Question 1

The National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) was established as a part of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

____________ is a point source of water pollution; _____________ is a nonpoint source of water pollution.

Accepted Answer

A)  Golf course runoff; atmospheric deposition 
B)  Golf course runoff; power plant effluent 
C)  Power plant effluent; golf course runoff 
D)  Atmospheric deposition; golf course runoff 
E)  Power plant effluent; factory drains

Question 3

In general, water use in poor countries is dominated by

Accepted Answer

A)  agricultural use. 
B)  domestic needs. 
C)  industrial activities. 
D)  use as drinking water.

Question 4

Use the following graph for the question. 
-The main reason that surface water pollution has largely decreased in the United States since 1950 is

Accepted Answer

A)  the Clean Water Act. 
B)  a series of epidemics that inspired action. 
C)  the discovery of newer technology that makes it cheaper not to pollute. 
D)  decreases in water withdrawal for industrial uses. 
E)  the emphasis in 1950 of watershed management.

Question 5

Which of the following factors is the most important factor in determining whether a country is "water rich" or "water poor"?

Accepted Answer

A)  population density 
B)  country size 
C)  climate 
D)  rivers running through the country 
E)  renewable water supplies and population density

Question 6

Plants that take up heavy metals found in water would be an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  containment of pollutants. 
B)  tertiary sewage treatment. 
C)  bioremediation. 
D)  wetland treatment. 
E)  in vitro extraction techniques.

Question 7

Best available technology (BAT) standards are standards set for

Accepted Answer

A)  nonpoint pollution. 
B)  toxic substances. 
C)  radioactive waste, specifically. 
D)  organic compounds.

Question 8

Coliform bacteria populations are routinely monitored in drinking water supplies, swimming pools, and at beaches because these bacteria

Accepted Answer

A)  are especially toxic to animals. 
B)  may mutate into severely pathogenic strains. 
C)  indicate the presence of feces in water. 
D)  usually live in pesticide-contaminated water. 
E)  are more difficult to find in water.

Question 9

Most water in the atmosphere has evaporated from the ocean, and ______ rain falls back into the sea. About ________ % of the earth's total rain falls on land.

Accepted Answer

A)  most; 10 
B)  most; 20 
C)  less; 55 
D)  less; 70

Question 10

What would you not find in water that has been through tertiary treatment?

Accepted Answer

A)  Antibiotics. 
B)  Hormones. 
C)  Dissolved Metals. 
D)  Insecticides. 
E)  Antidepressants.

Question 11

The total amount of water on the Earth ____________ from year to year and the hydrologic cycle ________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  stays about the same; moves it from one place to another place 
B)  increases; captures it from the incoming solar radiation 
C)  increases; gains water from the Earth's interior 
D)  decreases; moves it from one place to another place 
E)  decreases; loses water to the atmosphere

Question 12

A country's renewable water supplies are generally made up of

Accepted Answer

A)  surface runoff and infiltration into accessible aquifers. 
B)  seasonal flooding and infiltration into accessible aquifers. 
C)  seasonal flooding. 
D)  rivers running through the country. 
E)  water used from an aquifer.

Question 13

The hydrologic compartment that contains the greatest amount of fresh water is

Accepted Answer

A)  groundwater. 
B)  the Great Lakes. 
C)  living organisms and biomass. 
D)  ice and snow. 
E)  clouds in the atmosphere.

Exam 11: Water: Resources and Pollution

The National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) was established as a part of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

is a point source of water pollution; _ is a nonpoint source of water pollution.