AP Environmental Science

Water Quality Unit Test

Name: _________________________________________________

SID# ________

Questions 1-2 refer to the following:

(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

Safe Drinking Water Act

Clean Water Act
Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
Toxic Substances Control Act

1. Requires minimum safety standards for community water supplies. A

2. Mandates the restoration and maintenance of the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nations
waters B
3. Which of the following is true of sewage treatment plants in the United States?
a. They release wastewater before solids are removed from the sewage.
b. They use stormwater runoff to assist in the treatment process.
c. They are not designed to remove pharmaceutical chemicals from wastewater.
d. They have largely eliminated cultural eutrophication in Chesapeake Bay.
e. They release wastewater that is not regulated by the Clean Water Act.
4. Of the following, which is the best example of a point source of water pollution?
a. Factory effluent
b. Storm water
c. Acid precipitation
d. Agricultural runoff
e. Residential pesticide runoff
5. Which of the following will result in accelerated eutrophication when introduced into streams, lakes and bays?
a. Bacteria and viruses
b. Pesticides
c. Herbicides
d. Phosphates
e. Acid wastes and salts
6. Which of the following is an effective alternative to chlorine for disinfecting wastewater in a municipal treatment
plant?
a. Freon
b. Alcohol
c. Phosphate
d. Ammonia
e. Ozone
7. Which of the following is a measure of the amount of suspended material in water?
a. Salinity
b. Turbidity
c. Trace-metal concentration
d. Leachate concentration
e. pH
8. Which of the following components of a wastewater treatment plant is designed to facilitate the decomposition
of organic material by aerobic microorganisms?
a. Bar screen
b. Grit-settling tank
c. Activated-sludge tank
d. Chlorination tank
e. Ultraviolet-light array
APES

Pg. 1

9.

In a river ecosystem, dissolved oxygen concentrations drop quickly downstream from a point-source input of
organic matter into the river. This effect is due to
a. Increasing populations of mayfly and stonefly larvae
b. Increasing activity of trout and black bass
c. Increasing bacterial activity as organic matter decays
d. Decreasing bacterial activity as turbidity increases
e. Decreasing water temperature as surface evaporation increases

10. Which of the following regions of the ocean is LEAST likely to contain photosynthetic organisms?
a. Intertidal zone
b. Zone of coastal upwelling
c. Pelagic zone
d. Euphotic zone
e. Abyssal zone
11. The major biological source of dissolved oxygen in the ocean comes from
a. Decomposition of organic sediments on the ocean floor
b. Metabolic processes of coral in reefs
c. Oxidation of sulfur by bacteria in ocean vent communities
d. Photosynthesis by phytoplankton
e. Respiration by zooplankton
12. Lakes that are characterized by high water clarity and low concentrations of dissolved nutrients are classified
as
a. Buffered
b. Climax
c. Eutrophic
d. Oligotrophic
e. Stratified
13. Which method would be best suited for neutralizing the acidic components of waste?
a. Sanitary landfill
b. Incineration
c. Discharge to sewers, streams, and rivers
d. Chemical treatment
e. Biological treatment

APES

Pg. 2

14. The graph above shows the effect of sewage on biological oxygen demand (BOD) and dissolved oxygen (DO)
in a flowing stream. The smallest fish populations will most probably be found at point
a. A
b. B
c. C
d. D
e. E
15. Step P: Water is passed through a screen to remove debris.
Step Q: Pathogenic organisms are killed by chlorination, UV, or ozone.
Step R: Suspended particles clump and settle out.
Step S: A flocking agent, such as alum, is added to the water.
The processes described above are steps in the purification and treatment of municipal wastewater. The steps
are listed in random order. Which of the following lists the steps in the correct sequence?

E
16. Waste from which of the following is an example of nonpoint source pollution?
a. Overflow from a sewage treatment plant
b. Outgassing from a municipal landfill
c. Dumping at a food-processing plant
d. Drainage from an abandoned mine
e. Runoff from agricultural fields
17. The presence of fecal coliform bacteria in a sample of river water suggests which of the following?
a. The pH of the river is very high.
b. The water is contaminated with animal waste.
c. The river is devoid of plant life.
d. The dissolved oxygen level of the river is high.
e. Fish caught from the river will be free of parasites.
18. Which method introduces microorganisms to break down hazardous organic compounds?
a. Sanitary landfill
b. Incineration
c. Discharge to sewers, streams and rivers
d. Chemical treatment
e. Biological treatment
19. Which of the following is a common characteristic of lakes undergoing cultural eutrophication?
a. Decreased rates of sediment accumulation
b. Decreased amounts of green and blue-green algae
c. Increased levels of oxygen throughout the water column
d. Increased water clarity in the epilimnion
e. Increased levels of plant nutrients
20. Of the following, which constitutes the greatest percent of domestic use of water in the United States?
a. Flushing toilets
b. Drinking
APES

Pg. 3

c. Cooking
d. Washing dishes
e. Washing clothes
21. In the removal of a pollutant from wastewater, which of the following is true of the cost per unit of pollutant
removed?
a. It decreases as the toxicity of the pollutant increases.
b. It decreases as the time passed before remediation increases.
c. It increases as the concentration of the pollutant decreases.
d. It increases as the volume of the wastewater decreases.
e. It does not change over time or with concentration of pollutant.
22. Three common methods employed in the cleanup of oil spills are
a. Aeration of water, skimmer boats, and genetically engineered bacteria
b. Aeration of water, phytoremediation, and genetically engineered bacteria
c. Skimmer boats, high temperature incineration, and phytoremediation
d. Large floating booms, high temperature incineration, and phytoremediation
e. Large floating booms, skimmer boats, and genetically engineered bacteria
23. Which of the following is most likely to increase both the nutrient levels and the bacterial content of lake
water?
a. runoff from a nearby hog farm
b. Thermal pollution from a nearby power plant
c. Increased aeration of the lake water
d. percolation of the water through soil to groundwater
e. Acidification of the lake water by acid deposition

APES

Pg. 4

APES

Pg. 1