Chapt 21

Chapter 21 Solid, Toxic, and Hazardous Waste
1. Waste stream is a term describing

A. the steady production of all waste products that humans produce.
B. the process of eliminating domestic and commercial waste.
C. the production of solid waste, specifically.
D. the intermittent production of particular wastes.
E. the production of liquid waste, specifically.
Answer: A
Question Classification: Knowledge
2. In the United States about two-thirds of a ton are generated for each person (including children). Compared to the
US, Japan and Europe generate about half that amount. One of the factors that probably does not contribute to this
difference is
A. the US collection and dumping processes mix and crush everything together so separation is not possible.
B. the fact that Japan is an island with limited space.
C. the high rate of recycling in Japan.
D. that people in the US have a higher standard of living than Japan and Europe.
E. All of these probably contribute to the difference in the waste stream.
Answer: D
Question Classification: Comprehension
3. In recent decades, unregulated open dumps have ____________ in developing countries.

A. nearly disappeared
B. mostly become regulated
C. remained the primary disposal method
D. been replaced by incineration and methane generation
E. been replaced by sanitary landfills
Answer: C
4. Motor oil can be toxic at concentrations of only 1 part per million, which means that __________ of fresh water.
A. 1 quart of oil can pollute 1 million gallons
B. 1 liter of oil can pollute 4 million liters
C. 1 barrel of oil can pollute 1 million gallons
D. 1 quart of oil can pollute 1 million quarts
E. 1 liter of oil can pollute 1 billion liters
Answer: D
5. Landfills differ from open dumps in that

A. landfills are smaller.
B. dumps are cleaner and smell less.
C. landfilled waste is compacted and covered.
D. landfills are cheaper to operate.
E. Landfills and dumps are the same thing.
Answer: C
6. Choosing the site of a landfill depends on

A. local topography and drainage patterns.
B. proximity to aquifer recharge zones.
C. neighborhood and community attitudes.
D. permeability of underlying rock formations.
E. All of these.
Answer: E
7. In the case of sanitary landfills, the cost of disposing wastes is _____ as technology provides safer alternatives.
A. slowly increasing
B. slowly decreasing
C. staying relatively stable
D. sharply increasing
E. sharply decreasing
Answer: D
8. If less-developed countries can make money while more-developed countries can rid themselves of waste, why
would opponents be against exporting wastes from developing countries?
A. Local people in the developing country probably do not know what is in the waste.
B. People in the developing country may not have the resources to test for toxic materials in the waste.
C. The practice can involve corrupt government officials who allow the wastes to be dumped illegally.
D. The waste that is being exported contains unwanted materials or it would not be exported.
E. All of these are reasons opponents are against exporting wastes from developing countries.
Answer: E
9. Many states, countries, and corporations dispose of their waste overseas because it is
A. more convenient.
B. the safest method.
C. extremely cheap.
D. the only possible method.
E. the best way environmentally.
Answer: C
10. The main method for disposing of municipal wastes in the United States is ___________ while _____ is the
main method in Japan.
A. incineration, recycling
B. recycling, landfilling
C. landfilling, recycling
D. landfilling, incineration
E. recycling, incineration
Answer: C
11. Energy recovery is another term for _______ waste.

A. recycling
B. burning
C. preventing the production of
D. cogeneration of the
E. A combination of recycling, burning, and preventing the production of.
Answer: B
12. Refuse-derived fuel differs from normal garbage in that it

A. has agricultural wastes.
B. has coal added.
C. is unsorted.
D. is selectively collected.
E. is sorted.
Answer: E
13. Refuse-derived fuel has _______ energy content than raw refuse, but requires energy ________ before burning.
A. a higher, enrichment
B. a lower, enrichment
C. about the same, enrichment
D. a higher, to sort
E. a lower, to sort
Answer: D
14. A mass burn is the incineration of

A. agricultural waste.
B. shredded, unsorted trash.
C. hazardous substances.
D. large household pieces like furniture.
E. sorted garbage.
Answer: B
15. Which of the following is not a major toxic pollutant produced by incinerators?
A. dioxins
B. lead
C. cadmium
D. aromatic hydrocarbons
E. All of these are produced by incinerators.
Answer: D
16. One of the problems with incinerators is that due to recycling

A. there may not be enough trash to feed them.
B. there are not enough funds to support their high costs of operation since most money has gone to recycling.
C. the energy content of the raw trash is much higher, leading to safety problems.
D. jobs are being lost because sorting is no longer needed.
E. Both there are not enough funds to support their high costs of operation since most money has gone to recycling
and jobs are being lost because sorting is no longer needed.
Answer: A
17. One of the sources of dangerous heavy metal emissions is from incinerating
A. plastics.
B. bleached paper containing chlorine.
C. residue from household cleaning products.
D. aluminum foil.
E. batteries.
Answer: E
18. Using a refillable beverage container (returnable bottles) would be an example of __________ materials.
A. reusing
B. recycling
C. reducing
D. redefining
E. None of these.
Answer: A
19. Recycling, in terms of solid waste management, means

A. reusing materials.
B. melting or shredding to make new products.
C. keeping intact but putting to a new use.
D. using less of the material in production of a product.
E. All of these.
Answer: B
20. Which of the following represents the three Rs of waste disposal in descending order of energy expenditure?
A. reuse, reduce, recycle
B. reduce, recycle, reuse
C. recycle, reuse, reduce
D. reuse, recycle, reduce
E. recycle, reduce, reuse
Answer: C
21. Recycling aluminum is most important for

A. saving raw materials (the ore).
B. saving energy.
C. saving landfill space.
D. reducing pollutants in the air and water.
E. All of these.
Answer: E
22. Composting is a waste disposal method that

A. is useful only for single households.
B. is technologically complex.
C. vastly reduces total waste volumes.
D. is more environmentally costly than landfilling.
E. is not realistic for college students.
Answer: C
23. Individual efforts to reduce the volume of the waste stream

A. have enormous cumulative effects.
B. are fairly useful because it demonstrates to corporations that we care.
C. have some effects, but we need to target industries to reduce their waste stream instead.
D. have little effect but make people feel better.
E. matter very little.
Answer: A
24. Photodegradable plastics break down

A. when exposed to heat.
B. by releasing photons.
C. as they age.
D. when exposed to pressure.
E. when exposed to light.
Answer: E
25. Biodegradable plastics incorporate _______ to speed breakdown processes.

A. special types of hydrocarbons
B. weak structural components
C. cornstarch
D. water
E. microscopic tears in the plastic
Answer: C
26. The most often overlooked of the three Rs is

A. recycle.
B. reuse.
C. release.
D. redefine.
E. reduce.
Answer: E
27. Hazardous waste is anything that

A. causes human health threats.
B. severely contaminates the environment.
C. is toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, corrosive, or explosive.
D. has the potential of causing health problems.
E. All of these.
Answer: C
28. In order to find specific information about toxic materials in your neighborhood, you would consult the
A. National Priority List.
B. CERCLA.
C. Maximum Contamination Levels (MCLs).
D. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
E. Toxic Release Inventory.
Answer: E
29. If the land around your home was designated as a priority site under CERCLA,
A. you would consider yourself a fortunate person because of the federal dollars that would soon be available.
B. you should prepare to move because you live on a leaking, abandoned hazardous waste site.
C. you might expect to see people protesting outside your home because of the loss of endangered and threatened
species caused by construction in your neighborhood.
D. you will have to pay to improve your sewage treatment system because of the release of nutrients.
E. you will have to pay for expensive emission testing for all of your automobiles, any boats, and your lawnmower.
Answer: B
30. The National Priority List is a list of sites that

A. we currently have money to deal with.
B. deserve research for possible cleanup.
C. will probably never be cleaned up.
D. seriously require cleanup to prevent further environmental and health damage.
E. are especially vulnerable to hazardous wastes (e.g., aquifer recharge zones) and are not available for future
building permits.
Answer: D
31. A brownfield is
A. the area and property extending 200 meters around a landfill.
B. contaminated property that is not used to its full potential because of real or suspected contamination.
C. property contaminated by a sewage treatment plant.
D. property that was formerly contaminated and is now safe enough to be used for housing developments.
E. property within city limits that is used heavily but may be contaminated.
Answer: B
32. The questions of ____ and _________ are among the biggest problems in cleaning up hazardous waste sites.
A. liability, degree of purity required
B. appropriate technology, location
C. appropriate technology, liability
D. degree of purity required, appropriate technology
E. location, cost
Answer: A
33. Contamination in the Love Canal was from a(n)

A. active petrochemical plant.
B. major toxic waste disposal firm.
C. long-abandoned city and chemical factory dump.
D. neighboring county whose groundwater seeped into the canal.
E. the citys sanitary landfill.
Answer: C
34. Toxic landfills are frequently located in ________ areas.

A. wilderness
B. urban
C. rural
D. nonpopulated
E. suburban
Answer: B
$350,000
$250,000
$150,000
$50,000
Average fines or penalties imposed

per site for violation of RCRA
White
Areas
Minority
Areas
High
Income
Low
Income
35. According to the graph above, penalties imposed in high-income areas are about _________ as low-income
areas.
A. six times as much
B. three times as much
C. twice as much
D. one half as much
E. the same
Answer: E
Question Classification: Analysis
36. According to the graph above, penalties imposed in white areas are _________ as minority areas.
A. more than three times as much
B. about three times as much
C. about twice as much
D. about one half as much
E. about the same
Answer: A
37. Using the data provided in the graph above, what factor most determines the dollar amount of penalties imposed
for CERCLA?
A. Income
B. Race
C. Class
D. Income and Race
E. Income, race, and class
Answer: B
38. What position is supported by the data in the figure above?

A. Class, not race or income is the strongest determinant of who is exposed to environmental hazards.
B. Income, not race or class is the strongest determinant of who is exposed to environmental hazards.
C. Race, not class or income is the strongest determinant of who is exposed to environmental hazards.
D. Gender, not race or income is the strongest determinant of who is exposed to environmental hazards.
E. Race, class, and income are the strongest determinants of who is exposed to environmental hazards.
Answer: C
39. According to the Household Disposal Guide, what is the best way to dispose of your aerosol cans (hairspray,
Lysol, spray starch, etc.)?
A. Dispose of empty in the trash.
B. Save and bring to a hazardous waste collection site.
C. Flush with plenty of water in the drain.
D. Flush with plenty of water in the toilet.

E. Recycle.
Answer: B
40. According to the Household Disposal Guide, what is the best way to dispose of antifreeze?
A. Dispose of empty in the trash.
B. Save and bring to a hazardous waste collection site.
C. Flush with plenty of water in the drain.
D. Flush with plenty of water in the toilet.
E. Recycle.
Answer: D
41. According to the Household Disposal Guide, which of the following materials should never be disposed of in a
drain or toilet?
A. Permanent wave lotion
B. Hair relaxer
C. Solvent-containing products.
D. Antifreeze.
E. None of these should be disposed of in the drain or toilet.
Answer: C
42. The old adage, One persons trash is another ones treasure is a potential option for industry to reduce
A. disposal costs.
B. purchasing costs.
C. hazardous wastes.
D. air pollution.
E. All of these.
Answer: E
43. Chemical processing is a way of __________ hazardous waste for safe disposal.
A. reducing the volume of
B. neutralizing
C. incinerating
D. filtering and precipitating
E. acidifying
Answer: B
44. Biological treatments of hazardous waste involve ___________ hazardous substances.

A. using bacteria and plants to absorb and detoxify
B. the genetic alteration of species suffering from
C. using microorganisms to disperse
D. special organic chemical processing of

E. None of these is correct.
Answer: A
45. Secure landfills are those that

A. have no groundwater below them.
B. accept no toxic substances.
C. are built like a bathtub with a lid.
D. are sealed entirely with durable plastic.
E. are sealed entirely with concrete.
Answer: C
46. Secure landfills are usually sealed with

A. clay.
B. sand.
C. dirt.
D. gravel.
E. stones.
Answer: A
47. Incinerator ash is commonly contaminated with highly concentrated toxic substances and taken to a landfill for
disposal.
A. True
B. False
Answer: A
48. Demanufacturing is the disassembly of manufactured homes and is key to reducing the waste stream.
A. True
B. False
Answer: B
49. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulates clean up of Superfund designated hazardous
waste sites and the siting, construction, and operation of hazardous waste sites.
A. True
B. False
Answer: A
50. The original pool of money available for Superfund cleanup projects was financed by taxes on the producers of
toxic and hazardous wastes. Now public taxes are the major sources.
A. True
B. False
Answer: A
51. A site for a childrens playground and an industrial site have different criteria for cleanup.
A. True
B. False
Answer: A
Short Answer/Essay Questions

52. Explain how incinerator ash can become toxic when the initial material that is incinerated is not toxic.
Answer: For a total of 30 points (Note: The numbers can be changed to fit your assessment needs.)
10 =
Provided an accurate answer to the question; Communicated with a well written summary
5=
Provided a mostly inaccurate answer to the question; Communicated with a fairly well written summary
0=
Provided an inaccurate answer to the question; Communicated with a very poorly written summary
53. Evaluate the use of dumps, sanitary landfills, and modern secure landfills in disposing of waste. In your
evaluation provide the pros and cons, and the context for which each disposal method would best work.
Answer: For a total of 30 points (Note: The numbers can be changed to fit your assessment needs.)
30 =
Provided an accurate evaluation of the positive aspects of the three waste disposal methods; Provided an
accurate evaluation of the drawbacks of the three waste disposal methods; Used an appropriate and accurate
context for the three waste disposal methods; Communicated effectively with a well written explanation
20 =
Provided an accurate evaluation of the positive aspects of two waste disposal methods; Provided an
accurate evaluation of the drawbacks of two waste disposal methods; Used an appropriate and accurate
context for two waste disposal methods; Communicated with a well written explanation
10 =
Provided an accurate evaluation of the positive aspects of one waste disposal method; Provided an accurate
evaluation of the drawbacks of one waste disposal method; Used an appropriate and accurate context for
one waste disposal method; Communicated with a fairly well written explanation
5=
Provided an accurate evaluation of the positive aspects of one energy source; Provided an accurate
evaluation of the drawbacks of one energy source; Used an inappropriate and inaccurate context for all
energy sources; Communicated with a poorly written explanation
0=
Provided an inaccurate evaluation of the positive aspects of all energy sources; Provided an inaccurate
evaluation of the drawbacks of all energy sources; Used an inappropriate and inaccurate context for all
energy sources; Communicated with a very poorly written explanation

Chapt 21

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapt 21

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter 21 Solid, Toxic, and Hazardous Waste

1. Waste stream is a term describing

3. In recent decades, unregulated open dumps have ____________ in developing countries.

5. Landfills differ from open dumps in that

6. Choosing the site of a landfill depends on

11. Energy recovery is another term for _______ waste.

12. Refuse-derived fuel differs from normal garbage in that it

14. A mass burn is the incineration of

16. One of the problems with incinerators is that due to recycling

19. Recycling, in terms of solid waste management, means

21. Recycling aluminum is most important for

22. Composting is a waste disposal method that

23. Individual efforts to reduce the volume of the waste stream

24. Photodegradable plastics break down

25. Biodegradable plastics incorporate _______ to speed breakdown processes.

Question Classification: Knowledge

26. The most often overlooked of the three Rs is

27. Hazardous waste is anything that

30. The National Priority List is a list of sites that

33. Contamination in the Love Canal was from a(n)

34. Toxic landfills are frequently located in ________ areas.

Average fines or penalties imposed

38. What position is supported by the data in the figure above?

D. Flush with plenty of water in the toilet.

44. Biological treatments of hazardous waste involve ___________ hazardous substances.

D. special organic chemical processing of

45. Secure landfills are those that

46. Secure landfills are usually sealed with

Short Answer/Essay Questions

You might also like