NCEES Environmental Engineering PE Exam 2

Question 1

On the NCEES PE Environmental exam, which air pollutant is the primary precursor to ground-level ozone formation?

Accepted Answer

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and NOx reacting in sunlight

Answer

Ground-level ozone forms through photochemical reactions between nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the presence of sunlight — the basis of urban smog.

Question 2

In the NCEES PE Environmental exam, what does the 'NPDES permit' system regulate under the Clean Water Act?

Accepted Answer

Point source discharges of pollutants into waters of the United States

Answer

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requires permits for all point source discharges to surface waters, setting effluent limits based on technology and water quality standards.

Question 3

For the NCEES PE Environmental exam, what is 'nitrification' in biological wastewater treatment?

Accepted Answer

The aerobic microbial oxidation of ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate

Answer

Nitrification is a two-step aerobic process: Nitrosomonas converts ammonia to nitrite, then Nitrobacter converts nitrite to nitrate, requiring substantial oxygen and alkalinity.

Question 4

On the NCEES PE Environmental exam, what does 'fate and transport' modeling of contaminants in groundwater evaluate?

Accepted Answer

How contaminants move, dilute, and degrade in the subsurface over time

Answer

Fate and transport modeling predicts contaminant plume migration, dilution, adsorption, and biodegradation in groundwater to assess risk and design remediation strategies.

Question 5

In the NCEES PE Environmental exam, which metric is used to design disinfection systems using the CT concept?

Accepted Answer

The product of disinfectant concentration (C) and contact time (T) required for a specified log inactivation of pathogens

Answer

CT (concentration × time) is the fundamental design metric for chemical disinfection; regulators specify CT values (in mg/L·min) required to achieve target log-inactivation of Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and viruses.

NCEES National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying Practice Practice Test

NCEES National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying Practice Practice Test

NCEES Environmental Engineering PE Exam 2