Environmental Engineering Test Questions
Course Introduction
Environmental Engineering introduces students to the principles and practices used to protect and improve environmental quality. The course covers topics such as water and wastewater treatment, air pollution control, solid and hazardous waste management, and sustainable design practices. Emphasis is placed on understanding the sources and impacts of pollution, evaluating environmental systems, and designing engineering solutions that promote human health and ecosystem integrity. Students will also explore relevant regulations, risk assessment, and the integration of environmental considerations into engineering decision-making.
Recommended Textbook
The Nature and Properties of Soils 14th Edition by Nyle C. Brady
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20 Chapters
838 Verified Questions
838 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/3989
Page 2
Chapter 1: The Soils Around US
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42 Verified Questions
42 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80115
Sample Questions
Q1) A, B, C, and E horizons can be found in any true soil.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) The water in the soil typically differs from pure water because the soil water
A)contains organic compounds
B)contains mineral nutrients
C)is restrained in its flow by attraction to particle surfaces
D)all of the above
E)none of the above
Answer: D
Q3) "Subsoil" is generally equivalent to which soil horizon?
A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D
E)E
Answer: B
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Page 3
Chapter 2: Formation of Soils From Parent Materials
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53 Verified Questions
53 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80116
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following statements is not correct?
A)Grasslands are found in semi-arid and sub-humid areas.
B)Coniferous forests are found mostly in cool humid areas.
C)The type of native vegetation is controlled primarily by climate.
D)Dense forests are found soil profiles have prominent O horizons.
E)Tropical forests protect the soil from excessive weathering.
Answer: E
Q2) Mechanical weathering processes result in:
A)the decomposition of primary minerals
B)the hydrolysis of minerals through frost action
C)the disintegration of rocks due to differential expansion of minerals
D)the oxidation of iron and manganese compounds
Answer: C
Q3) The parent materials for most coastal plain soils are residual in nature.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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4
Chapter 3: Soil Classification
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47 Verified Questions
47 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80117
Sample Questions
Q1) In which of the following epipedons is the organic matter level generally lowest?
A)mollic
B)umbric
C)histic
D)ochric
E)melanic
Answer: D
Q2) A soil pedon is ____.
A)a category of Soil Taxonomy
B)a three-dimensional unit that embodies the primary characteristics of an individual soil
C)generally larger in area than a polypedon
D)a diagnostic subsurface horizon prominent in arid regions and in sandy parent materials.
E)a surface horizon used to characterize soil suborders and great groups
Answer: B
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Chapter 4: Soil Architecture and Physical Properties
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43 Verified Questions
43 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80118
Sample Questions
Q1) The difference between the liquid and plastic limits of a soil is _______.
A)that one is a moisture variable while the other is a density variable
B)that one is applicable to natural soils the other to artificial growth media
C)greater than the difference between the solid and liquid limits
D)the plasticity index
E)none of the above
Q2) Which of the following is not a textural class name?
A)sand
B)silt
C)loam
D)clay
E)sandy silt
Q3) Roots of most plants have difficulty growing through soil if the bulk density is greater than 1.0 Mg/m<sup>3</sup>.
A)True
B)False
Q4) For any soil, the bulk density is always lower than the particle density.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 5: Soil Water: Characteristics and Behavior
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39 Verified Questions
39 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80119
Sample Questions
Q1) The effect of soil organic matter on the amount of water available to plants is due to organic matter influence on total soil porosity as well as to the water-supplying power of the soil organic matter.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of the following best characterizes the field capacity of a soil?
A)maximum capacity of a soil to hold water
B)water content of a soil with water potential of about -10 kPa
C)the total capillary water in a soil
D)a wetted soil prior to the removal of the gravitational water
E)soil with water potential of -1500 kPa
Q3) The water content in a soil is known to be .2 m<sup>3</sup>/m<sup>3</sup> and the potential of pure water outside the system is assumed to be 0.If the soil is a clay loam you would calculate the soil water potential (in kPa) to be
A)0
B)-5
C)20
D)-20
E)impossible to calculate with the data given
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Page 7
Chapter 6: Soil and the Hydrologic Cycle
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44 Verified Questions
44 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80120
Sample Questions
Q1) If the average transpiration (T) loss from leaf surfaces in a particular watershed is 10 mm/day, you expect the evaporation (E) from the soil surface to be _____.
A)10 mm/ day
B)5 mm/ day
C)15 mm/day
D)100 mm/day
E)Impossible to calculate from the data given
Q2) Early snowfall that arrives before the cold winter weather has frozen the soil generally increases the penetration of water into the soil.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Atmospheric vapor pressure has little effect on the vapor losses from soil surfaces.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The pollution of ground water is often increased by the presence of macropores in soils.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 7: Soil Aeration and Temperature
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80121
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following processes are most apt to encourage good soil aeration?
A)root respiration
B)organic matter decomposition
C)diffusion of oxygen from the soil to the atmosphere
D)creation of more macropores
E)reaction of oxygen with organic matter
Q2) The alternate freezing and thawing of soils results in the upward heaving of plants and building foundations.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A soil on the south facing slope in Canada is likely to be drier and warmer than a comparable soil on a north facing slope.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The partial pressure of CO<sub>2</sub> in the soil pores is higher than the partial pressure of this gas in the atmosphere.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 8: Soil Colloids: Seat of Soil Chemical and Physical Activity
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40 Verified Questions
40 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80122
Sample Questions
Q1) Soils rich in which type of clay would provide the most troublesome site on which to build a home?
A)Fe, Al oxides
B)kaolinite
C)fine-grained micas
D)chlorite
E)smectite
Q2) The order of strength of adsorption of ions by most colloids when they are present in equivalent quantities is Al>Ca>K>Mg>Na.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the silicate clays would likely have the highest level of potassium in the crystal structure?
A)kaolinite
B)chlorite
C)smectite
D)fine-grained mica
E)vermiculite
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Chapter 9: Soil Acidity
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42 Verified Questions
42 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80123
Sample Questions
Q1) In humid regions repeat applications of limestone are needed after a few years primarily because of ____.
A)the release of aluminum ions from the structure of silicate clays
B)the annual loss of calcium and magnesium in drainage waters
C)increases in soil acidity from acid rain
D)increased rates of formation of carbonic acid (H<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>)
E)increases in phosphate fertilization
Q2) The drainage of certain wetlands has resulted in extreme soil acidity.This is due primarily to which of the following processes that take place when the soil is drained?
A)oxidation of organic materials to produce organic acids
B)reduction of iron to low valent states that stimulate acidity
C)release of nitric acid due to oxidation of nitrogen compounds
D)high redox potential characteristic of aerated soils
E)oxidation of sulfur-bearing minerals that produces sulfuric acid
Q3) Fungi are much more sensitive to strong acid conditions than are bacteria or actinomycetes.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 10: Soils of Dry Regions: Alkalinity, Salinity, and Sodicity
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80124
Sample Questions
Q1) The presence of neutral salts in salt-affected soils helps keep the pH from rising above 8.5.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Removal of excess salts from the soil profile is a requisite for the reclamation of a saline soil.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The high pH of sodic soils is due to the high saturation of the colloidal complex with calcium.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Sodic soils generally have a poor physical condition.To what is this most likely due?
A)low organic matter content
B)impact of raindrops on the soil surface
C)dispersal of the Na saturated soil colloids
D)precipitation of the Ca<sup>2+</sup> and Mg<sup>2+</sup> ions as carbonates
E)high content of smectite in the soils
Page 12
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Chapter 11: Organisms and Ecology of the Soil
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80125
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following groups is not considered to include important primary consumers in the soil ecosystem?
A)detritivores
B)herbivores
C)fungi
D)saprophytes
E)predators
Q2) Oxidation or reduction of inorganic soil constituents such as iron and sulfur is carried out by members of which group(s) of microorganisms.
A)actinomycetes
B)bacteria
C)fungi
D)A and C
E)all of the above
Q3) Mucigel is thought to improve the contact between plant roots and soil particles, thus enhancing the plant uptake of water and nutrients.
A)True
B)False
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13
Chapter 12: Soil Organic Matter
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80126
Sample Questions
Q1) Aridisols generally contain more organic matter than Mollisols.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Removing all the straw with the harvest of paddy rice would increase the amount of methane produced by the paddy soil microorganisms.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Sandy soils generally are higher in organic matter than fine textured soils.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Humic substances consist of _____.
A)living organisms and cells
B)dead plant & animal tissues
C)identifiable biomolecules
D)polymerized, non-identifiable molecules
E)all of the above
Q5) Fulvic acids are a major type of non-humic substances.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 13: Nitrogen and Sulfur Economy of Soils
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41 Verified Questions
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Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80127
Sample Questions
Q1) Grass clippings from a healthy lawn can be expected to contain approximately ___% N (on a dry weight basis).
A)0.01
B)0.2
C)0.5
D)3.0
E)7.5
Q2) Ammonia losses from the shallow, algae-filled water of a non-tidal wetland are likely to be much greater at night than during the day.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Applying heavy dressings of N fertilizer will tend to produce sugary-sweet fruits and vegetables.
A)True
B)False
Q4) On the average, agricultural soils in the US are currently being depleted of their nitrogen supply.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 14: Soil Phosphorus and Potassium
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39 Verified Questions
39 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80128
Sample Questions
Q1) Water running off from a bare field whose soil had an EPC of 0.1 mg/L would be expected to be lower in P concentration than runoff from a field whose soil had an EPC of 2 mg/L.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Loss of P to groundwater is likely to be most significant for which type of soil?
A)highly weathered tropical soils
B)silt loam soils formed in windblown loess
C)cultivated organic peat soils
D)sandy soils under pine forests (Spodosols)
E)calcareous soils
Q3) Compared to the same soil used for cropland, a forested soil would be expected to lose _____ total P to streams draining the watershed.
A)less
B)about the same amount of C)more
Q4) Most soils with a high phosphorus fixing capacity are inherently fertile.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 15: Micronutrients and Other Trace Elements
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42 Verified Questions
42 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80129
Sample Questions
Q1) Because many chelating agents are naturally occurring, a kilogram of zinc generally costs less in the form of zinc-chelate than in the form of zinc sulfate.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Application of FeSO<sub>4</sub> or ZnSO<sub>4</sub> to many soils is much less effective than the addition of the same amount of micronutrient in the form of a chelate.
A)True B)False
Q3) Roots of monocotyledonous plant (e.g.grasses) have been shown to take in the entire organo-metallic complex when utilizing chelated sources of micronutrients such as iron.
A)True B)False
Q4) Most micronutrients play essential roles in plant metabolism as enzyme activators.
A)True B)False
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17
Chapter 16: Practical Nutrient Management
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40 Verified Questions
40 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80130
Sample Questions
Q1) Most research has shown that at both high and low fertilization levels, about 15 to 20% of the nitrogen applied as fertilizer will be lost by leaching from medium textured soils growing corn.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Based on the data given in the Table, if the revegetation site were limed and fertilized with nitrogen, would you also recommend the addition of P fertilizer to improve tree growth?
A)no
B)yes
C)no basis to judge
Q3) Many years of research have confirmed that the quadratic (parabolic curve) model is the best method of making fertilizer recommendations based on response curves, especially if environmental quality is a high priority.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Most chemical fertilizers are inorganic salts.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 17: Soil Erosion and Its Control
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80131
Sample Questions
Q1) Compared to conventional tillage systems, most conservation tillage systems rely more heavily on herbicides to control weeds.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The Revised Universal Soil-Loss Equation (RUSLE) is more site-specific, more accurate in predicting soil loss, and more quickly compares alternative procedures than does USLE.
A)True
B)False
Q3) If you want to maximize the quantity of vegetative cover on soil which of the following tillage practices would you use?
A)conventional moldboard plow
B)no-tillage
C)ridge tillage
D)stubble mulch
E)strip till
Q4) Conservation tillage has generally positive effects on soil physical properties.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 18: Soils and Chemical Pollution
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80132
Sample Questions
Q1) In the design of a _______ type landfill, evapotranspiration by cover vegetation should be maximized.
A)natural attenuation
B)containment
C)both A and B
D)neither A nor B
Q2) Organic chemicals whose structures have positively charged groups tend to be very immobile in the soil.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Herbicides are generally the most toxic of pesticides to soil organisms.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Clay, especially of the 2:1 types, tends to adsorb larger quantities of organic chemicals per gram than does the organic matter component of soils.
A)True
B)False
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20
Chapter 19: Geographic Soils Information
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39 Verified Questions
39 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80133
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following could likely be a "layer" of information in a GIS?
A)data on rainfall changes over time
B)soil drainage classes
C)land capability classes
D)B and C
E)all of the above
Q2) The map unit "152C2" indicates that the soils in this complex have two types of C horizons.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Modern county soil survey reports provide information on the suitability of soils for construction of such projects as sewage lagoons, roads and streets, and septic tank drainage fields.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Soil mappers use a transect to find the boundaries between adjacent soils in a landscape.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 20: Prospects for Global Soil Quality
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80134
Sample Questions
Q1) Alfisols are of greater importance in semi-arid tropics than in the humid tropics.
A)True
B)False
Q2) More than 75% of the potentially arable land in South America is being cultivated.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The proportion of the population of developing countries that are malnourished is higher today than it was 25 years ago.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Poor people today pay a greater proportion of their incomes for cereal foods (wheat, rice, corn) than they did just 30 years ago.
A)True
B)False
Q5) During the 1990s, the rate of increase of food production has declined.
A)True
B)False
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