Water Pollution and Treatment

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.

What is the danger in eating some fish from lakes or ocean?

• They may be invasive species.
• If abundant, they may lead to a crash in other species.
• If they are high on the food chain they may contain high levels of mercury or POP's like PCB's
• They may contain too many nutrients from fertilizers.

All of the following are ways to disinfect wastewater EXCEPT:

• Chloroform
• Chlorine
• UV rays
• Ozone

This law sets standards on pollutants for community water supplies.

• Clean Water Act (CWA)
• Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
• Oil Pollution Act

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

• Lead 
• DDT
• PCB's
• Atrazine

What is it called when a persistent pollutant (like mercury or PCBs) builds up in the tissues of an organism as they continue to eat something that contains the pollutant

• Subsidence
• Biomagnification
• Tragedy of the commons
• Bioaccumulation

This law regulates the discharges of pollutants into all waters that have a significant connection with navigable waterways.  Also, must have a permit to dump these pollutants. Also, requires certain steps in sewage treatment. 

• Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
• Clean Water Act (CWA)
• Oil Pollution Act
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

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.