1. WATER – AIR—CLIMATE CHANGE
POLLUTION TEST REVIEW
WATER – AIR—CLIMATE CHANGE

2. 1. Eutrophication & hypoxia in Chesapeake Bay is in part attributed to
Overfishing cod that maintain the entire ecosystem
Overharvesting oysters that previously would have filtered nutrients
The recent offshore oil drilling platform accident that contributed excess organic material to this estuary
Loss of kelp to take up nutrients
Loss of otters to maintain the kelp forests

3. 2. In a municipal water treatment plant, the secondary treatment methods consist of
Removing the sludge for the final incineration process
Filtering the sewage as it arrives from the influent pipes
Allowing sewage to sit in settling tanks so that suspended solids will settle out
Aeration basin, which increase microbial action
Chlorinating the sewage as it leaves the effluent pipes

4. 3. Which of the following has most contributed to global aquifer contamination?
Inappropriate use of household detergents containing phosphates
Septic systems leaching into aquifers
Hazardous waste disposal from pumping waste underground
Methane & carbon monoxide gases dissolving into aquifers
Saltwater intrusion from depleted aquifers

5. 4. The aquatic invertebrates in the lake at a local park are dying
4. The aquatic invertebrates in the lake at a local park are dying. A scientist from the Department of Environmental Protection is now investigating the problem, and she first measures the dissolved oxygen (DO) in order to check
Possibility of eutrophication effects
Possibility of bacterial parasitism of the aquatic invertebrates
Heavy metal concentration of the lake
Influence of local acid precipitation
Possible negative effects of sedimentation

6. 5. Two major factors involved in the conversion of primary air pollutants into secondary air pollutants are
Sulfur dioxide & sulfuric acid
Nitrogen oxides and sulfates
Sulfates & water
Water and VOCs (volatile organic compounds)
Sunlight & water

7. 6. Recent paleoclimate evidence from polar ice core analysis shows that, until now, carbon dioxide levels have never exceeded ___ ppm in tha last several hundred thousand years 25
200
300
500
1000

8. 7. The largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the US is _____, followed by _____
agriculture; transportation
Electricity generation; transportation
Electricity generation; industry
Electricity generation; agriculture
Agriculture, electricity generation

9. 8. Carbon based fuels from the lithospheric reservoirs
A. Are sustainable if humans make a conscious effort to increase their carbon footprint
Are low in thermal content but valuable as a fuel source
Are formed from the deposition, partial decay, and compression of inorganic matter
Have been slowly sequestered over many millions of years
Are readily lost from Earth’s surface in the absence of humans

10. 9. The Intergovernmental Panel on climate change (IPCC) has synthesized several decades of data and documented observed trends in all of the areas below, except
Planetary vegetation cover & the ocean’s contribution to photosynthesis
Precipitation patterns & their regional differences
Snow & ice cover
Storm intensity patterns
Earth’s surface temperature & its increase

11. 10. During thermohaline circulation of global ocean current systems, surface currents are
Cold & dense
Warm & dense
Saltier & colder
Less salty, less dense, and warmer
Driven by winds from north to south

12. ANSWERS...
1. B
2. D
3. C
4. A
5. E
6. C
7. B
8. D
9. A
10.D