Question 1

A soils contaminated with a heavy metal may be bioremediated by ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  applying genetically engineered bacteria that can degrade the metal
B)  growing and harvesting plants that take up large quantities of the toxic metal
C)  burying the contaminated soil in a secure landfill
D)  applying a source of carbon and nitrogen to the soil
E)  all of the aboveF) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 2

In the design of a _______ type landfill, biodegradation and colloid adsorption are important mechanisms of reducing pollution potential.

Accepted Answer

A)  natural attenuation
B)  containment
C)  both natural attenuation and containment
D)  neither natural attenuation and containmentE) None of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 3

Soil washing is a commonly used method of bioremediation.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

Soil properties play a much more important role in choosing a site for a containment-type landfill than for a natural-attenuation-type landfill.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Radionuclides from nuclear power plant accidents and weapons testing pollution get into the food chain primarily by _____.

Accepted Answer

A)  leaching to groundwater supplies
B)  uptake from soils into food plants
C)  by atmospheric deposition on plant leaves
D)  cation exchangeE) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 6

In the United States between the 1970s and the 1990s, the level of heavy metals found in municipal sewage sludge ______.

Accepted Answer

A)  stayed about the same
B)  decreased substantially
C)  increased substantiallyD) None of the above
E) All of the above

Question 7

In the design of a _______ type landfill, evapotranspiration by cover vegetation should be maximized.

Accepted Answer

A)  natural attenuation
B)  containment
C)  both A and B
D)  neither A nor BE) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 8

Hyperaccumulators are plants that ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  can survive on metal-contaminated soil by growing without taking in too much of the metal in question
B)  are extremely sensitive to the toxic effect of certain heavy metals and therefore act as an early warning system to detect contamination
C)  take up extremely high amounts of certain metals without being harmed
D)  accumulate dense root mats just above the layer of polluted soil
E)  none of the aboveF) C) and D)
G) B) and E)

Question 9

The United States Environmental Protection Agency regulates the amount of sewage sludge that can be applied on agricultural land by setting limits on ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  the concentrations of metals in the sludge to be applied
B)  the rate of metal application to any parcel of land in any one year
C)  the total accumulative amount of metals that can be applied to a parcel of land, regardless of when the metals are applied
D)  all of the above
E)  none of the aboveF) D) and E)
G) A) and E)

Question 10

Soil application of certain pesticides reduces the diversity but increases the numbers of soil mesofauna.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

The principal human health effect of exposure to radon is ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  lung cancer
B)  diarrhea
C)  bone embrittlement
D)  blue baby syndrome
E)  none of the aboveF) C) and D)
G) A) and C)

Question 12

Organic chemicals whose structures have positively charged groups tend to be very immobile in the soil.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

If a soil is repeatedly polluted by a toxic organic compound over a period of years, the soil microbes will lose their ability to degrade the toxin.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Bioremediation of contaminated soil involves the use of _________ to ameliorate the soil pollution.

Accepted Answer

A)  organic solvents
B)  incineration
C)  photo-decomposition
D)  binding chemicals
E)  soil microorganismsF) C) and D)
G) C) and E)

Question 15

Which of the following are considered to be "heavy metals" that can contaminate soils and the food chain?

Accepted Answer

A)  cadmium
B)  zinc
C)  lead
D)  copper
E)  all of the aboveF) A) and C)
G) C) and E)

Question 16

In soils treated with excessive rates of high-metal sewage sludge, most of the cadmium and lead is likely to be found in the form of exchangeable ions on the clay and humus exchange complex in the soil.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Generally an organic chemical is destroyed when it is lost from the soil by volatilization.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Of the following metals often found in sewage sludge, which would most likely become toxic to farmers' crops if sludge applications exceeded the recommended amounts.

Accepted Answer

A)  Cu
B)  Cr
C)  Cd
D)  Pb
E)  HgF) B) and E)
G) A) and B)

Question 19

Anaerobic decomposition of organic wastes in landfills results in the production of ______ gas which is often recovered and used.

Accepted Answer

A)  ethylene
B)  oxygen
C)  ozone
D)  methane
E)  all of the aboveF) B) and C)
G) C) and D)

Question 20

Draining a chromium-contaminated wetland would be likely to immobilize the metal so that environmental chromium toxicity problems would be minimized.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 18: Soils and Chemical Pollution

If a soil is repeatedly polluted by a toxic organic compound over a period of years, the soil microbes will lose their ability to degrade the toxin.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following are considered to be "heavy metals" that can contaminate soils and the food chain?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Soil washing is a commonly used method of bioremediation.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In soils treated with excessive rates of high-metal sewage sludge, most of the cadmium and lead is likely to be found in the form of exchangeable ions on the clay and humus exchange complex in the soil.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Hyperaccumulators are plants that ________.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In the United States between the 1970s and the 1990s, the level of heavy metals found in municipal sewage sludge ______.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Soil application of certain pesticides reduces the diversity but increases the numbers of soil mesofauna.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In the design of a _______ type landfill, evapotranspiration by cover vegetation should be maximized.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Radionuclides from nuclear power plant accidents and weapons testing pollution get into the food chain primarily by _____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The United States Environmental Protection Agency regulates the amount of sewage sludge that can be applied on agricultural land by setting limits on ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Soil properties play a much more important role in choosing a site for a containment-type landfill than for a natural-attenuation-type landfill.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Anaerobic decomposition of organic wastes in landfills results in the production of ______ gas which is often recovered and used.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Bioremediation of contaminated soil involves the use of _________ to ameliorate the soil pollution.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Organic chemicals whose structures have positively charged groups tend to be very immobile in the soil.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A soils contaminated with a heavy metal may be bioremediated by ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Of the following metals often found in sewage sludge, which would most likely become toxic to farmers' crops if sludge applications exceeded the recommended amounts.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In the design of a _______ type landfill, biodegradation and colloid adsorption are important mechanisms of reducing pollution potential.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The principal human health effect of exposure to radon is ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Draining a chromium-contaminated wetland would be likely to immobilize the metal so that environmental chromium toxicity problems would be minimized.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Generally an organic chemical is destroyed when it is lost from the soil by volatilization.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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