Unit 7 AP Env. Science Study Guide Questions
The average vehicle releases 1.39grams1.39grams of NOxNOx per mile driven. If a vehicle is driven 22,000miles22,000miles per year for 1515 years, how much NOxNOx does that vehicle release?
458,700458,700 grams
Which of the different components of smog depicted in the graph are most likely released from automobile exhaust?
A and B
Which of the following would most likely neutralize the effect of acid rain on bodies of water, based on the composition of soils and bedrock in the region?
A forest underlain by limestone
Which of the following best describes a potential unintended negative consequence of implementing measures to control acid deposition?
A reduction in sulfur for crops as a result of less acidic rainfall, leading to an increased need for sulfur supplements
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the substances listed. (A) Asbestos (B) Radon (C) Lead (D) Carbon monoxide (E) Formaldehyde Composed of fibers known to cause lung disease
Asbestos
The graph below depicts the various components of smog for a densely populated urban area in the Northern Hemisphere. Each plotted line (AA, BB, CC, and DD) is a different component of smog. Which of the curves on the graph depicts the concentration of ozone, which requires sunlight
C
A community located downwind from a coal-fired power plant has seen a recent increase in the number of dead and dying trees. A soil scientist measured values for the following parameters before and after the trees died off. Which of the following soil data should be used to determine if the coal-fired power plant emissions were the cause of the damage to the trees?
Calcium and aluminum levels
Which of the following best describes a natural process that adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?
Carbon dioxide is released from the interior of Earth during volcanic eruptions.
Increased use of which of the following technologies would cause the greatest reduction in the primary source of photochemical smog?
Catalytic converter
Which of the following is a nonanthropogenic source of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere?
Cellular respiration
Industrial scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators collect enormous amounts of particulate matter (coal ash) at coal-burning power plants. Which of the following best describes an environmental disadvantage of using industrial scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators for pollution abatement?
Coal ash contains toxic levels of several different pollutants, so when it is collected and stored long-term in coal ash ponds, there is increased risk of exposure to toxic metals.
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
Which of the following best describes one way the Clean Air Act helped reduce air pollution?
Created a fund to aid developing countries in reducing ozone-depleting emissions
Which of the following would most likely reduce the concentration of ground-level ozone in the air of a city?
Decrease in the emissions of nitrogen oxides
Particulates can be removed from smokestack emissions by which of the following methods?
Electrostatic precipitators
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the substances listed. (A) Asbestos (B) Radon (C) Lead (D) Carbon monoxide (E) Formaldehyde Emitted from most manufactured building materials and furniture
Formaldehyde
Which of the following energy sources produces the most air pollutants when used during the generation of electricity?
Fuel oil
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.
Which of the following is a human health impact associated with exposure to radon gas inside homes or other buildings?
Increased incidence of lung cancer
Over a three-year period, a city's environmental protection department measured the particulate matter (PM2.5PM2.5) in a ten-square-mile area around one of the city's coal-fired power plants. The annual mean level of PM2.5PM2.5 measured was 20.0μgm320.0μgm3 over the three-year study period. The National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQSNAAQS) for PM2.5PM2.5 is an annual mean level of 12.0μgm312.0μgm3, averaged over three years. The city instructs the manager of the power plant to propose a plan to aid the city in meeting the NAAQSNAAQS for PM2.5PM2.5 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.
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following air pollutants. (A) Sulfur dioxide (B) Lead (C) Ozone (D) Hydrocarbons (E) Particulates Implicated in human neurological damage
Lead
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the substances listed. (A) Asbestos (B) Radon (C) Lead (D) Carbon monoxide (E) Formaldehyde Found in old plumbing pipes and fixtures and some ceramic glaze
Lead
The presence of which of the following in soil is most likely to neutralize acid rain?
Limestone
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPAEPA) of the United States recommends taking corrective measures to reduce exposure to radon gas. The EPAEPA has set an action level of 4pCiL4pCiL 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. Which of the following conclusions can best be drawn from the data in the graph?
Location AA has the greatest need for remediation because the radon levels in the building are the highest and exceed the EPA action level.
In addition to volatile organic compounds (VOCsVOCs), which of the following components must be present in the atmosphere to create photochemical smog?
NOx and UV light
Which of the following correctly pairs a greenhouse gas with its primary anthropogenic source?
Nitrous oxide and agricultural practices
Which of the following statements best describes photochemical smog in large cities in the United States?
Photochemical smog causes negative human health impacts such as eye and lung irritation.
Which of the following environmental problems is most often linked to the combustion of fossil fuels?
Photochemical smog formation in the troposphere
Directions: Each set of lettered choices below refers to the numbered questions or statements immediately following it. Select the one lettered choice that best answers each question or best fits each statement. A choice may be used once, more than once, or not at all in each set. The following questions refer to this list of pollutants. (A) Radon (B) Mercury (C) Lead (D) Copper (E) Iron A gaseous decay product of uranium that is found in rocks
Radon
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the substances listed. (A) Asbestos (B) Radon (C) Lead (D) Carbon monoxide (E) Formaldehyde Colorless, odorless gas that is a naturally occurring decay product of uranium
Radon
Which of the following is most likely the source of the radon found in a house?
Radon gas found in bedrock and soil leaked into the home through cracks in the foundation.
Which of the following actions would be the most effective in decreasing acid rain and acid deposition problems?
Reducing use of fossil fuels
Which of the following is an appropriate remediation strategy for removing radon gas from the home?
Seal or ventilate places where radon enters the living space.
Which of the following air pollutants is correctly paired with one of its major effects?
Sulfur oxides . . acid deposition
Acid rain is associated with which of the following?
The burning of fossil fuels
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.
Which of the following is true about the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 ?
They allowed power plants to buy and sell SO2 pollution allowances.
Which of the following contributes to global climate change through the direct release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere?
Transporting products from one continent to another on a cargo ship
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 negative consequences is most often associated with using biomass for energy production?
Using biomass for energy production can result in local deforestation.
Which of the following is used to reduce SO2 emissions from coal-burning power plants?
Wet-scrubber units
Important factors that contribute to smog formation in the Los Angeles basin include which of the following? Ample summer sunshine Sea-level elevation High concentration of automobiles
ample summer sunshine and high concentration of automobiles
The graph below shows the average pH of precipitation from several regions of the world. The primary cause of acid precipitation in the northeastern United States is
burning of sulfur-containing fossil fuels to produce electricity
Which of the following is a primary air pollutant produced from burning coal?
carbon monoxide
Catalytic converters reduce which of the following pairs of pollutants in car exhaust?
carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons
Which type of electricity-generating power plant releases radioactive materials as well as toxic metals such as lead and arsenic under normal operating conditions?
coal-burning
The majority of atmospheric mercury is produced by
coal-burning power plants
The three main anthropogenic sources of gaseous air pollutants in the United States are
industry, transportation, and energy production
Directions: Each set of lettered choices below refers to the numbered questions or statements immediately following it. Select the one lettered choice that best answers each question or best fits each statement. A choice may be used once, more than once, or not at all in each set. The following questions refer to this list of pollutants. (A) Radon (B) Mercury (C) Lead (D) Copper (E) Iron Was once widely used in the United States as a gasoline additive
lead
The major human health problem related to radon accumulation is
lung cancer
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following air pollutants. (A) Sulfur dioxide (B) Lead (C) Ozone (D) Hydrocarbons (E) Particulates Is the major pollutant that electrostatic precipitators are designed to remove from power-plant smokestack emissions
particulates
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following air pollutants. (A) Sulfur dioxide (B) Lead (C) Ozone (D) Hydrocarbons (E) Particulates Most often cited as the causative factor for acid deposition
sulfur dioxide
The major source of radon in houses in the United States is
the underlying bedrock
The danger from radon gas would most likely be greatest in
well-insulated homes