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Environmental Science: A Global Concern, 7/e
William P. Cunningham, University of Minnesota
Mary Ann Cunningham, Vassar College
Barbara Woodworth Saigo, St. Cloud State University

Solid, Toxic, and Hazardous Waste

Practice Quizzing



1

For each pound of waste produced by a person in Europe or Japan, on average, ______ is produced in the U.S.
A)half a pound
B)one pound
C)two pounds
D)six pounds
2

______ makes up, by weight, the greatest proportion of municipal waste in the U.S.
A)Metal
B)Paper
C)Glass and plastic
D)Yard waste
3

_______ is readily recyclable.
A)Metal
B)Paper
C)Glass
D)Each of these
4

The biggest source of nonpoint source pollution is _____ waste.
A)agricultural
B)industrial
C)mining
D)municipal
5

The largest share of U.S. waste is
A)agriculture.
B)industrial.
C)mining.
D)municipal.
6

The amount of waste motor oil dumped on the ground or into sewers annually is _____ the amount of oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez tanker.
A)half
B)equal to
C)twice
D)five times
7

The most common method of municipal solid waste disposal in the U.S. is _______, but in Japan is _______.
A)recycling, recycling
B)landfilling, incineration
C)landfilling, recycling
D)incineration, incineration
8

Contemporary landfills are required to
A)compact garbage at the end of each day and cover it with a layer of dirt.
B)have an impermeable layer of clay underneath the site.
C)construct a drainage system to collect and monitor leachate seeping to the bottom of the waste mass.
D)do all of the above.
9

Drawbacks to incineration of waste include
A)high initial construction cost.
B)production of air pollutants.
C)difficulty in safely disposing of the toxic ash that results.
D)all of the above.
10

Demanufacturing refers to a process by which
A)consumer appliances and computers are dismantled and valuable materials are recovered.
B)consumers are simplifying their lives and purchasing less stuff.
C)products are reused over and over rather than being remanufactured from recycled materials.
D)none of the above are involved.
11

Benefits of recycling include
A)reduction of pollution.
B)saving money.
C)saving energy.
D)all of the above.
12

A home compost bin or pile is an excellent way to dispose of all of the following EXCEPT
A)leaves and grass clippings.
B)potato peelings and orange rinds.
C)meat, fish, and bones.
D)sawdust, coffee grounds, and old rags.
13

Excessive packaging makes up about ______ percent of municipal trash by volume.
A)10
B)25
C)50
D)75
14

The most preferable approach to municipal waste management, by far, is
A)recycling.
B)reduction of production.
C)reuse.
15

Household hazardous waste that should not be thrown away with other garbage include
A)pesticides.
B)oven cleaner.
C)paint and paint thinner.
D)all of the above.
16

Household wastes that properly can be flushed down the drain or toilet include all of the following EXCEPT
A)old medicines.
B)antifreeze.
C)window cleaner.
D)herbicides.
17

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requires
A)clean up of abandoned toxic waste disposal sites.
B)keeping records of the generation, transport, and final destination of hazardous materials.
C)rapid containment of spills.
D)manufacturers to let communities know what types of toxic materials are being made locally.
18

Brownfields are
A)properties contaminated with hazardous materials that are abandoned or not being fully used.
B)areas in which herbicides have accumulated in the soil such that normal plant growth is inhibited.
C)urban lands slated to become waste processing facilities.
D)lands that, because of geologic features, are best suited to host industries associated with handling hazardous materials.
19

Hazardous waste is legally defined as any waste that is
A)fatal to lab animals or humans in small doses.
B)explosive or highly reactive.
C)carcinogenic.
D)describable by any of the above.
20

Use of microbes and other life forms to remove toxic contaminants from soil and ground water
A)does not seem able to fulfill its early promise.
B)works but is less cost-effective than other approaches.
C)offers considerable promise for cleaning up contaminated material.
D)is the only fully risk-free method of decontamination devised so far.
21

Mixing different kinds of wastes together can reduce the potential for reuse.
A)True
B)False
22

The per ton cost of waste disposal is projected to continue to rise as fewer acceptable sites for waste disposal become available.
A)True
B)False
23

Poorer developing countries are often used as disposal sites for toxic wastes by richer countries.
A)True
B)False
24

Ash produced by solid waste incinerators typically contains a higher concentration of toxic material than unburned garbage.
A)True
B)False
25

The advent of plastic beer bottles is expected to significantly improve success rates of plastic recycling programs.
A)True
B)False
26

Production of new products from recycled materials instead of virgin materials requires significantly less energy.
A)True
B)False
27

Reusing products is preferable to recycling materials.
A)True
B)False
28

Unfortunately, much of excess packaging does not serve to protect the product, but is a marketing tool instead.
A)True
B)False
29

A disadvantage of a home compost pile is the ongoing expense of buying microbes to add to the pile to decompose the waste.
A)True
B)False