Multiple Choice Questions:
Question 1

How would a person most likely become ill from overly acidic water?

a.     The water may contain toxic heavy metals.

b.     Low pH is associated with cancer in newborns.

c.     Low pH can make water cloudy with suspended particles.

d.     There are no ill effects of acidity in water.

Question 2 

Which of the following is a major cause of waterborne diseases?

a.     Bacteria

b.     Particulates

c.     Dissolved gases

d.     Sediments

Question 3 

Which of the following is typically associated with a large amount of organic material in a water supply?

a.     Lower turbidity

b.     Higher phosphates

c.     Fecal coliform

d.     High dissolved oxygen

Question 4 

Which of the following is a sign of poor quality water?

a.     Zero turbidity

b.     A pH of 7.0

c.     High phosphate content

d.     High dissolved oxygen

Question 5 

Which of the following is a common source of groundwater pollution?

a.     Oil dumping and oil spills

b.     Tossing candy bar wrappers into a stream

c.     Flushing household chemicals down the toilet

d.     Leaking storage containers outside factories

Question 6 

Which of the following would most likely be considered nonpoint source pollution?

a.     Animal waste from a local horse farm seeping into the ground

b.     Increased turbidity from erosion

c.     A car repair shop dumping used oil in the ground

d.     A leaky underground oil tank

Question 7 

Which of the following is an action that people in Florida could take to help protect the Everglades?

a.     Decrease the amount of household detergents they use

b.     Remove photosynthesizing plants from the shores along wetlands

c.     Vote for politicians who support draining sections of wetland for sugar farming

d.     Purchase foods from local farmers who use large amounts of fertilizers on their fields

Question 8 

Which organization is responsible for enforcing clean-water legislation governing water use and quality in the Everglades?

a.     Everglades Police Agency

b.     Environmental Protection Agency

c.     Clean Water Agency

d.     Florida Waterway Patrol

Question 9 

Which of the following is an indicator of good water quality?

a.     High levels of nitrates

b.     High levels of phosphates

c.     Zero turbidity

d.     All of the above

Question 10 

A home gets its water from the public supply. Which of the following would be the best way for the homeowner to obtain a water-quality report?

a.     Purchase a home sampling kit on the Internet

b.     Record observations made by smelling and tasting the tap water

c.     Request data from the local water treatment facility

d.     Ask neighbors for a sample of their water to compare

Essay

Question 11 

Summarize your findings from the Water Quality Lab. Be sure to include your observations and the sources of each water-quality issue you investigated.

Question 12 

Bethany has a fish tank at her house. She uses the following data table to keep track of the nitrate and phosphate levels in the tank.

Bethany notices that the fish tank is gradually filling with algae. Based on the data she has collected, when did the problem most likely start? Explain.