Assignment: Water Treatment
Instructions:
Read chapter sections 9.2 and 9.4 and answer the following questions. Place answers on the answer
sheet at the end of this document for submission.
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1. Which of the following water contaminants is an example of a physical contaminant?
a. protozoa
b. discarded plastic products
c. bacteria
d. fertilizers
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2. Which of the following water contaminants is a chemical contaminant?
a. organic solvents
b. viruses
c. twigs
d. discarded plastic products
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3. Which of the following is a common source of organic solvent chemical contaminants in water?
a. household sewage
b. residential and agricultural fertilizers
c. leachate from mines and landfill
d. petroleum-based products
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4. Which of the following chemical contaminants promotes the growth of aquatic plants resulting in
algal blooms that deplete the water of oxygen?
a. organic solvents
b. nitrates and phosphates
c. pesticides
d. sulfur compounds
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5. Which of the following is a typical source of nitrate in Canadian drinking water?
a. dry cleaners
b. spilled gasoline
c. agricultural runoff
d. old plumbing
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6. According to Health Canada, which of the following is an acceptable concentration of cyanide in
Canadian drinking water?
a. 0.3 ppm
b. 0.55 ppm
c. 0.25 ppm
d. none of the above
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7. Dry cleaners are a typical source of which substance found in Canadian drinking water, with a
maximum acceptable concentration of 0.03 ppm?
a. mercury
b. nitrate
c. trichloromethane
d. tetrachloroethene
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8. Which of the following water contaminants is an example of a biological contaminant?
a. twigs
b. salt
c. pesticides
d. bacteria
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9. Which of the following statements about hard and soft water is accurate?
a. Soft water produces a scum-like precipitate with soap.
b. Soft water is a nuisance because it forms precipitates that clog water pipes.
c. Water can be softened by passing it through an ion exchange resin.
d. Hard water contains low concentrations of calcium and magnesium ions.
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10. Which of the following describes the main source of prescription medication contaminants in
drinking water?
a. leach from landfills
b. naturally occurring minerals
c. wastewater flushed from homes
d. irresponsible dumping by drug manufacturers
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11. Which term refers to the safe disposal of human waste?
a. spectroscopy
b. sanitation
c. leachate
d. filtrate
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12. Which of the following is a common source of salt contaminants in water?
a. runoff from roads
b. leachate from mines and landfill
c. naturally occurring minerals
d. residential fertilizers
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13. Which of the following is a common source of sulfur compounds in water?
a. runoff from roads
b. fertilizers
c. leachate from mines and landfill
d. bacteria
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14. Which of the following water contaminants has no known health effects but causes water to have an
unpleasant odour?
a. sulfur compounds
b. heavy metals
c. pesticides
d. organic solvents
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15. According to Health Canada, what is the maximum acceptable concentration of nitrate in Canadian
drinking water?
a. 22 ppm
b. 45 ppm
c. 0.010 ppm
d. 0.005 ppm
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16. Which term describes water that has a relatively high concentration of Ca2+, Mg2+, and Fe3+?
a. hard water
b. filtrate
c. soft water
d. leachate
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17. Which term describes a liquid contaminated with dissolved or suspended substances picked up as the
liquid passed through old mines or dump sites?
a. filtrate
b. leachate
c. soft water
d. hard water
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18. The goal of water treatment is to:
a. purify the water
b. make sure the water is potable
c. ensure the water has an appropriate
taste, colour, and odour
d. both b and c
e. all of the above (a, b, c)
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19. In which step of the water treatment process are sources of CO32-, OH-, or PO43- ions added to
precipitate Ca2+ and Mg2+ in order to reduce the hardness of the water?
a. filtration
d. softening
b. disinfection
e. aeration
c. ammoniation
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20. In which step of the water treatment process involves the addition of chemicals such as O3 and ClO2?
a. collection
d. fluoridation
b. post-chlorination
e. flocculation
c. aeration
Answer Sheet: Water Treatment
Name: ______________________
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