WorksheetsAPES Waste & Human Health
Total questions: 30
Worksheet time: 15mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
What is the main environmental concern with sanitary landfills?
a)
leachate contamination of groundwater
b)
generation of CO gas
c)
attracting disease-carrying organisms
d)
slow and incomplete degradation
2.
Which list is made up of toxic metal pollutants?
a)
PCB, BPA, mercury, & potassium
b)
cadmium. chromium, lead, & mercury
c)
sodium, cadmium, lead, potassium, & BPA
d)
argon, neon, chromium, & mercury
3.
What is the correct order of most impact (greatest to least) for the 3 Rs?
a)
reduce, reuse, recycle
b)
recycle, reduce, reuse
c)
reuse, recycle, reduce
d)
reading, riting, rithmetic
4.
Most MSW in the United States ends up in ____________, but many developing nations use ____________.
a)
composting facilities, sanitary landfills
b)
sanitary landfills, open dumps
c)
recycling plants, sanitary landfills
d)
open dumps, recycling facilities
5.
The major environmental downside to large-scale waste incineration is
a)
it is not able to generate any heat or electricity
b)
it increases the mass and volume of MSW by converting it to ash
c)
that it produces air pollution
d)
the release of methane gas and possibility of leachate contaminating groundwater
6.
"Planned obsolescence" is when a product is designed in order to be only used once or a few times and then disposed of. What could you do to help prevent this form generating more MSW?
a)
Use reusable products
b)
Recycle the plastic and aluminum
c)
Reduce the amount of fossil fuels that you use during daily commutes
d)
none of these
7.
One huge benefit to composting instead of placing organic waste in landfills is
a)
the reduced amount of methane released during normally anaerobic decomposition
b)
increased leachate contaminating groundwater
c)
composting is more convenient for most people
d)
placing organic waste in landfills allows it to be converted into soil faster
8.
A large percentage of MSW in the United States is
a)
paper
b)
plastic
c)
food waste
d)
metal
9.
The greatest reduction of MSW could be achieved by reducing
a)
electronics manufactured
b)
packaging and containers
c)
the use of cars with low fuel efficiency
d)
construction debris
10.
Ticks and mosquitos can be vectors for diseases. In both cases these organisms acquire the disease-causing organism by
a)
feeding on a host animal
b)
a random mutation that is more common in small organisms
c)
breeding in areas that are very humid
d)
all of these
11.
BPA has been shown to reduce the amount of testosterone in males of some species. BPA can be classified as a(n)
a)
carcinogen
b)
teratogen
c)
endocrine disrupter
d)
mutagen
12.
Which federal law deals w/cleanup of abandoned hazardous waste sites?
a)
RCRA
b)
CERCLA (Superfund)
c)
NIMBY
d)
Safe Drinking Water Act
13.
How could recycling rates be increased?
a)
providing tax breaks and subsidies for recycling
b)
require items to be separated before pickup
c)
decrease government purchases of recycled materials
d)
decrease tipping fees for landfills
14.
Which would be the best method to reduce MSW?
a)
increase amount of MSW that is incinerated
b)
composting organic waste at the individual level
c)
recycle a higher percentage of metals
d)
reduce input by waste prevention
15.
Which law gave the EPA the ability to track haz waste from "Cradle-to-grave"?
a)
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
b)
CERCLA (Sueperfund)
c)
National Environmental Protection Policy (NEPP)
d)
Brownfields
16.
Which targeted 12 POPS (persistent organic pollutants) shown to be the most dangerous?
a)
Stockholm Convention
b)
Montreal Protocol
c)
World Summit on Sustainable Development
d)
General Assembly Resolution
17.
LD50 shows
a)
the dose that kills 50 % of a population
b)
the dose at which 50 % of a population displays negative health effects
c)
the dose at which the first individual in a population dies from exposure
d)
all of these
18.
Components that are non-biodegradable & lipid-soluble have a higher risk of
a)
bioaccumulation
b)
synergistic effects
c)
having a lower LD50
d)
carcinogenic
19.
What helps protect against leachate getting into groundwater in sanitary landfills?
a)
pipes to extract methane gas
b)
plastic or clay liner
c)
a layer of gravel between the MSW and soil
d)
the soil cap that covers the landfill after it reaches capacity
20.
Asbestos has been shown to have a higher correlation with cancer when someone smokes cigarettes as well. This is because
a)
both substances are teratogens
b)
the synergistic effect that results from exposure to both at the same time
c)
Asbestos is a carcinogen and tobacco is an endocrine disrupter
d)
the risk-taking behavior of the individual exposed
21.
Which current approach could help greatly reduce the volume and mass of current MSW in the United States?
a)
incineration
b)
recycling
c)
composting
d)
municipal sewage treatment
22.
E-waste can be especially harmful due to
a)
the heavy and toxic metals that can be released
b)
the size and weight of most e-waste items
c)
wildlife eating it and becoming ill or dying
d)
the single-use "throw-away" design of most e-waste products
23.
Developing countries might show higher rates of all of the following except
a)
unsafe drinking water
b)
indoor air pollution effects
c)
under and malnutrition
d)
high blood pressure and obesity
24.
Which is an example of a brownfield?
a)
a home foreclosed by the bank
b)
abandoned shopping center
c)
abandoned gas station
d)
a landfill that has been capped and repurposed
25.
The category of chemicals that effects the central nervous system is
a)
neurotoxins
b)
teratogens
c)
carcinogens
d)
endocrine disrupters
26.
Companies usually claim justification for polluting local areas because they say it is a small amount that will eventually disperse and not have an impact. This is an example of
a)
Tragedy of the Commons
b)
Cradle-to-grave analysis
c)
LD50 and environmental study
d)
none of these
27.
The ED50 for this substance is
a)
87 mg/kg
b)
20 mg/kg
c)
43 mg/kg
d)
11 mg/kg
28.
Most communities have a(n) ___________ attitude about location of landfills and haz waste sites.
a)
"For the greater good"
b)
"Not in my backyard"
c)
"Bioaccumulation life cycle analysis"
d)
"Cost benefit analysis"
29.
Which of the following is NOT a carcinogen?
a)
asbestos
b)
formaldehyde
c)
radon
d)
BPA
30.
In landfills, __________ must be transported to a wastewater treatment facility while __________ must be extracted to be burned off or used as fuel.
a)
methane, leachate
b)
leachate, methane
c)
leachate, heavy metals
d)
asbestos, radon
100 %
