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Quiz about The Polluters
Quiz about The Polluters

The Polluters Trivia Quiz


Though this topic may seem to be of interest to 'Greens', pollution in its many forms is actually quite fascinating. For instance, did you know...well wait til you get inside. Enjoy!

A multiple-choice quiz by grisham. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
grisham
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
342,482
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
10 / 15
Plays
620
Last 3 plays: sadwings (11/15), rossian (13/15), comark2000 (15/15).
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Question 1 of 15
1. To be true to the title of the quiz, we will start with a question about the book - "The Polluters" by Benjamin Ross and Steven Amter.

The book starts with a true story from 1949 about the deadly effects of air pollution in what American locale?
Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. Which American government agency was set up to deal with different kinds of pollution? Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator and governor of Wisconsin, was a main force behind the celebration of this day in the U.S. It was held for the first time in 1970. Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. What table was devised in order to better evaluate pollution from electrical appliances in the environment? Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. Which pollutant, though it comes in the form of water, is actually a byproduct of air pollution? Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. The 'greenhouse effect' has a negative impact on the environment.


Question 7 of 15
7. Light pollution is noticeable only at night.


Question 8 of 15
8. Oil spills are a general term for any event which causes large amounts of crude oil to spill into the open seas. Which of these different methods was suggested for cleaning up the oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill in 2010? Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. Which of these materials was introduced in refrigeration in an effort to reduce damage to the ozone layer. Hint


Question 10 of 15
10. Hydrofluorocarbons replaced what chemical in refrigeration use? Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. This book by Rachel Carson, printed in the 1960s, was written on the topic of ecology after a flock of birds died from exposure to a DDT cloud. Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. What is generally considered the permitted decibel level an average person can endure without concern over damage? Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. Noise pollution, measured by decibels, is not considered dangerous unless it is from a very loud noise or a loud noise over a long period of time. Which of the following is NOT usually damage that can be sustained from noise pollution? Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. What percentage of landfill is theoretically recyclable? Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. Which of these songs was NOT written about pollution? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 16 2024 : sadwings: 11/15
Feb 23 2024 : rossian: 13/15
Feb 02 2024 : comark2000: 15/15

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. To be true to the title of the quiz, we will start with a question about the book - "The Polluters" by Benjamin Ross and Steven Amter. The book starts with a true story from 1949 about the deadly effects of air pollution in what American locale?

Answer: Donora, Pennsylvania

In 1949, few people knew or cared much about air pollution or its effects. It was mostly in the realm of politicians, conservationists and industrialists. Due to a combination of topography and weather conditions, polluted air from local industry got trapped in the valley where Donora, 30 miles out of Pittsburgh, was situated. Twenty people died during this disaster, 50 more in the weeks following (including Lukas Musial, father of baseball great, Stan Musial) while many others suffered for a long time after from the effects of that week.

Some call this event one of the most pivotal in raising public awareness to the dangers of air polltuion.
2. Which American government agency was set up to deal with different kinds of pollution?

Answer: EPA

All of these are in fact govenment agencies:

EPA - Environmental Protection Agency - established in 1970 during the Nixon presidency.
PMB -Office of Policy, Management and Budget
FDA - Food and Drug Administraion
GPO - Government Printing Office
3. Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator and governor of Wisconsin, was a main force behind the celebration of this day in the U.S. It was held for the first time in 1970.

Answer: Earth Day

The idea, first documented during the Kennedy administration, took a while to gather some steam. By the end of the decade though, it was already recognized in the UN and was celebrated in 1970 in many locales across the U.S. - notably in San Francisco where Saint Francis (San Francisco) was recognized as the patron saint of the environment.
By 1990, 141 countries were observing Earth Day.
4. What table was devised in order to better evaluate pollution from electrical appliances in the environment?

Answer: Pollution Degree

It measures the amount of pollution, usually from an electrical appliance with the amount of moisture in the air that can conduct electricity. For instance, Degree 1 means that there is little or no pollution and the air contains only dry air or non-conductive pollution.

It has no effect on the environment. An example of this would be a clean room environment or sealed electrical components. The higher the degree, the more dangerous it will be.
5. Which pollutant, though it comes in the form of water, is actually a byproduct of air pollution?

Answer: Acid rain

Acid rain is created when pollutants in the atmosphere bond with atmospheric water and reaches the surface in the next rainfall. It has been implicated in water pollution, health concerns and its effects on inanimate objects as well - it's not called 'acid' rain for nothing.
6. The 'greenhouse effect' has a negative impact on the environment.

Answer: False

The 'greenhouse effect' simply describes the atmosphere's way of keeping heat inside the atmosphere. Due to this, the earth stays warm at night even when the sun is not shining on it. The problems start when there are too many gasses in the atmosphere or too few.

In our generation, mostly due to technological advances and industry that relies mostly on fossil fuels, the level of gasses in the atmosphere rises. These gasses retain the heat coming from the sun and this causes global warming.
7. Light pollution is noticeable only at night.

Answer: True

Light pollution is used to describe the effect caused due to the use of electric lighting outdoors. The effects of this kind of pollution prevent proper star-gazing not only in cities but for miles around as well. It can have negative effects as well on certain ecosystems which rely on diurnal patterns.

To view the Perseid meteor shower in Israel for example, it is necessary to have local cooperation among the villages in the desert area (where, due to the lack of water particles in the air, the visibility is greatest) to turn off non-essential street lights in order to more easily be able to view this natural wonder.
The sun actually overpowers stars in a similar phenomenon during the day but it would not be called 'pollution' as it is a natural, not man-made, source of light.
8. Oil spills are a general term for any event which causes large amounts of crude oil to spill into the open seas. Which of these different methods was suggested for cleaning up the oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill in 2010?

Answer: All of these

The most fascinating of these for me was always the eating of the oil by naturally occurring microbes or bacteria which then in turn produce oxygen.
It reminds me of silicon-based life forms from Star Trek TOS. Soaking it up was done with different kinds of materials based on the company from which they were acquired.Controlled fires were used, though sparingly, so as not to add global warming to the list of negative environmental effects caused by the spill.
9. Which of these materials was introduced in refrigeration in an effort to reduce damage to the ozone layer.

Answer: Hydrofluorocarbons

Hydrofluorocarbons which replaced a harmful chemical (appears in next question) as refrigerants are actually a double-edged sword. Though they have been shown not to be as destructive to the ozone layer as their predecessors were, they cause the greenhouse effect to intensify leading to global warming. Scientists are searching for a better solution. We are simply not willing to give up our propellants and refrigerants.
10. Hydrofluorocarbons replaced what chemical in refrigeration use?

Answer: Chlorofluorocarbons

Chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs for short were very effective for years as a major gas used for propellants. Their negative impact on the ozone layer was later discovered. Though they were eventually replaced by hydrofluorocarbons, their effect on the ozone layer will continue for many years.
11. This book by Rachel Carson, printed in the 1960s, was written on the topic of ecology after a flock of birds died from exposure to a DDT cloud.

Answer: Silent Spring

Ms. Carson who had written previous books had a 'breakout' with "Silent Spring". The motivation behind this book was provided after she read a newspaper report of a flock of birds who died after having encountered a DDT cloud.
12. What is generally considered the permitted decibel level an average person can endure without concern over damage?

Answer: 85 decibel/8 hours

295 decibels is actually off the charts.
140 is the level of a jet plane from 100 feet away.
85 is busy city traffic.
60 is about the level for typical human speech while 10 is near the low end of human hearing.
0 decibels is actually the lowest level of human hearing.
13. Noise pollution, measured by decibels, is not considered dangerous unless it is from a very loud noise or a loud noise over a long period of time. Which of the following is NOT usually damage that can be sustained from noise pollution?

Answer: An intense desire to play funtrivia

An intense desire to play funtrivia is actually quite beneficial to cognitive functions.* Noise pollution has also been linked to birth defects, high blood pressure and other physical symptoms. Yet it seems sooooo harmless. It has become popular to wear earplugs at a wedding or other events with loud music to prevent damage.

*This has not yet been proven scientifically though I am sure that Terry is, at this very moment, gathering statistics to prove its validity.
14. What percentage of landfill is theoretically recyclable?

Answer: 100

Theoretically, all that goes into landfills is recyclable. We simply have not made it a priority yet.
15. Which of these songs was NOT written about pollution?

Answer: "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel

Big Yellow Taxi - "They took all the trees,
Put 'em in a tree museum;
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see 'em."

Pollution - "If you visit American city,
You will find it very pretty.
Just two things of which you must beware:
Don't drink the water and don't breathe the air."

In the year - "In the year 9595,
I'm kind a wond'rin' if man is gonna be alive -
He's taken everything this old earth can give
And he ain't put back nothin' . . ."

"Bridge" talks about friendship being offered to one who has been going thru some tough times.
Source: Author grisham

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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