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WorksheetsAir Pollution & Ozone Depletion
Total questions: 44
Worksheet time: 23mins
Of the following sources, which produces the greatest amount of pollutants?
microorganisms & pollen
volcanoes & duststorms
transportation & power plants
wildfires & duststorms
Which of the following is an example of a secondary air pollutant?
nitrogen dioxide
sulfur dioxide
tropospheric ozone
carbon monoxide
Which of the following areas would most likely have the highest amount of sulfur dioxide in the air at any given time?
a rural area
an area near a coal-fired power plant
an area along a windward coast
Los Angeles
Catalytic converters are used to reduce the emissions of which pollutants?
tropospheric ozone & acid deposition
lead & mercury
nitrogen dioxide & carbon monoxide
particulate matter & sulfur dioxide
Lining coal ash landfills and wetting down dirt roads at construction sites are ways to control the emission of which type of pollutant?
sulfur dioxide
lead
carbon monoxide
particulate matter
Burning fuels at a lower temperature helps reduce the emission of which type(s) of pollutants?
nitrogen dioxide & particulate matter
lead
tropospheric ozone
carbon monoxide & unburned hydrocarbons
Which of the following is a neurotoxin that bioaccumulates in the food chain?
carbon monoxide
lead
nitrogen dioxide
particulate matter
Which of the following pollutants is NOT typically associated with reduced visibility?
nitrogen dioxide
sulfur dioxide
particulate matter
carbon monoxide
Which of the following pollutants react with water, oxygen and other chemicals to form acid precipitation?
lead
nitrogen dioxide
sulfur dioxide
carbon monoxide
tropospheric ozone
Which of the following is most likely to produce nutrient pollution in coastal waters?
carbon monoxide
tropospheric ozone
nitrogen dioxide
lead
Which of the following is NOT a control method that could prevent acid deposition?
reducing emissions from vehicles
using low-sulfur fossil fuels
react emissions with limestone
catalytic converters in vehicles
using unleaded gasoline
What does "anthropogenic" mean?
plant-related
atmospheric-related
human-related
naturally occurring
Volatile organic compounds are compounds containing which characteristic element?
hydrogen
carbon
sulfur
nitrogen
Levels of this pollutant have dropped by 98% since the early 1980's.
lead
nitrogen dioxide
sulfur dioxide
particulate matter
High levels of this pollutant can interfere with brain development in children.
carbon monoxide
lead
sulfur dioxide
tropospheric ozone
"London smog" is
photochemical smog
sulfurous smog
brown smog
the same as "Los Angeles smog"
How does heat worsen pollution?
more smog formation
more sulfur dioxide
more carbon monoxide
more nitrogen dioxide
VERY unhealthy air quality would be represented by which color on map showing AQI?
green
yellow
red
purple
What is a limitation of the AQI system?
it measures levels of 5 criteria pollutants
it forecasts daily air pollution levels
it covers short-term effects of pollutants
it focuses on health effects to protect the public
Which of the following are methods to control air pollution from cars?
public transportation and carpooling
electrostatic precipitators
stricter emissions standards & enforcement
burning fossil fuels at lower temperatures
catalytic converters
Which of the following is NOT a method to control air pollution from industry?
using low sulfur fossil fuels
alternative energy sources
electrostatic precipitators
burning fossil fuels at very high temperatures
An example of a fugitive source of air pollution is:
a small urban community
a surface mine
a coal-fired power plant
a natural gas burning power plant
Automobiles, trucks, buses, planes, trains and ships are all examples of:
mobile sources of air pollutants
area sources of air pollutants
fugitive sources of air pollutants
stationary sources of air pollutants
Many air pollutants have "synergistic" effects, meaning:
they do not cause environmental harm
they will affect different people in different ways
the combined effects are greater than the sum of the separate effects
they are actually beneficial to human health
Which of the following is FALSE regarding air pollution?
pollutants are classified as primary or secondary
pollutants are uniformly distributed in the atmosphere
the atmosphere contains many pollutants from natural sources
nearly 200 pollutants are listed in the Clean Air Act
Nearly all of this pollutant is human-produced:
particulate matter
sulfur dioxide
nitrogen dioxide
carbon monoxide
The majority of this type of pollutant comes from fugitive sources:
nitrogen dioxide
particulates
ozone
hydrocarbons
This pollutant sticks to hemoglobin in the blood better than oxygen, which can lead to asphyxiation.
sulfur dioxide
carbon monoxide
carbon dioxide
nitrogen dioxide
Which of the following is FALSE regarding ozone?
tropospheric ozone is produced on sunny days in areas where there is significant primary pollution
stratospheric ozone filters harmful UV radiation from the sun
in terms of air quality, depletion of stratospheric ozone is currently the biggest threat to human health globally
the environmental effects of ozone depend on the dose or concentration of exposure
Particulate matter blocks sunlight and can cause a gradual reduction in the solar energy that reaches Earth's surface. This is known as:
solar dimming
global dimming
global cooling
solar cooling
This type of indoor air pollutant seeps in from some types of rocks.
ETS
asbestos
radon
formaldehyde
The major human body system that is affected the most by air pollution is:
the reproductive system
the digestive system
the respiratory system
the nervous system
Approximately 80% of SO2 and 65% of NOx come from states
in the Pacific northwest
east of the Mississippi River
in the midwest
in the southwest
Which of the following is FALSE regarding acid precipitation?
precipitation is naturally acidic
acid precipitation always falls in the form of rain
acid precipitation is caused by emissions of SO2 and NOx
acid precipitation can be carried long distances by prevailing winds
Hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen fluoride, benzene and ammonia can all be classified as
criteria pollutants
air toxics
secondary pollutants
hydrocarbons
The primary adverse effects of air pollution are
damage to green plants and aggravation of chronic illnesses
ocean acidification and coral bleaching
melting of polar ice caps and global dimming
stratospheric ozone depletion and global increases in cancer
An atmospheric inversion occurs when
warmer air lies below cooler air and there is little wind
warmer air lies above cooler air and there is lots of wind
warmer air lies above cooler air and there is little wind
there is continuous circulation in the lower atmosphere
Scrubbing removes ______ from stationary sources such as power plants.
mercury
sulfur
lead
calcium carbonate
The Clean Air Act Amendments of _____ addressed issues of acid rain, toxic emissions, ozone depletion and automobile exhaust.
1972
1980
1990
1995
AQI is determined by measuring the concentration of all of the following EXCEPT
particulate matter
sulfur dioxide
carbon monoxide
ozone
lead
Depletion of ozone in the stratosphere allows more _____ radiation to reach Earth.
UVA
UVB
UVC
UVD
Dobson units are used to measure concentrations of
sulfur dioxide
air toxics
ozone
pollen
When and where is ozone depletion the worst?
the Arctic during spring
mid-latitudes during summer
Antarctica during spring
Antarctica during summer
Which type of pollutant is responsible for ozone depletion?
air toxics
hydrocarbons
CFCs
GHGs
