AP Environmental Science : Water Problems and Solutions
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Water Problems And Solutions
What percentage of the Earth's water is accessible and suitable for human use?
Less than
Between 
Less than
Example Question #31 : Water Resources
What proportion of the world population do not have access to clean drinking water?
1 in 9
1 in 12
1 in 15
1 in 5
1 in 20
1 in 9
750 million people in the world do not have access to clean drinking water. The total world population is about 7 billion, meaning every one in nine people do not have access to clean drinking water.
Example Question #1 : Water Problems And Solutions
Which of the following would be an example of non-point source water pollution?
At the turn of the last century, oil refineries were making huge profits on kerosene, but gasoline was considered a waste product at the time and was regularly discharged into the local rivers and waterways.
In the 1970s, companies that produced decaffeinated coffee regularly dumped the chlorophyll waste byproduct into nearby watersheds.
In the early 1900s, rivers in the Eastern industrial cities in America were catching fire due to pollution from factories that ran along the waterways.
An electricity-producing firm that has been grandfathered into existing environmental policy dumps pollutants directly into San Francisco Bay regularly.
Much of the Shenandoah Valley is devoted to beef cattle, whose feces contaminate the watershed from water runoff containing E. coli.
Much of the Shenandoah Valley is devoted to beef cattle, whose feces contaminate the watershed from water runoff containing E. coli.
A point-source discharge is when pollutants are entering the watershed through an identifiable source, such as a drainage pipe from a factory. Water contamination from agricultural runoff is typically not a point-source because in a largely agrarian region, there are many farms contributing to the pollution but no specific point-source from which the pollutants enter the watershed. Agricultural pollutants typically enter the watershed either by leeching from the soil or through above-ground runoff.
Example Question #2 : Water Problems And Solutions
Which of the following best describes greywater?
Waste water from toilets that can be reused for irrigation.
Waste water from toilets that is unfit for irrigation or any reuse.
Waste water that originates from showers, dishwashers, and sinks that can be reused for irrigation.
Waste water from sinks, toilets, and household appliances that is unfit for irrigation or reuse.
Water that has been contaminated by human or animal fecal waste and has the potential to contaminate larger bodies of water.
Waste water that originates from showers, dishwashers, and sinks that can be reused for irrigation.
Greywater typically includes all household sources of wastewater, with the exception of toilets. Greywater can be used to irrigate lawns and golf courses but is not safe for drinking.
Example Question #2 : Water Problems And Solutions
The current drought has seriously affected farmers in California. Which of the following is NOT something a farmer would want to do to conserve water?
Raising livestock that consume less water, like goats and chickens.
There's very little freshwater in California, but a farmer could irrigate their fields with seawater.
Switching from spray irrigation to drip-line irrigation, which uses less water.
Planting fields with drought-resistant crops, such as artichokes.
Experimenting with hot-house cultivation.
There's very little freshwater in California, but a farmer could irrigate their fields with seawater.
Seawater is not fit for use in agriculture. An excess of salt in a field results in water being drawn from plant roots due instead of the other way around. Spartans salted the orchards of their enemies to cripple their civilizations; one should not irrigate with seawater if one's intent is to grow crops.
Example Question #1 : Water Problems And Solutions
Which of the following countries is most likely to use the process of desalination as a method of obtaining drinking water?
Ecuador
United Arab Emirates
Canada
England
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates is most likely to obtain drinking water by way of desalination. Seawater desalination is used primarily in arid, coastal regions.
Example Question #3 : Water Problems And Solutions
Saltwater __________ has been described as the influx of salt water into freshwater aquifers. This is a natural process; however, human over-exploitation of aquifers has led to the contamination of drinking water in some instances.
intrusion
rebound
investment
invasion
recharge
intrusion
The correct choice is "intrusion" because it is the only term that describes the movement of saltwater into freshwater aquifers. Saltwater intrusion is a major threat to many coastal land managers, because fresh groundwater can become contaminated and unusable for residents in the area.
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