FINAL EXAM

Question 1

3 activities that impact groundwater quality

Answer 1

• Petrolum compounds (oil manufactures ) -from Leaking Underground Storage Tanks (LUST)
• agricultural fertilizers -high level of nitrates in driking water
• Abandonned chemical waste dumps -major source of toxic metals and organic compounds

Question 2

2 BENEFIRS OF DESIGNING A PRODUCT THAT FIT into a lifee cycle

Answer 2

• minimize adverse impact of waste

- reduces the use of natural ressources to make new products

Question 3

What is a pathogen ??? How would you define it !

Answer 3

it is an organism causing disease to its host .In order of size from smallest to biggest we have

Virus
Bacteria
Protozoa
Worms

Question 4

CAA,TDS,NOAEL,IPCC,MCL, CFC,FC, SWDA , MSW
VOC
PM
RCRA
CERCLA
TKN
TCLP: Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure
NAAQS: National Ambient Air Quality Standards

Answer 4

you gotta now the answer !
Volatile Organic Compounds
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability   Act
Total Kjeldhal Nitrogen
SAFE WATER DRINKING ACT

Question 5

Why did mercury reeived attention in scientific studies

Answer 5

affects and damage central nervous system of the brain
exposition to this metal can be fatal
it can bio-accumulate in the blood and tissue of fish and other organisms that we consume

Question 6

what is the difference between POTENCY FACTOR and CHRONIC DAILY INTAKE for a carcinogenic chemical

Answer 6

POTENCY FACTOR= represent the incremental lifetime cancer risk correspnding to a chroi daily intake of 1mg/kg a particular chemical .
CHRONIC DAILY INTAKE = CDI is the average daily dose of a chemical over the lifetime of an individual.

Question 7

What are the 3 major fators affecting increase in CO2?

Answer 7

population growth per year
Increasing population generates greater demand for food, clothing,
shelter, and other human needs.

GDP per capita
measures average affluence. As this term grows, an individual’s
demand for goods and services also grows

Energy Intensity
This is most related to technology and
technological change.

CO2 emissions per unit energy
depends principally on how the energy is being generated

Deforestation

Increased livestock

..

Question 8

. Give 2 reasons why LCA is not more widely used

Answer 8

• Gathering info is time consuming and expensive

- No standardized methodology, assumptions might be subjective

Question 9

What is bioaccumulation ? and give an example

Answer 9

refers to accumulation of substance or other organic materials or even toxic metals in an organism. Happens when the organism absorbs the toxic substance at a greater rate than at which the substance is lost from the body, Lead is an example.

Question 10

What are the primary drivers(3 key factors ) of environmental change?

Answer 10

*
Population
Standard of Living
Technology

Housing and industrial developpement

• Agriculture
• Emissions of chemical substances to land air and water

Question 11

What eutrophication and what is it cause

Answer 11

eutrophication is the over-enrichement of water nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates in lakes , rivers and streams ( an aquatic ecosystem.). This promotes excessive plant and algae growth, to the detriment of other forms of aquatic life, leaving a body of water that is unable to support fish or other life
forms and is also unsuitable for human uses.

Question 12

What is bad ozone ?

Answer 12

Air polluant ozone found at ground level and is the main component of smog. Bad Ozone is created by reactions between oxides of nitrogenn and VOC from motor vehicules , undustrial facilities in the presence of sunligth

Question 13

What is LCA and what are the 3 stes of LCA

Answer 13

it is a systematic analysis of

Question 14

What are other environmental impacts caused by automobiles?

Answer 14

 Lead Emissions
 CFC Emissions
 Waste Motor Oil
 Other Life Cycle Impacts

Question 15

Uncertainties in assessing risk for non-carcinogens

Answer 15

• Lack of information on source location
• poorly know history if contaminant releases
• unknown variety in concentration and mass
• complexity in chemical composition of contaminants

Question 16

Explain the Greenhouse Effect:

Answer 16

The greenhouse effect is the trapping of radiation within the atmosphere, which warms the planet. Just as in a greenhouse, most of the incoming radiation (as ultraviolet) gets through to warm the earth’s surface, and most of the outgoing radiation (as Infrared) is blocked or absorbed by the atmosphere. Gases that absorb infrared radiation are defined as greenhouse gases.

Question 17

Where were the tests performed to determine possible past effects of climate change?

Answer 17

Vostok, Antarctica.

Question 18

What is the climate sensitivity factor γ?

Answer 18

The climate sensitivity factor is known as the ratio of the final temperature change, ∆Te, to the
change in radiative forcing, ∆Frad:
γ = ∆Te / ∆Frad

Question 19

What are the greatest failures of the International society to date?

Answer 19

 Kyoto Protocol

 Copenhagen

Question 20

What are the principal routes of human exposure to trace metals?

Answer 20

 Inhalation of air
 Ingestion of water
 Ingestion of food
 Ingestion of dust

Question 21

Although the design of cars has lowered emissions, what factors are off-setting this success?

Answer 21

Increasing vehicle population
 Increasing travel per vehicle
 Departures from federal standards
 Greater use of light trucks

Question 22

What is the reason for the immense challenge in regards to automobiles?

Answer 22

The engineering challenge is immense because nearly all cars now run on a single fuel source –
petroleum. It is refined into gasoline, diesel oil, and jet fuel, petroleum supplies about 97% of the
energy used for all forms of transportation

Question 23

How much does electricity account for the energy used in the United-States?

Answer 23

s 38% of all energy used in the U.S. residential and commercial sector,
along with 13% of industrial energy use

Question 24

What is the composition of the U.S. Electric Network?

Answer 24

52% Coal
 18% Nuclear
 10% Hydroelectric
 14% Natural Gas
 3% Oil
 3% Alternative

Question 25

What is the big distinction between fossil fuels used as energy sources?

Answer 25

The big distinction is the ratio between carbon and hydrogen  Coal 1-1  Oil 2-1  Natural Gas 4-1

Question 26

What is the big distinction between fossil fuels used as energy sources?

Answer 26

distillate oils= highly refined | residual oils= thicker and contain high levels of impurities.

Question 27

difference between - different types of coals:

Answer 27

Brown Coal = known as lignite , lowest rank of coal in regards to energy content. Hard Coal = known as anthracite is not common and not typically used for power generation. Soft Coal contains two types, they are the most common types of coal: Bituminous coal =higher energy content Subbituminous coal has lower energy content

Question 28

Describe the formation of Carbon Dioxide: Describe the formation of Sulphur Dioxide: Describe the formation of Particulate Matter: Describe the formation of Nitrogen Oxides: Nitrogen oxides are present in natural gas)

Answer 28

* When completely combusted, the carbon in fossil fuels reacts with oxygen to form CO2 - Sulphur occurs as an impurity in fossil fuels. The highest levels of sulphur impurities are found in coal. When combusted, Sulphur reacts with oxygen to form SO2 - Particulate matter arises from solid incombustible materials such as iron, silicon, and other elements in the Earth’s Crust. Approximately 10% of coal burnt is particulate matter, ash. - Nitrogen oxides are formed solely from the molecular nitrogen and oxygen in the air. (NO) -Nitrogen oxides are formed solely from the molecular nitrogen and oxygen in the air. (NO)

Question 29

What is the atmospheric window ?

Answer 29

This is a region between about 8 micro m and 12 micro m, where terrestrial radiation passes directly through the atmosphere to space. Is one small region of the spectrum, where relatively little absorption occurs

Question 30

As an engineer how could you help reduce atmospheric CO2 emissions?

Answer 30

Given that CO2 influenced by pop,gdp,energy co2 -Reducing Energy Intensity structural changes : Use of less energy intensive processes and intensive industries Efficiency changes: Favor energy efficiency -Reducing Carbon Intensity alternative to carbon :use alternatives source of energy +favor renewable energy ( wid , hydro) carbon sequestration : plant more forest to reduce co2 /use of tehnology to that as well

Question 31

What is acid rain and how is it formed ?

Answer 31

refers to the fallout of aidic particles through precipitation . Acid rain is produed when sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxydes react with water in the atmosphere to form sulphuric acid and nitric acid . The sulfur and nitrogen oxides are primarily relased through the burning of fossil fuels

Question 32

List pathogens that can occur in water

Answer 32

coliform bacteria fecal coliform E. Coli is a species of fecal coliform bacteria that is specific to fecal material from humans and other warm-blood animals

Question 33

Describe some of the stabilization scenarios developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Answer 33

tried to stabilize the radiative forcing in the atmosphere by controlling the consequences of CO2 combustion of a greenhouse gas, or they tried to control the total mean temperature increase.

Question 34

Explain the main results of the tests done in the international station in Vostok Antarctica

Answer 34

Better understand the climate of the past (+420 000 yrs ago) Better understand the relationship between greenhouse gas concentration and temperature. Better understand the changes in CO2 (carbon dioxide) and methane concentrations past vs now

Question 35

Why are population growth and economic growth important ? | why are they not included in environmental analysis?

Answer 35

population growth is important because it is directly proportional to the raw material used. economic growth is important because more affluence increase consumption. population and economic growth are outside the realms of an engineer’s domain. Engineering cannot control these factors, because you cannot really quantify them directly into numbers to be fed into mathematical models, thus they lie in the field of social sciences.

Question 36

What is carbon Sequestration?

Answer 36

Carbon sequestration is the natural ability of biomass to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. This however cannot achieve the sizeable long-term reductions needed to stabilize atmospheric concentrations in the face of global energy demands.

Question 37

How much more efficient is nuclear fuel?

Answer 37

Each Kilogram of processed nuclear fuel releases approximately 80,000 times more energy than an equal mass of fossil fuel.

Question 38

What are the 3 types of radiation emitted from nuclear processes? and difference  Alpha particles α  Beta particles β  Gamma radiation γ

Answer 38

The main difference between alpha beta and gamma particles is that alpha particles have the least penetration power while beta particles have a moderate penetration power and gamma particles have the highest penetration power

Question 39

RISK?

Answer 39

The probability of a specific undesired consequence

Question 40

How does one assess risk?

Answer 40

 Subjective (as opposed to objective) personal opinion  Understanding (we cannot assess what we do not understand)  Exposure to the risk (over time, quantity)

Question 41

Name the four steps of risk assessment

Answer 41

Hazard assessment Dose response assessment Expose assessment risk characterization

Question 42

What is Hazard assessement ? | What is a Hazard Quotient?

Answer 42

* A hazard assessment is determining whether there is any potential problem from exposure to a given chemical * the metric used in risk assessment where it compares the average daily dose of a chemical to the reference dose.

Question 43

What is the Dose-Response assessment?

Answer 43

If the hazard assessment establishes that a chemical can cause some type of health effect, then dose resp assessement quantify the relationship between the dose and the chemical – the mass of chemical ingested or received – and the resulting response or adverse effects. There are two types:  Carcinogenic Effects  Non-Carcinogenic Effects

Question 44

What is the Exposure Assessment?

Answer 44

Quantifying the dose actually received in a particular situation. The purpose is to measure or estimate the frequency, intensity, and duration of human exposure to a chemical agent in the environment

Question 45

What is Risk Characterization?

Answer 45

Risk characterization is the act of combining the results of the exposure assessment with the dose-response function for each chemical in concern.

Question 46

How to reduce risk

Answer 46

1. The source of the risk can be reduced or eliminated, such as by removing contaminated soil, closing a facility, or installing environmental control technology to reduce emissions 2. The exposure pathway can be modified or avoided, such as by installing an engineered barrier that prevents contaminant migration through the soil, or a tall chimney that disperses pollutants beyond the local community 3. Human exposure to the contaminants can be reduced or eliminated, such as by relocating the affected population or prohibiting access to contaminated areas. 4. Effects can be treated or compensated for after they occur , such as by medical treatment or monetary payments from parties responsible for the contamination

Question 47

How do engineers attempt to predict or assess future conditions?

Answer 47

They use Mathematical Modeling

Question 48

Define the term “Forecast”:

Answer 48

The term forecast is generally used when one purports to know what will actually happen in the future. The terms projection and prediction often have the same connotation

Question 49

What are the different types of technological change?

Answer 49

 Improvements to a current technology design  Substitution of an alternative technology  New classes of technology  Change in technology utilization

Question 50

What are some models to measure the rates of technology adoption?

Answer 50

 Specified Rate of change – The most direct method of introducing a new technology is to specify its rate of adoption or diffusion into the economy.  Specified Market Share – Specifying the market share at different points in time Consumer Choice Models – Introduce new technologies based on consumer preferences

Question 51

What is the half-life of Plutonium?

Answer 51

24 000 yrs AKA hell of a long time

Question 52

Carbon Sequestration

Answer 52

it is the ability for the biomass to absorb carnone dioxyde from the atmosphere

Question 53

``` MACT TRI NPDES TCLP Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure EIS Environmental Impact Statement GCM General Circulation Model GWP Global warming potential VMT vehicles-miles of Travel CDI Chronic Daily Intake LOAEL Lowest dose with observed adverse effects level UF Uncertainty Factor MF Modifying Factor ADD Average Daily Dose RfD Reference Dose HQ Hazard Quotient HI ```

Answer 53

Maximum available control technology Toxic Release Inventory National pollutant Discharge Elimination System

Question 54

What are the standards for drinking water based on?

Answer 54

 Total Coliform bacteria |  Fecal Coliform and E. Coli

Question 55

Name three things that can affect the carbon cycle

Answer 55

- Deforestation - Burning of fossil fuels - Cement production

Question 56

Which is the typical test developed to evaluate toxicity? | TCLP: Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure

Question 57

Name three activities that impact air quality:

Answer 57

• Fuel combustion (coal and oil), industrial and manufacturing processes produce à Particulate Matter (PM) • The combustion of coal and oil/ Metal smelting and other industrial processes generates à Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) • Transportation (mainly automobiles) are the dominant source of à CO emissions • Fuel combustion/Transportation sector à Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2