Environmental Engineering PE Exam Flashcards
6 cards from real NCEES practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Environmental Engineering PE Exam flashcards as text
On the NCEES PE Environmental exam, which process is used in a conventional drinking water treatment plant to remove suspended particles after coagulation and flocculation?
Answer: Sedimentation (clarification)
After coagulation and flocculation form larger floc particles, sedimentation (settling in clarifiers) removes the floc by gravity before filtration.
In the NCEES PE Environmental exam, what does 'BOD5' measure in wastewater analysis?
Answer: The amount of dissolved oxygen consumed by microorganisms decomposing organic matter in 5 days at 20°C
BOD5 (5-day biochemical oxygen demand) measures the oxygen consumed by microbial decomposition of organic matter in water over 5 days at 20°C, indicating organic pollution strength.
For the NCEES PE Environmental exam, what is the primary purpose of chlorination in drinking water treatment in the US?
Answer: To inactivate pathogenic microorganisms and provide residual disinfection in the distribution system
Chlorination disinfects drinking water by inactivating pathogens and maintaining a disinfectant residual throughout the distribution system as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act.
On the NCEES PE Environmental exam, what is the 'hydraulic retention time (HRT)' of a wastewater treatment reactor?
Answer: The average time water (liquid) spends in the reactor, equal to volume divided by flow rate
HRT = V/Q (volume/flow), representing the average residence time of liquid in the reactor, which determines treatment effectiveness for time-dependent reactions.
In the NCEES PE Environmental exam, which US regulation sets National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs)?
Answer: Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) authorizes EPA to establish National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, including maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for public water systems.
For the NCEES PE Environmental exam, what is 'eutrophication' of a water body caused by?
Answer: Excessive nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) loading stimulating algal growth and depleting oxygen
Eutrophication results from excessive nitrogen and phosphorus inputs (agriculture, wastewater) that fuel algal blooms; when algae die and decompose, dissolved oxygen is depleted, creating hypoxic zones.
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