Environmental Science Chapter 7
A city is considering constructing a new industrial park to increase revenue and exports. They also want to make the park sustainable, so they should employ techniques used in __________. A. industrial ecology B. ecological downsizes C. riparian restoration D. landfill production E. all of the above
A. industrial ecology
Match the waste management method to its potential harm to ecosystems. A. landfills—ground water contamination from leachate B. incineration—production of methane, a greenhouse gas C. ocean dumping—toxic ash as waste breaks down under sunlight D. composting—thermal (heat) pollution in local waterways E. recycling—release of hazardous waste due to combustion of recyclable material
A. landfills—ground water contamination from leachate
Sanitary landfills are commonly used in the United States to manage solid waste. Since decomposition in sanitary landfills relies upon anaerobic bacteria (those that live in oxygen-poor environments), a large amount of the greenhouse gas ______ is produced. A. methane B. carbon dioxide C. oxygen D. nitrogen E. sulfur
A. methane
Everyday garbage or trash (solid waste) produced by individuals or small businesses is known as ____________. A. municipal solid waste B. industrial solid waste C. hazardous waste D. biodegradable E. sanitary
A. municipal solid waste
Which of the following materials should NOT be added to a compost pile? A. pet waste B. livestock manure C. paper D. dead leaves E. All of the above could be added to a compost pile.
A. pet waste
Declining to take a plastic bag for a few items purchased at a store is an example of ________. A. refusing B. reducing C. reusing D. recycling E. de-manufacturing
A. refusing
_______ is the process of allowing waste to biologically decompose in the presence of oxygen and water. A. Bioaccumulation B. Composting C. Recycling D. Eutrophication E. Hypoxia
B. Composting
_________ require(s) manufacturers to take back some of their products after consumers are finished with them. A. Cradle-to-cradle laws B. Take back laws C. De-manufacturing D. Reuse laws E. Reduction laws
B. Take back laws
Why is there no such thing as waste in natural, non-human ecosystems? A. There is not enough consumption to produce waste. B. The discarded matter of one organism becomes the resources for another. C. All organisms reuse their own discarded matter. D. There is one niche in every ecosystem that consumes all waste from the other members of the ecosystem. E. Waste does exist in natural ecosystems; we just can't see it.
B. The discarded matter of one organism becomes the resources for another.
Waste is _____________. A. anything that humans do not deem valuable to survival B. a human term used to describe things we throw away C. any discarded item that can be naturally degraded in the environment D. common in natural ecosystems E. all of the above
B. a human term used to describe things we throw away
Which of the following is NOT a component of a newer sanitary landfill? A. a leachate collection system B. an incinerator C. a plastic liner D. compacted clay and waste E. daily earth cover
B. an incinerator
Tiny bits of plastic gather in specific areas of the world's oceans where strong currents circle around areas with very weak, or even no, currents. These regions are called __________. A. Bermuda triangles B. gyres C. pods D. waterfills E. neuston layers
B. gyres
Choosing to buy goods with minimal packaging is an example of ____. A. refusing B. reducing C. reusing D. recycling E. de-manufacturing
B. reducing
Composting kitchen and yard waste is an example of ____________. A. refusing B. reducing C. reusing D. recycling E. de-manufacturing
B. reducing
Currently, 54% of our waste is put into landfills. According to the EPA, which of the following shows available waste management techniques in order of most preferred to least preferred? A. recycling/compost, incineration with energy capture, source reduction/reuse, landfilling B. source reduction/reuse, recycling/composting, incineration with energy capture, landfilling C. landfilling, recycling/composting, incineration with energy capture, source reduction/reuse D. source reduction/reuse, incineration with energy capture, recycling/composting, incineration without energy capture E. recycling/composting, source reduction/reuse, landfilling
B. source reduction/reuse, recycling/composting, incineration with energy capture, landfilling
Incineration of waste reduces its volume by 80-90%, which is good. What are problems associated with this practice? A. the creation of air pollution B. the creation of water pollution C. the production of toxic solid waste D. the cost of incinerators E. All of the choices listed above are problems associated with incineration.
B. the creation of water pollution
Why can't we permanently get rid of the waste we generate? A. It is illegal to dump waste in the oceans. B. Most states prohibit the burning of waste. C. It would violate the law of conservation of matter. D. Disposal costs are prohibitive. E. None of the choices above fit the description.
C. It would violate the law of conservation of matter.
A soup company wants to reduce the waste associated with its soup packaging. Which option among the ones listed below would help it to accomplish this goal? A. Make the soup out of organically grown vegetables. B. Encourage consumers to burn the soup cans as a source of heat. C. Package the soup in reusable glass containers. D. Encourage the location of landfills in communities near the factory so that the surplus soup ingredients and packaging materials can be landfilled locally. E. Package the soup in smaller cans.
C. Package the soup in reusable glass containers.
Hazardous and nonhazardous wastes in developing countries often end up in open dumps. Which of the following is FALSE regarding open dumps? A. Open dumps attract pests such as flies and rats. B. Leachate from open dumps can contaminate groundwater. C. Sanitary landfills and open dumps are essentially the same thing. D. Open dumps are one of the cheapest ways to get rid of human trash. E. All of the above are true.
C. Sanitary landfills and open dumps are essentially the same thing.
A manufacturer of potato chips claims that its packaging can be broken down by living organisms. This packaging is considered _____________. A. industrial waste B. nondegradable C. biodegradable D. All of the choices listed above fit the description. E. None of the choices listed above fit the description.
C. biodegradable
Matter cannot be created nor destroyed; it only changes form. This is the law of _________. A. conservation of energy B. waste management C. conservation of matter D. no returns E. sustainability
C. conservation of matter
Which of the following is NOT considered hazardous waste? A. pesticides B. automotive oil C. plastic bottles D. e-waste E. compact fluorescent light bulbs
C. plastic bottles
Americans produce _______ amount of solid waste produced by most less-developed countries. A. half the B. the same C. twice the D. 10 times the E. 100 times the
D. 10 times the
In 2012 alone, each American produced about _____ of solid waste per day. A. half a pound B. 2.5 pounds C. 3.2 pounds D. 4.3 pounds E. 10 pounds
D. 4.3 pounds
__________ is harmful to humans; it is toxic, flammable, corrosive, explosive, and/or radioactive. A. Biodegradable waste B. Sanitary landfill waste C. Municipal waste D. Hazardous waste E. Industrial waste
D. Hazardous waste
In the United States, 54% of all garbage is categorized as ___________ waste. A. recycled paper B. mining C. municipal paper D. agricultural and industrial E. municipal metal
D. agricultural and industrial
When e-waste is improperly recycled, toxic metals can be released; this can include _________. A. lead B. mercury C. chromium D. all of the above E. none of the above
D. all of the above
Which of the following is NOT a way to personally reduce your solid waste production? A. filling a canteen instead of using plastic water bottles B. buying goods with minimal packaging C. composting kitchen and yard wastes D. buying organic foods from developing countries E. reusing plastic shopping bags for household chores
D. buying organic foods from developing countries
The majority of municipal solid waste produced in the United States ends up being __________. A. recycled B. composted C. incinerated D. landfilled E. reused
D. landfilled
One of the cheapest and most common methods of handling solid wastes in developing countries is _________. A. sanitary landfills B. incinerators C. recycling D. open dumps E. composting
D. open dumps
The four R's to help an individual limit waste production are _______________. A. reclaim, rename, retake, and recycle B. recycle, recycle, recycle, and recycle C. ratify, rectify, remedy, and reframe D. refuse, reduce, reuse, and recycle E. revamp, retrofit, reduce, and regulation
D. refuse, reduce, reuse, and recycle
Which of the following waste and waste management techniques are best matched up so as to cause the least harm to ecosystems? A. aluminum cans—incinerating B. pesticides—dumping in waterways C. paper waste—open dumps D. yard waste—composting E. e-waste—landfilling
D. yard waste—composting
TRUE
Developed countries, in particular, throw away items that still could be reused or recycled, but growing consumption in developing countries is also increasing the volume of solid waste generated there.
Incinerators reduce the volume of solid waste by about ______________. A. 10-20% B. 30-40% C. 50-60% D. 70-80% E. 80-90%
E. 80-90%
Ecological concerns regarding plastics in oceans include which of the following? A. Sea mammals can get tangled in discarded plastic items, such as fishing nets and six- pack rings. B. Seabirds eat plastic, mistaking it for food, and may end up choking on the plastic. C. Plastic absorbs fat-soluble pollutants such as PCBs and DDT; these are toxins known to bioaccumulate in the tissues of marine organisms and biomagnify up food chains. D. Floating bits of plastic can serve as attachment points for fish eggs, barnacles, and many types of larval and juvenile organisms, and thus they could potentially transport harmful, invasive species to new locales. E. All of the above are concerns regarding plastics in oceans.
E. All of the above are concerns regarding plastics in oceans.
What are the characteristics of something that is nondegradable? A. It does not degrade in normal atmospheric conditions. B. It is mostly synthetic molecules. C. It is chemically stable. D. It cannot be broken down by naturally occurring enzymes. E. All of the above choices are characteristics.
E. All of the above choices are characteristics.
Consumers can decrease the amount of landfilled solid waste by ___________. A. refusing to purchase products that contribute to solid waste generation B. purchasing goods with minimal packaging C. finding ways to reuse materials instead of purchasing new ones D. actively recycling materials E. All of the choices listed above will decrease the amount of landfilled solid waste.
E. All of the choices listed above will decrease the amount of landfilled solid waste.
What is the MOST appropriate way to handle hazardous waste? A. Incinerate it, as burning eliminates all toxic waste. B. Landfill it, as leachate contains the hazardous waste and prevents it from contaminating ground water. C. Dump it in the ocean, as the volume of water dilutes the waste, essentially making it nonhazardous. D. Send it to developing countries in Africa, as they have developed methods of extracting the valuable components of such waste without causing harm to the workers. E. None of the above is an appropriate way to handle hazardous waste.
E. None of the above is an appropriate way to handle hazardous waste.
Disassembling equipment, machinery, and appliances into components which can be salvaged or reused is an example of ___________. A. refusing B. reducing C. negative feedback D. limited growth E. de-manufacturing
E. de-manufacturing
Hazardous waste is __________. A. any material that humans deem to be unwanted B. everyday garbage or trash produced by individuals or small businesses C. waste that is capable of being broken down by living organisms D. waste that is incapable of being broken down under normal conditions E. waste that is toxic, flammable, corrosive, explosive, or radioactive
E. waste that is toxic, flammable, corrosive, explosive, or radioactive
Compare the foraging areas for the two populations of Laysan albatross chicks relative to the locations of the garbage patches. This comparison suggests that _________ birds likely eat more plastic because ___________. A. the Oahu; they have a smaller foraging area B. the Kure; a large portion of the Western Garbage Patch is in their foraging area C. the Kure; they have a larger foraging area D. the Oahu; their actual nesting site is closer to the Eastern Garbage Patch E. neither the Kure nor the Oahu; they can both avoid foraging in the area of the garbage
I can't post the pic....just know the answer is B. the Kure; a large portion of the Western Garbage Patch is in their foraging area
FALSE
Plastic bottles are considered to be hazardous waste because they are made from oil.
Bioaccumulation
The build-up of toxic materials in the tissues of animals is known as
54%
of all the garbage in the United States is categorized as agricultural and industrial waste.
Bottle Deposits
significantly reduce the amount of plastic or glass bottles and aluminum cans that end up in a landfill.