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Environmental Engineering & Sustainability Flashcards

7 cards from real CME practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Environmental Engineering & Sustainability flashcards as text

  1. A municipal engineer is evaluating air quality impacts from a new transit bus depot. Under the Clean Air Act, a 'criteria pollutant' does NOT include:

    Answer: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

    PCBs are regulated as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) under CAA Section 112, not as criteria pollutants, which include the six NAAQS-regulated pollutants.

  2. In a municipal composting program, which carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio is optimal for efficient aerobic decomposition?

    Answer: 25:1 to 35:1

    A C:N ratio of 25:1 to 35:1 provides the ideal balance of carbon energy and nitrogen for microbial activity in aerobic composting.

  3. Which parameter is used to characterize the oxygen demand exerted by biologically degradable organic matter in wastewater over a standard 5-day test?

    Answer: Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD₅)

    BOD₅ measures the oxygen consumed by microorganisms while degrading organic matter in a water sample over five days at 20°C.

  4. A coastal municipality is developing a climate adaptation plan. Which approach best exemplifies 'managed retreat' as an adaptation strategy?

    Answer: Relocating structures and infrastructure away from flood-prone coastal zones

    Managed retreat involves the planned relocation of people, infrastructure, and buildings away from areas at risk from sea level rise and coastal flooding.

  5. A drinking water utility detects total coliform bacteria in distribution system samples. Under the Total Coliform Rule, the system must:

    Answer: Collect repeat samples and analyze for E. coli within 24 hours

    The Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR) requires collection of repeat samples within 24 hours and E. coli analysis when total coliform is detected.

  6. Which sustainability rating system is most commonly used in the United States for evaluating green building design and construction?

    Answer: LEED

    Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), developed by the USGBC, is the most widely used green building rating system in the United States.

  7. A municipality is conducting a source water assessment. Which anthropogenic activity typically poses the greatest contamination risk to groundwater used as a drinking water source?

    Answer: Underground storage tanks (USTs) containing petroleum products

    Leaking underground storage tanks are one of the most significant sources of groundwater contamination, as petroleum hydrocarbons can migrate rapidly through soil to aquifers.