CFA Environmental Impact & Safety Regulations 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Nitrate leaching from over-fertilized fields is a particular concern for which type of water source?
- Surface reservoirs
- Shallow unconfined aquifers used for drinking water (Correct answer)
- Deep confined aquifers
- Tidal estuaries
Correct answer: Shallow unconfined aquifers used for drinking water
Nitrate moves readily through soil with water and accumulates in shallow unconfined aquifers, posing a methemoglobinemia risk when nitrate exceeds 10 mg/L in drinking water.
Question 2: Which environmental phenomenon results when excess nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizer runoff stimulate explosive algae growth in water bodies?
- Acidification
- Eutrophication (Correct answer)
- Salinization
- Nitrification
Correct answer: Eutrophication
Eutrophication occurs when nutrient enrichment of water bodies triggers algal blooms that deplete dissolved oxygen and create hypoxic dead zones as algae decompose.
Question 3: An applicator is working with anhydrous ammonia. Which personal protective equipment (PPE) is specifically required due to anhydrous ammonia's most serious acute hazard?
- Heat-resistant gloves and face shield
- Chemical-splash goggles and impermeable gloves rated for ammonia exposure (Correct answer)
- Leather work gloves and safety glasses
- Dust mask and steel-toed boots
Correct answer: Chemical-splash goggles and impermeable gloves rated for ammonia exposure
Anhydrous ammonia causes severe chemical burns to eyes and skin on contact; chemical-splash goggles and ammonia-rated impermeable gloves are required minimum PPE.
Question 4: Under the Clean Air Act, which atmospheric pollutant produced by nitrogen fertilizer volatilization is classified as a greenhouse gas regulated under federal reporting thresholds?
- Ammonia (NH₃)
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O) (Correct answer)
- Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)
- Nitric oxide (NO)
Correct answer: Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
Nitrous oxide (N₂O), produced during nitrification and denitrification in soil, is a potent greenhouse gas with roughly 265 times the warming potential of CO₂ over 100 years.
Question 5: A fertilizer storage facility catches fire. Which substance, if present, creates the greatest explosion and toxic fume risk for first responders?
- Potassium chloride (muriate of potash)
- Ammonium nitrate (Correct answer)
- Triple superphosphate
- Urea
Correct answer: Ammonium nitrate
Ammonium nitrate is an oxidizer that can detonate under heat and confinement and releases toxic nitrogen oxide gases when burning, creating explosive hazards for emergency responders.
Question 6: Which federal agency enforces worker safety regulations for applicators handling fertilizers and associated chemicals on the job?
- EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
- USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
- OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) (Correct answer)
- DOT (Department of Transportation)
Correct answer: OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
OSHA sets and enforces workplace safety standards including chemical handling, PPE requirements, and emergency response procedures for workers in the fertilizer industry.
Question 7: When transporting anhydrous ammonia by highway in quantities exceeding regulatory thresholds, the applicator must comply with regulations issued by which agency?
- OSHA
- EPA
- DOT (PHMSA) (Correct answer)
- USDA APHIS
Correct answer: DOT (PHMSA)
The Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) regulates the highway transport of hazardous materials including anhydrous ammonia.
CFA Environmental Impact & Safety Regulations 3
Nitrate leaching from over-fertilized fields is a particular concern for which type of water source?