Environmental Science Ch. 19 Study Guide

Which of the following statements does not describe a problem associated with modern landfills?

• Chemicals leaking out of waste stored there may pollute wells or groundwater

• Materials in landfills decompose in three years

• Explosive gases can be produced by landfills and can build up in the basements of nearby buildings

• All of the above

According to the text, what is the most helpful thing that a consumer can do to make sure that more materials are recycled?

• Encourage friends and neighbors to recycle their newspapers

• Carefully wash and sort all materials put out for recycling

• Write letters to legislators asking that recycling become mandatory

• Make an effort to buy products made of recycled materials whenever possible

Which of the following produces the most solid waste?

• manufacturing

• plastic packaging

• agriculture

• nuclear power plants

Which items make up the largest percentage of waste produced by households and businesses?

• aluminum cans

• plastic bottles and packaging

• paper products

• yard waste, such as grass clippings and limbs

What percentage of the energy needed to make aluminum cans from ore is is needed to make recycled aluminum cans from used aluminum cans?

• 95%

• 60%

• 5%

• None of the above

Which of the following correctly describes the disposal of waste by composting?

• Composting is a good way for individuals to reduce the amount of garbage they send to landfills, but large scale composting is impractical

• Composting could reduce the amount of waste that restaurants, food processing plants, and animal feed lots send to landfills

• Compost made from glass and plastics can be recycled and used as building materials

• Yard wastes, are not suitable for composting because they contain low levels of nutrients

Which of the following correctly describes biodegradable plastics?

• Some plastics are designed to deteriorate when exposed to sunlight

• Plastics that contain sugars can be broken down by soil bacteria

• Degradable plastics usually break down into smaller pieces of plastic

• All of the above

Which of the following is not considered hazardous waste?

• dead batteries

• rotting meat and other food waste

• metals such as lead and mercury

• batteries and lead&mercury

Under the Superfund act

• the EPA may sue companies that dump hazardous waste illegally

• most of the dangerous toxic dump sites in the US have been cleaned up

• companies that cannot afford to clean up their hazardous wastes can have the government pay for the cleanup

• All of the above

Some hazardous waste is disposed of by deep-well injections. This procedure

• pollutes the well and water supply of nearby residents

• stores waste in layers of dry rock below the water table

• violates federal law

• All of the above