CPC Environmental Chemistry & Regulations Flashcards

Under RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act), a waste is classified as hazardous if it exhibits which characteristic?

Answer: Ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity

RCRA identifies hazardous waste by four characteristics: ignitability (flash point <140°F), corrosivity (pH ≤2 or ≥12.5), reactivity, and toxicity (TCLP-based leaching).

Which US federal agency is primarily responsible for regulating chemical substances under TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act)?

Answer: EPA

The EPA administers TSCA, which authorizes it to require reporting, record-keeping, and testing of chemical substances, and to restrict use of chemicals posing unreasonable risks.

The concept of bioaccumulation refers to the process by which:

Answer: Concentrations of substances increase within an organism over time

Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a substance faster than it can metabolize or excrete it, leading to increasing internal concentrations over time.

In the US Clean Air Act, a National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) is set for which pollutant?

Answer: Particulate matter (PM2.5)

EPA sets NAAQS for six criteria pollutants including PM2.5, PM10, ozone, NO2, SO2, CO, and lead, specifying maximum allowable atmospheric concentrations.

Which process describes the movement of contaminants from soil into groundwater?

Answer: Leaching

Leaching is the downward movement of dissolved contaminants through soil with percolating water, potentially contaminating underlying aquifers.

The octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow) is used to predict a chemical's tendency to:

Answer: Bioaccumulate in fatty tissues and partition into organic matter

A high log Kow (>3) indicates a chemical is hydrophobic and lipophilic, predicting it will partition into organic matter and bioaccumulate in fatty tissues.