Chapter 13: Review Questions

425

Question 1

1. What is pollution?

  1. Any environmental change caused by humans

  2. Environmental damage caused by industrial activity

  3. Release of chemicals into water, air, or soil

  4. Alteration of the environment that harms living organisms

Question 2

2. Which of the following could be considered a point source of pollution?

  1. Nutrient-rich runoff from suburban lawns

  2. Discharge of a city sewage treatment plant into a river

  3. Smoke emitted by several forest fires

  4. Increased particulates in air as a result of regional drought

Question 3

3. A decrease in pH from 7 to 6 results in which of the following?

  1. A 50% decrease in hydrogen ion concentration

  2. A doubling of hydrogen ion concentration

  3. A 10-fold increase in hydrogen ion concentration

  4. A 10-fold decrease in hydrogen ion concentration

Question 4

4. What was the rationale for choosing the so-called criteria pollutants?

  1. They were chosen randomly from a long list of pollutants.

  2. They are common pollutants that are hazardous to human health.

  3. They are among the most toxic substances known.

  4. They were chosen as a result of a poll of concerned citizens.

Question 5

5. What is the main difference between natural and cultural eutrophication of lakes?

  1. Natural eutrophication is a more gradual process.

  2. Natural eutrophication does not increase the nutrients in lakes.

  3. Natural eutrophication does not affect lake depth.

  4. Natural eutrophication does not increase lake primary production.

Question 6

6. What are some of the costs of air pollution?

  1. Millions of premature deaths

  2. Deteriorating infrastructure

  3. Reduced ecosystem production

  4. All of the above

Question 7

7. Which type of crop plant is least likely to accumulate high concentrations of heavy metals?

  1. Root crops such as potatoes

  2. Leafy vegetable crops such as lettuce

  3. Crops producing an edible fruit, such as tomatoes

  4. All crops accumulate heavy metals to the same extent

Question 8

8. What is the outcome of efforts to control acid rain in the United States?

  1. There has been no measureable change in acid rain.

  2. The acidity of rain has actually increased across the United States.

  3. Acid rain has decreased in the eastern United States but not in western states.

  4. Acid rain has decreased across the entire United States.

Question 9

9. Which of the following likely motivates current efforts by the EPA to reduce mercury pollution by coal-fired power plants in the United States?

  1. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin.

  2. Mercury contamination of soils is difficult to clean up.

  3. Fish and food crops accumulate mercury in their tissues.

  4. All of the above

Question 10

10. Where are constructed wetlands likely to be most useful for treating wastewater?

  1. For treating wastes from large urban centers

  2. For treating farm wastes in sparsely populated rural areas

  3. For treating wastes from large CAFOs

  4. For treating diffuse sources of nonpoint sources of pollution

Critical Analysis

Question 1

1. Is massive pollution an inevitable consequence of economic development? Explain.

Question 2

2. What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of command-and-control versus market-based approaches to controlling pollution?

Question 3

3. How do cooperative agreements between Canada and the United States to control air pollution relate to the concept of airsheds?

Question 4

4. Evaluate the evidence that smelting activity near Sudbury, Canada, impacted terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Question 5

5. Discuss the various ways in which nutrient enrichment has impacted terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.