Question 1

Glass bottles or aluminum cans may be recycled into similar new bottles and cans; recycled plastic objects generally can't be remanufactured back into the same objects.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 2

Pollutants escape from improperly designed landfills in all of the following ways except

Accepted Answer

A)  As gases rising through overlying soil. 
B)  Rodents burrowing into the landfill for shelter. 
C)  Through uptake in plants growing on the site. 
D)  Dissolved in leachate infiltrating into soil below. 
A)  As gases rising through overlying soil. 
B)  Rodents burrowing into the landfill for shelter. 
C)  Through uptake in plants growing on the site. 
D)  Dissolved in leachate infiltrating into soil below. B

Question 3

The sludge that is a by-product of municipal sewage treatment

Accepted Answer

A)  Is volumetrically an insignificant problem. 
B)  Is entirely useless solid waste requiring planned disposal. 
C)  Is sufficiently purified and harmless that it can safely be dumped anywhere. 
D)  May be used as fertilizer, provided that it contains sufficiently low concentrations of toxic chemicals. 
A)  Is volumetrically an insignificant problem. 
B)  Is entirely useless solid waste requiring planned disposal. 
C)  Is sufficiently purified and harmless that it can safely be dumped anywhere. 
D)  May be used as fertilizer, provided that it contains sufficiently low concentrations of toxic chemicals. D

Question 4

Volumetrically,the two principal sources of solid waste in the United States are wastes from livestock and from

Accepted Answer

A)  Growing crops. 
B)  Mineral extraction and processing. 
C)  Municipalities. 
D)  Industry. 
A)  Growing crops. 
B)  Mineral extraction and processing. 
C)  Municipalities. 
D)  Industry.

Question 5

The use of plants in the cleansing of water includes all of the following except

Accepted Answer

A)  Removing oil from ground water. 
B)  Using wetlands to cleanse surface water before it moves into ecologically sensitive estuaries and tidal flats. 
C)  Using plant-laden ponds to treat runoff from roads, parking lots and airport runways. 
D)  Using gravel-filled basins and wetland plants to treat septic-tank effluent, instead of using a conventional drain field. 
A)  Removing oil from ground water. 
B)  Using wetlands to cleanse surface water before it moves into ecologically sensitive estuaries and tidal flats. 
C)  Using plant-laden ponds to treat runoff from roads, parking lots and airport runways. 
D)  Using gravel-filled basins and wetland plants to treat septic-tank effluent, instead of using a conventional drain field.

Question 6

All of the following are true statements about the Yucca Mountain Waste Disposal Site except

Accepted Answer

A)  It has been designed for long-term storage of high-level nuclear waste. 
B)  It is located in a low-permeability, high thermal resistant rock. 
C)  It is more than 100 miles from a major metropolitan center. 
D)  It is 200 to 400 meters above the water table and is in a region with an arid climate, so that groundwater pollution potential is minimal. 
A)  It has been designed for long-term storage of high-level nuclear waste. 
B)  It is located in a low-permeability, high thermal resistant rock. 
C)  It is more than 100 miles from a major metropolitan center. 
D)  It is 200 to 400 meters above the water table and is in a region with an arid climate, so that groundwater pollution potential is minimal.

Question 7

Transuranic wastes are

Accepted Answer

A)  Elements heavier than uranium. 
B)  Products of uranium fission. 
C)  Wastes more radioactive than uranium. 
D)  Wastes that have been treated to make them non-radioactive. 
A)  Elements heavier than uranium. 
B)  Products of uranium fission. 
C)  Wastes more radioactive than uranium. 
D)  Wastes that have been treated to make them non-radioactive.

Question 8

In a landfill,

Accepted Answer

A)  The goal is always to keep the wastes as dry as possible. 
B)  The wastes must be kept saturated to prevent escape of gas. 
C)  Controlling moisture content can optimize methane production and waste decomposition while minimizing leachate. 
D)  The wastes must be kept aerated to allow anaerobic decomposition. 
A)  The goal is always to keep the wastes as dry as possible. 
B)  The wastes must be kept saturated to prevent escape of gas. 
C)  Controlling moisture content can optimize methane production and waste decomposition while minimizing leachate. 
D)  The wastes must be kept aerated to allow anaerobic decomposition.

Question 9

The disposal rock unit at Yucca Mountain,Nevada is

Accepted Answer

A)  Rhyolitic tuff. 
B)  Basalt. 
C)  Granite. 
D)  Salt. 
A)  Rhyolitic tuff. 
B)  Basalt. 
C)  Granite. 
D)  Salt.

Question 10

The thickness and __________ of soil are key factors in determining site suitability for a septic system.

Accepted Answer

A)  Mineralogical composition 
B)  Permeability 
C)  Porosity 
D)  Fertility 
A)  Mineralogical composition 
B)  Permeability 
C)  Porosity 
D)  Fertility

Question 11

Most municipal sewage in the United States is subjected to

Accepted Answer

A)  No treatment at all. 
B)  Primary (physical) treatment only. 
C)  Primary and secondary (mainly biological) treatment. 
D)  Primary, secondary and tertiary treatment, to produce drinking-quality water. 
A)  No treatment at all. 
B)  Primary (physical) treatment only. 
C)  Primary and secondary (mainly biological) treatment. 
D)  Primary, secondary and tertiary treatment, to produce drinking-quality water.

Question 12

"Waste exchanges" are international agreements that allow each nation to specialize in certain types of waste disposal with a group of cooperating nations,so each can engage in the types of disposal for which its geology is most suitable.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Consuming products in and recycling of glass is better than consuming products in and recycling aluminum because less energy is needed to re-melt glass bottles compared to that which is needed to re-melt aluminum.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

If the half-life of carbon-14 is about 5,700 years,then of a given starting quantity,after 22,800 years (four half-lives),what fraction of the original amount will be left?

Accepted Answer

A)  None 
B)  1/4 
C)  1/8 
D)  1/16 
A)  None 
B)  1/4 
C)  1/8 
D)  1/16

Question 15

What can escape and contaminate ground or surface waters if the soil below and above a landfill is permeable?

Accepted Answer

A)  Pollutants 
B)  Contaminants 
C)  Carcinogens 
D)  Leachates 
A)  Pollutants 
B)  Contaminants 
C)  Carcinogens 
D)  Leachates

Question 16

The problem of solid waste disposal

Accepted Answer

A)  Cannot be reduced because of continuing population growth and the need for replacement of aging buildings. 
B)  Has been reduced by increasing recovery, recycling and reusing (such as composting, waste exchange programs and reuse of scrap materials). 
C)  Has been eliminated as of 2002, due to EPA programs and policies. 
D)  None of the choices are true. 
A)  Cannot be reduced because of continuing population growth and the need for replacement of aging buildings. 
B)  Has been reduced by increasing recovery, recycling and reusing (such as composting, waste exchange programs and reuse of scrap materials). 
C)  Has been eliminated as of 2002, due to EPA programs and policies. 
D)  None of the choices are true.

Question 17

Deep disposal wells for toxic liquid wastes must never extend down to the water table.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

The appeal of the Yucca Mountain disposal site is that it is in an area where no earthquakes have occurred for approximately 10,000 years.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

The size of leaching field a septic system requires is determined

Accepted Answer

A)  The height of the water table. 
B)  Solely on the volume of wastewater that is anticipated. 
C)  Solely on the permeability of the soil beneath the leach field. 
D)  Based on both volume of wastewater anticipated and permeability of the soil. 
A)  The height of the water table. 
B)  Solely on the volume of wastewater that is anticipated. 
C)  Solely on the permeability of the soil beneath the leach field. 
D)  Based on both volume of wastewater anticipated and permeability of the soil.

Question 20

Placement of impermeable materials below a landfill may,in wet climates,lead to excess accumulation of leachate and eventual overflow from the site.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Glass bottles or aluminum cans may be recycled into similar new bottles and cans; recycled plastic objects generally can't be remanufactured back into the same objects.

Pollutants escape from improperly designed landfills in all of the following ways except

The sludge that is a by-product of municipal sewage treatment

Volumetrically,the two principal sources of solid waste in the United States are wastes from livestock and from

The use of plants in the cleansing of water includes all of the following except

All of the following are true statements about the Yucca Mountain Waste Disposal Site except

Transuranic wastes are

In a landfill,

The disposal rock unit at Yucca Mountain,Nevada is

The thickness and __________ of soil are key factors in determining site suitability for a septic system.

Most municipal sewage in the United States is subjected to

"Waste exchanges" are international agreements that allow each nation to specialize in certain types of waste disposal with a group of cooperating nations,so each can engage in the types of disposal for which its geology is most suitable.

Consuming products in and recycling of glass is better than consuming products in and recycling aluminum because less energy is needed to re-melt glass bottles compared to that which is needed to re-melt aluminum.

If the half-life of carbon-14 is about 5,700 years,then of a given starting quantity,after 22,800 years (four half-lives),what fraction of the original amount will be left?

What can escape and contaminate ground or surface waters if the soil below and above a landfill is permeable?

The problem of solid waste disposal

Deep disposal wells for toxic liquid wastes must never extend down to the water table.

The appeal of the Yucca Mountain disposal site is that it is in an area where no earthquakes have occurred for approximately 10,000 years.

The size of leaching field a septic system requires is determined

Placement of impermeable materials below a landfill may,in wet climates,lead to excess accumulation of leachate and eventual overflow from the site.

Planet and Population: An Overview

Rocks and Minerals-A First Look

Plate Tectonics

Earthquakes

Volcanoes

Streams and Flooding

Coastal Zones and Processes

Mass Movements

Ice and Glaciers,wind and Deserts

Climate-Past, present, and Future

Ground Water and Water Resources

Weathering, erosion, and Soil Resources

Mineral and Rock Resources

Energy Resources-Fossil Fuels

Energy Resources-Alternative Sources

Water Pollution

Air Pollution

Environmental Law and Policy

Land-Use Planning and Engineering Geology

Filters

Exam 16: Waste Disposal

Glass bottles or aluminum cans may be recycled into similar new bottles and cans; recycled plastic objects generally can't be remanufactured back into the same objects.

Pollutants escape from improperly designed landfills in all of the following ways except

The sludge that is a by-product of municipal sewage treatment

Volumetrically,the two principal sources of solid waste in the United States are wastes from livestock and from

The use of plants in the cleansing of water includes all of the following except

All of the following are true statements about the Yucca Mountain Waste Disposal Site except

Transuranic wastes are

In a landfill,

The disposal rock unit at Yucca Mountain,Nevada is

The thickness and __________ of soil are key factors in determining site suitability for a septic system.

Most municipal sewage in the United States is subjected to

"Waste exchanges" are international agreements that allow each nation to specialize in certain types of waste disposal with a group of cooperating nations,so each can engage in the types of disposal for which its geology is most suitable.

Consuming products in and recycling of glass is better than consuming products in and recycling aluminum because less energy is needed to re-melt glass bottles compared to that which is needed to re-melt aluminum.

If the half-life of carbon-14 is about 5,700 years,then of a given starting quantity,after 22,800 years (four half-lives),what fraction of the original amount will be left?

What can escape and contaminate ground or surface waters if the soil below and above a landfill is permeable?

The problem of solid waste disposal

Deep disposal wells for toxic liquid wastes must never extend down to the water table.

The appeal of the Yucca Mountain disposal site is that it is in an area where no earthquakes have occurred for approximately 10,000 years.

The size of leaching field a septic system requires is determined

Placement of impermeable materials below a landfill may,in wet climates,lead to excess accumulation of leachate and eventual overflow from the site.

Planet and Population: An Overview

Rocks and Minerals-A First Look

Plate Tectonics

Earthquakes

Volcanoes

Streams and Flooding

Coastal Zones and Processes

Mass Movements

Ice and Glaciers,wind and Deserts

Climate-Past, present, and Future

Ground Water and Water Resources

Weathering, erosion, and Soil Resources

Mineral and Rock Resources

Energy Resources-Fossil Fuels

Energy Resources-Alternative Sources

Water Pollution

Air Pollution

Environmental Law and Policy

Land-Use Planning and Engineering Geology

Filters