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ASSIGNMENT: Complete the following test by Tuesday, April 2nd. In addition to filling in the
correct answers on the scantron, you must elaborate on each answer explaining either more
detail, or describing the why. This must be done on a separate sheet of paper. Descriptions
can be anywhere from a sentence to a paragraph each.
Questions 1-4 refer to the following quantities of water samples.
(A) Acidity
(B) Turbidity
(C) Hardness
(D) D.O.
(E) Salinity
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. Of the following, which constitutes the greatest percentage of domestic use of water in the United
States?
a. Flushing toilets
b. Drinking
c. Cooking
d. Washing dishes
e. Washing clothes
6. The presence of high levels of fecal coliform bacteria in a water source indicates that the water
a. Is safe to drink
b. Is safe to swim in
c. Contains too little oxygen to support fish life
d. Has been recently chlorinated at a sewage treatment plant
e. Has been contaminated by untreated human or animal waste
7. Of the
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
8. The amount
upstream of
I.
II.
III.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
I only
II only
III only
I and II only
II and III only
9. In the removal of a pollutant from wastewater, which of the following is true of the cost per unit of
pollutant removed?
a. It decreases as the toxicity of the pollutant increases
b. It decreases as the time passed before remediation increases
c. It increases as the concentration of the pollutant decreases
d. It increases as the volume of the wastewater decreases
e. It does not change over time or with concentration of pollutant
12. Which
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
16. Oxygen-depleted zones of the ocean, such as the one at the mouth of the Mississippi River, are
most likely caused by
a. large numbers of fish that are using up all the oxygen in the water
b. a reduction in the plant life of rivers that empty into the ocean near the dead zone
c. excessive fertilizers carried into the ocean, which cause algal bloom that lowers the oxygen
level
d. thermal pollution in the ocean
e. acid precipitation falling on the ocean
17. The highest priority of the Clean Water Act is to provide
a. Funds to increase recycling participation
b. Guidance to refer to toxic chemicals
c. Funds to reclaim old strip mines
d. Policies to lessen the amount of oil spills in the ocean
e. Policies to attain fishable and swimmable waters in the United States
18. A certain chemical has a concentration of 10 ppm in water. Which statement most accurately
describes its concentration?
a. There are 10 molecules of the chemical in one million molecules of water
b. There are 10 million molecules of the chemical in the sample
c. There are 10 million molecules of the chemical in a 1-liter beaker
d. There are 10 molecules of water in one million molecules of the chemical
e. There are 10 molecules of the chemical in 10 million molecules of water
19. Salt intrusion into freshwater aquifers, beach aquifers, and the disruption of coastal fisheries are all
possibly results of which of the following?
a. Rising ocean levels as a result of global warming
b. More solar ultraviolet radiation on the earth
c. More chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere
d. Reduced rates of photosynthesis
e. Use of the oceans as waste disposal areas
20. Which
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
21. The shrinking of the Aral Sea and the ecological disaster that followed was mainly caused by
a. The diversion of the seas two feeder rivers for agricultural use
b. Withdrawing groundwater from the area
c. The major earthquake that hits the region
d. The loss of swamplands in the area
e. The massive use of pesticides
22. The release of chemicals from underground storage tanks is most likely to pollute which of the
following?
a. A landfill
b. The atmosphere
c. The ecotone
d. Aquifers
e. The hydrosphere
23. All of the following are useful methods for reducing domestic water use EXCEPT
a. Using low-flow shower heads
b. Using low-flush volume toilets
c. Turning of water while brushing your teeth
d. Fixing leaks as soon as they start
e. Lowering the temperature of the water heater
24. Which of the following pairs correctly matches the source of gray water with its most frequency use
in the home?
a. Dishwater and sink water used to flush toilets
b. Flushed toilet water used to irrigate garden plants
c. Dishwater and sink water used to irrigate garden plants
d. Water collected from rainfall used to flush toilets
e. Water from showers used for dish washing
25. Which
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
26. Which
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
27. What impact could an influx of agricultural waste or manure have on an aquatic ecosystem?
a. Increase in dissolved oxygen
b. Excessive growth of algae
c. Reduction in photosynthesis
d. Lower BOD
e. Thermal shock
28. What impact does the introduction of thermal pollution have on an aquatic ecosystem?
a. Reduces the ability of the water to hold dissolved carbon dioxide
b. Increases the ability of the water to hold dissolved carbon dioxide
c. Reduces the ability of the water to hold dissolved oxygen
d. Increases the ability of water to hold dissolved oxygen
e. No impact on dissolved carbon dioxide or dissolved oxygen
29. Worldwide, most of the available freshwater is used for which of the following?
a. Oil and gas production
b. Power plant cooling
c. Industrial processing
d. Public drinking water
e. Agriculture
30. What consequences of overusing groundwater would afect areas that are distant from the point of
use?
a. Groundwater contamination
b. Salt water intrusion
c. Subsidence
d. Depletion of stream flow
e. Aquifer replenishment
31. Distillation and reverse osmosis are methods for which of the following processes?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Tapping groundwater
Transferring watersheds
Desalination
Curbing water waste
Minimizing water losses from irrigation
e.
2/3
39. Currently, groundwater in the U.S. is being withdrawn at ______ its replacement rate.
a. At one-half
b. Equal to
c. Two times
d. Four times
e. Five times
40. It is most economically and environmentally sound to focus water resource management on
a. Increasing the water supply
b. Controlling the mining of groundwater
c. Increasing the efficiency of the way we use water
d. Developing desalination plants
e. Cloud seeding and towing icebergs to arid regions
41. World Resource Institute estimates that ____ of the water people use throughout the world is
wasted by evaporation, leaks, and other losses.
a. 25-30%
b. 45-50%
c. 65-70%
d. 75-80%
e. 78-90%
42. The main human activity that increases flooding is
a. Constructing dams
b. Directing stream flow
c. Destroying vegetation
d. Irrigation
e. Urbanization
43. Nitrates and phosphates are examples of
a. Disease-causing agents
b. Oxygen-demanding wastes
c. Inorganic plant nutrients
d. Organic chemicals
e. Sediment
44. Over half of the total mass of pollutants entering stream sand lakes comes from
a. Point pollution from sewage treatment plants
b. Point pollution from industrial plants
c. Non point pollution from roadside runof
d. Non point pollution from agriculture
e. Non point pollution from construction
45. Oxygen sag curves can occur
a. May occur during spring floods
b. Occur when oxygen-demanding wastes are added to the water
c. Develop in fast-flowing rivers
d. May occur upstream from a sewage treatment plant
e. All of these answers
46. The majority of the oil pollution in the ocean floor comes from
a. Blowouts (rupture of a borehole in an oil rig in the ocean)
b. Tanker accidents
c. Environmental terrorism
d. Runof from land
e. Normal operations of of shore wells
47. Of the following, the most ecologically responsible way to dispose of sewage sludge is
a. Incineration
b. Dumping into the deep trenches of the ocean
c. Conventional landfills
d. Treating with heat to kill harmful bacteria, removal of toxic chemicals, and using as fertilizer
e. None of these answers
48. Which of the following substances are removed to the greatest extent by combined primary and
secondary waste treatment?
a. Organic pesticides
b. Organic oxygen-demanding wastes
c. Toxic metals and synthetic chemicals
d. Radioactive isotopes
e. All of these answers
49. According to the EPA, about _____% of the countrys lakes and 40% of the countrys streams are too
polluted for swimming or fishing.
a. 10
b. 25
c. 40
d. 55
e. 80
50. A change in the U.S. Drinking Water Act that is least likely to be recommended by an
environmentalist is
a. Banning all lead in plumbing pipes, faucets, and fixtures
b. Increased reliance on voluntary compliance to drinking water standards
c. Strengthening public notification on requirements of drinking water violations
d. Reducing testing and administrative costs and improving treatment by combing smaller
water systems into larger ones
e. Combing small water treatment facilities with larger ones nearby