Environmental Science Pollution and Waste 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which waste management strategy is ranked highest in the EPA's waste management hierarchy?
- Recycling
- Composting
- Source reduction (prevention) (Correct answer)
- Landfill disposal
Correct answer: Source reduction (prevention)
The EPA's hierarchy prioritizes source reduction first because preventing waste is more effective than managing it after creation.
Question 2: What is the primary concern with landfill leachate?
- Air pollution from odors
- Groundwater contamination (Correct answer)
- Noise pollution
- Visual blight
Correct answer: Groundwater contamination
Leachate is liquid that percolates through landfill waste and can carry toxic compounds into groundwater aquifers.
Question 3: Which persistent organic pollutant was banned in the U.S. after being linked to raptor population crashes?
- PCBs
- Dioxins
- DDT (Correct answer)
- BPA
Correct answer: DDT
DDT caused eggshell thinning in birds of prey, leading to crashes in bald eagle and peregrine falcon populations before its 1972 ban.
Question 4: What is the main environmental problem associated with CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons)?
- Acid rain
- Stratospheric ozone depletion (Correct answer)
- Ground-level smog
- Ocean acidification
Correct answer: Stratospheric ozone depletion
CFCs release chlorine atoms in the stratosphere that catalytically destroy ozone molecules, thinning the ozone layer.
Question 5: Which U.S. law regulates the transportation, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste from 'cradle to grave'?
- CERCLA
- RCRA (Correct answer)
- Clean Water Act
- TSCA
Correct answer: RCRA
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) establishes a framework for managing hazardous waste throughout its lifecycle.
Question 6: Thermal pollution of waterways primarily harms aquatic life by:
- Increasing water turbidity
- Introducing heavy metals
- Reducing dissolved oxygen levels (Correct answer)
- Increasing water salinity
Correct answer: Reducing dissolved oxygen levels
Warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen, stressing or killing fish and other aerobic aquatic organisms.
Environmental Science Pollution and Waste 2
Which waste management strategy is ranked highest in the EPA's waste management hierarchy?