AP Environmental Science
Waste Management Test
1. Which of the following statements best describes the concept of phytoremediation?
a. The use of plants to absorb and accumulate toxic materials from the soil
b. The concentration of toxic material in the tissue of organisms as they move through successive
trophic levels
c. The breaking down of toxic materials in the natural environment by sunlight
d. The remediation of an ecosystem degraded by human activities back to its original
structure and composition
e. The use of bacteria and other microorganisms to break down hazardous waste
2.Which of the following federal laws specifically deals with cleanup of abandoned hazardous waste
sites?
a. Clean Air Act
b. Clean Water Act
c. Safe Drinking Water Act
d. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
e. Comprehensive Environmental Responsibility Compensation and Liability Act
3.Which of the following is the greatest component (by weight) of municipal solid waste in the United
States?
a. Paper
b. Yard Waste
c. Plastics
d. Glass
e. Food
4.Of the following, which is the primary method of waste disposal in the United States?
a. Incineration
b. Landfilling
c. Composting
d. Glass
e. Food
5. Which of the following laws gave the EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from “cradle to
grave”, including the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste?
a. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
b. Endangered Species Act (ESA)
c. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
d. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
e. Pollution Prevention Act (PPA)
6.In the United States, most municipal solid waste is disposed of by
a. Composting
b. Recycling
c. Incineration
d. Ocean dumping
e. Landfilling
7.An advantage of recycling aluminum rather than disposing of it in landfills is that aluminum can be
a. Produced from recycled metal using much less energy than is required for its production from
aluminum ore
b. Produced from ore that is chemically reactive and dangerous to transport, store and process
c. Produced from ore that is scarce and found primarily in remote, inhospitable regions at high
latitudes
d. Absorbed by plants and then biomagnified in both terrestrial and aquatic food chains
e. Leached form landfills in the form of Al+3 ions that could increase the pH of lakes and
streams
8.Regulations that deal directly with the disposal of hazardous materials in the United States include
which of the following?
i. RCRA
ii. Clean Water Act
iii.Clean Air Act
a. I only
b. II only
c. III only
d. I and II only
e. I, II and II
9. Critics of incineration of municipal solid waste suggest that it may not be the best solution for the future,
for which of the following reasons?
a. Incineration produces ash that increases landfill volume.
b. Incineration generates methane.
c. Incineration involves advanced technology.
d. Incineration contributes to air pollution.
e. Incineration requires large energy input.
10. Integrated waste management employs all of the following EXCEPT
a. Using refillable soft drink bottles
b. Using disposable diapers instead of cloth diapers
c. Using reusable canvas bags instead of plastic or paper bags
d. Using tires for the construction of artificial reefs
e. Redesigning automobiles to replace steel parts with aluminum and plastic parts
11. Which method reduces the volume of waste but could release toxic emissions into the
atmosphere?
a. Sanitary landfill
b. Incineration
c. Discharge to sewers, streams, and rivers
d. Chemical treatment
e. Biological treatment
12. Which method is used most frequently in the United States today?
a. Sanitary landfill
b. Incineration
c. Discharge to sewers, streams, and rivers
d. Chemical treatment
e. Biological treatment
13. Is a flammable gas produced by landfills
a. Carbon dioxide
b. Carbon monoxide
c. Methane
d. Radon
e. Sulfur dioxide
14. All of the following are considered toxic metal pollutants EXCEPT
a. Cadmium
b. Chromium
c. Lead
d. Mercury
e. Potassium
15. Of the following, which is the most serious immediate problem associated with sanitary
landfills?
a. Generation of CO2 gas
b. Leachate contamination of groundwater
c. Release of disease organisms
d. Incomplete degradation of wastes
e. Compaction and settling
16. Which of the following correctly orders the methods of solid waste management in terms of energy
required?
Least Energy -> Most Energy
a. Reuse Recycle Reduce
b. Recycle Reuse Reduce
c. Recycle Reduce Reuse
d. Reduce Reuse Recycle
e. Reduce Recycle Reuse
17. Pollution is considered an external cost when?
a. It has harmful effects borne only by the people who purchase the product that pollutes
b. The cost of the environment is not reflected in the price of the product that pollutes
c. It has significant impact on the consumers’’ decision to buy the product that pollutes
d. It is a hidden cost that would result in a greater demand for the product if the were aware
of the hidden costs
e. It is produced in the external environment by a malfunction in the operation of the product
18. Of the following strategies to decrease the landfill volume of packaging material from food and
other consumer products, the most energy efficient is?
a. Recovering plastic packaging from waste streams and recycling
b. Recovering metal packaging from waste streams and recycling
c. Limiting the size of individual beverage containers made from metal, plastic, glass
d. Using more packaging materials that are manufactured from raw materials that are
renewable
e. Promoting the use of reusable containers for consumer goods.
19. This would encourage recycling?
a. Decreasing government purchases of recycled materials
b. Decreasing subsidies for recycling
c. Decreasing taxes on recycled materials
d. Decreasing fees for using landfills
e. Decrease taxes on resource-extracting industries
20. In a cost benefit analysis of the risks associated with environmental hazards involving human
health and safety, following concerns is not typically taken into account?
a. Lower worker productivity resulting from health-related time lost on the job
b. Higher production costs resulting from the installation of expensive pollution-control
devices
c. The long term value and peace of mind to society resulting from a cleaner, healthier
environment
d. The initial capital investment required to purchase pollution-control devices
e. The need to remove the pollutants from the factory effluents (waste)
21. Of the following, which is the most serious immediate problem associated with sanitary landfills
a. Generation of CO2 gas
b. Leachate contamination of ground water
c. Release of disease organisms
d. Incomplete degradation of waste
e. Compaction and settling
Mix & Match
Biological Treatment, Sanitary Treatment, Incineration, Chemical Treatment
______________________________ method would be best suited for neutralizing the acidic
components of waste
______________________________ method is used most frequently in the US today
______________________________ method reduces the volume of waste but could release toxic
emissions into the atmosphere
______________________________ method introduces microorganisms to break down hazardous
organic compounds