Question 1

Which of the following items experiences the lowest levels of recycling?

Accepted Answer

A) aluminum containers 
B) glass containers 
C) thin plastic grocery bags 
D) newspapers 
A) aluminum containers 
B) glass containers 
C) thin plastic grocery bags 
D) newspapers C

Question 2

Because of public pressure and environmental concerns,marketers of bottled water have

Accepted Answer

A) switched to biodegradable bottles. 
B) given strong support to state bottle bills. 
C) lowered the cost of the product. 
D) intensified marketing in developing nations where clean drinking water is scarce. 
A) switched to biodegradable bottles. 
B) given strong support to state bottle bills. 
C) lowered the cost of the product. 
D) intensified marketing in developing nations where clean drinking water is scarce. D

Question 3

Which of the following is the strongest argument for recycling plastics?

Accepted Answer

A) Plastics burn hot and with little ash in WTE incinerators. 
B) Plastics do not contribute to leachate in landfills. 
C) Plastics do not generate biogas in landfills. 
D) Plastics are produced from the fossil fuel petroleum. 
A) Plastics burn hot and with little ash in WTE incinerators. 
B) Plastics do not contribute to leachate in landfills. 
C) Plastics do not generate biogas in landfills. 
D) Plastics are produced from the fossil fuel petroleum. D

Question 4

A home located about 500 feet from an abandoned landfill explodes in a giant ball of flames.This is a mystery,as the home only uses electricity for cooking and heating the home.Most likely,this disaster was caused by

Accepted Answer

A) groundwater contamination from the landfill into the home. 
B) biogas that seeped from the landfill along horizontal cracks and into the home. 
C) gasoline or other flammable substances that leached from the landfill into the home. 
D) corrosives that leached from the landfill into the home and degraded the home's electrical wires. 
A) groundwater contamination from the landfill into the home. 
B) biogas that seeped from the landfill along horizontal cracks and into the home. 
C) gasoline or other flammable substances that leached from the landfill into the home. 
D) corrosives that leached from the landfill into the home and degraded the home's electrical wires.

Question 5

In general,buying in bulk is environmentally friendly because it

Accepted Answer

A) reduces the total amount of MSW that is generated. 
B) recycles materials that would otherwise wind up in a landfill. 
C) encourages people to eat or use just a little bit more than smaller sizes. 
D) encourages people to eat less or use less of a product. 
A) reduces the total amount of MSW that is generated. 
B) recycles materials that would otherwise wind up in a landfill. 
C) encourages people to eat or use just a little bit more than smaller sizes. 
D) encourages people to eat less or use less of a product.

Question 6

Problems identifying places to build new landfills has generally resulted in

Accepted Answer

A) increased dumping of MSW in rivers,lakes,and the oceans. 
B) large piles of MSW in vacated lots and industrial parks awaiting proper disposal. 
C) densely populated states outsourcing their MSW to states with less dense populations. 
D) the increased reliance on abandoned mines as sites where MSW can be deposited. 
A) increased dumping of MSW in rivers,lakes,and the oceans. 
B) large piles of MSW in vacated lots and industrial parks awaiting proper disposal. 
C) densely populated states outsourcing their MSW to states with less dense populations. 
D) the increased reliance on abandoned mines as sites where MSW can be deposited.

Question 7

In most developed countries,nonrecycled MSW is more likely to be

Accepted Answer

A) burned when the population densities are high. 
B) burned when the population densities are low. 
C) buried when the population densities are high. 
D) buried when the population is located near an ocean. 
A) burned when the population densities are high. 
B) burned when the population densities are low. 
C) buried when the population densities are high. 
D) buried when the population is located near an ocean.

Question 8

Which of the following demonstrates the greatest stewardship in addressing the production and disposal of MSW?

Accepted Answer

A) promote strategies that reduce the generation of MSW 
B) compost organic components of MSW 
C) recycle MSW as much as possible 
D) promote strategies that reduce MSW,compost organic components,and recycle as much MSW as possible 
A) promote strategies that reduce the generation of MSW 
B) compost organic components of MSW 
C) recycle MSW as much as possible 
D) promote strategies that reduce MSW,compost organic components,and recycle as much MSW as possible

Question 9

Despite its many problems,one of the advantages of open burning of MSW is

Accepted Answer

A) the generation of natural gas to warm buildings. 
B) a reduction in air pollution. 
C) a reduction in the volume of MSW. 
D) the generation of agricultural fertilizer. 
A) the generation of natural gas to warm buildings. 
B) a reduction in air pollution. 
C) a reduction in the volume of MSW. 
D) the generation of agricultural fertilizer.

Question 10

A system of integrated waste management involves

Accepted Answer

A) landfills. 
B) recycling. 
C) composting. 
D) a combination of ways to handle MSW. 
A) landfills. 
B) recycling. 
C) composting. 
D) a combination of ways to handle MSW.

Question 11

Incinerating organic wastes and placing the ash in landfills usually produces

Accepted Answer

A) less settling. 
B) more decomposition. 
C) significantly more leaching. 
D) increased methane production. 
A) less settling. 
B) more decomposition. 
C) significantly more leaching. 
D) increased methane production.

Question 12

A reduction in the volume of paper going to landfills has been brought about by

Accepted Answer

A) newspapers going out of business in most large cities. 
B) electronic communications. 
C) the invention of biodegradable paper. 
D) the replacement of organic paper with plastic "paper" in many businesses. 
A) newspapers going out of business in most large cities. 
B) electronic communications. 
C) the invention of biodegradable paper. 
D) the replacement of organic paper with plastic "paper" in many businesses.

Question 13

One of the unfortunate consequences of increased costs of disposing of MSW is an increase in

Accepted Answer

A) illegal dumping of MSW. 
B) the amount of paper that is recycled. 
C) the generation of electricity from biogas. 
D) the generation of electricity from WTE facilities. 
A) illegal dumping of MSW. 
B) the amount of paper that is recycled. 
C) the generation of electricity from biogas. 
D) the generation of electricity from WTE facilities.

Question 14

About half of all U.S.MSW consists of

Accepted Answer

A) food wastes. 
B) plastics and metals. 
C) glass,rubber,and wood. 
D) paper products and yard waste. 
A) food wastes. 
B) plastics and metals. 
C) glass,rubber,and wood. 
D) paper products and yard waste.

Question 15

The main problem with constructing new landfills in the United States is that

Accepted Answer

A) nobody wants one built near them. 
B) the cost of building a new landfill is too expensive. 
C) the costs of running a new landfill are too expensive. 
D) once a region has a landfill,it cannot be used for anything else. 
A) nobody wants one built near them. 
B) the cost of building a new landfill is too expensive. 
C) the costs of running a new landfill are too expensive. 
D) once a region has a landfill,it cannot be used for anything else.

Question 16

Solid-waste disposal prior to 1960 was mostly about the

Accepted Answer

A) sanitary treatment of sewage from cities and towns. 
B) safe storage of radioactive wastes. 
C) removal of topsoil contaminated by chemical spills. 
D) disposal of household and commercial garbage. 
A) sanitary treatment of sewage from cities and towns. 
B) safe storage of radioactive wastes. 
C) removal of topsoil contaminated by chemical spills. 
D) disposal of household and commercial garbage.

Question 17

Lining a landfill with a thick tough plastic barrier is a good way to address problems related to

Accepted Answer

A) methane production. 
B) settling. 
C) incomplete decomposition. 
D) groundwater contamination. 
A) methane production. 
B) settling. 
C) incomplete decomposition. 
D) groundwater contamination.

Question 18

Biogas in mostly produced in landfills

Accepted Answer

A) by the anaerobic decomposition of organic materials. 
B) by the release of compressed gases from aerosol containers. 
C) by the evaporation of the liquids draining from the buried waste. 
D) when solid materials melt into fluids and evaporate. 
A) by the anaerobic decomposition of organic materials. 
B) by the release of compressed gases from aerosol containers. 
C) by the evaporation of the liquids draining from the buried waste. 
D) when solid materials melt into fluids and evaporate.

Question 19

-The decking materials used in this photograph best illustrate which of the following methods to reduce MSW?

Accepted Answer

A) source reduction 
B) composting 
C) recycling 
D) WTE disposal 
A) source reduction 
B) composting 
C) recycling 
D) WTE disposal

Question 20

Waste-to-energy (WTE)facilities

Accepted Answer

A) increase the mass of MSW entering landfills. 
B) require new collecting and hauling procedures not easily adopted by the public. 
C) consume much more energy than they release,adding to the overall costs. 
D) better isolate and remove toxic or hazardous substances in MSW. 
A) increase the mass of MSW entering landfills. 
B) require new collecting and hauling procedures not easily adopted by the public. 
C) consume much more energy than they release,adding to the overall costs. 
D) better isolate and remove toxic or hazardous substances in MSW.

Exam 21: Municipal Solid Waste: Disposal and Recovery

Which of the following items experiences the lowest levels of recycling?

Because of public pressure and environmental concerns,marketers of bottled water have

Which of the following is the strongest argument for recycling plastics?

A home located about 500 feet from an abandoned landfill explodes in a giant ball of flames.This is a mystery,as the home only uses electricity for cooking and heating the home.Most likely,this disaster was caused by

In general,buying in bulk is environmentally friendly because it

Problems identifying places to build new landfills has generally resulted in

In most developed countries,nonrecycled MSW is more likely to be

Which of the following demonstrates the greatest stewardship in addressing the production and disposal of MSW?

Despite its many problems,one of the advantages of open burning of MSW is

A system of integrated waste management involves

Incinerating organic wastes and placing the ash in landfills usually produces

A reduction in the volume of paper going to landfills has been brought about by

One of the unfortunate consequences of increased costs of disposing of MSW is an increase in

About half of all U.S.MSW consists of

The main problem with constructing new landfills in the United States is that

Solid-waste disposal prior to 1960 was mostly about the

Lining a landfill with a thick tough plastic barrier is a good way to address problems related to

Biogas in mostly produced in landfills

-The decking materials used in this photograph best illustrate which of the following methods to reduce MSW?

Waste-to-energy (WTE)facilities

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