Which of the following best describes one way the Clean Air Act helped reduce air pollution?
Implemented a program to manage hazardous and nonhazardous wastes
Introduced regulatory measures to control the amount of lead in fuels
Proposed incentives for countries to reduce carbon emissions
Created a fund to aid developing countries in reducing ozone-depleting emissions
Which of the following energy sources produces the most air pollutants when used during the generation of electricity?
Photovoltaic cells
Uranium
Natural gas
Fuel oil
Industrial scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators collect enormous amounts of particulate matter (coal ash) at coal-burning power plants. Which of the following best describes an environmental disadvantage of using industrial scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators for pollution abatement?
Coal ash is highly flammable, and it is very hazardous to ship the materials to hazardous waste landfills.
Coal ash contains toxic levels of several different pollutants, so when it is collected and stored long-term in coal ash ponds, there is increased risk of exposure to toxic metals.
Industrial scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators are very costly to install and increase the cost of operating coal-burning power plants, leading to increased costs for consumers.
Industrial scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators cannot remove fine particles like dust and smoke from the waste, so a secondary measure must be used.
Which of the following environmental problems is most often linked to the combustion of fossil fuels?
Ozone thinning in the stratosphere
Cultural eutrophication in surface waters
Photochemical smog formation in the troposphere
Thermal inversions in mountainous coastal areas
Which of the following best describes a natural process that adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?
Burial of dead plants and animals in swamps and bogs allows carbon dioxide to escape to the atmosphere.
Plants excrete carbon dioxide during photosynthesis.
Carbon dioxide is released from the interior of Earth during volcanic eruptions.
Deposition of sediments into ocean basins release carbon dioxide from rock.
Which of the following best describes a potential unintended negative consequence of implementing measures to control acid deposition?
A reduction in mortality rates in freshwater aquatic organisms from an increase in pH of the water
A reduction in environmental lead, leading to decreased negative health effects in humans and wildlife
A reduction in acid mine drainage, resulting from a reduced need for nuclear fuel and uranium mining
A reduction in sulfur for crops as a result of less acidic rainfall, leading to an increased need for sulfur supplements
Which of the following contributes to global climate change through the direct release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere?
Growing fast-growing crops in open fields
Transporting products from one continent to another on a cargo ship
Use of foams and packing materials that contain chlorofluorocarbons
Generating electricity at a nuclear power plant
A community located downwind from a coal-fired power plant has seen a recent increase in the number of dead and dying trees. A soil scientist measured values for the following parameters before and after the trees died off. Which of the following soil data should be used to determine if the coal-fired power plant emissions were the cause of the damage to the trees?
Moisture content and water retention
Calcium and aluminum levels
Pesticide and herbicide residue levels
Parent material composition
Which of the following is a problem that is associated with a thermal inversion?
An increase in UV radiation reaching Earth’s surface, which can damage plant tissue and decrease crop yield
An increase in pollutants trapped at Earth’s surface, which increases the number of cases of human respiratory problems
A decrease in the release of carbon dioxide from warmer air temperatures at the Earth’s surface, which accelerates global climate change
A decrease in evaporation rates over the ocean, which increases potential for more severe thunderstorms and hurricanes
In addition to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which of the following components must be present in the atmosphere to create photochemical smog?