unit 7 apes

The graph below depicts the various components of 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 different components of smog depicted in the graph are most likely released from automobile exhaust?

A and B

The graph shows the average distance traveled by individuals in a population in an urban area in the southwestern United States. Based on the data, which of the following months most likely experiences the highest levels of photochemical smog?

July

In addition to a nearby mountain range, which of the following environmental conditions would be required for the process in the diagram to occur?

A cool sea breeze and a high pressure system

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 is most responsible for the change in the emissions of volatile organic compounds ( VOC ) from 1970 to 2020 as shown in the graph?

An increase in air emission standards that began in 1970 that regulated corporate average fuel economy ( CAFE ) standards.

The graph below depicts the various components of 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 below depicts the various components of 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. 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.

The figure below illustrates how a thermal inversion can form over major urban centers. In the figure above, the letters A, B, and C represent the different thermal layers present in an inversion. Which of the following shows the correct sequence of thermal layers as one moves vertically upwards from the surface of Earth?

Cool sea breeze → Warm → Cool

Which of the following is most likely responsible for the indoor air pollutant shown in the graph?

Cracks in the basement foundation

An experiment to evaluate the efficiency of wet and dry scrubber networks that filter particulate gas at different flow rates was conducted under different flow rate conditions. The results are shown below. Which of the following best describes the efficiency of dry scrubbers at removing particles that are less than 2 micrometers in diameter?

Dry scrubbers are less than 10% efficient at removing particles less than 1μm in size.

Which of the following devices is correctly paired to the air pollutant it would be used to measure?

Gas sensor; CO2

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 location to obtain a water sample from to determine if the paper plant is affecting the acidity of the river?

Immediately downstream from the paper plant

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.

Over a three-year period, a city's environmental protection department measured the particulate matter (PM2.5) in a ten-square-mile area around one of the city's coal-fired power plants. The annual mean level of PM2.5 measured was 20.0 μg/m3 over the three-year study period. The National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for PM2.5 is an annual mean level of 12.0 μg/m3, averaged over three years. The city instructs the manager of the power plant to propose a plan to aid the city in meeting the NAAQS for PM2.5 in the area around the power plant over the next ten years. Which of the following would be the most effective plan for the manager to propose to the city?

Install electrostatic precipitators at the plant.

Scientists have discovered that Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emitted from trees can contribute to photochemical smog formation. Data in the table above were collected in 2006 and 2014 in Berlin, Germany. Isoprene is a VOC released by some tree species. Impact factor refers to the percentage of ozone attributed to the isoprene. Which of the following claims is best supported by the data shown in the table?

Isoprene's contribution to ozone levels in Berlin was greatest in July of both years.

Which of the following best describes the process shown in the diagram above?

Less-dense, warm air creates a temperature inversion between more-dense layers, trapping pollutants near the ground.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United States recommends taking corrective measures to reduce exposure to radon gas. The EPA has set an action level of 4 pCi/L for radon gas. The graph below shows radon samples taken from seventeen buildings in California. The radon samples were taken from the air inside the buildings, and the uranium concentrations were sampled from the soil under the buildings. Data points from four of the seventeen building locations are labeled A-D.

Location AA has the greatest need for remediation because the radon levels in the building are the highest and exceed the EPA action level.

Which of the following best describes how a scientist could accurately study the effects of soil buffering on plant growth in a region that is affected by acid deposition downwind of a coal-burning power plant?

Measure the changes in plant height over a year in two different groups of trees the same distance from the power plant; one group is in topsoil and one group is in topsoil with limestone added.

Based on the data in the graph, which of the following insulation options is ineffective at insulating a home and greatly contributes to indoor air pollution?

Mineral fiber batt

Atmospheric deposition is receiving increased attention in the scientific community, and has become the subject of a specific research area in the environmental sciences. Acid rain is detrimental to our ecosystems and can be measured in several ways. Which of the following methods would best identify changes from acid deposition in an area over time?

Monitoring the long-term chemical and biological parameters of an ecosystem

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.

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 noise exposure will be a major health problem in the twenty-first century?

Noise exposure is on the increase in both industrialized nations and in developing regions.

Effects of Noise on Wildlife Sound, just like the availability of nesting materials or food sources, plays an important role in the ecosystem. Activities such as finding desirable habitat and mates, avoiding predators, protecting young, and establishing territories are all dependent on the acoustical environment. [Wildlife is] being forced to adapt to increasing noise levels. Research shows that males of at least one frog species are adapting to traffic noise by calling at a higher pitch. This could be problematic for the females, because they prefer lower-pitched calls, which indicate larger and more experienced males. In general, studies indicate that animals are stressed by noisy environments. The endangered Sonoran pronghorn avoids noisy areas frequented by military jets; female frogs exposed to traffic noise have more difficulty locating the male's signal; bats avoid hunting in areas with road noise. Combined with other stressors such as winter weather, disease, and food shortages, sound impacts can have important implications for the health and vitality of wildlife populations within a park. National parks are under increasing noise pressure. Noise levels in park transportation corridors today are many times the natural level. Sound levels during peak periods in a high air traffic corridor in the Yellowstone backcountry, for example, were elevated by up to 5 decibels. The result is as much as a 70% reduction in the size of an area in which predators can hear their prey. Increasingly, careful consideration of the impacts of human-generated noise on wildlife is a critical component of management for healthy ecosystems in our parks. Based on the author's claim in the article, which of the following statements best describes the effect of noise pollution on wildlife?

Noise pollution has a negative effect on wildlife activities such as mating, establishing territories, and predator-prey interactions.

Which of the following is the best example of a point source pollutant?

Oil tanker spill

Scientists have discovered that Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emitted from trees can contribute to photochemical smog formation. Data in the table above were collected in 2006 and 2014 in Berlin, Germany. Isoprene is a VOC released by some tree species. Impact factor refers to the percentage of ozone attributed to the isoprene. Which of the following best describes the relationship between variables in the data table?

Ozone maximum is correlated to average and maximum temperature.

An engineer is assigned the task of reducing the air pollutants being released from a power plant that generates electricity by burning coal. The engineer performs a variety of computer simulations to determine which techniques and methods would be most effective at reducing air pollution generated by the plant. The air pollutant that computer simulations would likely show as being the most reduced by the installation of electrostatic precipitators in exhaust systems

Particulate matter

An engineer is assigned the task of reducing the air pollutants being released from a power plant that generates electricity by burning coal. The engineer performs a variety of computer simulations to determine which techniques and methods would be most effective at reducing air pollution generated by the plant. The air pollutant that computer simulations would likely show as being the most reduced by the installation of baghouse filters in exhaust systems

Particulate matter

Scientists have been monitoring CO2 in the atmosphere from Mauna Loa in Hawaii since 1958. Which of the following units is used by scientists to measure CO2 in the atmosphere?

Parts per million

Which of the following points on the graph best illustrates the location where pollutants are most likely to accumulate as a result of a thermal inversion?

Point D

Effects of Noise on Wildlife Sound, just like the availability of nesting materials or food sources, plays an important role in the ecosystem. Activities such as finding desirable habitat and mates, avoiding predators, protecting young, and establishing territories are all dependent on the acoustical environment. [Wildlife is] being forced to adapt to increasing noise levels. Research shows that males of at least one frog species are adapting to traffic noise by calling at a higher pitch. This could be problematic for the females, because they prefer lower-pitched calls, which indicate larger and more experienced males. In general, studies indicate that animals are stressed by noisy environments. The endangered Sonoran pronghorn avoids noisy areas frequented by military jets; female frogs exposed to traffic noise have more difficulty locating the male's signal; bats avoid hunting in areas with road noise. Combined with other stressors such as winter weather, disease, and food shortages, sound impacts can have important implications for the health and vitality of wildlife populations within a park. National parks are under increasing noise pressure. Noise levels in park transportation corridors today are many times the natural level. Sound levels during peak periods in a high air traffic corridor in the Yellowstone backcountry, for example, were elevated by up to 5 decibels. The result is as much as a 70% reduction in the size of an area in which predators can hear their prey. Increasingly, careful consideration of the impacts of human-generated noise on wildlife is a critical component of management for healthy ecosystems in our parks. What is one potential impact of increased noise pollution in national parks that is supported by the article?

Prey populations are likely to increase in national parks because predators have a decreased ability to hear prey sounds.

Which of the following is the most likely reason for the trend shown in the graph of fluctuating indoor radon levels over the course of a year?

Radon levels tend to increase in the colder months because of the difference in temperature inside and outside the home, which creates a vacuum pulling radon into the home at a higher rate.

An engineer is assigned the task of reducing the air pollutants being released from a power plant that generates electricity by burning coal. The engineer performs a variety of computer simulations to determine which techniques and methods would be most effective at reducing air pollution generated by the plant. The air pollutant that computer simulations would likely show as being the most reduced by the use of fluidized-bed combustion in the boiler furnaces

Sulfur dioxide

Based on the layers in the diagram, which of the following best explains why a thermal inversion tends to concentrate pollutants in the air layer closest to the Earth's surface?

The air layer closest to the Earth's surface is denser than the layer above it.

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

Scientists are testing the effect of different scrubber technologies on the removal of pollutants from coal power plants. The scrubbers use a slurry of limestone and water. Which of the following best describes the impact of modifying the slurry by increasing the amount of limestone?

The amount of sulfur dioxide released will decrease.

Scientists want to examine the effects of a coal-burning power plant on the pH of a lake that is downwind of the power plant. They take samples from a lake that is not downwind of the power plant to serve as a control. However, they did not realize that the lake they chose as a control group was a geothermal hot spring with acidic water. Which of the following best describes how their choice of control group could affect the results of their experiment?

The coal-burning power plant would not appear to have a large impact because the pH levels of the two lakes would be similar.

Scientists have been collecting atmospheric CO2 data for many years to monitor changes over time. Which of the following best describes why an island location, such as the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, is an ideal location to measure global CO2 concentrations?

The location is far from any continent, providing atmospheric air samples that are less likely to be affected by industry and transportation.

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.

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 do not claim that noise exposure induces birth defects in humans?

There is insufficient evidence to support that noise exposure induces birth defects in humans.

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?

There is no representation of photosynthesis in the model environment.

Air pollution from a power plant is being monitored for levels of nitrogen dioxide and ground-level ozone. The levels are measured daily at the same time. Which of the following best predicts the impact of a dark and cloudy day on the readings for the levels of air pollutants measured?

There will be an increase in the level of nitrogen dioxide and a decrease in the level of ground-level ozone.

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

Volcanoes

An experiment to evaluate the efficiency of wet and dry scrubber networks that filter particulate gas at different flow rates was conducted under different flow rate conditions. The results are shown below. Based on the data in the graph, which of the following methods would be most effective at removing the greatest amount of particulate matter from coal-burning power plant emissions?

Wet scrubbers using a flow rate of 450 L/min are best suited to remove large particles.

An air pollution expert set up a monitoring program to determine the amount of particulate matter (PM) leaving a farmer's field after crops were harvested and the soil was bare. She set up high-volume air samplers 10 meters from each edge of the square field and collected samples weekly for two months. When she looked at her data, she was surprised by how much the PM levels varied, both from site to site on a given date and over time at each site. Which of the following parameters would have been best to measure to help explain the variation in her results?

Wind direction and speed

A researcher wants to determine if ponds and lakes downwind of a coal-burning power plant are affected by the plant's emissions. Which of the following would be the best parameter from the water in the ponds and lakes to measure in order to determine the effect of the plant's emissions on the aquatic ecosystems?

pH

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