AP Environmental Science : AP Environmental Sciences

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Environmental Science

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Health Impacts

This pollutant is not easily excreted. Accumulations of this pollutant in the body can affect the kidneys, liver, and nervous system. The largest concentrations of this pollutant are found near battery plants and smelters.

Possible Answers:

Ozone

Iron

Lead

Carbon monoxide

Correct answer:

Lead

Explanation:

Lead, a heavy metal, accumulates in the body. Children are especially susceptible to airborne lead. Iron, also a metal, can be problematic in large quantities, but is also necessary in extremely small amounts for proper function.

Example Question #2 : Health Impacts

This pollutant is typically credited for promoting dental health, but in water in high quantities, health impacts include yellowing teeth and spinal cord damage.

Possible Answers:

nitrate

fluoride

chlorine

arsenic

Correct answer:

fluoride

Explanation:

Fluoride in high doses is extremely problematic, making it a concerning pollutant. It is extremely prevalent in products used in dental health. Because these are products that are generally washed away, fluoride is of special concern as a water pollutant.

Example Question #3 : Health Impacts

Excessive fertilizer use creates abundances of __________ in soil and groundwater.

Possible Answers:

chlorinated solvents

arsenic

nitrates

sewage

Correct answer:

nitrates

Explanation:

Nitrates, a form of nitrogen, are a severe problem in drinking water that has been contaminated with fertilizers. Sewage and fertilizer often go hand in hand from agricultural areas. Arsenic and chlorine are concerning pollutants, but generally not present due to fertilizer use.

Example Question #4 : Health Impacts

A skull and crossbones symbol on a container indicates that the contents are __________.

Possible Answers:

toxic/poisonous

flammable

alcoholic

corrosive

Correct answer:

toxic/poisonous

Explanation:

Skull and crossbones indicates poison. Corrosive materials are labelled "corrosive" and signs indicating the substance corroding metal may be present. Flammable materials are marked with flames.

Example Question #4 : Health Impacts

Carbon monoxide limits oxygen delivery to the body's organs and tissues. 95% of carbon monoxide emissions in cities comes from __________.

Possible Answers:

automobile exhaust

industrial facilities

None of these

coal burning

Correct answer:

automobile exhaust

Explanation:

Only 5% of carbon monoxide in cities does not originate from car exhaust. Though industrial facilities are a major concern as a source of pollution, regarding carbon monoxide specifically, automobiles have a much higher impact.

Example Question #11 : Health Impacts

Which author first brought the issue of bioaccumulation into the public's eye? 

Possible Answers:

William Jennings

Rachel Carson

Al Gore

Henry David Thoreau 

Correct answer:

Rachel Carson

Explanation:

Rachel Carson's novel Silent Spring brought widespread attention to the damage of bioaccumulation in ecosystems. Her outcry against the dangerous chemical DDT (dichlorophenyltrichloroethane) was the first to display the issues associated with large-scale pesticide use. Al Gore's work concerned global warming and the other answer choices are more associated with historical events rather than environmental ones. 

Example Question #12 : Health Impacts

What is the difference between chronic and acute exposure? 

Possible Answers:

Acute exposure is more hazardous

Acute exposure is more sustained

Chronic exposure is more toxic 

Concentration and delivery time

Correct answer:

Concentration and delivery time

Explanation:

Acute exposure is an exposure to a substance over a short period of time in a relatively high concentration. Conversely, chronic exposure occurs over long periods of time at relatively lower concentrations. Toxicity and hazard depend of the circumstance of the substance, not the type of exposure. Acute exposure may or may not be more hazardous or toxic than chronic exposure to the same substance. 

Example Question #13 : Health Impacts

In the US, we regulate major pollutants that cause detrimental effects to humans and the environment. In 1970, an act was signed into law that gave the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permission to regulate pollutants and it sparked the environmental movement. What is this important act called?

Possible Answers:

Clean Air Act

Clean Climate Act

Clean Ecosystems Act

Clean Water Act

Correct answer:

Clean Air Act

Explanation:

The correct response is Clean Air Act. The signing of this act set a precedent that allowed for the signing of additional environmental acts. This act banned toxic chlorofluorocarbons that had caused the whole in the ozone layer. The Clean Air Act gave the EPA permission to regulate, establish laws, and fine individuals and businesses for violating the act.

Example Question #1 : Economic Impacts

Which of the following is the dominant source of the pollutant ?

Possible Answers:

Refrigerants 

Natural gas

Nuclear power

Agriculture

Coal and crude oil

Correct answer:

Coal and crude oil

Explanation:

Coal deposits often contain high levels of sulfur compounds that are emitted into the atmosphere when combusted. Much of this could be abated with clean coal technology.

Example Question #2 : Economic Impacts

In the United States, which piece of federal legislation holds polluting companies and individuals financially accountable for environmental clean-up and restoration?

Possible Answers:

NEPA

CERCLA

EPA

RCRA

NRCS

Correct answer:

CERCLA

Explanation:

NRCS (National Resource Conservation Service) and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) are federal agencies, not pieces of legislation. NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) requires environmental assesments for proposed federal projects and RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) classifies waste as solid or hazardous and sets regulations for storage and treatment of said waste. CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act) establishes a superfund for heavily polluted areas and holds responsible firms financially accountable.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors