Pollution quiz

The Chernobyl explosion could have been prevented if...

• A. the Soviet Union did not have such a fearful control over its people and if they had been truthful about the severity of the accident right away.
• B. the Soviet Union had informed the plant workers that the type of reactor used at the plant was highly reactive they may not have pushed through with the test.
• C. the workers had done the test correctly and followed the directions of their supervisors instead of doing what they wanted.
• A and B

Which of these was the main pollutant released by the Chernobyl power plant explosion?

• A. cyanide
• B. nitrogen oxide
• C. nuclear radiation
• D. sulfur dioxide

The Chernobyl power plant explosion and the Tisza-Danube cyanide spill are both examples of

• A. water pollution.
• B. accidental pollution.
• C. radiation pollution.
• D. general pollution.

The map below best illustrates which problem?

• A. water pollution
• B. transboundary pollution
• C. toxic-chemical pollution
• D. general pollution

Which of these is a major cause of acid rain?

• A. spraying pesticides on crops
• B. burning fossil fuels like coal for energy
• C. dumping sewage in river systems
• D. using uranium to generate electricity

This image shows the effects of pollution in Europe’s “Black Triangle.” What is the primary cause of this damage?

• A. nuclear radiation from the region’s power plants
• B. cyanide leaks from the region’s factories and power plants
• C. acid rain caused by air pollution from factories and power plants
• D. accidental pollution from the Chernobyl power plant explosion

Acid rain forms when

• A. sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides mix with water in the air.
• B. nuclear radiation contaminates soil and crops.
• C. cyanide mixes with water in rivers.
• D. uranium is improperly stored.

What measures are being taken in Europe’s “Black Triangle” to reduce acid rain?

• A. switching to coal as a fuel
• B. building taller smokestacks
• C. stopping work on windy days
• D. installing smokestack scrubbers

How did the accidental spill of cyanide at a mine in Romania spread to neighboring countries?

• A. Winds blew cyanide to other countries.
• B. Rivers carried cyanide to other countries.
• C. Crops poisoned with cyanide were sold in other countries.
• D. Storms dropped rain poisoned with cyanide on other countries.

The Tisza-Danube cyanide spill is NOT __ pollution

• A. general pollution.
• B. accidental pollution.
• C. water pollution.
• D. transboundary pollution.