Question 1

What are PCBs? What is the risk that exposure to PCBs presents to human health? Identify methods for destroying these harmful chemicals.

Accepted Answer

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ind

Question 2

Which of the following statements about recycling automobiles is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

A)  Fluids are drained, recycled, or processed for disposal. 
B)  About 75% of the weight of the car can be reused for parts. 
C)  Recycling the scrap iron and steel actually produces more air pollution than using new materials. 
D)  Recycling plastic is difficult. 
E)  Catalytic converters are disassembled for the platinum and rhodium. 
A)  Fluids are drained, recycled, or processed for disposal. 
B)  About 75% of the weight of the car can be reused for parts. 
C)  Recycling the scrap iron and steel actually produces more air pollution than using new materials. 
D)  Recycling plastic is difficult. 
E)  Catalytic converters are disassembled for the platinum and rhodium.

Question 3

Discuss some sources of dioxins and the health concerns associated with dioxin bioaccumulation.

Accepted Answer

Dioxins are highly toxic chemicals that

Question 4

All of the following are major categories of hazardous waste EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  acids. 
B)  sewage. 
C)  heavy metals. 
D)  organic solvents. 
E)  radioactive waste. 
A)  acids. 
B)  sewage. 
C)  heavy metals. 
D)  organic solvents. 
E)  radioactive waste.

Question 5

Every ton of recycled paper saves approximately:

Accepted Answer

A)  17 trees. 
B)  7000 gal of water. 
C)  4100 kilowatt-hours of energy. 
D)  3 cubic yards of landfill space. 
E)  All of these choices are correct 
A)  17 trees. 
B)  7000 gal of water. 
C)  4100 kilowatt-hours of energy. 
D)  3 cubic yards of landfill space. 
E)  All of these choices are correct

Question 6

Over half of the solid waste produced in the United States is disposed of:

Accepted Answer

A)  by composting. 
B)  in sanitary landfills. 
C)  by incineration. 
D)  in open air dumps. 
E)  by recycling. 
A)  by composting. 
B)  in sanitary landfills. 
C)  by incineration. 
D)  in open air dumps. 
E)  by recycling.

Question 7

A significant problem with waste incineration is that:

Accepted Answer

A)  acid rain can cause the lime scrubbers to neutralize electrostatic precipitators. 
B)  hazardous materials cannot be removed by air-pollution control devices. 
C)  heavy metals in the fly ash must be disposed of in a hazardous waste landfill. 
D)  the resulting ash takes up more space than the original waste. 
E)  All of these choices are correct 
A)  acid rain can cause the lime scrubbers to neutralize electrostatic precipitators. 
B)  hazardous materials cannot be removed by air-pollution control devices. 
C)  heavy metals in the fly ash must be disposed of in a hazardous waste landfill. 
D)  the resulting ash takes up more space than the original waste. 
E)  All of these choices are correct

Question 8

Which of the following should NOT be recycled?

Accepted Answer

A)  personal computers 
B)  food scraps 
C)  televisions 
D)  cell phones 
E)  All of these items can be recycled 
A)  personal computers 
B)  food scraps 
C)  televisions 
D)  cell phones 
E)  All of these items can be recycled

Question 9

Bioremediation:

Accepted Answer

A)  is faster than conventional hazardous waste disposal methods. 
B)  is much less expensive than traditional hazardous waste disposal methods. 
C)  for toxic wastes has only been demonstrated in the laboratory. 
D)  involves the use of either microorganisms or plants to clean up a contaminated site. 
E)  is particularly effective in deep soil and groundwater applications. 
A)  is faster than conventional hazardous waste disposal methods. 
B)  is much less expensive than traditional hazardous waste disposal methods. 
C)  for toxic wastes has only been demonstrated in the laboratory. 
D)  involves the use of either microorganisms or plants to clean up a contaminated site. 
E)  is particularly effective in deep soil and groundwater applications.

Question 10

The most successful recycling program in the United States involves:

Accepted Answer

A)  aluminum cans. 
B)  old computers. 
C)  glass. 
D)  old automobiles. 
E)  paper. 
A)  aluminum cans. 
B)  old computers. 
C)  glass. 
D)  old automobiles. 
E)  paper.

Question 11

Which of the following does NOT contribute to municipal solid waste production?

Accepted Answer

A)  hospitals 
B)  retail stores 
C)  agriculture 
D)  office buildings 
E)  restaurants 
A)  hospitals 
B)  retail stores 
C)  agriculture 
D)  office buildings 
E)  restaurants

Question 12

A good example of source reduction would be:

Accepted Answer

A)  burning old tires to generate usable energy. 
B)  finding uses for discarded computers and other high technology equipment. 
C)  the lighter weight of aluminum cans compared to 30 years ago. 
D)  installing air pollution control devices in incinerators. 
E)  increasing the percentage of paper, glass, and aluminum that is recycled in the United States. 
A)  burning old tires to generate usable energy. 
B)  finding uses for discarded computers and other high technology equipment. 
C)  the lighter weight of aluminum cans compared to 30 years ago. 
D)  installing air pollution control devices in incinerators. 
E)  increasing the percentage of paper, glass, and aluminum that is recycled in the United States.

Question 13

Discuss the use of biological organisms to remove hazardous contaminants. Give specific examples of types of organisms that can be used and the contaminants they can clean up. Identify two advantages of using living organisms and two problems associated with using this method.

Accepted Answer

Bioremediation is the use of bacteria an

Question 14

The materials in municipal solid waste that are best for incineration are:

Accepted Answer

A)  food wastes, glass, and paper. 
B)  food wastes, paper, and rubber. 
C)  glass, plastics, and paper. 
D)  paper, plastics, and rubber. 
E)  yard wastes, rubber, and plastics. 
A)  food wastes, glass, and paper. 
B)  food wastes, paper, and rubber. 
C)  glass, plastics, and paper. 
D)  paper, plastics, and rubber. 
E)  yard wastes, rubber, and plastics.

Question 15

All of the following are possible problems associated with incineration EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  production of heat to produce electricity. 
B)  air pollution containing mercury. 
C)  particulate air pollution. 
D)  large quantities of toxic ash. 
E)  the release of dioxins. 
A)  production of heat to produce electricity. 
B)  air pollution containing mercury. 
C)  particulate air pollution. 
D)  large quantities of toxic ash. 
E)  the release of dioxins.

Question 16

Describe how modern sanitary landfills are located and designed to minimize the environmental impacts of solid waste.

Accepted Answer

Sanitary landfill locations should be ch

Question 17

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

Accepted Answer

A)  food wastes. 
B)  glass. 
C)  paper products. 
D)  plastic. 
E)  yard waste. 
A)  food wastes. 
B)  glass. 
C)  paper products. 
D)  plastic. 
E)  yard waste.

Question 18

A benefit of sanitary landfills over "open dumps" is that:

Accepted Answer

A)  clay liners at the bottom of the landfill help prevent groundwater pollution. 
B)  a soil cover minimizes the escape and dispersal of offensive odors. 
C)  they have systems designed to collect leachate. 
D)  they tend to have fewer rodents than open dumps. 
E)  All of these statements are correct 
A)  clay liners at the bottom of the landfill help prevent groundwater pollution. 
B)  a soil cover minimizes the escape and dispersal of offensive odors. 
C)  they have systems designed to collect leachate. 
D)  they tend to have fewer rodents than open dumps. 
E)  All of these statements are correct

Question 19

What factors should be considered to make an "ideal" sanitary landfill?

Accepted Answer

A)  geology 
B)  proximity to nearby surface and ground water 
C)  proximity to population centers, but far enough to not be offensive 
D)  does not require high transportation costs to deliver solid waste 
E)  All of these statements are correct 
A)  geology 
B)  proximity to nearby surface and ground water 
C)  proximity to population centers, but far enough to not be offensive 
D)  does not require high transportation costs to deliver solid waste 
E)  All of these statements are correct

Question 20

Organic waste can be converted into valuable soil conditioners through the process of:

Accepted Answer

A)  composting. 
B)  osmosis. 
C)  dematerialization. 
D)  incineration. 
E)  reduction. 
A)  composting. 
B)  osmosis. 
C)  dematerialization. 
D)  incineration. 
E)  reduction.

Exam 23: Solid and Hazardous Waste

What are PCBs? What is the risk that exposure to PCBs presents to human health? Identify methods for destroying these harmful chemicals.

Which of the following statements about recycling automobiles is FALSE?

Discuss some sources of dioxins and the health concerns associated with dioxin bioaccumulation.

All of the following are major categories of hazardous waste EXCEPT:

Every ton of recycled paper saves approximately:

Over half of the solid waste produced in the United States is disposed of:

A significant problem with waste incineration is that:

Which of the following should NOT be recycled?

Bioremediation:

The most successful recycling program in the United States involves:

Which of the following does NOT contribute to municipal solid waste production?

A good example of source reduction would be:

Discuss the use of biological organisms to remove hazardous contaminants. Give specific examples of types of organisms that can be used and the contaminants they can clean up. Identify two advantages of using living organisms and two problems associated with using this method.

The materials in municipal solid waste that are best for incineration are:

All of the following are possible problems associated with incineration EXCEPT:

Describe how modern sanitary landfills are located and designed to minimize the environmental impacts of solid waste.

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

A benefit of sanitary landfills over "open dumps" is that:

What factors should be considered to make an "ideal" sanitary landfill?

Organic waste can be converted into valuable soil conditioners through the process of:

Introducing Environmental Science and Sustainability

Environmental Laws Economic and Ethics

Ecosystems and Energy

Ecosystems and the Physical Environment

Ecosystems and Living Organisms

Major Ecosystems of the World

Human Health and Environmental Toxicology

The Human Population

The Urban World

Energy Consumption

Fossil Fuels

Renewable Energy and Nuclear Power

Water: a Limited Resource

Soil Resources

Mineral Resources

Biological Resources

Land Resources

Food Resources

Air Pollution

Global Climate Change

Water Pollution

Pest Management

Tomorrows Word

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