Deck 22: Hazardous Chemicals: Pollution and Prevention

Question 1

Picric acid is always stored wet,often in glass bottles in water.If the crystals dry out,they can explode! Therefore,picric acid demonstrates high levels of

A)ignitability.
B)toxicity.
C)reactivity.
D)corrosivity.

Answer 1

reactivity.

Question 2

The chemistry professor warned the students that you never store acids in metal containers because acids demonstrate a high level of

A)ignitability.
B)toxicity.
C)reactivity.
D)corrosivity.

Answer 2

corrosivity.

Question 3

After cleaning up a lawn mower,Jason piles up a bunch of gas and oil soaked rags in the corner of the garage.During the night,the rags undergo spontaneous combustion,setting fire to the garage before the fire could be extinguished.According to HAZMAT guidelines,these rags exhibited a dangerous level of

A)ignitability.
B)toxicity.
C)neutrality.
D)corrosivity.

Answer 3

ignitability.

Question 4

The threshold level for harmful effects of toxic pollutants is most closely related to the

A)first appearance of chronic effects.
B)duration of exposure.
C)concentration of exposure.
D)concentration and duration of exposure.

Question 5

Determining a discrete threshold level of exposure is most difficult for

A)all carcinogens.
B)most acids.
C)all salts.
D)almost all bases.

Question 6

In the United States,the Toxics Release Inventory monitors and reports the release of more 600 chemicals from

A)industries,small businesses,and homes.
B)industries and small businesses but not homes.
C)industries but not small businesses or homes.
D)natural sources,such as volcanoes and natural oil spills.

Question 7

In general,the most hazardous of all HAZMAT materials are those that demonstrate high levels of

A)ignitability.
B)radioactivity.
C)photoreactivity.
D)corrosivity.

Question 8

In your laboratory,you open a jar of a chemical that is known to have a very low LDL₀.Therefore,your concerns about the safe handling of this chemical are primarily about

A)acute toxic effects.
B)chronic effects.
C)immediate health effects.
D)radioactive exposure.

Question 9

In general,the release of toxic chemicals to the environment over the past 30 years has

A)increased dramatically in the United States,doubling about every ten years as the U.S.population has increased.
B)increased slightly in the United States,about 10% per decade,as the U.S.population has increased.
C)remained steady in the world,despite increases in the world's population.
D)greatly declined,by more than 50%,despite increases in the world's population.

Question 10

Most persistent organic pollutants enter food webs at the level of

A)primary producers.
B)primary consumers.
C)secondary consumers.
D)decomposers and detritus feeders.

Question 11

Given the history of biomagnification of persistent organic pollutants (POPs),in British Columbia ecosystems,we would expect to find the highest concentrations of POPs in

A)water in the oceans.
B)algae in the oceans.
C)salmon living in the oceans.
D)grizzly bears that eat the salmon from the oceans.

Question 12

POPs such as dioxins and PCB's are transported into arctic ecosystems and food chains by

A)global air patterns and then deposited on snow from where they enter streams and plankton.
B)being eaten by fish when toxic materials are dumped into oceans.
C)local industries run by native people which use toxic chemical processes.
D)ocean currents which contaminate local streams.

Question 13

The Inuit people are at greatest risk to the biomagnification of persistent organic pollutants because in their ecosystems the Inuit people are functioning as

A)primary producers.
B)primary consumers.
C)secondary consumers.
D)decomposers and detritus feeders.

Question 14

Bisphenol A (BPA),a common component of plastics in bottles and can liners

A)mimics estrogen and can potentially cause disruption of human reproduction and development.
B)causes mutations similar to those caused by UV light and X-rays.
C)has been tested by the European Commission and found safe for human consumption.
D)has been withdrawn from manufacture and use in the United States.

Question 15

Getting ready to mow the lawn,Jerome spills gasoline on his hands as he tries to fill up the gas tank on the mower.About an hour later,his skin is very red and itches intensely,and he just does not feel well.Jerome is experiencing

A)chronic effects of a carcinogen.
B)acute toxicity from the gasoline.
C)metabolic relief from a toxin.
D)chronic effects of toxic components of gasoline.

Question 16

Concerned about the exposure of children to chlorine,staff running a public pool measure the exact concentration of the chlorine currently in the pool water.However,assuming the amount of water in the pool is unchanging,to accurately determine the dose of chlorine exposure,the staff must also know

A)the age of each child in the pool.
B)the manufacturer of the chlorine.
C)how long each child is in the pool.
D)why each child is in the pool.

Question 17

Because of their specific effects exerted by mimicking hormone chemical structure and function,hazardous chemicals that are endocrine disruptors will cause abnormal events in

A)the musculoskeletal system.
B)digestion and absorption of foods.
C)growth,metabolism and reproduction.
D)vision,hearing and taste.

Question 18

When exposure to a substance is below the threshold level,we expect to see

A)no ill effects.
B)acute but no chronic effects.
C)chronic but no acute effects.
D)short-term but no long-term effects.

Question 19

Despite much evidence to the contrary,BPA manufacturers claim the chemical is perfectly safe and to ban it would do great damage to the food industry.To ban BPA would be in harmony with

A)the "guilty until proven innocent" policy.
B)cost and benefit analysis.
C)putting profits on a par with consumer safety.
D)the precautionary principle.

Question 20

Osmium tetroxide is widely used in electron microscopy because it is an excellent lipid fixative.However,osmium tetroxide can quickly cause irritation of the eyes and skin.Therefore,when handling osmium tetroxide,people should use a chemical hood and wear gloves to protect again osmium tetroxide's

A)ignitability.
B)toxicity.
C)photoreactiviity.
D)corrosivity.

Question 21

The hazardous-waste disposal system illustrated in this figure represents

A)a secure landfill.
B)a deep-well injection.
C)an on-site surface impoundment.
D)a best-demonstrated available technology.

Question 22

Using its authority from a new rule issued under the Clean Air Act in 2011,the EPA

A)can require a 90% reduction of mercury emissions from power plants.
B)can reintroduce leaded gasoline beginning in 2014.
C)can permit chromium,tin and arsenic in fungicides dispensed with fertilizers.
D)will require coal-fired power plants to remove heavy metals from coal before it is burned.

Question 23

Which one of the following hazardous-waste disposal methods includes large amounts of evaporation into the air?

A)a secure landfill
B)a deep-well injection
C)an on-site surface impoundment
D)a best-demonstrated available technology

Question 24

Brightly colored antique children's toys from before 1970 may be colored with paints that are contaminated with

A)heavy metals.
B)toxic plastic compounds.
C)synthetic organic compounds.
D)synthetic inorganic compounds.

Question 25

Most thermometers used by students in laboratories contain alcohol,which replaced

A)lead,known to cause insanity and crippling birth defects.
B)lead,known to cause mental retardation.
C)mercury,known to cause insanity and crippling birth defects.
D)mercury,known to cause mental retardation.

Question 26

By design,the molecules that resist biodegradation and include some of the most problematic persistent organic pollutants are the

A)synthetic organic compounds.
B)inorganic compounds.
C)recycled organic compounds.
D)chlorinated heavy metals.

Question 27

At the Stockholm Convention of 2004,

A)all attending nations signed a pledge to prohibit manufacture and use of BPA.
B)several of the most toxic POPs were banned or restricted.
C)funds were made available to clean up toxic chemical spills in developing nations.
D)the European Union lifted its ban of BPA.

Question 28

Deep-well injection of hazardous wastes has the advantage that

A)it falls under the umbrella of the Superfund Cleanup (SARA).
B)injected materials can easily be recovered for further treatment.
C)solids,liquids and gases can be disposed with this technology.
D)the deep-injected liquids should not contaminate ground water or surface ecosystems.

Question 29

Lingering in a long line at the dry cleaners,waiting for holiday clothing,a woman starts to feel dizzy and tired with a quickly developing headache.Someone suggests that her symptoms might be from breathing something used in the shop.A substance that can cause such symptoms,and is commonly used in dry cleaning,is a

A)heavy metal.
B)halogenated hydrocarbon,PERC.
C)radioactive hydrocarbon.
D)safe and gentle natural compound.

Question 30

Heavy metals can quickly move through ecosystems because they

A)are soluble in water as ions and as a few other compounds.
B)quickly dissolve in the fats of animals.
C)quickly become incorporated into sugars and starch.
D)easily clump together and bind tightly to soil compounds.

Question 31

The widespread poisoning of the nervous systems of people living in the fishing village of Minamata,Japan,in the mid-1950s revealed the toxic consequences of environmental pollution by

A)lead.
B)mercury.
C)PERC.
D)halogenated hydrocarbon pesticides.

Question 32

Some of the most toxic organic compounds,widely used in plastics,pesticides,and solvents,are the

A)heavy metals.
B)chlorinated hydrocarbons.
C)sulfated hydrocarbons.
D)radioactive hydrocarbons.

Question 33

In January 2010,three California Condors died when they accidentally ate lead ammunition used to kill the animals they were consuming.The California Condors' deaths represent an example of

A)acute toxic effects of consuming high levels of lead.
B)chronic toxic effects of lead resulting from biomagnification.
C)chronic toxic effects of lead resulting from bioaccumulation.
D)chronic toxic effects of lead resulting from biomagnification and bioaccumulation.

Question 34

Today,one of the continuing threats to the consumption of large quantities of fish and shellfish from around the world is exposure to toxic levels of

A)lead.
B)mercury.
C)sodium.
D)copper.

Question 35

Concerned with the expensive disposal of their hazardous wastes,a company learns that it can purchase another chemical that will neutralize the company's hazardous wastes into a nontoxic form.The strategy used by this company is most consistent with which of the following hazardous-waste disposal system methods?

A)secure landfill
B)deep-well injection
C)on-site surface impoundment
D)best-demonstrated available technology

Question 36

Of all the sources of pollution noted in this figure,which one releases the greatest amount of toxic substances into the environment?

A)homes
B)automobiles
C)small businesses
D)industrial facilities

Question 37

Which one of the following hazardous-waste disposal methods is safest with regard to ground/drinking water pollution and involvement in ecosystem food chains?

A)a secure landfill
B)a deep-well injection
C)an on-site surface impoundment
D)a best-demonstrated available technology

Question 38

The two natural organic compounds on the left (ethylene and ethane)have been chemically converted into

A)halogenated hydrocarbons.
B)radioactive isotopes.
C)heavy metal insecticide.
D)biodegradable and non-toxic herbicides.

Question 39

The hazardous-waste disposal system illustrated in this figure represents

A)a deep-well injection.
B)a secure landfill.
C)an on-site surface impoundment.
D)a best-demonstrated available technology.

Question 40

Hard plastic bottles commonly used by hikers often contain the chemical

A)BPA,which is a hormone mimic and may pose a health hazard.
B)phenolphthalein,which has been clearly shown not to have significant health effects.
C)PERC,which may result in minor skin rashes and other allergic reactions.
D)PCBs,which may interfere with thyroid gland function.

Question 41

A small city's sewage-treatment plant orders a 55-gallon drum of isopropyl alcohol to be used to prepare cleaning products.However,when the drum arrives,it contains methyl alcohol,which they cannot use.The manager says to reorder and get the correct alcohol.The workers wonder what to do with the unusable 55 gallons of methyl alcohol that arrived by mistake.Someone suggests just dumping it into the nearby stream.Another worker disagrees,noting that to legally dispose of the 55 gallons of methyl alcohol,they need to

A)dump the alcohol into their sewage treatment tanks,which then drain into the stream.
B)mix the alcohol with gasoline to make it safer,and then dump it into the stream.
C)get a discharge permit to allow them to dump it into the stream.
D)flush the alcohol into the stream using thousands of gallons of water to dilute it.

Question 42

A large tank truck carrying crude oil turns over on a major interstate highway,spilling its oil onto the grass at the edge of the road.To remove much of the oil from the soil,oxygen and special bacteria that consume oil are added to the soil.This form of cleanup illustrates

A)bioremediation.
B)phytoremediation.
C)hydroponic intervention.
D)remediation by incineration.

Question 43

The movie,A Civil Action,told the story of the

A)cleanup of a Superfund site in Massachusetts.
B)first Superfund site ever completely cleaned up.
C)first cleanup using a combination of phytoremediation and incineration.
D)first time that a company agreed to pay for the cleanup of a Superfund site.

Question 44

Which of the following methods would be most effective at the cleanup of soils at hazardous waste sites eligible for LUST funds?

A)phytoremediation
B)bioremediation
C)reverse osmosis refinement
D)hydroponic intervention

Question 45

The new federally funded Brownfield Act has been a success by providing cleanup of real or perceived sites of environmental contamination that are not serious enough to reach Superfund status.This has been especially important in the creation of

A)waterways for the transportation of coal and oil.
B)new national parks in several states.
C)economic development in disadvantaged communities.
D)new wildlife refuges for outdoor recreation and conservation purposes.

Question 46

Two older factory workers were discussing all the government regulations that limit how they can dispose of their factory's wastes.One worker notes,"You know,we didn't use to have all these regulations.In fact,there were almost no regulations controlling what we could put in the air,water,or underground before the

A)1990s and the beginning of OSHA."
B)1980s and the beginning of SARA."
C)1970s.and the beginning of the CAA and CWA."
D)1960s and the beginning of the EPA."

Question 47

Suspicious that their household drinking water from a well was somehow being contaminated with gasoline,a family living in a farmhouse investigated possible sources of groundwater contamination.Sure enough,the underground storage tanks for gasoline at a nearby filling station were leaking.Promising to pay to fix the problem,the station owners sealed the gas tank and pumped out the contaminated groundwater.After several months of rain,the groundwater supplies were restored and the water in the well was safe to drink.This situation illustrated an example of

A)reverse osmosis refinement.
B)maximum containment remuneration.
C)groundwater remediation.
D)well-water containment.

Question 48

Discharge permits and the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act

A)do not allow any wastes to be dumped into natural waterways.
B)limit the type but not the amount of wastes dumped into natural waterways.
C)limit the amount but not the type of wastes dumped into natural waterways.
D)limit the type and the amount of wastes dumped into natural waterways.

Question 49

The cleanup of hazardous waste accumulated in orphan sites is complicated because

A)most of the waste is buried below the water table.
B)there is no responsible party to clean up the waste.
C)the chemicals have evaporated before they could be removed.
D)there are no longer places available to dispose of hazardous wastes.

Question 50

Many brownfield sites involve social issues centering around

A)the precautionary principle.
B)environmental justice.
C)ecosystem restoration.
D)environmental economics.

Question 51

The facilities in this figure are burning soil to remove toxic chemicals before the residue goes to a landfill.This is an example of

A)bioremediation.
B)phytoremediation.
C)hydroponic intervention.
D)remediation by incineration.

Question 52

An abandoned field in an industrial region has been found to contain high levels of nonbiodegradable organic compounds.Recognizing the specific nature of the contaminants,plants that accumulate these chemicals are grown on the soil and then disposed of as toxic waste.This cleanup method illustrates

A)bioremediation.
B)phytoremediation.
C)hydroponic intervention.
D)remediation by incineration.

Question 53

As of 2012,more than 70% of the cost of toxic waste cleanup for most sites has been paid for by

A)increasing taxes in the region affected.
B)increased sales taxes in the affected state.
C)federal dollars in the Superfund.
D)the polluters.

Question 54

The cleanup of toxic wastes at orphan or abandoned sites,without responsible parties,is largely addressed by

A)local governments.
B)state governments.
C)money raised from gasoline taxes and pollution fines.
D)federal superfund money.

Question 55

As of 2012,there are about 310,000,000 people living in the United States and about 3000 untreated SARA sites.If every person contributed just one dollar,about how many Superfund sites could we clean up?

A)only 1
B)about 15
C)about 100
D)about 1000

Question 56

The disaster of Love Canal in New York in the 1970s illustrated the problem of

A)unsafe nuclear waste disposal.
B)unsafe toxic waste disposal.
C)management of on-site surface impoundments.
D)health problems resulting from processing of electronic wastes.

Question 57

Some of the worst new hazardous waste sites that will require cleanup using Superfund (SARA)money instead of private resources are

A)military bases.
B)soil immediately surrounding the buildings of an oil refinery.
C)in states that border an ocean.
D)in rural agricultural environments.

Question 58

All of us help to pay for the cleanup of leaking gasoline storage tanks when we

A)purchase groceries.
B)purchase gasoline.
C)pay our federal income taxes.
D)pay sales taxes on anything we buy.

Question 59

The LUST fund would most likely be used to address the cleanup of

A)any Superfund site with the highest priority.
B)leaking,buried gasoline storage tanks.
C)radioactive wastes buried in the soil.
D)sites in which bioremediation is used.

Question 60

In general,since its creation in 1980,the Superfund cleanup program has resulted in

A)fewer than 10 sites receiving all the necessary cleanup.
B)only about 100 sites receiving all the necessary cleanup.
C)about a thousand sites receiving all the necessary cleanup.
D)the necessary cleanup of more than 99% of all Superfund sites.

Question 61

The Basel Convention,the exposure of the Navajo Nation to radioactive elements in mining operations and the plight of residents of Emelle,Alabama,are aspects of

A)funding for the cleanup of toxic spills and contamination.
B)ecosystem protection.
C)environmental justice.
D)recycling of hazardous wastes.

Question 62

New REACH Regulations approved by the European Union change the way chemical safety is determined.Unlike the United States approach,the Reach Regulations require that the safety of these potentially hazardous chemicals is the obligation of

A)the industry that produces the chemicals and not the federal government.
B)the consumer and not the federal government.
C)the federal government and not the industry.
D)cities and states and not the industry.

Question 63

As a result of the lessons learned from the 1984 Bhopal,India,disaster,the 1986 EPCRA requires

A)all companies handling toxic wastes to be located at least one mile from any city border.
B)emergency response teams in every company that makes a product in the United States.
C)companies that handle more than 5 tons of hazardous materials to provide detailed information to local emergency planning committees.
D)all companies to purchase HAZMAT insurance.

Question 64

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and its subsequent amendments generally regulate

A)disposal of solid wastes on land.
B)what materials can be recycled.
C)the types of materials that can be used in manufactured products.
D)what pollutants can be discharged into the air.

Question 65

Entering a new job at a small medical testing facility,Ben is cautioned to handle certain chemicals carefully.Wondering what harm some of these chemicals can potentially cause,Ben asks a coworker.The coworker says,"Well,I think they can cause cancer if you breathe the fumes." Ben wants to know for sure.According to OSHA guidelines,Ben should

A)read the relevant material data safety sheets.
B)search the Internet for medical articles related to these compounds.
C)ask the supervisors about the dangers of the substances he handles.
D)check the information on the HAZMAT signs in his workplace.

Question 66

The safe movement of hazardous materials by rail or highway in the United States is regulated by

A)individual states and cities.
B)the Department of Transportation.
C)the regulations of the RCRA.
D)the Justice Department.

Question 67

Because of the RCRA,disposal facilities for solid wastes on land must

A)be sanctioned by permit.
B)pretreat toxic wastes to convert them to forms that will not leach.
C)track the generation,movement,and disposal of all wastes.
D)do all of these activities.

Question 68

Concerned about the use of so many toxic chemicals in her life,Monica tells her friend Amber that she wishes there was something she could do.Amber responds,"Well,one thing that you can do is purchase the new,less toxic forms of

A)household cleaning products."
B)furniture refinishing products."
C)reformulated gasoline."
D)common medicines,such as aspirin and acetaminophen."

Question 69

Which of the following is a good example of the use of "green chemistry"?

A)switching from dry cleaning to wet cleaning methods
B)drinking bottled water instead of tap water
C)increasing the mileage rates on automobiles
D)walking or riding a bicycle instead of driving a car

Question 70

The EPA is authorized by the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)to test the safety of chemicals used in bulk in the manufacturing of products.When passed,these regulations required the testing of existing and new chemicals when there are indications of potential risks.Since TSCA was passed,the EPA has

A)reversed this guideline,requiring the testing only for substances that are known carcinogens.
B)tested and banned more than 300 new and existing substances.
C)tested the safety of about half of the 80,000 chemical substances in the inventory.
D)tested the safety of less than 1% of the chemical substances in the inventory.

Question 71

The new RCRA requirements for the disposal of toxic wastes will prevent midnight dumping by

A)requiring all landfills to have a permit.
B)requiring all toxic wastes to be converted to forms that will not leach.
C)tracking the generation,movement,and disposal of all wastes.
D)banning the disposal of all toxic wastes anywhere in the United States.

Question 72

The Basel Convention deals with the regulation of

A)lawsuits of injured parties against polluting industries.
B)international exports of hazardous wastes.
C)the cleanup of toxic spills in international waters.
D)the use of toxic chemicals in developing nations.

Question 73

When driving down the highway,the backs of many trucks have HAZMAT signs with blue,red,and yellow sections.These signs indicate

A)the type of hazardous material being transported.
B)the amount of hazardous material being transported.
C)the type and amount of hazardous material being transported.
D)the source of the hazardous material being transported.

Question 74

The location of hazardous waste sites and hazardous facilities in the United States is most related to the

A)occupations of the people living in the affected region.
B)income and sex of the people living in the affected region.
C)race and income of the people living in the affected region.
D)mobility and diversity of the people living in the affected region.

Question 75

One of the most influential forces encouraging the passage of laws regulating the safety and use of toxic chemicals has been

A)international organizations.
B)consumer advocacy groups.
C)social clubs such as the Rotary and Lions groups.
D)international laws.

Question 76

In the United States,where hazardous waste sites and hazardous facilities are located is most related to the

A)geological features of the region.
B)weather in that particular region.
C)proximity to lakes,rivers,and oceans.
D)political power of the affected groups.

Question 77

Which of the following best illustrates a pollution prevention strategy?

A)using bioremediation or phytoremediation to remove hydrocarbons spilled into soils
B)increasing the mileage rates on automobiles
C)chemically treating discharges from sewage treatment plants
D)tracking the movements of toxic wastes

Question 78

Many companies have reduced their generation of toxic wastes and saved money by

A)recycling toxic materials.
B)using different combinations of toxic materials.
C)purchasing toxic materials from other companies.
D)developing more on-site toxic waste storage facilities.

Question 79

Suspicious citizens worry about the large amounts of toxic materials handled by the large pesticide manufacturer just outside the city limits.These citizens contact the mayor of the town with their concerns.The mayor says that according to the EPCRA guidelines,the official center for information about their concerns and the handling of any associated emergencies would be

A)the corporate office of the company.
B)the local emergency planning committee.
C)the EPA.
D)their elected state and federal officials.

Question 80

Sharon is working in a laboratory that handles hazardous materials and has required OSHA information on the toxic chemicals involved.She uses a chemical hood,transferring a toxic chemical solution from one vial to a beaker for proper disposal.Unexpectedly,a colleague walks by and bumps her arm,causing her to spill the chemical solution onto the floor of the laboratory.Uncertain what to do,after she tells her colleagues to leave the area,she

A)checks the information on the HAZMAT signs in her workplace.
B)searches the Internet for medical articles related to these compounds.
C)asks the supervisors about the dangers of the substances she handles.
D)reads the relevant material data safety sheets to learn how to safely clean up the spill.