Water Pollution

Mine site drainage can often cause this:

• Cultural eutrophication
• Acidic runoff
• Land subsidence
• Saltwater intrusion

Which of the following is a non-point source of water pollution

• Effluent from a sewage treatment plant
• BP refiner in Indiana discharging ammonia in a river.
• Runoff of pesticides from regional farms into the Illinois River.
• Hot water discharges from a nuclear power plant.

Increased use of inorganic (lab-made) fertilizers on crops contributes to:

• Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico
• Increase in storm severity in southeastern U.S.
• Water shortages in California
• Saltwater intrusion on the East Coast.

Which of the following is a persistent inorganic pollutant that can impair neurological functioning?

• Lead 
• DDT
• PCB's
• Atrazine

Strategies used to clean up oil spills include all of the following EXCEPT:

• Floating booms and boats to skim floating oil toward collectors
• Skimmers to absorb oil from the water
• Addition of limestone to neutralize the acidic water
• Chemical dispersants that break up the oil and help it to sink.

What is the main source of mercury in the Great Lakes?

• Leaky landfills
• Coal-burning power plants
• Sewage effluent
• Automobile emissions

Which pollutant or pollutants are most likely to create eutrophic areas?

• nitrates and phosphates
• heavy metals
• synthetic organic compounds
• pharmaceuticals

What is the first step in the water treatment process?

• coagulation
• filtration
• flocs
• concentation

an underground tank containing bacteria that treat waste water is a

• septic tank
• leach field
• water treatment plant

The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is defined as:

• the amount of oxygen required by humans who use a water supply
• the amount of oxygen required for biochemical decomposition processes
• the amount of oxygen needed by plants growing in a water source
• the amount of oxygen given off by a specific water source