Exam 15: Pollution and Waste Disposal

Municipal sewage treatment plants are very effective at breaking down human waste prior to discharging the wastewater into rivers. Why then, do so many U.S. plants continue to cause water quality problems in rivers?

Liquid hazardous wastes are commonly injected into deep, saline aquifers for disposal.

What explains why leachate is a problem in sanitary landfills?

Which of the following pollution sources would be considered to be a non-point source?

Which of the following explains why many household septic systems end up contaminating the shallow groundwater system?

The terms polluted and contaminated have different meanings when it comes to substances put in the environment by human activity. With respect to these substances, what does polluted mean?

What best explains why municipal governments are now focusing on waste reduction and recycling programs?

Which of the following is responsible for the growing hypoxic, or dead zone, problem in the Gulf of Mexico?

Certain forms of the element mercury move up through the food chain and into humans. What is primary problem that mercury is known to cause in people?

In addition to secured landfills, hazardous waste can be disposed of through high temperature incineration. What best explains why incineration is a controversial technique?

When radioactive isotopes decay they emit radiation that is harmful to humans. Which of the following forms of radiation have the highest energy and ability to penetrate solid materials?

Scrubbers are being used in the U.S. to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions associated with the burning of fossil fuels.

What does the term half-life describe?

Radon gas can accumulate in people's homes and pose a serious lung cancer risk. What is the source of the radon gas?

Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding groundwater contamination?

Which of the following best describes why open dumps in the U.S. were banned in 1983?

Eutrophication and oxygen depletion in natural wasters can be very damaging to stream ecosystems. Which of the following is the primary cause of oxygen depletion in streams?

Which of the following makes up the largest percentage of U.S. municipal waste?

Which of the following is NOT an example of low-level radioactive waste?

Acid rain has a negative impact on ecosystems and accelerates the chemical weathering of concrete structures and marble building materials. Which of the following compounds released by human activity are responsible for acid rain?