APES Unit 8
US residents are how many times more likely to die from breast cancer than residents of Hungary?
1.5
assuming consistent yearly rainfall amounts , what is the volume or leachate that the landfill will be able to treat per year?
1296
a farmer needs to kill more than half of the insect crop pests to ensure a profitable harvest. Based on the graph, what is the minimum concentration of pesticide C that the farmer must use to make a profit?
1500
large objects, such as sticks and rocks, are screened out and removed during this process
A
The location where desertification is occurring most rapidly
A (africa)
which of the following components of a wastewater treatment plants designed to facilitate the decomposition of organic material by aerobic microorganisms?
Activated sludge tank
Which of the following best describes the action of an endocrine disruptor?
An endocrine disruptor blocks the receptor protein binding site of a hormone so that the cell cannot receive a signal.
the amount of sediment deposited at the mouth of a river system is likely to be increased by the presence upstream of which of the following?
Artificial levees and embankments
At which of the following locations in the stream was there most likely a discharge of excess organic matter into the water?
B
the smallest fish populations will most probably be found at point
C
this process results in the biological breakdown of most of the organic matter in the sewage
C, air
which of the following would have the lowest probability of causing illness if ingested?
C. jejuni
Which of the following is the most likely route for mercury to enter the food web?
Coal-burning emissions → deposition → ocean → plankton → fishes
based on the data in the graph, which pesticide would be the most effective at that concentration
D
which of the following best describes why DDT is classified as a persistent organic pollutant
DDT is very stable
Two branches of a river have different sediment loads. Based on the diagram, which of the following most likely led to the differences in the amount of sediment in the two branches of the river?
Deforestation from clear-cutting
A point source discharges organic waste into a stream. Which of the following graphs best depicts the expected pattern for dissolved oxygen (DO) in this stream as a function of distance from the discharge point?
E, curve dip
Alligators in a Florida lake polluted by high levels of dioxins (chlorinated hydrocarbons) had low testosterone levels and failed to reproduce. Scientists came to the conclusion that the dioxins were acting as which of the following?
Endocrine disrupters
The use of nitrogen-based fertilizers in the Midwestern United States is a major contributing factor to which of the following?
Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico
Which of the following is the most likely consequence of runoff transporting chemicals that are endocrine disruptors to a pond?
Increased frequency of birth defects in fish populations in the pond
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
the dangers of disposing of toxic chemicals underground came to public attention in which of the following locations?
Love Canal, NY
which of the following is the best example of environmental remediation?
PCB-consuming bacteria are sprayed on an area that has soil contaminated with PCBs
which of the following best explains why top predators can have up to 60 times as much persistent organic pollutant as their prey and up to 600 times as much of the pollutant as producers?
POPs accumulate in the body fat of living organisms. POPs increase in concentration as they move up the food chain
regulations that deal directly with the disposal of hazardous materials in the united states include which of the following
RCRA
Which of the following is the most likely explanation of how herbicides affect amphibians?
The herbicides act as endocrine disruptors.
which of the following describes a component of a modern sanitary landfill?
a bottom liner of plastic or clay to prevent groundwater contamination
all of the following are commonly used to deal with the side effects of eutrophication in lakes EXCEPT
adding nitrates
which of the following is most likely to result from destruction of wetlands surrounding a river?
an increased frequency of flooding of the river valley
the risk that many cancer-causing chemicals pose to humans can be estimated using laboratory tests on rats. A significant scientific limitation of such tests is that
animal models may not reflect human responses
based on the LD50 values, which of the following best describes the toxicity level of the household substance shown in the table?
antifreeze is more toxic than aspirin
based upon the data, what is the best description of this relationship
as the concentration of anastrozole increases, the percent induction of breast cancer decreases
eutrophication results in the death of trout and other fish as a result of
asphyxiation from lack of oxygen
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 explains why DDT has been found in penguin eggs in the Antarctic?
chemicals used in one region of Earth can circulate
mandates the restoration and maintenance of the chemical, physical , and biological integrity of the nation's waters
clean water act
which of the following federal laws specifically deals with the cleanup of abandoned hazardous waste sites?
comprehensive environmental responsibility compensation and liability act
true statements about ozone include which of the following
contact with ozone can be injurious to health, ozone absorbs some wavelengths of ultraviolet radiation
most plastics pose a special problem in the waste stream because they
decompose slowly, if at all, and pressit as solid waste
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
which of the following would encourage recycling?
decreasing taxes on recycled material
major anthropogenic sources of nitrogen pollution include commercial fertilizers, vehicle exhaust, industrial air pollution, and ..
discharge of sewage of surface water
toxicologists say the dose makes the poison meaning that most substances are harmful in high enough concentrations. The data for anastrozole..
does not support this concept because as concentration increases, response decreases
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
based on the data in the graphs, which of the following strategies would best increase the total volume of municipal solid waste being recycled?
enacting a single-stream recycling program and providing bins to residential homes
which of the following characteristically produces non-point source pollution?
erosion from agricultural land
if wastewater treatment plant effluent that contains nitrates and phosphates is allowed to flow into a body of water, which of the following may result?
eutrophication
of the following, which is the best example of a point source of water pollution?
factory effluent
which of the following examples includes both a point and a nonpoint source of pollution?
fertilizer from suburban lawns and wastewater from a water treatment plant
based on the diagram, which of the following best describes how a malfunctioning air compressor would affect the process of sewage treatment?
fewer bacteria would be available to absorb dissolved organics in the tank
on the basis of this information, which of the following is the best prediction regarding the consequences of receiving this dosage of the insecticide?
five hundred out of every one thousand rats would die
all of the following are considered household hazardous waste except
food scraps
based on the diagram, which of the following is associated with the primary treatment of sewage?
grit chamber
the presence of which of the following contaminants would be the strongest reason for judging municipal sewage sludge unfit for use as fertilizer?
heavy metals
defining characteristic of a wetland involve which of the following?
hydrology, soil type, and species competition
which method reduces the volume of waste but could release toxic emissions into the atmosphere?
incineration
critics of incineration of municipal soid waste suggests that it may not be the best solution for the future for which of the following reasons?
incineration contributes to air pollution
The release of a large amount of sewage and other organic wastes into a river would likely result in a sharp
increase in the biological oxygen demand
which of the following is a common characteristic of lakes undergoing cultural eutrophication?
increased levels of plant nutrients
when logging is carried out in a watershed, a likely effect on the local streams is
increased water temperature
In a river ecosystem, dissolved oxygen concentrations drop quickly downstream from a point-source input of organic matter into the river. This effect is due to
increasing bacterial activity as organic matter decays
which of the following is a way to potentially eliminate one of the greatest threats to the world's mangrove wetlands?
integrate ecologically sound shrimp aquaculture practices with mangrove management
which of the following which of the following would result in the largest reduction in volume of municipal solid waste disposed of in landfills?
introduce composting programs for yard trimmings and food waste
the ozone near the surface is undesirable because it
is a strong oxidant and a respiratory irritant
in the removal of a pollutant from wastewater, which of the following is true of the cost per unit of pollutant removed?
it increases as the concentration of the pollutant decreases
in the US, most municipal solid waste is disposed of by
landfilling
of the following, which is the primary method of waste disposal in the united states?
landfilling
Three common methods employed in the cleanup of oil spills are
large floating booms, skimmer boats, and genetically engineered bacteria
of the following, which is the most serious immediate problems associated with sanitary landfills?
leachate contamination of groundwater
the activity with the health risk most likely to be overestimated by the general public in the united states is
living near a nuclear power plant
significant increased in water temperature can drastically change dissolved oxygen levels in a lake. Why does the combined effect of these two environmental changes result in algal blooms?
low DO leads to death for aerobic organisms, like fish, whose decomposition provides an overabundance of nutrients for the algae, resulting in the large blooms
which of the following best describes why macroinvertebrate sampling can be used to assess the overall health of a stream?
macroinvertebrates live in an aquatic ecosystem for a long enough time to show the chronic effects of pollutants, and many tend to remain in the same area throughout their life span
poses a health risk to humans who eat large quantities of marine fish such as swordfish and tuna
mercury
is a flammable gas produced by landfills
methane
chemical compound that can cause algal blooms and cultural eutrophication in streams
nitrates
which of the following water quality tests would best indicate if sewage from the wastewater treatment plant has contaminated the Moose River?
nitrates measured at site C
which of the following is a point source pollutant that would likely affect the ecosystem health of a coral reef?
oil released from the broken hull of a shipwrecked tanker
which of the following is the best example of a point source pollutant?
oil tanker spill
lakes that are characterized by high water clarity and low concentration of dissolved nutrients are classified in
oligotrophic
although the use of DDT was banned in the United States in 1972, a test of the body tissue of an average United States resident today would most likely reveal the presence of DDT because
other countries that export produces to the United states still use DDT
which of the following is an effective alternative to chlorine for disinfecting wastewater in a municipal treatment plant?
ozone
in the US, the largest single component of municipal solid waste is
paper
which of the following is the greatest component of municipal solid waste in the US?
paper
which of the following best describes a way that persistent organic pollutants cause harm in the environment ?
persistent organic pollutants are soluble in fat, so they accumulate in an organism' fatty tissues
other than potential negative health effects of 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
which of the following will result in accelerated eutrophication when introduced into streams, lakes, and bays?
phosphates
which of the following is the most likely cause of recent blooms of blue-green algae in Lake Erie?
phosphorous contained in agricultural runoff
which of the following solutions would best address the issue of greatest concern in the community?
planting mangrove forests
all of the following are considered toxic metal pollutants except
potassium
which of the following practices would best help to protect against inland and coastal flooding in urban areas?
preserving wetland and coastal mangrove habitats
an advantage of recycling aluminum rather than disposing of it in landfills is that aluminum can be
produced from recycled metal using much less energy than is required for its production from aluminum ore
of the following strategies to decrease the landfill volume of packaging material from food and other consumer products, the most energy efficient is
promoting the use of reusable containers for consumer goods
which of the following correctly orders the methods of solid-waste management in terms of energy required?
reduce, reuse, recycle
which of the following strategies will best reduce eutrophication in the Chesapeake Bay?
regulating the use of inorganic fertilizer in the Susquehanna River watershed
which of the following would best improve the validity of the experiment?
repeating the experiment several times and comparing the results
establishes cradle to grave tracking of hazardous waste
resource conservation and recovery act
which of the following laws gave the EpA the authority to control hazardous waste from cradle to grave including the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste?
resource conservation and recovery act
waste from which of the following is an example of nonpoint source pollution?
runoff from agricultural fields
which of the following is the usual cause of cultural eutrophication in surface waters of both developed and developing countries?
runoff of nitrate compounds into bodies of water
requires minimum safety standards for community water supplies
safe drinking water act
which method is used most frequently in the United States today
sanitary landfill
most municipal solid waste in the US is disposed in
sanitary landfills
many synthetic chemicals, such as PCBs, act as estrogen mimics. In an ecosystem, there persistent chemicals would have the greatest effect on which of the following?
secondary consumers
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 highest concentration in fish tissue than in the tissue of fish prey
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
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
which of the following best explains why more contaminants are leached when solid waste is created into small particles and put in contact with water than when the particles are large?
smaller particles have a larger surface area per unit volume than larger particles
which of the following best illustrates point-source pollution?
smokestack emissions from a large smelting company
when water used to cool power plants during normal plant operations is released into adjacent waterways, which of the following is most likely to occur as a result?
the DO in the adjacent waterways would decrease because used coolant water is warm and leads to thermal pollution
which of the following is the best description of bioaccumulation?
the absorption of a substance by an organism at a rate greater than the rate of elimination
why did the DO after one week decrease as the amount of waste increased?
the algae multiplied and then died and decomposed
a laboratory study using rats showed a steady increase in physical effects as the concentration of a toxic substance in their food was increased. This suggests that
the doe-respose relationship is linear
which of the following explains what likely caused the death of so many bluegills in the lake?
the influx of warmer water caused an unexpected increase in the metabolic rate of the bluegills, which led to increased physiological stress from limited resource availability
Some drinking water standards allow bacteria in water at dosages up to the 10% probability of illness. which of the following statements is best supported by the data in the graph?
the newly discovered bacterium would have the lowest allowable dosage to meet the drinking water standards
which of the following factors would most likely contribute to the condition observed in the Long Island Sound?
the sound has large numbers of phytoplankton blooms that are decomposing and consumed by respiring bacteria
the water used in this type of power plant is often released back into a reservoir. which of the following effects could this released water have on the reservior?
the temperature of the released water causes a decreased in the amount of dissolved oxygen in the reservoir
Which of the following statements best describes the concept of phytoremediation?
the use of plants to absorb and accumulate toxic material from the soil
which of the following is supported by the data
there is a positive correlation between breast cancer and dietary fat intake
which of the following is true of sewage treatment plants in the united states?
they are not designed to remove pharmaceutical chemical from wastewater
what is the main purpose for the experiment
to observe the effect of organic waste on DO
Which of the following is a measure of the amount of suspended material in water?
turbidity
integrated waste management employs all of the following execpt
using disposable diapers instead of cloth diapers
which of the following best describes a supporting ecological service provided by wetlands?
wetlands provide a habitat for a wide variety of organisms
which of the following identifies an unintended result from recycling programs?
when items are placed in recycling that cannot by recycled, the cost of recycling increases
based on the data in the graphs, which of the following materials would be best suited for incineration to reduce total volume, produce energy, and have minimal release of air pollutants?
wood
