Environmental Sciences Practicum
Summer 2008
Final Exam
1) Match the following term with the best definition below:
___ Ecology
___ Endangered Species
___ Indicator Species
___ Biosphere
A) A type of animal or plant that has been specifically listed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as possibly becoming extinct.
B) The study of the interactions of living organisms and their environment.
C) The areas on earth where life occurs.
D) A type of organism that shows the type of an environment in an area or if other types of organisms are likely to be present
2)Match each term below to its best meaning in environmental science:
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____ Pollution
____ Succession
____ Estuary
____ Riparian zone
____ Biome
A) A material present above its natural level causing harm to the environment.
B) A broad ecological unit characterized by the distinctive climax species.
C) The area along the edge of a stream or lake.
D) The change of species and populations in an area over time.
E) An area where fresh and saltwater mix, creating diverse ecological niches.
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_____3)True or False: Plants must take in oxygen to survive.
_____ 4)Most waste is disposed of by burying it in landfills. Which of the following are effective in reducing the amount of waste going to landfills?
A) Not creating waste: reusing or reselling things, more efficient manufacturing, informed purchasing (only amounts that will be used; only items with limited packaging; preferring recycled), and using wastes as a resource (like composting)
B) Recycling used materials into new products.
C) Buying products that are made from recycled materials.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above. Although these are popular and make people feel like they are doing something good, none of these actually has a significant impact on the amount of waste going to landfills.
_____5) When a lake becomes eutrophic, excessive nutrients cause algae to grow explosively. What is the MOST significant impact on the ecology of the lake?
A) The water turns green and smells bad, ruining people's enjoyment of the area.
B) During daytime, there is plenty of oxygen, but at night the algae consumes almost all of the oxygen causing fish and other animals to suffocate.
C) The large amount of algae causes a huge growth of bacteria, which can cause disease to the fish and other water life and to animals when they drink the water.
D) There really is not an impact on the water body. The algae is food for the water life, so more and larger fish grow in the lake.
_____6) True or False: A septic tank is completely different than a sewage treatment plant. A septic tank does not actually treat sewage, but isolates it from water sources.
_____7) What is a species?
A) A group of organisms that all look pretty much the same, like a breed of dogs.
B) A group of animals that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
C) A family of organisms that share many characteristics, like beetles.
8) Water treatment may require several steps to make water safe for drinking. Match each term below with the definition that best describes its meaning.
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___ Chlorination
___ Filtration bed
___ Backwash
A) Pushing clean water backwards through a system to remove contaminants from filters and membranes.
B) Adding a chemical to drinking water to kill pathogens.
C) A layer or multiple layers of sand, coal, or other inert materials that remove particles from water as it flows through the layer(s).
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_____9)What is pH?
A) A measure of how much salt or other dissolved solids are in water.
B) A measure of how acid or alkaline a solution in water is.
C) A measure of how much bacteria is in water.
10) Match the following terms to the proper definition for air quality issues.
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___ Carbon monoxide
___ Solar radiation
___ Carbon dioxide
___ Lead
___ Catalytic converter
A) A greenhouse gas that may be a cause of global warming.
B) A poisonous gas that forms when fuels are burned very quickly, as in a gasoline engine.
C) A heavy metal that can be emitted as an air pollutant by certain types of facilities.
D) Sunlight, which can cause reactions that lead to ozone formation.
E) An emission control device on gasoline-powered vehicles and some wood stoves that removes some nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide from the exhaust.
_____11) True or False: When rain enters a storm drain, it is treated before being released. You must not pour oil down these because it overloads the treatment plant.
_____12) Why is the level of fecal coliform bacteria measured in water to be used for drinking?
A) To determine how healthy the body of water is. Since these bacteria only come from sewage, they can show if the water has been contaminated.
B) These organisms are indicators species that can show when pathogens are likely to be present.
C) These bacteria are found in the intestines of animals, so they are only found in water that is contaminated with fecal matter. This means that these bacteria will make you sick if you drink the water.
D) A and C only.
_____13) Which of the following is NOT a benefit from wetlands?
A) Wetlands filter water entering streams and aquifers, improving water quality.
B) Wetlands can provide habitat for a variety of species.
C) Wetlands are the primary sources of drinking water for many communities.
D) Wetlands protect against flooding by slowing down runoff entering streams.
_____14) About 3/4 of the Earth’s surface is covered with water (seas, freshwater, and glaciers). How much of this water is readily available for drinking?
A) About half.
B) About a third.
C) 10%.
D) Less than 1%.
_____15) True or False: Removing grass clippings is best for your lawn. Leaving them in place can smother the grass, and rotted clippings can give disease to the grass.
_____16) True or False: Old computers, cell phones, and electronic devices cause greater environmental problems than most consumer goods if not recycled or disposed properly.
_____17) What NATURAL events can affect the amount of ozone in the stratosphere?
A) Volcanoes injecting nitrogen oxides into the stratosphere.
B) Trees releasing hydrocarbons into the air.
C) The release of Freon into the air.
D) Second and third answers only.
_____18) True or False: The sky is blue because of the ozone layer.
_____19) New landfills are required to have a liner, which is a layer at the bottom of each landfill cell that water cannot penetrate. What is its purpose?
A) It prevents rain water from entering the landfill so the decomposition of wastes and generation of odors can be better controlled.
B) It prevents rain water and other liquids from leaving the landfill because they could pollute groundwater.
C) It prevents groundwater from coming up into the landfill during wet weather.
D) There is no such layer required for any landfill.
20) Match the following terms relating to pollution prevention and recycling to the correct definition below:
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___ Reduce
___ Reuse
___ Recycle
___ Rebuy
A) Using an item again for the same or another purpose instead of disposing of it.
B) Taking steps to not generate waste in the first place.
C) Buying by preference items that are made from recycled materials.
D) Diverting wastes that can be used again to a manufacturing process rather than to a landfill.
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_____21) True or False: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tells the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality exactly what to put into state regulations.
_____22) True or False: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issues permits that allow businesses to release pollutants.
_____23) True or False: The only way that someone can really have a positive impact on the environment is by joining a big group and working together to make changes.
_____24) True or False: The issues related to air pollution, water contamination, and waste disposal are completely separate from each other.
_____25) To protect groundwater and public health, what types of protection must gas stations have for their tanks?
A) The tanks must be located above ground so that any gasoline or diesel spilled evaporates.
B) No special protection is needed. Since gasoline and diesel float on top of water, they do not present any real hazard to groundwater.
C) The tanks must be double-walled or must have a special system installed to prevent the tanks from rusting.
D) Any spills must be cleaned up immediately, but the tanks are not a concern because they are made of fiberglass.
26) Match the following terms to the proper definition for air quality issues.
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___ Ground-level ozone
___ Particulate matter
___ Acid rain
___ Nitrogen oxides
___ Stratospheric ozone
A) Ozone found up to a few hundred feet above the ground that is caused by sunlight powering reactions between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the air.
B) The nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide in air, which comes from natural sources and from engines, boilers, and other heating devices.
C) Often called the ozone layer, this ozone is formed when the most harmful type of ultraviolet light is absorbed by oxygen, which also warms the surrounding air.
D) Solid particles or droplets that are suspended in air, the smallest of which may pose the greatest health risks.
E) Precipitation that has a low pH, which can be caused by nitrogen oxides in air reacting to form nitric acid.
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_____27) How is stratospheric ozone beneficial?
A) It absorbs the vast majority of the most harmful type of ultraviolet radiation (UVc).
B) In absorbing ultraviolet light, the ozone layer warms the stratosphere, making it more stable.
C) Ozone at any level of the atmosphere helps clean the atmosphere of organic compounds by reacting with them to make more water-soluble compounds, facilitating their removal from the air.
D) A and B only
E) All of the above
_____28) Which of the following is NOT a method by which Surface or Ground water may be contaminated?
A) Animal and human waste
B) Chemical contamination through runoff, or through direct disposal into rivers or streams
C) By naturally occurring substances in the soil or rock through which it flows
D) All of the above may cause surface and ground water contamination
_____29) Which of the following is not a major source of air pollution?
A)Transportation
B)Global Warming
C)Industrial operations
D)Housing
_____30) During the combustion processes of air pollutants, hydrocarbons are converted to ______and ______which are less hazardous.
A) Carbon Monoxide & smaller Hydrocarbons, such as Methane
B) NOx & SOx
C) CFC’s & Ozone
D) Carbon Dioxide & Water
_____31) Exposures to poor Indoor Air Quality cause the phenomenon called the ______.
A) Flu epidemics
B) Mold
C) Sick Building Syndrome
D) All of the above
_____32) True or False: Companies are held responsible for the environmental impact of their products/dumps from cradle to grave.
_____33) True or False: Plants are essential in converting Carbon Dioxide to Oxygen.
_____34) In Thermal waste treatment, what does the term “Incineration” literally mean?
A)Lighting on fire
B)Burning in a closed space with a chimney or smoke stack
C)Using high pressure to crush waste into the smallest possible volume
D)Burning to Ash
_____35) True or False: Fires started by lightening are nature's way of house cleaning
_____36) Which of the following is NOT a reason that environmentalists, conservationists, the National Park Service, and other government agencies sometimes intentionally prescribe wild fires?
A)To clear land for agriculture or future development
B)To allow a managed fire to prevent a raging fire in the future
C)To encourage new plant growth (which nourishes herbivores, that in turn feed predators)
D)To remove invasive species
_____37) Which of the following are considered as solutions to reduce automobile emissions?
A)Alternative fuels
B)Enhanced vehicle inspection & maintenance
C)Ride sharing (HOV lanes)
D)Speed limit implementation & enforcement
E)All of the above
_____38) True or False: If sea levels rise because of global warming, the size of estuaries will be reduced
_____39) Which of the following is NOT a reason to be concerned about development over the recharge zone is used for drinking water?
A)Constructing buildings, roads, etc. can reduce the amount of water soaking into the ground to replenish the aquifer.
B)Increased development may lead the water that does enter the aquifer to be more polluted.
C)Increased development over the recharge zone may lead to increased pumping from the aquifer, leading to problems like subsidence and sinkholes.
D)All of these are reasons to be concerned about development above aquifer recharge zones.
40) Match the following terms pertaining to landfills to the correct definition below:
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___ Cell
___ Monitoring well
___ Leachate collection system
___ Cap
___ Daily cover
A. The layer of clay or impervious material that is placed on top of a landfill unit when it is filled to capacity and closed.
B. An individual excavation inside of a landfill facility that is filled with trash during use.
C. Clean soil that is placed on top of trash in a landfill cell each day to control odor and to prevent vermin from reaching the garbage.
D. A device to determine whether groundwater contamination if coming from a landfill facility.
E. A system to catch rain water or other liquids that enter a landfill cell and gather at the bottom
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_____ 41) True or False: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is the only state agency in Texas with authority over environmental issues.
42) Match each term below to its best meaning in environmental science:
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___ Species diversity
___ Food chain
___ Heavy metal
___ Acid rain
___ Food web
A) The variety of different plants, animals, etc. that live in a particular area, this is a measure of the health of an ecosystem.
B) A very simple visual representation of food, consumer, and predator relations in an ecosystem.
C) Precipitation with low pH, caused by oxides of sulfur and/or nitrogen in the air.
D) Any of a variety of metallic elements that can be pollutants, especially in soil or water.
E) A complex visual representation of food/consumer/predator relations that shows the potential paths of energy or contaminants within an ecosystem
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_____43) True or False: Some contaminants are retained long term when ingested. When passed through the food web, they concentrate more in predators than in herbivores.
_____44) True or False: Household hazardous waste remains unregulated because there is little that the public can do to limit the hazards of the products they use.
_____45) Which of the following is considered a “point source” for pollution entering the watershed?
A)Fertilizer or pesticide runoff from agriculture and lawns.
B)Oil leaking from vehicles and trash from streets.
C)Discharges from a sewage treatment plant in normal operation.
D)Air pollutants from cars carried down by rain or otherwise deposited onto surfaces.
E)Pet or animal wastes from yards or farms.
46) Water treatment can occur in a variety of systems. Match each term below with the definition that best describes its meaning in water treatment.
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___ Reverse osmosis
___ Desalination
___ Distillation
A) Evaporating water with heat and then recondensing the vapor to make pure water.
B) A water treatment system in which water is pushed through a membrane that is permeable to water but not contaminants.
C) The removal of salt to make freshwate
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_____47) Which of the following pollutants are NOT measured and reported by TCEQ's Continuous Air Monitoring Station? Mark all that are correct.
A)Ozone and nitrogen oxides
B)Sulfur dioxide
C)Carbon dioxide
D)Particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5)
_____48) True or False: Permits or other authorizations are only required for the largest generators of air pollution.
_____49) Which of the following impacts are NOT caused by particulate matter in the air?
A)Damage to the lungs, heart, and other organs.
B)Aesthetic damage from buildings or other surfaces becoming dirty.
C)Acid rain
D)Photochemical Smog
E)Irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat
_____50) True or False: The issues related to air pollution, water contamination, and waste disposal are very interrelated.
------Good Luck! ------
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