WorksheetsAPES U7 Air Pollution Quiz
Total questions: 56
Worksheet time: 33mins
What is air pollution?
The process of purifying the air.
The introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or microorganisms into the atmosphere at concentrations high enough to harm plants, animals, and materials such as buildings, or to alter ecosystems.
The regulation of air quality by government agencies.
The natural circulation of clean air within an ecosystem.
Does the air pollution system have multiple inputs and outputs?
No, it only has inputs.
No, it only has outputs.
Yes, it has many inputs and outputs.
Air pollution is not a system.
What is the primary source of sulfur dioxide (SO2)?
Volcanic eruptions
Forest fires
Combustion of fuels such as coal and oil
Industrial processes
Which of the following is a characteristic of sulfur dioxide (SO2)?
It is beneficial for plant tissues
It is a non-corrosive gas
It is a respiratory irritant
It is released exclusively during forest fires
Besides being produced by human activities, in which natural events is sulfur dioxide (SO2) also released in large quantities?
Earthquakes
Tsunamis
Volcanic eruptions
Meteor showers
What are the primary anthropogenic sources of nitrogen oxides (NOx)?
Agricultural activities
Deforestation
Motor vehicles and stationary fossil fuel combustion
Volcanic eruptions
Which of the following is a consequence of nitrogen oxides on human health?
Improves respiratory function
Decreases susceptibility to respiratory infection
Increases susceptibility to respiratory infection
Has no effect on human health
Nitrogen oxides are a precursor to which of the following environmental issues?
Acid rain
Ozone layer depletion
Photochemical smog
Global warming
What is one of the environmental impacts of nitrogen oxides converting to nitric acid in the atmosphere?
How do nitrogen oxides contribute to the over-fertilizing of ecosystems?
What is a common emission in vehicle exhaust and most other combustion processes?
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Methane (CH4)
Carbon monoxide (CO)
Nitrous oxide (N2O)
Which gas released by burning fossil fuels has become a major pollutant?
Methane (CH4)
Nitrous oxide (N2O)
Ozone (O3)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
What concentration of CO2 recently exceeded in the atmosphere?
200 parts per million
300 parts per million
400 parts per million
500 parts per million
Is the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere decreasing, stable, or increasing each year?
Decreasing
Stable
Increasing
Not measurable
What is particulate matter (PM) also known as?
Particulates
Aerosols
Gases
Chemicals
Which of the following is NOT a source of particulate matter?
Volcanoes
Wood fires
Clean water
Vehicle exhaust
What is the effect of particulate matter in the atmosphere?
It increases the light that reaches the surface of Earth.
It has no effect on light or visibility.
It creates a haze and reduces the light that reaches the surface of Earth.
It purifies the air.
Particulate matter can be of which two origins?
Natural and artificial
Anthropogenic and synthetic
Natural and anthropogenic
Organic and inorganic
What is haze?
A type of air pollution that is a mixture of oxidants and particulate matter.
Smog dominated by sulfur dioxide and sulfate compounds.
A class of air pollutants formed as a result of sunlight acting on compounds such as nitrogen oxides.
Reduced visibility.
What are photochemical oxidants?
A secondary pollutant made up of three oxygen atoms bound together.
Reduced visibility.
A class of air pollutants formed as a result of sunlight acting on compounds such as nitrogen oxides.
Smog dominated by sulfur dioxide and sulfate compounds.
What is ozone (O3)?
A type of air pollution that is a mixture of oxidants and particulate matter.
A secondary pollutant made up of three oxygen atoms bound together.
Smog that is dominated by oxidants such as ozone.
Smog dominated by sulfur dioxide and sulfate compounds.
What is smog?
Reduced visibility.
A class of air pollutants formed as a result of sunlight acting on compounds such as nitrogen oxides.
A secondary pollutant made up of three oxygen atoms bound together.
A type of air pollution that is a mixture of oxidants and particulate matter.
What is photochemical smog also known as?
London-type smog
Industrial smog
Los Angeles-type Smog
Gray smog
What is another name for sulfurous smog?
Los Angeles-type Smog
Brown smog
London-type smog
Industrial smog
What is lead commonly found in besides being a gasoline additive?
Food preservatives
Oil, coal, and old paint
Natural gas
Pharmaceuticals
What does lead impair at high concentrations?
Digestive system
Central nervous system
Respiratory system
Immune system
What can low concentrations of lead affect?
Muscle growth
Ability to concentrate and learning
Blood circulation
Sleep patterns
What is a volatile organic compound (VOC)?
A) A stable compound that does not evaporate at typical atmospheric temperatures.
B) An organic compound that evaporates at typical atmospheric temperatures.
C) An inorganic compound that reacts with ozone in the atmosphere.
D) A synthetic compound used exclusively in medical applications.
Which of the following is a source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)?
A) Evaporation of water from oceans.
B) Decomposition of organic matter in forests.
C) Evaporation of fuels, solvents, paints, and improper combustion of fuels such as gasoline.
D) Electrical discharges in the atmosphere.
What role do volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play in the environment?
A) They are a primary nutrient for plant growth.
B) They are a precursor to ozone formation.
C) They decrease the greenhouse effect.
D) They are used to purify the air.
What does VOC stand for in the context of environmental pollutants?
Variable Organic Compounds
Volatile Organic Compounds
Viscous Organic Compounds
Vital Organic Compounds
Which characteristic is NOT true about Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)?
They have a high vapor pressure.
They are human-made chemicals.
They have high water solubility.
They are used in the manufacture of paints.
Which of the following is NOT a product commonly associated with the release of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)?
Paints
Pharmaceuticals
Refrigerants
Plastics
What is a primary pollutant?
A pollutant that is formed by the interaction of different chemicals in the atmosphere.
A pollutant that comes directly out of a smokestack, exhaust pipe, or natural emission source.
A pollutant that is found only in indoor environments.
A pollutant that is generated by biological processes.
Which of the following is NOT an example of a primary pollutant?
CO
CO₂
O₃
NOₓ
What is a secondary pollutant?
A) A pollutant that is directly emitted from a source
B) A primary pollutant that has undergone transformation in the presence of sunlight, water, oxygen, or other compounds
C) A pollutant that is found only in water bodies
D) A pollutant that does not react with other substances in the environment
Which of the following is an example of a secondary pollutant?
A) Carbon monoxide
B) Sulfate
C) Lead
D) Methane
Which of the following is a primary pollutant?
SO₃
CO
HNO₃
O₃
What is required for the transformation from primary to secondary pollutants?
Only sunlight
Only water
Sunlight, water (clouds), and the appropriate temperature
High atmospheric pressure
Which of the following is NOT a secondary pollutant?
H₂SO₄
NO₂
H₂O₂
Most NO₃⁻ and SO₄²⁻
What are most hydrocarbons classified as in terms of air pollutants?
Secondary pollutants
Tertiary pollutants
Primary pollutants
Not classified as pollutants
Which of the following is NOT a natural source of air pollution?
Volcanoes
Lightning
On-road vehicles
Forest fires
Which of the following can be classified as an anthropogenic source of air pollution?
Plants
Volcanoes
Waste disposal (incinerator)
Lightning
What do both living and dead plants release that can be considered as pollutants?
Oxygen
Carbon dioxide
Compounds
Water vapor
What is the purpose of the Clean Air Act and its amendments according to the text?
To deregulate emissions from human activity
To establish standards to control pollutants harmful to "human health and welfare"
To increase the number of on-road vehicles
To promote industrial processes and incineration
Which of the following is NOT listed as a source of anthropogenic emissions in the text?
On-road vehicles
Power plants
Industrial processes
Natural wetlands
How does the EPA contribute to the regulation of air pollutants according to the document?
By periodically specifying concentration limits for each air pollutant through the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
By ignoring the emissions from human activity
By allowing all types of emissions without monitoring
By focusing solely on emissions from natural sources
According to the text, what is the status of emissions from human activity in the United States?
They are not monitored or regulated
They are only monitored, not regulated
They are monitored and regulated, and in many cases controlled
They are encouraged to increase economic growth
According to recent EPA data, what is the largest source of carbon monoxide emissions in the United States?
Electricity generation
Industrial processes
On-road vehicles
Residential wood combustion
Which category is the largest source of nitrogen oxides, as per recent EPA data?
Waste disposal
Non-road equipment
On-road vehicles
Fires
What is the major source of anthropogenic sulfur dioxide in the United States?
Industrial processes
Non-road equipment
Electricity generation
On-road vehicles
Which of the following is NOT a source of particulate matter (PM2.5) according to the image?
Road dust
Residential wood combustion
Water pollution
Fires
According to the image, which source contributes more to particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions?
Fossil fuel combustion
Electricity generation
Fires
Road dust
According to the graph, which criteria air pollutant showed the greatest decrease in the United States between 1990 and 2010?
Ozone
CO
Lead
NO2
What is the trend of criteria air pollutants in the United States between 1990 and 2010 as shown in the graph?
All criteria air pollutants have increased
All criteria air pollutants have remained constant
All criteria air pollutants have decreased
Only lead has decreased
Which of the following pollutants is closest to the most recent national standard as per the graph for the year 2010?
PM2.5
Ozone
SO2
PM10
