CEI Environmental Monitoring & Testing Flashcards
6 cards from real CEI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 CEI Environmental Monitoring & Testing flashcards as text
Which geophysical technique uses differences in electrical conductivity to locate subsurface contamination or buried metallic objects?
Answer: Electromagnetic induction (EM)
Electromagnetic induction measures variations in soil electrical conductivity caused by conductive contaminants, saturated zones, or metallic objects without direct ground contact.
What is the significance of the 'detection limit' in environmental laboratory analysis?
Answer: The lowest concentration reliably distinguished from background noise
The detection limit is the minimum concentration at which an analyte can be reliably identified above instrument noise, determining whether low-level contamination can be confirmed.
Under the Clean Water Act, what are 'effluent limitations guidelines' (ELGs)?
Answer: Nationally uniform technology-based standards for pollutant discharges by industrial categories
ELGs are EPA's national standards specifying the amounts of pollutants industrial dischargers may release, based on available pollution control technology for each industry category.
What does 'low-flow purging' minimize when collecting groundwater samples from monitoring wells?
Answer: Turbidity and disturbance of the water column that could alter sample chemistry
Low-flow purging removes stagnant water from the well casing at minimal rates to stabilize field parameters without drawing in fine particles or destabilizing redox-sensitive analytes.
Which regulatory program requires facilities to prepare a Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plan?
Answer: Clean Water Act Section 311
Section 311 of the Clean Water Act and EPA's SPCC rule require facilities storing significant quantities of oil to develop plans preventing spills from reaching navigable waters.
What is the primary purpose of collecting 'duplicate samples' during an environmental monitoring program?
Answer: To assess the precision and reproducibility of sampling and analytical procedures
Duplicate (or replicate) samples collected from the same location under identical conditions measure the combined variability of sampling technique and laboratory analysis.