Pollution

Quizbowl
 Which of the following is not an effect of acid
deposition?
A) destruction of monuments and buildings
B) decreased hatching success in some birds
C) forest decline
D) mutations and skin cancer
E) decline in aquatic animal populations
Name the naturally occurring gas produced
during the radioactive decay of uranium that
is a frequent indoor air pollutant.

Radon
 The U.S. Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990
require the:
A) development of automobiles with lower
nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbon emissions.
B) construction of more mass transit systems.
C) elimination of diesel-fueled vehicles.
D) reduction of automobile traffic.
E) reduction of air pollutants in agricultural
and rural areas.
The most dramatic improvement in air quality
connected to The Clean Air Act has been a
reduction in what in the atmosphere ?

lead
The largest single component of municipal
solid waste in the United States is

Paper
the process in volatile chemicals are
transported by winds to higher latitudes
where they fall to the ground. Is?

Global Distillation effect
 A situation in which a change in some
conditions triggers a response that
counteracts, or reverses, the changed
condition is called

negative feedback
Sewage adds what to water systems?

Nitrogen and phosphorus
Mercury and lead tend to accumulate in what
tissues?

Nervous system
Pesticides such as organophosphates tend to
accumulate in what tissues?

Fat
A lake with low levels of nutrients is called

Oligotrophic
A lake with high levels of nutrients is called

Eutrophic
Glass ground, partially melted and then used
to make other products is called

Glassphalt
 The group of air pollutants that tend to cool the
atmosphere are known collectively as:
A) CFCs.
B) ozone enhancers.
C) nitrous oxides.
D) atmospheric aerosols.
E) anti-greenhouse gases.
 Which of the following air pollutants is correctly
paired with one of its major effects?
A) sulfur oxides acid precipitation
B) carbon oxides corrosion of metal
C) hydrocarbons reduced visibility
D) nitrogen oxides blocks UV radiation
E) particulate matter production of
photochemical smog
The 3 chemicals most involved in the
production of photochemical smog are
(1 pt each)

nitrogen oxides,
volatile hydrocarbons,
and oxygen
Also known as the Superfund act

A) CLERCA.
B) OSHA.
C) HAZMAT.
D) FIFRA.
E) NOAA.
Warm objects re-radiate the heat in the form
of:

Infrared light
What is it called when air a layer of cold air is
temporarily trapped near the ground by a
warmer, upper layer

Thermal Inversion
The law that required the EPA to determine
the maximum contaminant levels for
drinking water.

The safe drinking water act
The largest source of river pollution is

Agriculture
 Thinning of the ozone layer over Antarctica is
greatest
A) when ice crystals form in the troposphere.
B) during times of the aurora borealis.
C) when the circumpolar vortex isolates cold
air.
D) when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide
levels are highest.
E) during the vernal equinox.
What is it called when air a layer of cold air is
temporarily trapped near the ground by a
warmer, upper layer

Thermal Inversion
The international treaty which provides operational
rules on reducing greenhouse gas emissions is
called

TheKyoto Protocol
 Hybrid passenger vehicles, powered by a
combination of gasoline and electric power
A) use fuel cell technology to work.
B) are cheaper and less reliable than gasoline
powered vehicles.
C) get better gas mileage, but produce more air
pollutants than gasoline powered vehicles.
D) are more expensive, get better gas mileage,
and produce less pollution than gasoline
vehicles.
E) Produce cleaner waste products than solar
hydrogen powered vehicles.
electrostatic precipitators are used primarilly
to remove what type of air pollutants?

Particulates
 Which of the following organisms have already
been negatively affected by global climate change?
A) Mediterranean fruit flies
B) tropical forests in Brazil
C) crop plants in the Midwest
D) zooplankton along the California coast
E) nematodes in the soil
Fine solids or liquid droplets suspended in the
air are known as:

Particulates
 Chlorofluorocarbons such as CFC-12 are released
into the atmosphere by:
A) smoke stacks.
B) car exhaust.
C) leaking air conditioners and old
refrigerators.
D) pesticides.
E) nuclear power plants.
Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with
water in the atmosphere to produce what 2
chemicals? (1 Point Each)

sulfuric acid ( H2SO4 )
and nitric acid ( HNO3 )
 Urban areas with higher levels of pollutants than
are recommended based on health standards are
said to be:
A) toxic.
B) in violation of U.S. EPA standards.
C) attainment areas for one or more criteria air
pollutants.
D) part of the global distillation effect.
E) nonattainment areas for one or more criteria
air pollutants.
Fine solids or liquid droplets suspended in the
air are known as:

Particulates
 The average pH of rainfall in the northeastern
United States is:
A) < 2.
B) 3 to 4.
C) 5 to 6.
D) 8.
E) 9 to 10.
 Chlorofluorocarbons such as CFC-12 are released
into the atmosphere by:
A) smoke stacks.
B) car exhaust.
C) leaking air conditioners and old
refrigerators.
D) pesticides.
E) nuclear power plants.
Deals with the handling and transport of
Toxic substances

A) Clean Water Act.

B) Lacey Act.
C) HAZMAT.
D) Kyoto Protocol.
E) Montreal Protocol.
Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with
water in the atmosphere to produce what 2
chemicals? (1 Point Each)

sulfuric acid ( H2SO4 )
and nitric acid ( HNO3 )
 Urban areas with higher levels of pollutants than
are recommended based on health standards are
said to be:
A) toxic.
B) in violation of U.S. EPA standards.
C) attainment areas for one or more criteria air
pollutants.
D) part of the global distillation effect.
E) nonattainment areas for one or more criteria
air pollutants.
pollutants that form from substances released
into the atmosphere are known as:

secondary pollutants
Using organic activity to convert yard waste
into humus

composting
Increase in the disposal of plastics in the U.S.
has been largely due to

packaging
What part of sewage treatment primarialy
removes suspended particles?

Primary treatment
A situation in which a change in some conditions
triggers a response that counteracts, or reverses,
the changed condition is called

Negative Feedback
The unit to describe how toxic a substance is

ld50
The buildup of a toxin in an organisms body

Bioaccumulation
Using organisms to treat a toxic spill

Bioremediation
When 2 problems combined create a much greater
effect it is called a

Synergistic interaction
The most sucessful recycling program in the U.S.
involves

Aluminum cans
waste management techniques that involve reusing,
recycling, and reducing are called

Integrated Waste Management
The lighter weight of aluminum cans compared to
30 years ago is an example of

Source reduction
A measure of the lack of water clarity is

Turbidity
A Fecal Coliform test tests for

E. coli bacteria
Pollution that enters a river from a pipe is
considered a

Point Source
The purpose of clorinating city water is to

kill pathogens
 The most common contaminants of indoor air
include all of the following except:
A) formaldehyde.
B) cleaning solvents.
C) sulfur oxides.
D) carbon monoxide.
E) radon.
The city that today has the world's worst air
pollution is:

Beijing, China
Which of the following is the chemical
formula for ozone?

O3
 Which of the following would have a pH of about
4?
A) distilled water
B) normal rainfall
C) tomato juice
D) vinegar
E) lemon juice
 The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) projected a global temperature increase by
the year 2100 of:
A) 0 to 1.5C.
B) 1.4 to 5.8C.
C) 3 to 5.5C.
D) 3.5 to 10.4C.
E) none, they didn't actually make such a
prediction.
 The general symptoms of forest decline may
include all of the following except:
A) reduced vigor.
B) reduced growth.
C) yellowing of needles.
D) death of trees.
E) greening of leaves.
Smog formed from chemical reactions
involving sunlight, nitrogen oxides and
hydrocarbons is called:

Photochemical smog
The top three industrial sources of toxic air
pollutants are:
A) auto paint shops, motor vehicles, and the
metals industry.
B) dry cleaners, paint shops, and the paper
industry.
C) the chemical industry, the paper industry, and
the metals industry.
D) bakeries, distilleries, and the chemical
industry.
E) hospitals, gasoline service stations, and the
metals industry.
What agreement resulted in developed
countries phasing out CFC use in 2005.

The Montreal Protocol
 Which of the following is not an effect of acid
deposition?
A) destruction of monuments and buildings
B) decreased hatching success in some birds
C) forest decline
D) mutations and skin cancer
E) decline in aquatic animal populations
Name the naturally occurring gas produced
during the radioactive decay of uranium that
is a frequent indoor air pollutant.

Radon
Photoremediation is:

A) used to describe the water treatment properties of wetlands.

B) used to locate potential mineral resources

C) only applicable in aquatic environments.

D) used to adjust the pH of contaminated soils.

E) the use of specific plants to remove (absorb and accumulate)

toxic materials from the soil.
The most dramatic improvement in air quality
connected to The Clean Air Act has been a
reduction in what in the atmosphere ?

lead