Deck 18: Air Pollution

Question 1

Harmful chemicals emitted directly into the air from natural processes and human activities are called

A)secondary pollutants
B)smog
C)photochemical smog
D)tertiary pollutants
E)primary pollutants

Answer 1

E

Question 2

The biggest air pollution threat to poor people is

A)badly maintained automobiles
B)pollutants from industry
C)indoor air pollution
D)smoke from burning forests
E)dust blown into the air

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following is not one of the major air pollutants?

A)suspended particulate matter
B)sulfur dioxide
C)nitrogen oxides
D)formaldehyde
E)ozone

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Approximately how much of the air we breathe is composed of nitrogen and oxygen?

A)99%
B)77%
C)63%
D)54%
E)33%

Question 5

Approximately how much of the toxic mercury in the skies above Los Angeles, California can be traced to the Asian Brown Cloud?

A)0%
B)1%
C)12%
D)33%
E)67%

Question 6

According to the World Health Organization, one in every ____ persons lives in urban areas with air that is unhealthy to breathe.

A)two
B)six
C)ten
D)twenty
E)fifty

Question 7

Human inputs of outdoor air pollutants occur mostly

A)in rural areas
B)in the mountains
C)along the oceans
D)in urban areas
E)in the deserts

Question 8

The stratosphere differs from the troposphere because it contains

A)1/1000th the oxygen
B)1/1000th the nitrogen
C)1/1000th the water vapor
D)1/1000th the ozone
E)1,000 times the carbon dioxide

Question 9

Which of the following is not a part of the Asian Brown Cloud?

A)ozone
B)toxic metals
C)dust
D)smoke and ash
E)mercury

Question 10

Which of the following is not one of the results of the UV filtering effect of the ozone layer?

A)allows humans ant other forms of life to exist on land
B)protects humans from sunburn
C)protects our immune system from damage
D)prevents the formation of photochemical ozone near the ground
E)reduces the amount of water vapor in the troposphere

Question 11

If the earth were an apple, the lower layer of the atmosphere would be the thickness of

A)the core
B)the part of the apple we eat
C)the skin
D)the whole apple
E)a seed

Question 12

The atmospheric layer containing 75% of the mass of earth's air is the

A)thermosphere
B)mesosphere
C)stratosphere
D)troposphere
E)tropopause

Question 13

What do all volatile organic compounds have in common?

A)All are carbon based.
B)All are produced from manmade sources.
C)All are emitted for processing and/or burning fossil fuels.
D)All are colorless, odorless reactive gases.
E)All are naturally occurring colorless and odorless gases found in rocks and vegetation.

Question 14

All of the following are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), except

A)methane
B)industrial solvents
C)carbon monoxide
D)benzene
E)components of gasoline

Question 15

Most of earth's climate occurs in the

A)troposphere
B)thermosphere
C)mesosphere
D)stratosphere
E)tropopause

Question 16

The Asian Brown Cloud is approximately the size of

A)Tibet
B)Shanghai
C)India
D)China and India
E)Continental U.S.

Question 17

The atmosphere is divided into spherical layers based upon the

A)density of each layer
B)concentration of ozone in each layer
C)temperature changes from variations in absorption of solar energy
D)concentration of oxygen in each layer
E)precipitation in each layer

Question 18

Most of the ozone layer is found in which of the following?

A)thermosphere
B)mesosphere
C)thermopause
D)stratosphere
E)troposphere

Question 19

Which of the following is not a way to prevent lead poisoning?

A)phase out waste incineration
B)ban the use of lead pencils in schools
C)ban lead glazing on ceramic ware used to serve food
D)ban the use of lead solder
E)ban candles with lead cores

Question 20

The correct sequence of layers of the atmosphere from innermost to outermost is

A)mesosphere─stratosphere─thermosphere─troposphere
B)troposphere─stratosphere─mesosphere─thermosphere
C)stratosphere─thermosphere─troposphere─mesosphere
D)thermosphere─stratosphere─mesosphere─troposphere
E)thermosphere─mesosphere─stratosphere─troposphere

Question 21

Photochemical smog is characteristic of urban areas with many vehicles and a climate that is

A)cool, wet, and cloudy
B)cool, dry, and sunny
C)warm, dry, and sunny
D)warm, wet, and cloudy
E)warm, wet, and sunny

Question 22

Photochemical smog is formed when primary pollutants interact with

A)sunlight
B)water vapor
C)sulfur dioxide
D)oxygen
E)carbon

Question 23

Typical precipitation in the eastern United States is how many times more acidic than natural precipitation would be?

A)2 times
B)4 times
C)6 times
D)8 times
E)10 times

Question 24

Sixteen of the world's twenty most polluted cities are found in

A)the United States
B)Brazil
C)the Ukraine
D)China
E)Mexico

Question 25

The WHO and the World Bank call indoor air pollution

A)world's most serious air pollution problem
B)an important air pollution problem
C)not a serious air pollution problem
D)a serious problem only for poor people
E)a serious problem only for developed nations

Question 26

A temperature inversion is the result of

A)precipitation
B)cold air drainage
C)a lid of warm air on top of cooler, stagnant air
D)a cold blanket of air that prevents warm air from rising
E)mixing of cool and warm air

Question 27

Which of the following statements is true?

A)Temperature inversion occurs when a layer of cold air prevents warm air from rising.
B)Temperature inversions make pollution problems worse.
C)Temperature inversions last only a few minutes to a few hours.
D)Normally, cool air near earth's surface expands and rises, carrying pollutants higher into the troposphere.
E)Temperature inversions help prevent air pollution

Question 28

All of the following are on EPA's "four most dangerous indoor air pollutants list," except

A)ultrafine particles of various substances
B)radon-222
C)sulfur dioxide
D)tobacco smoke
E)formaldehyde

Question 29

How much additional reduction of SO₂ emissions from coal burning power plants in Midwestern states will be necessary before lakes in the northeastern U.S.can recover?

A)20%
B)40%
C)60%
D)80%
E)100%

Question 30

Which of the following is not true of acid deposition?

A)45 U.S.states have issued warnings to not eat fish
B)low pH increases plant nutrients in forest soils
C)several thousand lakes in Norway and Sweden contain few fish
D)crops are harmed by low pH
E)mountaintop forests are hardest hit regions

Question 31

How many children in less-developed countries have permanent brain damage because of lead poisoning?

A)15million to 18 million
B)8 million to 12 million
C)5 million to 7 million
D)2 million to 3 million
E)approximately 1 million

Question 32

Which of the following would not be an effective preventive measure for acid deposition?

A)reduce coal use
B)burn low-sulfur coal
C)switch to natural gas or renewable energy resources
D)adding lime to neutralize the acids
E)remove SO2 and NOx from motor vehicle exhausts

Question 33

Acidic rain, snow, fog, and cloud vapor typically has a pH of

A)3.6
B)4.6
C)5.6
D)6.6
E)7.6

Question 34

Which of the following would not be a factor that reduces outdoor air pollution?

A)Particles that are heavier than air settle out of the atmosphere.
B)Rain and snow wash pollutants out of the atmosphere.
C)Winds sweep pollutants away.
D)Chemical reactions form acid precipitation which falls out of the atmosphere
E)Radiation from the sun converts pollutants into benign chemicals.

Question 35

Which of the following is not one of the factors that increase outdoor air pollution?

A)buildings slow wind speed and reduce dilution of pollutants
B)hills and mountains reduce the flow of air in valleys
C)high temperatures promote formation of photochemical smog
D)movement of over the oceans encounter salty sea spray
E)temperature inversions form over cities surrounded by mountains

Question 36

Gray-air smog comes from suspended particles of

A)carbon dioxide
B)ammonium salts
C)soot
D)carbonic acid
E)ozone

Question 37

Acid deposition is best classified as a(n)

A)local problem
B)state problem
C)regional problem
D)national problem
E)international problem

Question 38

Sick Building Syndrome is linked to all of the following, except

A)headaches
B)coughing and sneezing
C)lung cancer
D)chronic fatigue
E)depression

Question 39

Which of the following is not true of indoor air pollution in the United States?

A)levels of 11 pollutants are 2 to 5 times higher in inside US homes than outside
B)pollution levels inside cars in urban areas are up to 18 times higher than outside
C)health risks are magnified because 70-98% of time is spent in cars or homes
D)outdoor air pollution has a high cancer risk than indoor air pollution
E)pesticides and lead accumulate in carpet and on furniture in homes

Question 40

Primary pollutants from burning coal include all of the following, except

A)carbon monoxide
B)sulfur dioxide
C)soot
D)ozone
E)carbon dioxide

Question 41

The troposphere is about 17 kilometers thick at both the equator and at the north and south polar regions.

Question 42

During the 1980 and 2008 period, decreases in emissions occurred for all of the following pollutants, except

A)lead
B)CO2
C)SO2
D)CO
E)ground-level ozone

Question 43

Pollution such as the Asian Brown Cloud can be cleared up fairly quickly when standards are set for coal-burning industries.

Question 44

In the United States, how many people get cancer from breathing diesel fumes from buses and trucks?

A)10,000
B)50,000
C)75,000
D)100,000
E)125,000

Question 45

Carbon dioxide makes up 21% of the air we breathe.

Question 46

As much as 33% of the toxic mercury in the skies over Los Angeles comes from coal-fired plants and other sources in China.

Question 47

According to a 2009 EPA report, between 1980 and 2008, the combined emissions of six major air pollutants decreased by how much?

A)17%
B)23%
C)36%
D)49%
E)54%

Question 48

About 90% of radon related lung cancers in the US occur among

A)overweight people
B)immune suppressed people
C)pregnant women
D)current or former smokers
E)the elderly

Question 49

Exposure to indoor formaldehyde pollution is least likely to cause

A)ulcers
B)headaches
C)chronic breathing problems
D)dizziness
E)sore throat

Question 50

Respiratory illnesses in developing countries are most likely to be caused by

A)formaldehyde
B)cigarette smoke
C)particulate matter
D)asbestos
E)chloroform

Question 51

Between 1990 and 2006 emissions trading systems reduced SO₂ emissions by power plants in the U.S.by 53% at what cost to the industry?

A)100 times what the EPA projected
B)one-tenth what was expected by the industry
C)approximately what the industry projected
D)3 times what the EPA expected
E)no cost to the industry

Question 52

The chemical that causes most people in developed countries the most difficulty is

A)chloroform
B)formaldehyde
C)carbon monoxide
D)asbestos
E)sulfur dioxide

Question 53

How many people in the United States die each year from air pollution related reasons?

A)25,000 to 30,000
B)50,000 to 66,000
C)75,000 to 110,000
D)100,000 to 175,000
E)125,000 to 350,000

Question 54

Large diesel trucks emit as much particulate matter as how many cars?

A)20
B)50
C)75
D)150
E)1500

Question 55

According to environmental scientists, all of the following would strengthen U.S.air pollution control laws, except

A)greater emphasis on prevent air pollution
B)sharply reduce emissions from older coal-burning power plants
C)relax controls on petroleum refineries
D)improve fuel efficiency standards on motor vehicles
E)stricter air pollution regulations on airports and ocean going ships

Question 56

Air pollution is understood as primarily a localized urban problem.

Question 57

According to the EPA, adding radon control could add how much to the cost of a new home?

A)$10,000
B)$5,000
C)$2,000
D)$1000
E)$500

Question 58

Radioactive ____ is a product of uranium decay

A)radon
B)radium
C)plutonium
D)lead
E)hydrogen

Question 59

The troposphere contains approximately 75-80% of the earth's air mass.

Question 60

Air pollution in the urban areas of many less-developed countries is

A)getting much better
B)remaining about the same
C)getting a little better
D)getting worse
E)at crisis levels

Question 61

Secondary pollutants can be classified by the source of pollution, such as stationary sources or mobile sources.

Question 62

Air pollution is a recent phenomenon, which started when coal-burning became common in the Industrial Revolution.

Question 63

Ninety three percent of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the result of the natural carbon cycle.

Question 64

Dry acid deposition occurs near the emission source, while wet deposition occurs in more distant areas.

Question 65

Scientists think the South Asian Brown Clouds may be a factor in the melting of the Himalayan glaziers.

Question 66

Between 1976 and 2006, the percentage of U.S.children, ages 1─5 years with blood lead levels above the safety standard increased by 85%.

Question 67

The rising and falling air currents in the troposphere are largely responsible for the earth's short-term weather and long-term climate.

Question 68

Over the past 30 years, the quality of outdoor air in most developed countries has greatly improved.

Question 69

Air pollutants only come from human-made sources.

Question 70

The biggest pollution threat to poor people is indoor air pollution caused by burning of wood, charcoal, coal, or dung in open fires in their houses.

Question 71

Methane is twenty times more effective at warming the atmosphere than is carbon dioxide.

Question 72

The ozone layer surrounding the earth is formed when molecules of oxygen in that layer are converted to ozone by UV radiation.

Question 73

Urban industrial smog is rarely a problem in most developed countries.

Question 74

Chemicals in the atmosphere combine with one another and with natural components of air to form new, harmful chemicals, called primary pollutants.

Question 75

The grasshopper effect occurs when air pollutants are transported from tropical and temperate areas to the earth's polar regions by evaporation and wind.

Question 76

Photochemical smog is a mixture of primary and secondary pollutants formed under the influence of UV radiation from the sun.

Question 77

The temperature of the earth's atmosphere increases in the stratosphere because the ozone in the stratosphere absorbs UV radiation from the sun.

Question 78

There is considerable scientific evidence that human activities have resulted in increasing levels of CO₂ and the warming of the earth's climate.

Question 79

Because of the earth's shape, the atmosphere is thicker over the North and South Pole than at the equator.

Question 80

The United States leads the world in the use of technology to detect air pollutants.