Pollution Quiz

What is a point source of pollution?

• A) A source of pollution that is spread out and difficult to identify

• B) A source of pollution that comes from a single, identifiable location

• C) A source of pollution that comes from natural sources only

• D) A source of pollution that is regulated by international laws

Why is it difficult to identify nonpoint sources of pollution?

• A) Because they do not actually cause pollution

• B) Because they are regulated by strict laws

• C) Because they come from many places at once

• D) Because they are always moving

What is an example of a point source of pollution?

• Urban runoff (motor oil, nitrate fertilizer, road salt, sediment)

• Pesticides sprayed on agricultural fields

• Animal waste runoff from a CAFO (ammonia (N), fecal coliform bacteria)

• BP Oil Spill (hydrocarbons, benzene)

Which of the following is NOT a nonpoint source of pollution?

• Emissions from smokestack of a coal power plant (CO₂, NOₓ, SO₂, PM)

• Urban runoff (motor oil, nitrate fertilizer, road salt, sediment)

• Pesticides sprayed on agricultural fields; carried by wind and washed off large agricultural regions into bodies of water

• BP Oil Spill (hydrocarbons, benzene)

What are estuaries and bays often polluted by?

• A single identifiable source

• Many nonpoint pollution sources

• Only industrial waste

• Only oil spills

What are pollutants defined as in the context of environmental science?

• A vague, nondescript term for any substance that is harmful to the environment

• Specific chemicals or groups of chemicals from specific sources with specific environmental and human health effects

• General categories of environmental issues that do not require specific sources

• Only substances that are not harmful to the environment

Why is the term "pollution" not acceptable on an APES FRQ?

• Because it is too specific

• Because it refers to a beneficial environmental process

• Because it is a vague, nondescript term

• Because it only includes thermal, noise, and sediment pollution

Which of the following is NOT an exception to the term "pollution" as acceptable on an APES FRQ?

• Thermal pollution

• Noise pollution

• Sediment pollution

• Light pollution

When answering a pollution-related FRQ, which of the following is recommended to include?

• General statements about pollution

• Specific pollutant names and their sources

• Only the economic impacts of pollutants

• Broad categories of environmental issues without examples

What should be mentioned about specific pollutants when answering a pollution-related FRQ?

• Their color and smell

• Their environmental and human health effects

• Their popularity in media

• Their use in industrial processes