Deck 13: Air Pollution

Question 1

More than 4000 premature deaths occur in the U.S. every year due to:

A) elevated ozone concentrations.
B) exposure to acid rain.
C) exposure to nuclear radiation.
D) inhalation of particulate matter.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is a natural source of pollutants NOT accentuated by humans?

A) dust
B) pollens
C) bacteria
D) fire
E) viruses

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Meteorological conditions are important in air pollution episodes since they:

A) determine the location of sources.
B) are important sources of pollutants.
C) control the emission of pollutants.
D) determine the amount of dilution.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The spreading or dilution of pollutants into the atmosphere is best when winds are:

A) less than 10 km/hr.
B) neutral.
C) strong and turbulent.
D) steady.
E) calm.

Question 5

Which of these is LEAST important in determining the level of air pollution from a particular source?

A) relative humidity at ground level
B) stability of the air layer
C) prevailing wind speed and direction
D) height of stack used

Question 6

Smog is an example of a_________ pollutant.

A) primary
B) tertiary
C) secondary
D) quaternary

Question 7

The vertical height reached by convective currents in the atmosphere is called:

A) a temperature inversion.
B) the mixing depth.
C) vertical transport potential.
D) the convective inversion.

Question 8

Of the following, which is the most likely source for coarse particulate matter?

A) residential fireplaces
B) cars driving on unpaved roads
C) fossil fuel combustion in vehicles
D) power generation

Question 9

Although _________forms naturally in the stratosphere, when produced near the surface it is considered a pollutant with many negative effects.

A) smog
B) nitric acid
C) ozone
D) sulfur dioxide

Question 10

Which one of the source categories listed below is responsible for the most pollution?

A) solid waste disposal
B) electric utilities
C) transportation
D) industrial processes

Question 11

A "London- type" smog is characterized by:

A) the combination of smoke and fog on very humid days.
B) low humidity and high levels of industrial pollution.
C) the photochemical production of pollutants.
D) high concentrations of fine particulate matter on sunny days.

Question 12

This category of air pollutants is emitted directly from identifiable sources and pollutes the air immediately upon being emitted.

A) tertiary pollutants
B) quaternary pollutants
C) secondary pollutants
D) primary pollutants

Question 13

This is the general term used for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.

A) volatile organic compounds
B) smog
C) particulate matter
D) acid precipitation

Question 14

The greatest reduction in solar radiation receipt in polluted cities will occur:

A) during the winter in high- latitude cities.
B) during the spring in low- latitude cities.
C) during the summer in middle- latitude cities.
D) equally in cities at every latitude.

Question 15

Particulate matter is categorized according to:

A) its size.
B) its chemical components.
C) its toxicity.
D) its source.

Question 16

The Air Quality Index measures the severity of air pollution on a scale of 0 to:

A) 10.
B) 1000.
C) 100.
D) 500.

Question 17

A subsidence inversion develops when:

A) air near the ground chills rapidly as radiation is emitted during the night.
B) the air at the top of the mixing layer gets much colder.
C) the mixing layer gets deeper.
D) warming, subsiding air of an anticyclone traps the turbulent zone near the ground.

Question 18

Lead as air pollution:

A) has risen dramatically in amount in the United States.
B) can cause damage to many organs.
C) is a result of the lead that is still added to gasoline in the United States.

Question 19

During what part of the day should ozone levels in an urban environment be highest?

A) night (midnight)
B) early morning (6 A.M.)
C) mid- afternoon
D) late morning (11 A.M.)

Question 20

The primary purpose of a smokestack is to:

A) burn off inversion layers.
B) promote adiabatic cooling of the smoke.
C) reduce the concentration of pollutants at ground level.
D) change the lapse rate.

Question 21

The finest particles of particulate matter are classified as being less than ___________in diameter.

A) 2.5 micrometers
B) 5 micrometers
C) 10 micrometers
D) 1.0 micrometer

Question 22

Air pollution impacts urban climates in all of the following ways EXCEPT:

A) they decrease the amount of solar energy received at the surface.
B) they increase the relative humidity.
C) they provide condensation nuclei and create a cloud seeding effect.
D) they increase the frequency of fog.

Question 23

_______are usually the most obvious form of air pollution because they reduce visibility and leave deposits of dirt on the surfaces with which they come in contact.

A) Volatile organics
B) Sulfur oxides
C) Particulates
D) Nitrogen oxides

Question 24

Air pollution is likely to be most severe:

A) near the center of a cyclone.
B) in the spring.
C) along squall lines.
D) when the atmosphere is turbulent.
E) near the center of an anticyclone.

Question 25

Until regulation of air pollution began in the 1950s, the greatest influence on emissions of air pollutants was/were:

A) lack of education about pollution's ill effects.
B) macroscale atmospheric changes.
C) both economic conditions and population growth.
D) poor technology.

Question 26

In his 1880 speech, what idea did Robert Ingersoll promote?

A) Industrial manufacturing should be confined to specific districts to reduce air pollution.
B) People should not be permitted to burn coal to heat their homes.
C) Limiting air pollution emitted from factories of the time.
D) Industrial smoke was a sign of prosperity and was thus highly desirable.

Question 27

Which one of the following is a major component of photochemical smog?

A) lead
B) soot
C) sulfur dioxide
D) ozone

Question 28

__________pollutant levels cause gradual deterioration of a variety of physiological functions over a span of years.

A) Critical
B) Acute
C) Major
D) Chronic

Question 29

Inversions represent a hazardous meteorological condition with respect to air pollution because they always bring:

A) a near total lack of mixing.
B) strong winds.
C) turbulent motion.
D) reduced oxygen content.
E) cold temperatures.

Question 30

Part of the reason that precipitation is more acidic in the northeastern United States is:

A) local pollution is compounded by pollution drifting in from upwind population centers.
B) many factories are using shorter chimney stacks.
C) water vapor contributed by the Great Lakes is naturally more acidic.
D) the local vegetation influences the acidity of rainwater forming in the region.

Question 31

The average adult requires about __________pounds of air a day.

A) 100
B) 30
C) 5
D) 500

Question 32

The capacity of the atmosphere to disperse and dilute pollutant materials is:

A) large and unchanging.
B) highly variable and based on the weather.
C) the same in all locations.
D) predictable and consistent from day to day.

Question 33

Many reactions that produce secondary pollutants are triggered by ________and are called photochemical reactions.

A) clouds
B) wind
C) strong sunlight
D) pressure

Question 34

The term dry deposition refers to:

A) pollutants left behind by evaporating rainfall.
B) pollutants that fall to the ground as part of dust or smoke.
C) pollution that is incorporated into snowflakes through the Bergeron process.
D) all pollution created through combustion of fossil fuels.

Question 35

Of the major air pollutants monitored by the EPA, which one is found above recommended levels in more U.S. counties than any other?

A) particulate matter
B) sulfur dioxide
C) carbon monoxide
D) ozone

Question 36

Dilution or mixing of air pollutants into the surrounding air is best when:

A) winds are calm to light.
B) air is unstable.
C) relative humidity is high.
D) inversions are present.
E) air is very cold.

Question 37

Exposure to this primary pollutant is associated with damage to the nervous systems of young children.

A) nitrogen oxide
B) lead
C) sulfur dioxide
D) carbon monoxide

Question 38

Assume you live in an urban setting and an inversion is present. Which of these best describes the visibility in your area if the inversion remains for 2 or 3 days?

A) Visibility gets steadily worse.
B) Visibility improves slightly.
C) Visibility improves greatly.
D) little or no change

Question 39

The dispersion of pollutant material into the atmosphere depends on the wind and the _________of the air layer.

A) pressure
B) temperature
C) stability
D) depth
E) visibility

Question 40

Volatile organic compounds:

A) consist of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen.
B) are created primarily by the burning of coal.
C) can occur naturally.
D) pose the greatest danger of all the primary pollutants.

Question 41

Smoke released from a stack into a very stable air mass would tend to:

A) spread out horizontally but not mix up or down.
B) mix rapidly downward.
C) mix both upward and downward.
D) go almost straight up.
E) diffuse rapidly in all directions.

Question 42

How does the solar radiation on a clear sunny day act to reduce air pollution?

Question 43

The standardized indicator used to report daily air quality to the public is called the:

A) Air Quality Index.
B) Pollution Snapshot.
C) Air Pollution Indicator.
D) Criteria Pollutant Summary.

Question 44

In the 1970s, the federal Clean Air Act made major strides in reducing air pollution and created this.

A) the Air Pollution Protection Agency
B) the Environmental Protection Agency
C) the Sierra Club
D) the Energy Protection Agency

Question 45

The most tragic air pollution episode occurred in London in 1952. More than________ people died as a result of the five- day ordeal.

A) 100
B) 400
C) 2000
D) 4000

Question 46

All of the following contributed to the severity of London's Great Smog of 1952 EXCEPT:

A) widespread coal burning.
B) a persistent temperature inversion.
C) a passing cyclonic storm.
D) unusually cold weather.

Question 47

A reduction in visibility due to the absorption and scattering of light by air pollution is called:

A) photochemical fog.
B) particulate ocular reduction.
C) haze.
D) smog.

Question 48

What triggers a photochemical reaction?

A) high humidity
B) ice particles
C) turbulent winds
D) sunlight

Question 49

These six pollutants are known as the criteria pollutants and are covered by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

A) particulates, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, lead, VOC's and smog
B) particulates, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, lead, and VOC's
C) particulates, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, lead, and ozone

Question 50

This is the most abundant primary pollutant.

A) carbon monoxide
B) nitrogen oxide
C) sulfur dioxide
D) lead

Question 51

Air pollution levels that may be life- threatening within a few hours or days are termed:

A) acute
B) toxic
C) high risk
D) fast acting

Question 52

Ozone:

A) is a result of photochemical reactions at the surface.
B) increases crop yields.
C) forms at a faster rate at night than in the day.
D) is a minor component of smog.

Question 53

Temperature inversions are associated with:

A) effective dispersal of pollutants.
B) a restricted mixing depth.
C) unstable atmospheric conditions.
D) periods of good visibility.

Question 54

Important sources of__________- include power plants, smelters, petroleum refineries, and pulp and paper mills.

A) hydrocarbons
B) nitrogen oxides
C) particulate matter
D) sulfur dioxide

Question 55

What is vog?

A) volatile organic gas
B) vanadium oxygen gases
C) volcanic smog
D) vapor fog

Question 56

How much more acidic is a substance with a pH of 5 than a substance with a pH of 6?

A) 30 times
B) 5 times
C) 2 times
D) 10 times

Question 57

A number of lakes in North America no longer have fish in them. One reason for this is:

A) the hole in the ozone layer has allowed too much UV to penetrate the water.
B) acid rain has made the water more acidic, causing it dissolve toxic aluminum from the soil.
C) acid rain falling directly onto fish kills them instantly.
D) carbon monoxide dissolves in the water and makes it toxic.

Question 58

__________encompass a wide array of solid, liquid, and gaseous substances that are composed exclusively of hydrogen and carbon.

A) Carbon monoxides
B) Nitrogen oxides
C) Lead compounds
D) Volatile organic compounds

Question 59

Which one of the following is NOT a primary pollutant?

A) carbon monoxide
B) nitrogen dioxide
C) sulfur dioxide
D) ozone

Question 60

Which one of the following is a secondary pollutant?

A) carbon monoxide
B) volatile organics
C) sulfuric acid
D) particulate matter

Question 61

The most prominent sources of this colorless, odorless, poisonous gas are motor vehicles:_______
.

Question 62

______________determines the extent to which vertical motions will mix the pollution with cleaner air above surface layers.

Question 63

List two ways in which the wind acts to reduce air pollution.

Question 64

Volatile organic compounds, a primary pollutant, are also called hydrocarbons.

Question 65

A substance with a pH of 4 is more acidic than a substance with a pH of 3.

Question 66

Photochemical reactions can lead to the formation of secondary pollutants.

Question 67

Inversions aloft are associated with___________ air that characterizes centers of air pressure.

Question 68

This gas has a distinctive reddish- brown color: ______.

Question 69

As many as 12,000 people may have died as a direct or delayed result of the Great Smog of 1952..

Question 70

These are also known as hydrocarbons:________ .

Question 71

Why do you think the winter season contributes to greater air pollution in northern U.S. cities?

Question 72

This is a colorless, corrosive gas that originates from burning coal and oil:________ .

Question 73

Building tall smokestacks may contribute to some air pollution problems.

Question 74

Pollutants emitted directly from identifiable sources are termed primary pollutants.

Question 75

Inversions form most readily in the afternoon on sunny days.

Question 76

Generally, the greater the mixing depth, the better the air quality.

Question 77

Small mixing depths are associated with stable air.

Question 78

Nitrogen dioxide is completely colorless, so it does not impact visibility the way other pollutants sometimes do.

Question 79

How does the solar radiation present on a clear day contribute to air pollution? Assume sources of pollutants are present.

Question 80

The formation of inversions is unrelated to the terrain of the earth's surface.