Which of the following examples includes both a point and a nonpoint source of pollution?

• A factory smokestack and a sewage overflow

• Runoff from city streets and pesticides from agricultural fields

• Waste from animal feedlots and sediment from construction sites

• Fertilizer from suburban lawns and wastewater from a water treatment plant

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-3

Which of the following examples includes both a point and a nonpoint source of pollution?

• A factory smokestack and a sewage overflow

• Runoff from city streets and pesticides from agricultural fields

• Waste from animal feedlots and sediment from construction sites

• Fertilizer from suburban lawns and wastewater from a water treatment plant

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-3

Based on the diagram, which of the following is an expected consequence of runoff and sewage in an aquatic environment? Based on the diagram, which of the following is an expected consequence of runoff and sewage in an aquatic environment?

• Decreased oxygen levels in surface water as a result of a decrease in photosynthetic rates by algae

• Increased oxygen levels in bottom water from increased rates of cellular respiration in decomposers

• Decreased oxygen production by seaweed on the seafloor from an increase in turbidity

• Increased oxygen production by decomposition of dead fish and other aquatic organisms

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-2

NGSS.HS-LS2-3

NGSS.HS-LS2-5

NGSS.HS-LS2-6

Which of the following will result in accelerated eutrophication when introduced into streams, lakes, and bays?

• Bacteria and viruses

• pesticides

• herbicides

• phosphates

• acid wastes

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS3-4

NGSS.HS-LS2-7

The diagram shows a power plant designed to generate electricity for a nearby city.

The water used in this type of power plant is often released back into a reservoir.

Which of the following effects could this released water have on the reservoir?

• The released water is radioactive and is lethal to a variety of organisms in the reservoir.

• Chemical pollutants in the released water cause algal blooms in the reservoir.

• Ash from the power plant is dissolved in the released water and will precipitate out into the reservoir.

• The temperature of the released water causes a decrease in the amount of dissolved oxygen in the reservoir.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-2

NGSS.HS-ESS2-5

Which of the following best explains why top predators can have up to 60 times as much of persistent organic pollutant (POP) as their prey and up to 600 times as much of the pollutant as producers?

• POPs accumulate in the body fat of living organisms. POPs  increase in concentration as they move up the food chain.

• POPs can travel over long distances by wind or water. Predators have greater access to different locations than do producers and therefore have higher concentrations of POPs.

• POPs are not carbon-based compounds, so animal digestive systems lack enzymes capable of breaking them down.  POPs biomagnify in the fatty tissues of animals but not in plants.

• POPs are solids, which only animals can ingest. Therefore, POPs have a greater effect on secondary and tertiary levels of food chains.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

Many synthetic chemicals, such as PCBs, act as estrogen mimics. In an ecosystem, these persistent chemicals would have the greatest effect on which of the following?

• decomposers

• primary consumers

• parasites

• secondary consumers

• autotrophs

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS2-6

The graph shows how biological oxygen demand (BOD) and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration change over the length of a stream. Points A–D indicate different locations within the stream.

At which of the following locations in the stream was there most likely a discharge of excess organic matter into the water?

• A

• B

• C

• D

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Which of the following practices would best help to protect against inland and coastal flooding in urban areas?

• Regulating the use of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture

• Preserving wetland and coastal mangrove habitats

• Increasing the capacity of the sewer lines so they can handle a larger volume of water

• Straightening stream channels to increase stream flow

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-3

NGSS.MS-ETS1-4

Which of the following describes a component of a modern sanitary landfill?

• A series of screens and grates to prevent large objects from entering the landfill

• A bottom liner of plastic or clay to prevent groundwater contamination

• Aerated tanks in which bacteria break down organic matter

• Chemical or ultraviolet light systems that kill pathogens

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS3-4

NGSS.HS-ETS1-3