ANSWERS 2024/2025
Role of engineering in relationship with the environmental stewardship concept - ANSWERSEngineers
are involved in making decisions related to technology development and its deployment. They are part
of a product's design, raw material acquisition, etc., therefore they must know the environmental
impacts of their choices.
Name two major contaminants for ground waters and their sources? - ANSWERS1. Petroleum
compounds (organic chemicals) - leaking from underground storage tanks
2. Nitrates from agriculture fertilizers
Name 3 activities that impact air quality - ANSWERS1. Diesel combustion (PM)
2. Oil and coal combustion (SO2)
3. Fossil fuel combustion (complete and incomplete, CO2 and CO respectively)
Name 3 activities that impact soil quality - ANSWERS1. Solid waste (paper and paperboard)
2. Hazardous waste (wastewater treatment)
3. Radioactive waste (uranium mining)
Difference between primary and secondary water quality standards? - ANSWERSPrimary (human health):
designed to protect public health
Secondary (human welfare): non-enforceable guidelines related to public welfare criteria
Difference between smoke and smog? - ANSWERSSmoke is produced by something burning, whereas
smog is a mixture of fog and smoke and is produced from the reaction between sunlight and carbon
emitted gases in the atmosphere
What are the 4 characteristics of hazardous wastes? - ANSWERS-Ignitability: ability to burn
-Corrosivity: ability to corrode metals
, -Reactivity: ability to react violently with other substances, even with water
-Toxicity: ability to threaten human health and welfare
Wavelength of IR and UV radiation - ANSWERSUV: below 3e-6 m
IR: above 3e-6 m
Average production of solid wastes per capity/perday? - ANSWERS100kg/person/day
EPA - ANSWERSEnvironmental Protection Agency
PM - ANSWERSParticulate Matter
NAAQS - ANSWERSNational Ambient Air Quality Standards
IPCC - ANSWERSInternational Panel on Climate Change
T_e - ANSWERSEarth's tempterature
What test is used to evaluate toxicity? - ANSWERSTCLP (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure)
If a chemical reaches a certain threshold, then it is toxic
Lov level radiation wastes? - ANSWERSLow level of radioactivity across large volumes of materials
VOCs - ANSWERSVolatile Organic Compounds
CAA - ANSWERSClean Air Act
USDOE - ANSWERSUS Department of Energy