Practice Test GeeksETC - Environmental Technician Certification Practice Test
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Air Quality & Emissions Monitoring Flashcards

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

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  1. Which precursor pollutants combine in sunlight to form ground-level ozone (O3)?

    Answer: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx)

    Ground-level ozone forms when VOCs and NOx react in the presence of sunlight through photochemical reactions, making these two pollutants the primary regulatory targets for ozone control.

  2. EPA Method 6 is used to determine the concentration of which pollutant in stack gas?

    Answer: Sulfur dioxide (SO2)

    EPA Method 6 is the reference method for determining SO2 emissions from stationary sources using a midget impinger collection system followed by barium-thorin titration.

  3. What is the primary purpose of a high-volume (Hi-Vol) air sampler in ambient air monitoring?

    Answer: To collect a large volume of air through a filter to determine PM10 or TSP mass concentrations

    Hi-Vol samplers draw large volumes of air (typically 1,100–1,700 m³ over 24 hours) through a weighed filter to gravimetrically determine TSP or PM10 mass concentrations.

  4. Under what condition would an environmental technician report an air monitoring instrument as 'out of calibration'?

    Answer: When the instrument reading drifts more than the allowable tolerance from the certified reference standard value during a calibration check

    An instrument is out of calibration when its response to a known reference gas or standard falls outside the acceptable drift tolerance specified in the QA/QC plan or method.

  5. What does an air dispersion model (such as AERMOD) primarily calculate?

    Answer: Predicted pollutant concentrations at receptor locations downwind of emission sources

    AERMOD and similar Gaussian dispersion models use source emission rates, meteorological data, and terrain to predict ground-level pollutant concentrations at specified receptor locations.

  6. What does the term 'attainment area' mean in the context of NAAQS compliance?

    Answer: A geographic area that meets all applicable NAAQS for a given pollutant

    An attainment area is one where ambient air quality is measured to meet (or better) the applicable NAAQS for a specific pollutant; non-attainment areas require emission reduction plans.

  7. Which type of air pollution control device uses an electrical charge to remove particulate matter from industrial exhaust gas streams?

    Answer: Electrostatic precipitator (ESP)

    An electrostatic precipitator charges particles as they pass through a high-voltage field; the charged particles are then attracted to and collected on oppositely charged collection plates.