Practice Exam 3 - ES

Hazardous waste displays at least one of the four following characteristics. Match each characteristic to its definition.

Ignitability - Poses a fire hazard. Reactivity - Can react spontaneously or explode. Toxicity - Can be harmful to human health or the environment. Corrosiveness - Can dissolve the container it is stored in.

Which of the following is the best indicator of recent climate change?

Increases in carbon dioxide

Which region of the world has the largest oil reserve?

Middle East

Which of the following fossil fuels causes the least environmental problems?

Natural Gas

Which of the following is the most common human-caused source of oil pollution in the ocean?

Oil pollution from the use of machinery on land and on the oceans.

Fossil fuels are non-renewable. (T or F)

True

There are many positive actions that have improved air quality. (T or F)

True

Match the term with the correct definition:

- Known deposits from which materials can be extracted profitably with existing technology under prevailing economic conditions. (Reserve) - Naturally occurring substance of use to humans that can potentially be extracted. (Resource)

Match the following U.S. regulations related to hazardous and toxic materials to the year they were implemented:

- Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). (1970) - Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA; Superfund). (1980) - Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). (1976) - Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). (1974) - Clean Water Act (CWA). (1972)

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)...

- Requires those who transport hazardous waste to document their shipments. - Has resulted in about a 90 percent reduction in the amount of hazardous waste produced. - Places limits on the amount of hazardous waste a company can produce.

The following changes to the oceans are anticipated with continued increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere...

- Sea level will increase because as the water in the ocean warms up it expands. - The oceans will become more acid. - Rising sea level will rise because glaciers on land will melt.

Winds are produced by...

- The rotation of the Earth. - Uneven heating of the Earth by the Sun. - Air sinking at the equator.

Rank the following steps in the pollution-prevention (P2) hierarchy from most beneficial (1) to least beneficial (4).

1. Reduce the amount of pollution at the source. 2. Recycle the waste. 3. Treat the waste to reduce its hazard of volume. 4. Dispose of the waste on land or incinerate it.

Coal is formed from plant material that has been buried and subjected to heat and pressure. Arrange the following types of coal from lowest grade (1) to highest grade (5).

5. Anthracite 4. Bituminous 3. Sub-bituminous 2. Lignite 1. Peat

What percentage of the world's commercial energy is furnished by fossil fuels?

80%

All of the following are criteria used by the U.S. Department of Transportation to determine if it is a hazardous material EXCEPT

Any liquid materials.

Which of the following best matches the description?

CFCs - Synthetic compounds produced for refrigerant gases and cleaning solvents. Kyoto Protocol - International agreement on greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide - The most abundant greenhouse gas. Methane - Greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere from cattle and rice paddies. Greenhouse Effect - A phenomenon where greenhouse gases allow light energy to pass through the atmosphere but prevent heat from leaving, therefore warming the planet. Greenhouse Gases - Compounds in the atmosphere that capture and return some heat radiating from the Earth. Global Warming - The increase in the temperature of the earth's atmosphere. IPCC - Organization that assesses the state of knowledge about climate change. Climate Change - Long term change in the Earth's climate (temperature, precipitation, wind patterns). Nitrous Oxide - Greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere through the use of fertilizers and fossil fuels. CFCs - Synthetic compounds produced for refrigerant gases and cleaning solvents.

Match the following air pollutants to their effect on human health:

Carbon Monoxide - Inhibits respiration in animals. Particulate Material - Damages lung tissues and causes cancer. Sulfur Dioxide - Major component of acid rain. Nitrogen Oxides - Increase eutrophication of surface water.

Air pollution

Caused by the action of people.

Which fossil fuel is the most abundant?

Coal

About 70% of additional energy added to the earth has been stored in the oceans. (T or F)

False

Although society uses fossil fuels, more oil, gas, and coal are constantly forming. (T or F)

False

Coral reefs will not be impacted by climate change. (T or F)

False

Nitrogen dioxide is not included as one of the EPA Criteria Pollutants. (T or F)

False

Which of the following best matches the description?

Oxides of Nitrogen - Air pollutant consisting of nitrogen and oxygen compounds. Photochemical Smog -Yellowish brown haze that is the result of the interaction of volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen, and sunlight. Particulates - Small pieces of solid material or droplets of liquid that are dispersed into the atmosphere. Ozone - Molecule consisting of three atoms of oxygen. Acid Deposition - Accumulation of potential acid-forming particles on a surface. Primary Air Pollutants - Substances released into the atmosphere, which in their unmodified form are a health risk. Secondary Air Pollutants - Pollutants produced by the interaction of primary pollutants with other molecules or an energy source. Particulates - Small pieces of solid material or droplets of liquid that are dispersed into the atmosphere. Sulfur Dioxide - Compound produced when sulfur-containing fossil fuels are burned.

Match the following terms to their definition:

Persistent Pollutants - Pollutants that remain unchanged in the environment for a long period of time. Synergism - Materials when mixed may become highly toxic and cause more problems than the individual pollutants. Acute Toxicity - A person is exposed to a massive dose of a substance for a short period of time. Chronic Toxicity - A person is exposed to a small dose of a substance for a long period of time.

Match the following terms with their proper definitions.

Primary Pollutants - Pollutants released directly from the source into the air in a harmful form. Criteria Pollutants - Pollutants contributing the largest volume of air quality degradation and also are considered the most serious threat of all air pollutants to human health and welfare. Secondary Pollutants - Pollutants converted to a hazardous form after they enter the air or are formed by chemical reactions as components of the air mix and interact.

Identify and drag the the following descriptions to the appropriate layer (either troposphere or stratosphere).

Troposphere - - Ozone is harmful here - weather occurs in this layer - The greenhouse effect occurs predominantly in this layer Stratosphere - - Ozone is beneficial here

As oil becomes less available, secondary recovering methods will increase. (T or F)

True

Carbon dioxide is put into the atmosphere as a waste product of fossil fuel combustion. (T or F)

True

Carbon monoxide is produced when organic materials are incompletely burned. (T or F)

True

Categories of air pollution include carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and lead. (T or F)

True

Inhaled small particulate material, less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, poses a greater risk to human health than larger, coarse particles do. (T or F)

True

It is believed that human activities can alter the atmosphere in such a way that they can change climate. (T or F)

True

The Superfund law was passed in 1980 to bring about cleanup of abandoned toxic waste sites. (T or F)

True

The majority of oil in the oceans comes from natural seeps. (T or F)

True

The primary problem associated with natural gas is transport of the gas to consumers. (T or F)

True

In what two countries have nuclear power accidents had the greatest effect on people's attitudes towards safety?

United States and Japan.

Coal is generally classified in four categories. Which type is the most widely used?

Bituminous

Match each of the main air pollutants to its main causative agent.

Carbon Monoxide - Incomplete burning of fossil fuels. Sulfur Dioxide - Mining and manufacturing processes. Particulate Material - Asbestos and cigarette smoke.

The Clean Air Act

Set national ambient air quality standards for six pollutants.