Shoops to air pollution
The average vehicle releases 1.39grams1.39grams of NOxNOx per mile driven. If a vehicle is driven 22,000miles22,000miles per year for 1515 years, how much NOxNOx does that vehicle release?
458,700458,700 grams
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
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 locations would most likely receive acid deposition?
A town downwind from a coal-fired power plant
Which of the following 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
Which of the following is the human health impact most closely associated with atmospheric particulates?
Asthma
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following gases. Carbon dioxide Carbon monoxide Methane Radon Sulfur dioxide Has a stronger affinity for hemoglobin than oxygen has
Carbon monoxide
Catalytic converters reduce which of the following pairs of pollutants in car exhaust?
Carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons
The graph below shows the experimental data from an investigation testing how carbon monoxide levels in the ambient air alter the amount of oxygen hemoglobin can carry. The experiment was performed with five different laboratory mice. Each mouse was kept in its own habitat under constant conditions of water, food, light, and temperature. Each mouse was exposed to a different concentration of carbon monoxide, and the oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin was measured.Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the investigation?
Carbon monoxide impairs the transport of oxygen in the bloodstream.
Directions: Each set of lettered choices below refers to the numbered questions or statements immediately following it. Select the one lettered choice that best answers each question or best fits each statement. A choice may be used once, more than once, or not at all in each set. The following questions refer to the energy sources listed. (A) Uranium-238 (B) Coal (C) Natural gas (D) Oil (E) Solar Is primarily responsible for acid rain in the northeast United States
Coal
Which 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 graph below depicts the various components of smog for a densely populated urban area in the Northern Hemisphere. Each plotted line (AA, BB, CC, and DD) 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?
Concentrations for component CC would be higher throughout the graph.
Which of the following is a natural source of atmospheric carbon dioxide?
Decomposition of organic matter
Which of the following would most likely reduce the concentration of ground-level ozone in the air of a city?
Decrease in the emissions of nitrogen oxides
Which of the following would be the most likely effect of acid deposition on a northern forest?
Decreased ability of trees to withstand cold weather
Which of the following energy sources produces the most air pollutants when used during the generation of electricity?
Fuel oil
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following questions(s) refer to a pond in southern Canada. In 1950 the pH of the pond water was 8.2, but by 2000 the pH had decreased to 5.2. Which of the following changes would also be expected in the pond over the same time period?
II only
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.
Which of the following is an example of an external cost?
Individuals pay for medical treatment of lung disease aggravated by pollution from a coal- fired power plant.
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 of the following is true of the Clean Air Act?
It established a cap-and-trade program for SO2 in 1990.
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following air pollutants. (A) Sulfur dioxide (B) Lead (C) Ozone (D) Hydrocarbons (E) Particulates Implicated in human neurological damage
Lead
The presence of which of the following in soil is most likely to neutralize acid rain?
Limestone
Noise Exposure and Public Health Exposure to noise constitutes a health risk. There is sufficient scientific evidence that noise exposure can induce hearing impairment, hypertension and heart disease, annoyance, sleep disturbance, and decreased school performance. For other effects such as changes in the immune system and birth defects, the evidence is limited. Most public health impacts of noise were already identified in the 1960s, and noise abatement is less of a scientific but primarily a policy problem. A subject for further research is the [clarification] of the mechanisms underlying noise-induced cardiovascular disorders and the relationship of noise with annoyance and nonacoustical factors modifying health outcomes. A high-priority study subject is the effect of noise on children, including cognitive effects and their reversibility. Noise exposure is on the increase, especially in the general living environment, both in industrialized nations and in developing world regions. This implies that in the twenty-first century noise exposure will still be a major public health problem. 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.
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 is produced by rush-hour traffic and is quickly oxidized in the atmosphere.
Which of the following correctly pairs a greenhouse gas with its primary anthropogenic source?
Nitrous oxide and agricultural practices
Directions: Each of the questions or incomplete statements below is followed by five suggested answers or completions. Select the one that is best in each case. The following questions refer to the pH scale below. The arrow represents the approximate pH of which of the following?
Normal rainfall
The graph below shows the experimental data from an investigation testing how carbon monoxide levels in the ambient air alter the amount of oxygen hemoglobin can carry. The experiment was performed with five different laboratory mice. Each mouse was kept in its own habitat under constant conditions of water, food, light, and temperature. Each mouse was exposed to a different concentration of carbon monoxide, and the oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin was measured.Which of the following modifications would improve the validity of the investigation?
Perform the experiment on a larger sample size of mice.
A leading cause of lung cancer in the United States
Radon
Directions: Each set of lettered choices below refers to the numbered questions or statements immediately following it. Select the one lettered choice that best answers each question or best fits each statement. A choice may be used once, more than once, or not at all in each set. The following questions refer to this list of pollutants. (A) Radon (B) Mercury (C) Lead (D) Copper (E) Iron A gaseous decay product of uranium that is found in rocks
Radon
Which of the following air pollutants is correctly paired with one of its major effects?
Sulfur oxides . . acid deposition
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
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 do not include public health costs, such as those associated with air pollution.
Acid rain is associated with which of the following?
The burning of fossil fuels
Canada has proposed an action plan to address climate change and air pollution. The action plan will reduce the impact of greenhouse gases and pollutants on the environment and human health. Which of the following claims about the Canadian action plan is best supported by the data in the graph?
The plan supports phasing out traditional coal power plants and transitioning to sources like hydroelectricity, wind, and solar power.
Acid deposition would most likely result in which of the following?
The release of aluminum ions from soil
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.
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?
Toxic metals freed by acid deposition
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.
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?
Use of biomass fuel sources such as wood and charcoal for cooking
Which of the following negative consequences is most often associated with using biomass for energy production?
Using biomass for energy production can result in local deforestation.
Which of the following sources should be examined in a study to determine the impact of a geologic source on levels of CO2CO2 in the atmosphere?
Volcanoes
Which of the following is used to reduce SO2 emissions from coal-burning power plants?
Wet-scrubber units
Smoke from forest fires is most likely to affect air quality over larger areas for many days when
a persistent atmospheric inversion exists in the region
The majority of atmospheric mercury is produced by
coal-burning power plants
The three main anthropogenic sources of gaseous air pollutants in the United States are
industry, transportation, and energy production
Individuals pay for medical treatment of lung disease aggravated by pollution from a coal- fired power plant.
motor-vehicle exhaust
All of the following are likely consequences of indoor air pollution EXCEPT an increase in
the risk of developing skin cancer
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
The danger from radon gas would most likely be greatest in
well-insulated homes
