Unit 5
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the figure below, which depicts the observed relation between dietary fat intake and rate of death from breast cancer in different countries. United States residents are how many times more likely to die from breast cancer than residents of Hungary?
1.5
Burning one gallon of gasoline in a car releases approximately 20 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere. One person drives 60,000 miles in a car that averages 30 miles per gallon (mpg), while another person drives 60,000 miles in a car that averages 20 mpg. Over the course of the 60,000 miles, how many fewer pounds of CO2 are released by the 30 mpg car than by the 20 mpg car?
20,000
A pesticide was applied to a population of roaches, and it was determined that the LD50 was 55 mg/kg. If the average mass of a roach was 0.02 kg, which of the following approaches will determine the dose in mg per roach?
55 mg/1 kg x 0.02 kg
The graph below shows the LD50 for two different species of mice after being exposed to a mutagen for 30 days. Based on the data in the graph, which of the following should be used to calculate the difference in LD50 for the two different species of mice?
575 mg - 490 mg
Students and the water again Which of the following identifies and describes the equipment needed to best determine the amount of water that infiltrated the soil?
A ruler should be used to measure the level of water above the pavers in both pallets immediately after pouring the water over the pavers and immediately after the one-hour wait time.
The drop in stratospheric ozone levels in the Southern Hemisphere (the "ozone hole") is most evident during which season?
Antarctic spring (October)
Purity is a major factor in determining the type of coal used for energy. Which of the following types of coal are correctly paired with a description of its purity and common use?
Anthracite is considered the highest grade coal because it is almost pure carbon, and it is often used for domestic heating.
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
Which of the following best describes the energy resource used most often for heating and cooking in less developed countries?
Biomass is the predominant fuel source because it is easily obtained locally.
Which of the following equations best represents the chemical changes that occur during ocean acidification?
CO2 + H2O → 2H+ + CO32-
Chemical compound responsible for ocean acidification in the open oceans of the world
Carbon dioxide ( CO2 )
Catalytic converters reduce which of the following pairs of pollutants in car exhaust?
Carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons
The process of extracting and separating gold in remote regions often results in environmental contamination with which of the following?
Cyanide
Which of the following best describes why DDT is classified as a persistent organic pollutant?
DDT is very stable, and as much as 50% of the original concentration can remain in the soil 15 years after the initial application.
Based on the diagram, which of the following is an expected consequence of runoff and sewage in an aquatic environment?
Decreased oxygen production by seaweed on the seafloor from an increase in turbidity
Waste Treatment Researchers suspect that sewage leaked into the Moose River. Rates for which of the following diseases should be used to determine whether the human population using the river as a source of drinking water was exposed to sewage?
Dysentery
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. Which of the following water quality tests would best indicate if sewage from the wastewater treatment plant has contaminated the Moose River?
Fecal coliform measured at site B
Which of the following energy sources produces the most air pollutants when used during the generation of electricity?
Fuel oil
Recent studies have found that fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less can have negative human health effects. Which of the following correctly links a negative human health effect to an anthropogenic source of fine particulate matter? Group of answer choices
High rates of respiratory disease from power plant emissions
Important 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
I and III only
A cost-benefit analysis done to investigate a proposed mine site would likely take which of the following into account? I. The medical costs of mine worker injuries II. The cost of environmental restoration of the site when it is shut down III. The value of the ore to be extracted from the mine
I, II, and III
A series of experiments was designed to test the effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on the productivity of polar phytoplankton. Samples of these single-celled organisms were placed in four tanks, which were exposed to ambient natural solar radiation and to three modifications of ambient radiation. The design of the experiments is shown in the table below, along with measurements of photosynthesis in each tank. Which of the following inferences is supported by the results of this series of experiments?
Increased UV penetration through the Antarctic ozone hole would further depress productivity of phytoplankton.
Which of the following describes an aspect of urbanization that would most increase the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere compared to rural and suburban areas?
Increased amounts of waste per unit area in urban areas that leads to higher rates of decay and decomposition
Which of the following correctly explains a positive climate feedback loop found in the Arctic?
Increased precipitation increases the size of high albedo snowpack in polar regions, which leads to increased habitat for Arctic organisms such as polar bears.
Which of the following is the best illustration of the pesticide treadmill?
Increased use of pesticides to eradicate genetically resistant pests
Which of the following best describes the effect of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide on marine organisms?
It will decrease the availability of carbonate ions in ocean water, decreasing the ability of coral to form shells.
The use of which of the following to control agricultural insect pests is most likely to have a negative and persistent impact on an ecosystem?
Lindane, a chlorinated hydrocarbon
Which of the following illustrates the reactants needed to form tropospheric ozone?
NO2 + VOCs + O2 + sunlight
Which of the following correctly pairs a greenhouse gas with its primary anthropogenic source?
Nitrous oxide and agricultural practices
A scientist is studying PCBs in tertiary consumers. She wants to determine if PCBs can be found in tertiary consumers even though these compounds were banned in the United States in the 1970s. Which of the following best identifies a testable hypothesis for the study?
PCBs are persistent organic compounds that are fat-soluble, so they should be found in the fatty tissues of tertiary consumers even though the compounds have been banned for decades.
Which of the following best describes a way that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) cause harm in the environment?
Persistent organic pollutants are soluble in fat, so they accumulate in an organisms' fatty tissues.
The graph below represents the dose response curves of insect pests for four different pesticides. Other than potential negative health effects on humans, which of the following is a disadvantage of using chemical pesticides to eliminate crop pests?
Pesticides may harm organisms other than the target crop pests through biomagnification in the food web.
A group of farmers want to change their pest control methods to reduce the amount of pollution in a nearby river. The data on the cost and percent pest population reduction for several methods of pest control the farmers could consider are presented in the table below. Which of the following methods should the farmers choose to minimize the cost for efficient pest removal while still reaching their goal of reducing the amount of pollution in the river?
Planting genetically modified crops
Rapid runoff following a heavy rainfall may cause flooding downstream from urban areas. Which urban design strategy will most likely slow water runoff though an urban area and decrease the risk of downstream flooding?
Preserve open areas with intact vegetation
A gaseous decay product of uranium that is found in rocks
Radon
An integrated pest-management approach to pest control emphasizes which of the following?
Reduction of crop damage to an economically tolerable level
A laboratory experiment was done to show the effects of organic waste on the dissolved oxygen (DO) content in water. Five tanks were set up, each containing fresh water and a small amount of single-celled green algae. Specified amounts of organic waste were added to the tanks. The results below show the amount of DO in each tank after a period of one week. Which of the following would best improve the validity of the experiment?
Repeating the experiment several times and comparing the results
The excessive pumping of groundwater from wells can influence the water levels below ground. Which of the following is more likely to occur in aquifers in coastal areas than in aquifers in other regions?
Saltwater intrusion into the aquifers
Scientists are interested in determining if selenium, from a nearby mine, magnifies in the tissues of fish living in a lake. Which of the following best describes a testable hypothesis for the study?
Selenium will be at a higher concentration in fish tissue than in the tissue of fish prey.
Until 2005 the entire Postawko Creek Watershed in Fremont County consisted of a national forest interspersed with hay meadows and houses on lots with a minimum size of five acres. In 2005 Farmer Cobb opened a dairy farm in the watershed, and the citizens of Fremont County became concerned that the runoff from the dairy farm would negatively impact the water quality of the watershed. Scientists employed by the county collected water quality data at five sites in the watershed; some of the data are compiled in the table above. Based on these data, which site is most likely immediately downstream from the dairy farm?
Site C (high in nitrates)
Based on the data table above for a stream in Illinois, which site most likely has a construction site immediately upstream from it?
Site C (highly turbid)
The map reflects the difference in annual surface temperature from 2011 to 2017 in relation to 2000 to 2010. The scatterplot reflects the average change in surface temperature by latitude from 2011 to 2017 in relation to 2000 to 2010. Based on the data above, which of the following hypotheses about the future conditions in the Arctic is most plausible if the trend seen from 2011 to 2017 continues?
The albedo will decrease
Which of the following describes a fundamental characteristic of the green revolution in food resources?
The application of higher levels of organic fertilizers to increase rice production
The separation of the various components of crude oil in refineries is accomplished primarily by taking advantage of differences in which of the following?
The boiling points of the components
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. If technology that reduces the hydrocarbon concentration had been utilized, which of the following would have been the most likely result?
The concentration of O3 would have been higher.
Which of the following is the most likely unintended consequence of using pesticides in agriculture?
The continual use of pesticides can cause organisms to build a resistance through genetic mutation that then requires more or stronger pesticides.
Biological controls are frequently used to replace persistent chemical pesticides. Which of the following represents the greatest potential risk of using biological controls?
The control agent attacks not only its intended target but also beneficial species.
A group of students want to increase the amount of water infiltration around the property of their urban high school by replacing all the existing impermeable walkway pavers with permeable ones. The school board will not move forward with any property changes unless the students conduct an experiment and collect evidence to help prove that their proposed suggestion to increase water infiltration will be effective. The students create two identical pallets using soil taken from the school's property and install impermeable pavers similar to those found on the school's property in one of the pallets. They install permeable pavers in the other pallet. The students pour exactly the same amount of water over both sets of pavers, leave both pallets in exactly the same environmental conditions, and after one hour measure the amount of water that infiltrated the soil. Which of the following is the dependent variable in the study?
The infiltration rate of the water
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? Group of answer choices
The plan supports phasing out traditional coal power plants and transitioning to sources like hydroelectricity, wind, and solar power.
Glyphosates are herbicides that are often applied to genetically modified (G M) crops to kill weeds without harming the crop itself. Which of the following statements best explains the relationship shown on the graph?
The use of glyphosate has selected for herbicide resistance in weed populations?
Which of the following best describes the process known as "mountaintop removal"?
The use of heavy equipment to move overburden downhill during the strip mining of coal
Which of the following is a measure of the amount of suspended material in water?
Turbidity
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.
Occurs naturally in bedrock and leads to the formation of radon
Uranium-238
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All of the following substances are derived from petroleum EXCEPT
cellulose
A major environmental problem caused by using the agricultural practice of tilling is
eutrophication from excessive fertilizer use
As urbanization increases and natural soil surfaces are covered, the groundwater supply is reduced due to
loss of recharge area
Lakes that are characterized by high water clarity and low concentrations of dissolved nutrients are classified as
oligotrophic
There are various stages in the formation of coal as heat and pressure are increased and moisture content is decreased. These stages, in order, are
peat, lignite, bituminous, anthracite
Ozone in the stratosphere is most important to life at Earth's surface because it absorbs
ultraviolet light
The danger from radon gas would most likely be greatest in
well-insulated homes