Practice Test Geeks(CES) Certified Environmental Scientist Practice Test
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Pollution Control & Waste Management Flashcards

7 cards from real CES practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Pollution Control & Waste Management flashcards as text

  1. Under the Clean Air Act, which pollutant is classified as a 'criteria pollutant' and has a National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS)?

    Answer: Lead

    Lead is one of six criteria pollutants regulated under NAAQS, along with ozone, particulate matter, CO, SO2, and NO2.

  2. Which wastewater treatment process uses microorganisms attached to a rotating disk to biologically degrade organic matter?

    Answer: Rotating biological contactor (RBC)

    A rotating biological contactor uses biofilm on rotating discs partially submerged in wastewater to treat organic pollutants.

  3. What is the primary regulatory framework governing the cleanup of contaminated brownfield sites in the United States?

    Answer: CERCLA (Superfund)

    CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) establishes the Superfund program for remediating hazardous waste sites.

  4. Which air pollution control device uses electrical charges to remove particulate matter from industrial exhaust streams?

    Answer: Electrostatic precipitator (ESP)

    Electrostatic precipitators charge particles and collect them on oppositely charged plates, achieving very high efficiency for fine particulates.

  5. In a municipal solid waste landfill, what is the purpose of a leachate collection system?

    Answer: To prevent groundwater contamination by collecting liquid that percolates through waste

    Leachate collection systems capture contaminated liquid draining through landfill waste to prevent it from reaching groundwater.

  6. Under RCRA, which characteristic makes a waste 'hazardous' due to its ability to cause severe corrosion of steel containers?

    Answer: Corrosivity

    Corrosivity is defined as a pH ≤2 or ≥12.5, or a liquid that corrodes steel at a rate >6.35 mm/year.

  7. Which technique is commonly used to remediate volatile organic compound (VOC) contamination in groundwater by injecting air below the water table?

    Answer: Air sparging

    Air sparging injects air below the water table to volatilize dissolved VOCs, which are then captured by a soil vapor extraction system above.