed to the highest concentration of mercury. C Dolphin species that are not exposed to mercury in the water will still have trace levels of mercury in their muscle tissues from exposure through air. D The concentration of mercury in the tissues of different species of dolphins is dependent on the life span of the species and on the number of offspring produced.
Answer A Different species of dolphins will have different levels of mercury in their fatty tissues depending on the species' ability to absorb and excrete mercury.
Which of the following pollutants would most likely be responsible for gender imbalance in a population of frogs in which all observed frogs are female? A Endocrine disruptors B Carcinogens C Animal waste from farms D Fertilizers
Answer A Endocrine disruptors
Which of the following strategies will best help to protect mangrove habitats? A Limiting coastal development and maintain a shoreline buffer zone B Increasing aquaculture operations to reduce overfishing C Increasing subsidies for hydroelectric dam construction D Encouraging land use changes in areas surrounding mangroves to shift to agriculture
Answer A Limiting coastal development and maintain a shoreline buffer zone
A biologist is studying a small food web in which phytoplankton are eaten by krill, krill are eaten by fish, and fish are eaten by seals. During their study of the ecosystem, the biologist discovers that PCBs are present in measurable levels in the water and wants to examine how PCBs could vary in different trophic levels. Which of the following best identifies a testable hypothesis for the study? A Biomagnification will cause the phytoplankton to have the highest amount of PCBsPCBs in their tissues. B Biomagnification will cause the seals to have the highest amount of PCBsPCBs in their tissues. C Bioaccumulation will cause the seals to have the highest amount of PCBsPCBs in their tissues. D Bioaccumulation will cause the fish to have the highest amount of PCBsPCBs in their tissues.
Answer B Biomagnification will cause the seals to have the highest amount of PCBs in their tissues.
Which of the following best describes the source of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that could accumulate in the tissues of a top predator? A Methane (CH4CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2CO2) released from livestock operations B DDTDDT and other pesticides that are sprayed to control for mosquitoes C CFCsCFCs that are manufactured to be used as pesticides D Sulfur dioxide (SO2SO2) released from coal-burning power plants
Answer B DDT and other pesticides that are sprayed to control for mosquitoes
A scientist wants to study the effect of DDT in a fish-eating bird species. She measures a variety of variables in a population of birds over a period of ten years to determine how levels of DDT affect bird survival and reproduction. Which of the following identifies a scientific question she could ask to best evaluate the effect of DDT on the bird species? A Is the bird species able to metabolize DDTDDT faster than the fish the birds consume? B Does the persistence of DDTDDT lead to eggshell thinning or developmental deformities in the bird species? C Has the decrease in DDTDDT usage led to a decrease in DDTDDT concentration in the tissues of fish-eating birds? D How long does it take for DDTDDT to break down once it is absorbed in the fatty tissues of the fish-eating birds?
Answer B Does the persistence of DDT lead to eggshell thinning or developmental deformities in the bird species?
According to the World Health Organization, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are found in nearly all tested organism tissues and environmental samples. Which characteristic of POPs accounts for their presence in living tissues and in environmental samples? A POPsPOPs are lipophilic, which means that they can be stored in fatty tissues for long periods of time. B POPsPOPs are released in to the air, water, and land, which allows them to be transported and incorporated in multiple ways. C POPsPOPs are synthetic chemicals, so only humans and urban environments are exposed to the pollutants. D POPsPOPs are organic compounds, so they can biodegrade easily and move through various environments.
Answer B POPs are released in to the air, water, and land, which allows them to be transported and incorporated in multiple ways.
Which of the following statements best describes how the Clean Water Act legislation aims to protect wetlands from being lost? A The Clean Water Act bans the draining of wetlands over five acres in size. B The Clean Water Act requires wetlands to be constructed to mitigate the effect of newly drained wetlands. C The Clean Water Act establishes standards for the quality of surface waters that must be continually monitored and reported. D The Clean Water Act prohibits the use of wetlands for development and construction.
Answer B The Clean Water Act requires wetlands to be constructed to mitigate the effect of newly drained wetlands.
Which of the following best describes why persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are toxic to organisms? A They emit gamma radiation, increasing the likelihood of mutations and cancer. B They do not break down easily and can accumulate in the fat tissue of an organism. C They are easily dispersed by wind and water, greatly increasing the affected areas. D They are naturally occurring in the soil and water; therefore, they easily contaminate the food web.
Answer B They do not break down easily and can accumulate in the fat tissue of an organism.
Which of the following best describes how thermal pollution from power plants can affect aquatic ecosystems? A Water injected into the ground during the hydraulic fracking process can seep into wells, causing methane contamination. B Warm water runoff that reaches lakes and ponds slows down the metabolic rate of aquatic animals, which decreases primary productivity. C Warm water discharged into rivers and streams decreases the oxygen content of the water, which reduces the number of fish species. D Wastewater from nuclear power plants contains radioisotopes and carbonic acid, which increase the rate of cancer in aquatic species.
Answer B Warm water runoff that reaches lakes and ponds slows down the metabolic rate of aquatic animals, which decreases primary productivity.
Which of the following correctly identifies an example of an endocrine disruptor and the effect it might have on the human body? A High levels of lead in drinking water could lead to neurological damage. B Exposure to radon in indoor air is linked to increased rates of lung cancer. C Phthalates in cosmetics and shampoos reduce fertility. D The bacterium E. coli found in vegetables causes abdominal cramping and vomiting.
Answer C Phthalates in cosmetics and shampoos reduce fertility.
Which of the following would best be described as a point source of pollution from a farm? A Nitrogenous fertilizers added to drip irrigation used for growing crops B Runoff from the waste lagoons of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, which enters local waterways after a flooding event C Tractors and harvesters burning fossil fuels and releasing carbon dioxide and nitrous oxides into the atmosphere D Particulate matter from bare soil on plowed fields entering the atmosphere from wind
Answer C Tractors and harvesters burning fossil fuels and releasing carbon dioxide and nitrous oxides into the atmosphere
At what step in the diagram would the last solid waste be removed from the wastewater in the treatment plant?
C: filter beds or activated sludge
Which of the following federal laws specifically deals with the cleanup of abandoned hazardous waste sites?
CERCLA
Activated sludge is
Colonies of microorganisms that feed on dissolved organics
Large quantities of methane are located in this region and if released will contribute to global climate change.
D
This region is experiencing the largest average temperature increase because of anthropogenic climate change.
D
Which of the following best describes the source of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that could accumulate in the tissues of a top predator?
DDT and other pesticides that are sprayed to control for mosquitoes
A scientist wants to study the effect of DDT in a fish-eating bird species. She measures a variety of variables in a population of birds over a period of ten years to determine how levels of DDT affect bird survival and reproduction. Which of the following identifies a scientific question she could ask to best evaluate the effect of DDT on the bird species?
Does the persistence of DDT lead to eggshell thinning or developmental deformities in the bird species?
Which of the following best describes the action of endocrine disruptors in organisms? A Endocrine disruptors scar the lung tissue of animals, inducing respiratory difficulties. B Endocrine disruptors block the central nervous system of animals, leading to behavioral abnormalities. C Endocrine disruptors mimic naturally occurring hormones in animals, leading to developmental disorders. D Endocrine disruptors reduce primary productivity in plants, inducing a trophic cascade.
Endocrine disruptors mimic naturally occurring hormones in animals, leading to developmental disorders.
sediment pollution
Excessive amounts of soil particles that enter the water as a result of erosion
Which GHG does not contribute significantly to climate change because it has a short residence time in the atmosphere?
H2O
E-Waste
Hazardous waste that results from consumer electronics.
tertiary treatment
Includes treating water with chemicals to neutralize remaining pollutants and disinfection using chlorine, ozone, or UV light to kill remaining bacteria
Mangroves
Keystone specialist species within many coastal ecosystems
Human threats to wetlands
Land development, dam construction, agricultural and industrial run off
Waste
Materia outputs from a system that are not useful or consumed
Which of the following is a greenhouse gas that is also a by-product of anaerobic respiration?
Methane CH4
Which of the following correctly identifies both a nonpoint source and a point source of pollution?
Non-point source: urban runoff point source: city bus exhaust
Which GHG does not contribute significantly to climate change because it has a short residence time in the atmosphere?
O2
According to the World Health Organization, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are found in nearly all tested organism tissues and environmental samples. Which characteristic of POPs accounts for their presence in living tissues and in environmental samples?
POPs are released in to the air, water, and land, which allows them to be transported and incorporated in multiple ways
Waste water
Produced by livestock operation and human activities. Has a higher BOD
non-point source pollution
Produced from a more diffused, broadly defined area (pesticide spraying, urban runoff, ect.)
point source pollution
Produced from a single, identifiable location (smokestack, waste discharge pipe, ect.)
Which of the following laws gave the EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from "cradle-to-grave
RCRA
Biomagnification
Substances bioaccumulate at relatively low concentrations in smaller organisms; however, the concentration magnifies up through the food chain as it is passed to higher trophic levels
Which of the following statements best describes how the Clean Water Act legislation aims to protect wetlands from being lost?
The Clean Water Act requires wetlands to be constructed to mitigate the effect of newly drained wetlands
Most likely effect that glaciers melting in Greenland would have on the surface currents of the North Atlantic?
The Norwegian current will become cooler and less salty
A small lake, located downstream of a power plant, recently experienced a die-off of multiple aquatic species. Environmentalists had been monitoring the temperature of the lake for several months prior to the die-off and noticed a significant spike in the temperature of the lake immediately preceding the die-off event. Which of the following best explains why the die-off event occurred in the lake following the increased water temperature? A The warm water increased the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, which led to an increase in the photosynthetic rate of the aquatic organisms. B The warm water increased the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, which led to an increase in the amount of competition by consumers for food. C The warm water decreased the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, which led to an increase in the rate of decomposition in the lake. D The warm water decreased the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, which led to an increase in the respiration rate of the aquatic organisms.
The warm water decreased the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, which led to an increase in the respiration rate of the aquatic organisms.
Increased emperatures decreaseds sea ice coverage and albedo, which further increases global temperatures.
True
What is the first step in wastewater treatment?
Water is passed through a bar screen to remove debris and grit
PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)
Yellow, industrial fluid currently banned under the Toxic Substances Control Act (1976)
persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
a class of chemical compounds that are typically persistent, synthetic, organic, and non polar
A scientist wanted to investigate the effect of tropospheric ozone on the respiratory function of mice. Twenty female mice were placed in one of five different field environments that mimicked the natural habitats of the mice. Each environment had a tube connected to it that would pump in a set level of ozone measured in ppm. In each field environment, the scientist measured the average respiratory output for the twenty mice over a three-month time frame.Which of the following should be added to the study to best serve as the control group?
a group of twenty mice that were not exposed to ozone
Which of the following is an example of a point source of pollution?
a leaking septic tank
Increased CO2 concentration over the next 50 years is expected to cause which of the following global changes?
a significant loss of biodiversity in the tropics
LD50
a way to measure toxicity. LD50 represents the dose required to kill 50% of individuals in a population subjected to that amount of a toxin
It would be too cold for life on Earth if it wasn't for our atmosphere. Why?
absorption of infrared radiation by atmospheric gases
Which of the following describes a source of methane in the atmosphere?
anaerobic breakdown of organic material
CFCs in the atmosphere are much lower than those of CO2 , CFCs are still potent greenhouse gases because
are much more efficient at absorbing thermal radiation
A biologist is studying a small food web in which phytoplankton are eaten by krill, krill are eaten by fish, and fish are eaten by seals. During their study of the ecosystem, the biologist discovers that PCBs are present in measurable levels in the water and wants to examine how PCBs could vary in different trophic levels. Which of the following best identifies a testable hypothesis for the study?
biomagnification will cause the seals to have the highest amount of PCBs in their tissues
Increase in global air travel
can increase the spread of disease
Which of the following best describes the impact of atmospheric carbon dioxide and stratospheric aerosols?
carbon dioxide contributes to global warming, and aerosols cause cooling
Anthropogenic
caused by humans
endocrine disruptors
chemicals that interfere with the normal functioning of hormones in an animal's body
Which of the following is a greenhouse gas that comes only from a human source?
chlorofluorocarbons
This pathogen infects the intestine and is spread through contaminated water or food.
cholera
Which of the following is NOT used as a defining characteristic of a wetland
climate
Global warming is the most likely to directly cause which of the following?
coastal flooding and submersion of low-lying areas
What is the best test for the presence of fecal matter in water?
coliform bacteria
An experiment to determine the LD50 of (NH₄)₂SO4 on mung bean germination. What is the independent variable.
concentration of ammonium sulfate
A dose response curve should have % mortality on the Y-axis and what on the X-axis
concentration of toxin in mg/kg
Which of the following approaches would best decrease the impact of frequent flooding in a community that is subject to the hazard of flooding?
construct wetlands areas near the rivers and streams
Which of the following is the most likely impact of thermal pollution from power plants on a river ecosystem?
decreased oxygen levels because warm water holds less dissolved gas than cold water does
Which is the least likely to be an effect of global warming?
decreased rate in photosynthesis in vegetation
How can you encourage recycling?
decreased taxes on recycled materials
Scientists are interested in studying the bioaccumulation of mercury in different species of dolphins exposed to the same concentration of mercury. The dolphins in the study will be of similar age and living in the same habitat. Which of the following best identifies a testable hypothesis for the study?
different species of dolphins will have different levels of mercury in their fatty tissues depending on the species' ability to absorb and excrete mercury
Which of the following is not an environmental problem with landfills?
disease spread
At what step in the diagram would wastewater most likely be treated with chlorine or UV light to remove bacteria?
during step D
Wetlands
ecosystems that's flooded by water (seasonally or permanently)
Which of the following pollutants would most likely be responsible for gender imbalance in a population of frogs in which all observed frogs are female?
endocrine disruptors
Which of the following best describes the action of endocrine disruptors in organisms?
endocrine disruptors mimic naturally occurring hormones in animals, leading the developmental disorders
Based on the pathways shown in the diagram, which of the following best describes how climate change will most likely increase the transmission rates of the Zika virus?
expanded mosquito ranges will increase human exposure to the virus
Based on the data in the graph, which of the following likely occurred from 1960 to 2015 because of changes in solid waste disposal methods?
fewer natural resources needed to be extracted
Based on the diagram, which of the following is one way that the Zika virus can be spread within the human population?
from a mother to her unborn child
Solid Waste
generated by industrial residential, and agricultural sectors
Eutrophic lakes
have high levels of nutrients and lower levels of dissolved oxygen
oligotrophic lake
have low levels of nutrients and high levels of dissolved oxygen
Endocrine disruptors affect
hormones
Most data indicate that, during the past 100 years, mean global annual temperature has
increased by 0.5*C
The increase in mean global temperature is likely to result in all of the following EXCEPT
increased ground-level ultraviolet radiation
Based on the data in the graph, which of the following solutions most likely led to the decrease in the amount of waste sent to landfills from 1990 to 2015 ?
increased recycling of waste
How would a construction site most likely affect the water quality of a stream running next to it?
increased turbidity
Why does DO decrease downstream from an input of organic pollution?
increasing bacterial activity as organic matter decays
Which of the following types of releases of greenhouse gases from an anthropogenic source is shown in the diagram?
industrial and agricultural practices releases CH4 into the atmosphere
Which of the following best describes the mechanism of the greenhouse effect in Earth's atmosphere?
infrared radiation from Earth's surface is absorbed by gases
Ozone in the troposphere
is a respiratory irritant
Most municipal solid waste in the United States is disposed of in
landfills
Which of the following strategies will best help to protect mangrove habitats?
limiting coastal development and maintain a shoreline buffer zone
This pathogen is primarily transmitted by mosquitoes and is found most often in sub-Saharan Africa
malaria
The data in the graph can be useful in explaining the greenhouse effects when they are compared with
mean global temperatures
Sanitary Municipal Landfills
meet the EPA's national standards under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). These landfills use a plastic liner and a layer of clay to prevent ground water contamination
Which of the following is part of a positive feedback mechanism associated with global climate change?
melting of artic sea ice
Based on the diagram, which of the following is the vector that transmits the Zika virus to humans?
mosquitoes
How do you get West Nile?
mosquitoes
Which of the following correctly pairs a greenhouse gas with its primary anthropogenic source?
nitrous oxide and agricultural practices
A scientist is studying the correlation between air pollution and cardiovascular disease in humans. Which of the following measures would best show a link between air pollution and cardiovascular disease?
occurrences of emergency room visits by individuals with cardiovascular disease on days with a high air quality index value
Lakes that are characterized by high water clarity and low concentrations of dissolved nutrients are classified as
oligotrophic
range of tolerance
optimum range needed for homeostasis
In the United States, the largest single component of municipal solid waste is
paper
Which of the following correctly identifies an example of an endocrine disruptor and the effect it might have on the human body?
phthalates in cosmetics and shampoos reduce fertility
Leachate
polluted liquid produced by water passing through buried wastes in a landfill
Which of the following is a physical ecosystem service of a wetland?
prevents flooding
Which strategy to reduce volume entering into a landfill requires the least amount of energy?
reduce
Right before being released back into the environment, wastewater is treated with UV light. Why?
removes pathogens
Based on the diagram, which of the following processes most likely caused the algal bloom in the lake?
runoff carried excess fertilizer from the cornfield into the water
Which of the following would best be described as a point source of pollution from a farm?
runoff from the water lagoons of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, which enters local waterways after a flooding event
Selenium is a persisent metalloid that bioaccumulates when in the environment. What organism would be most affected?
secondary consumer
Based on the diagram, organic solids that have settled to the bottom of the treatment tanks in step B are transferred to which of the following for further processing?
sludge treatment tanks
Which best exemplifies a point source of pollution?
smokestack emissions from a large smelting company
How do nuclear power plants affect the local hydrology of an area?
source of thermal pollution
Based on the diagram, which of the following processes most likely caused the bottom-dwelling plants in the lake to die?
the algal bloom prevented sunlight from reaching the bottom dwelling-plants, which reduced the rates of photosynthesis
A scientist wanted to investigate the effect of tropospheric ozone on the respiratory function of mice. Twenty female mice were placed in one of five different field environments that mimicked the natural habitats of the mice. Each environment had a tube connected to it that would pump in a set level of ozone measured in ppm. In each field environment, the scientist measured the average respiratory output for the twenty mice over a three-month time frame.
the different levels of ozone introduced into the environments
Which of the following claims about brine shrimp is best supported by the data in the table?
the optimum salinity for brine shrimp hatching is 30mg/100ml
Based on the diagram, which of the following processes most likely caused the fish in the lake to die?
the remains of bottom-dwelling plants and algae decomposed, depleting the amount of oxygen in the water
Secondary Treatment
the tank is aerated to provide bacteria with oxygen to aerobically break down organic matter into carbon dioxide and inorganic sludge
Global climate change occurs because increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in
the troposphere absorb outgoing IR radiation
Which of the following will occur if the trend of global temperature increase continues?
the troposphere will contain more water vapor
Bioaccumulation
the uptake of fat-soluble substances by organisms resulting in an accumulation of the substance within the body of the organism
A small lake, located downstream of a power plant, recently experienced a die-off of multiple aquatic species. Environmentalists had been monitoring the temperature of the lake for several months prior to the die-off and noticed a significant spike in the temperature of the lake immediately preceding the die-off event. Which of the following best explains why the die-off event occurred in the lake following the increased water temperature?
the warm water decreased the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, which led to an increase in the respiration rate of the aquatic organisms
Many scientists say a rise in sea level has occurred in the last hundred years as a result of global warming. Why?
thermal expansion of the ocean
In models of global warming, the most important factor contributing ot an increase in sea level is
thermal expansions of the oceans
Which of the following best describes why persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are toxic to organisms?
they do not break down easily and can accumulate in the fat tissue of an organism
Which contributes to global climate change through the direct release of CO2 into the atmosphere?
transporting products from one continent to another on a cargo ship
CH4 has a higher global warming potential than CO2 does, so it can trap more heat in the atmosphere.
true
DDT is stable, and as much as 50% of the original concentration can remain 15 years after the initial application.
true
Example of an airborne pathogen
tuberculosis
primary treatment
uses physical processes like screens and grates to remove objects such as rocks, sticks, and other large solid debris
Which of the following best describes how thermal pollution from power plants can affect aquatic ecosystems?
warm water discharged into rivers and streams destroys the oxygen content of the water, which reduces the number of fish species
The spread of infectious diseases is expected to increase with climate change, because
warmed temperatures will allow disease-carrying insects to survive
Which obest describes why water vapor, a GHG, is not considered a significant contributor to global climate change?
water vapor has a relatively short residence time in the atmosphere
threshold
where the effects of a toxin start to be seen
