Deck 4: Air Quality, Water, Agriculture and the Ecology of Food, and Forest Resources

Question 1

Air pollution is best defined as_______.

A) any gases in Earth's atmosphere in trace amounts
B) organic chemicals that can vaporize into the air
C) suspended particles of gases that contain small amounts of solids and liquids
D) gases or particles present in high enough concentrations in the atmosphere to harm humans, other organisms and structures
E) small particles in the atmosphere arising from volatile organic compounds

Answer 1

gases or particles present in high enough concentrations in the atmosphere to harm humans, other organisms and structures

Question 2

Which of the following is not an aerosol?

A) dust
B) pollen
C) smoke
D) sea salt
E) methane

Answer 2

methane

Question 3

_______pollutants are chemicals or particles that are directly emitted from identifiable sources.

A) Man- made
B) Tertiary
C) Secondary
D) Primary
E) Natural

Answer 3

Primary

Question 4

A temperature inversion can adversely affect air quality and is characterized by_______.

A) a layer of warm air forming above colder air
B) a layer of warm air forming above the stratosphere
C) inverted air masses with particulates held at altitude
D) a layer of cold air forming above warmer air
E) air masses in which primary and secondary air pollutants are inverted

Question 5

Photochemical smog is formed when primary air pollutants interact with_______.

A) gases
B) moisture
C) air
D) sunlight
E) water

Question 6

CFCs were primarily used in_______.

A) power plants
B) aerosols
C) factories
D) refrigeration
E) automobiles

Question 7

Scrubbers remove 90% of _______.

A) acid deposition
B) nitrogen oxides
C) greenhouse gases
D) sulfur oxides
E) CFCs

Question 8

An aerosol mixture of particulates and sulfur compounds forms a grayish- colored substance that is called _______.

A) industrial smog
B) photochemical fog
C) industrial fog
D) inversion smog
E) sulfuric aerosols

Question 9

All of the following are considered indoor air pollutants except _______.

A) sodium chloride
B) radon
C) cigarette smoke
D) asbestos
E) pesticides

Question 10

The best way to address outdoor air pollution is to ________.

A) use automobiles without catalytic converters
B) use high sulfur content coal
C) build high smoke stacks
D) use less polluting energy sources
E) install scrubbers on smoke stacks

Question 11

Radon is an indoor air pollutant that has been linked to_______

A) liver failure
B) lung cancer
C) liver cancer
D) skin cancer
E) kidney failure

Question 12

Stratospheric ozone depletion is currently most serious ________.

A) over the most populated and urbanized regions
B) over the Arctic Ocean
C) over tropical latitudes
D) over North America
E) over New Zealand and Australia

Question 13

All of the following are major steps to controlling air pollution except _______.

A) determination of major sources of pollutants
B) implementing strategies to meet the air pollution standards
C) developing agreements among countries to limit air pollution
D) finding cures for the diseases caused by air pollutants
E) identification of the pollutants

Question 14

Which step would be most likely to have the greatest effect on improving outdoor air pollution?

A) drastic reduction in cigarette smoking
B) drastic reduction in burning firewood
C) drastic reduction in the use of aerosol cans
D) significant reduction in automobile use
E) drastic reduction in radon emissions

Question 15

Which of the following health problems associated with UV exposure is also associated with thinning of Earth's ozone layer?

A) skin cancer
B) heart disease
C) skin irritations
D) headaches
E) gastrointestinal disease

Question 16

The primary sources of the acidity in acid rain are the gases _______.

A) NO_x and N₂O
B) H₂SO₄ and NO
C) SO₂ and NO_x
D) O₃ and SO₂
E) O₃ and VOCs

Question 17

Which of the following acts set new standards to reduce automobile emissions along with establishing a cap- and- trade program for reducing sulfur dioxide emissions?

A) the Clean Air Act of 1963
B) the Air Quality Act of 1967
C) the Clean Air Act Amendment of 1970
D) the Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act of 1965
E) the Clean Air Act Amendment of 1990

Question 18

All of the following pollutants were targeted for reduction by 2010, according to The 1999 Protocol, except _______.

A) VOCs
B) CFCs
C) ammonia
D) sulfur dioxide
E) nitrous oxide

Question 19

Which of the following pesticides was used to kill termites and treat wood between 1948 and 1988?

A) PCB
B) DDT
C) Chlordane
D) Lindane
E) Atrazine

Question 20

Which naturally emitted gas, accumulating in indoor spaces, has been linked with lung cancer in humans?

A) mercury
B) asbestos
C) carbon monoxide
D) ozone
E) radon

Question 21

The EPA regulates the demolition and renovation of older buildings because they may contain_______

A) plywood
B) radon
C) asbestos
D) hydrocarbons
E) VOCs

Question 22

In many developing countries a primary indoor air pollutant is_______.

A) VOCs
B) radon
C) cigarette smoke
D) smoke from wood- fueled stoves
E) asbestos

Question 23

Trace gases make up_______of the Earth's atmosphere.

A) 0%
B) less than 5%
C) less than 10%
D) less than 1%
E) more than 10%

Question 24

Carbon dioxide released by automobiles is an example of a _______source of pollution.

A) non- point
B) aerosol
C) multi- point
D) point
E) volatile

Question 25

Acid rain is an example of_______deposition.

A) wet
B) aerosol
C) photochemical
D) industrial
E) dry

Question 26

Aerosols of sulfur compounds affect climate in what way?

A) They destroy the ozone layer.
B) They reflect sunlight and cool the Earth's surface.
C) They have no effect on climate.
D) They absorb sunlight and cause the Earth's surface to warm.
E) They have different effects depending on their source.

Question 27

Which of the following heavy metals is/are associated with damage to the human nervous system?

A) mercury and lead
B) radon
C) lead
D) mercury
E) mercury, lead, and radon

Question 28

Indoor air is likely to be contaminated by all of the following except_______.

A) mercury
B) microorganisms
C) particulate matter
D) volatile organic compounds
E) radon

Question 29

The Donora killer smog of 1948 was primarily a consequence of _______.

A) emissions from the steel mill
B) meteorological conditions
C) emissions from automobiles
D) climate change
E) emissions from home furnaces

Question 30

Rowland and Molina's work showed that ultraviolet light in the stratosphere causes CFCs to release_______atoms.

A) carbon
B) mercury
C) hydrogen
D) chlorine
E) fluoride

Question 31

Students at MIT developed a method to produce _______from agricultural wastes, resulting in a safer indoor fuel for use in developing countries.

A) fuel cells
B) wood
C) charcoal
D) biodiesel
E) ethanol

Question 32

Which of the following particles is likely to fall out of the air faster?

A) pollen
B) fog/smog
C) bacteria
D) salt- algae
E) viruses

Question 33

According to the graph, what year was the Montreal Protocol most likely to have been enacted?

A) 2000
B) 1982
C) 1984
D) 1987
E) 1990

Question 34

Where are deaths from indoor smoke most likely?

A) Australia
B) North America
C) Asia
D) South America
E) Africa

Question 35

Where in the United States is the risk of radon exposure lowest?

A) Michigan
B) Florida
C) Alabama
D) North Dakota
E) New Mexico

Question 36

You go onto the AirNow website, enter your zipcode, and receive your local AQI for the EPA's criterion pollutants. Your AQI is 136. You spent about an hour outside today doing yardwork. Based on these graphs, you should be most concerned about your exposure to _______.

A) nitrogen dioxide
B) ozone
C) particulate matter
D) lead
E) none of these, as you are a very healthy person

Question 37

Match the term with the correct definition.

-Air Pollution

A) Secondary chemicals whose formation is facilitated by sunlight
B) Gases or particles that are present in high enough concentrations to harm humans, other organisms, and buildings and other structures
C) Amount of gases and small particles in the atmosphere that influence ecosystem or human well- being
D) Organic chemicals that can vaporize into the air
E) Very small solid and liquid particles suspended in the air

Question 38

Match the term with the correct definition.

-Air Quality

A) Secondary chemicals whose formation is facilitated by sunlight
B) Gases or particles that are present in high enough concentrations to harm humans, other organisms, and buildings and other structures
C) Amount of gases and small particles in the atmosphere that influence ecosystem or human well- being
D) Organic chemicals that can vaporize into the air
E) Very small solid and liquid particles suspended in the air

Question 39

Match the term with the correct definition.

-Volatile Organic Compounds

A) Secondary chemicals whose formation is facilitated by sunlight
B) Gases or particles that are present in high enough concentrations to harm humans, other organisms, and buildings and other structures
C) Amount of gases and small particles in the atmosphere that influence ecosystem or human well- being
D) Organic chemicals that can vaporize into the air
E) Very small solid and liquid particles suspended in the air

Question 40

Match the term with the correct definition.

-Particulate Matter

A) Secondary chemicals whose formation is facilitated by sunlight
B) Gases or particles that are present in high enough concentrations to harm humans, other organisms, and buildings and other structures
C) Amount of gases and small particles in the atmosphere that influence ecosystem or human well- being
D) Organic chemicals that can vaporize into the air
E) Very small solid and liquid particles suspended in the air

Question 41

Match the term with the correct definition.

-Photochemicals

A) Secondary chemicals whose formation is facilitated by sunlight
B) Gases or particles that are present in high enough concentrations to harm humans, other organisms, and buildings and other structures
C) Amount of gases and small particles in the atmosphere that influence ecosystem or human well- being
D) Organic chemicals that can vaporize into the air
E) Very small solid and liquid particles suspended in the air

Question 42

Read the scenario and answer the accompanying questions.
Acid deposition can be decreased by reducing industrial fossil fuel combustion. In accomplishing this, the amount of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulates, and mercury produced would also be lowered.

-The major acid resulting from these industrial sources is .

A) nitric acid
B) tropospheric acid
C) carbonic acid
D) mercuric acid
E) sulfuric acid

Question 43

Read the scenario and answer the accompanying questions.
Acid deposition can be decreased by reducing industrial fossil fuel combustion. In accomplishing this, the amount of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulates, and mercury produced would also be lowered.

-What is the current best strategy, resulting in the greatest decline, for reducing sulfur dioxide from these industrial emission?

A) cap- and- trade programs
B) smoking bans
C) tall smokestacks
D) atmospheric dilution of pollutants
E) catalytic converters

Question 44

How does acid deposition form, and what are three important impacts that it has on the environment?

Question 45

Discuss the specific actions that the EPA has taken to minimize the automobile emissions of lead, nitrogen oxide, and carbon monoxide.

Question 46

What percentage of Earth's surface is covered with water?

A) 80%
B) 42%
C) 23%
D) 70%
E) 56%

Question 47

_______are human- made lakes and reservoirs that store water for irrigation, flood control, or energy generation.

A) Aquifers
B) Channels
C) Levees
D) Watersheds
E) Impoundments

Question 48

The entire flux of water into the atmosphere is represented by _______.

A) evaporation
B) runoff
C) percolation
D) transpiration
E) evapotranspiration

Question 49

Which water molecule has the longest residence time?

A) a molecule in the atmosphere
B) a molecule in snow
C) a molecule in a river
D) a molecule in the ocean
E) All water molecules have equal residence times.

Question 50

Dams provide an important source of________.

A) nonrenewable energy
B) water flowing into lakes
C) stabilization for migrating fish to reproduce
D) renewable energy
E) electricity

Question 51

What percentage of groundwater drawn from aquifers each year is used for irrigation?

A) 38%
B) 68%
C) 11%
D) 21%
E) 3%

Question 52

The Red River of the North flows into Hudson Bay, part of the North Atlantic Ocean. What kind of watershed does the Red River drain?

A) small
B) large
C) closed
D) oceanic
E) open

Question 53

The underground depth where rock and sediment are completely saturated with water is referred to as the ________.

A) discharge zone
B) water table
C) recharge zone
D) unconfined aquifer
E) confined aquifer

Question 54

An artesian well is created when the well is drilled into _______ .

A) any groundwater source
B) an unconfined aquifer under great pressure
C) a confined aquifer under little pressure
D) an unconfined aquifer under little pressure
E) a confined aquifer under great pressure

Question 55

People who rely on wells for drinking water are likely concerned about all of the following except
_______ .

A) overdrawing water
B) flooding
C) faulty septic systems
D) saltwater intrusion
E) pollutants

Question 56

Which of the following actions should you avoid if you want to decrease the severity of flooding?

A) converting meadows into agricultural areas
B) using permeable pavers
C) installing green roofs
D) planting trees
E) converting agricultural fields to residential areas

Question 57

The Aral Sea is shrinking due to_______.

A) saltwater intrusion
B) diversion of the rivers that flow into it
C) subsidence
D) a large number of dams
E) overdrawing the aquifer it is located upon

Question 58

The rapid sinking of a large area of land above an aquifer is known as_______ .

A) saltwater intrusion
B) subsidence
C) a discharge zone
D) a sinkhole
E) a recharge zone

Question 59

The specific aquifer on which most of the U.S. midwestern agriculture depends is known as the
_______ .

A) Trans Dakota- Texas aquifer
B) Illinois aquifer
C) Artesian Aqueduct project
D) Colorado water project
E) Ogallala aquifer

Question 60

In the United States, which of the following consumes the greatest amount of water?

A) agriculture
B) U.S. government
C) power plant cooling
D) industry
E) domestic

Question 61

Most of the water supplied to homes is used_______

A) to water house plants
B) for cooking
C) for recreation
D) to wash, clean, and flush away undesirable materials
E) for drinking

Question 62

The first comprehensive national law to manage water quality was the_______.

A) Oil Pollution Control Act
B) Water Pollution Control Act
C) Clear Drinking Water Act
D) Safe Drinking Water Act
E) Clean Water Act

Question 63

Which Act requires the EPA to regulate the discharge of pollutants into waterways?

A) Clear Drinking Water Act
B) Water Pollution Control Act
C) Clean Water Act
D) Oil Pollution Control Act
E) Safe Drinking Water Act

Question 64

The maximum amount of a pollutant that a body of water can support without reducing water quality below acceptable levels is represented by_______ .

A) total maximum daily levels
B) total minimum daily levels
C) water quality
D) total minimum daily loads
E) total maximum daily loads

Question 65

Bioassessment uses_______to determine water quality.

A) turbidity
B) conductivity
C) living organisms
D) pH
E) dissolved oxygen

Question 66

Eutrophication is caused by _______.

A) high levels of phosphorus
B) mercury
C) high turbidity
D) low pH
E) low dissolved oxygen

Question 67

Ocean acidification is a consequence of what other environmental problem?

A) acid precipitation
B) climate change
C) eutrophication
D) biodiversity loss
E) saltwater intrusion

Question 68

Which of the following methods has the highest irrigation efficiency?

A) low- energy precision application sprinklers
B) drip irrigation
C) flooding fields
D) surge irrigation
E) aerial sprinkler systems

Question 69

What is the major deterrent to the widespread use of desalination?

A) taste
B) expense
C) lack of an energy source
D) lack of a water source
E) lack of technology

Question 70

Which of the following is not considered wastewater?

A) water from sinks
B) storm water runoff
C) groundwater
D) water used in manufacturing
E) sewage

Question 71

_______is/are formed during primary wastewater treatment.

A) Toxins
B) Sludge
C) Gray water
D) Bacteria
E) Inorganic nutrients

Question 72

A/An_______is a series of large tanks that begin with anaerobic treatment and follows with plants and biological life forms that would live in various wetland areas.

A) wastewater treatment plant
B) eco- machine
C) leach field
D) septic tank
E) septic field

Question 73

Solids in wastewater treatment are removed in _______

A) secondary treatment
B) tertiary treatment
C) pretreatment
D) primary treatment
E) sludge digestion

Question 74

Secondary sewage treatment is designed primarily to_______.

A) remove hazardous chemicals such as pesticides and heavy metals
B) remove the solids
C) remove all bacteria and microorganisms
D) pretreat wastewater on its way to tertiary treatment
E) remove the dissolved organic matter

Question 75

When considering using gray water, you might use the water for _______.

A) taking baths
B) washing clothes
C) filling swimming pools
D) flushing toilets
E) washing hands

Question 76

The purpose of an Eco- Machine is to_______.

A) treat wastewater
B) reduce municipal water use
C) treat saltwater
D) simulate photosynthesis
E) create graywater

Question 77

Based on this data, which country or countries would you expect to have an economy highly dependent upon industry?

A) United States
B) France
C) France and Mali
D) United States and France
E) Mali

Question 78

In 1848, San Francisco Bay looked much different than it does today. At one time, the largest part of this estuary had an area defined by approximately_______ .

A) 40 × 50 mi
B) 20 × 40 km
C) 30 × 80 km
D) 15 × 40 km
E) 40 × 150 mi

Question 79

According to this data, which impairment should be of most concern?

A) algal growth
B) pathogens
C) trash
D) pH
E) mercury

Question 80

The main conclusion from this graph on soil and vegetation change after wetland restoration is_______

A) soil organic matter and nutrient absorption are much easier to accomplish than improvements in biomass
B) that it takes at least 10 years for wetlands restoration to be completed
C) soils are more important to wetlands restoration than are plants
D) soil organic matter is initially the most rapid category to recover
E) plant biomass recovers relatively rapidly in restored wetlands