What’s your EnviroQ? Answer Page

Posted on | January 25, 2009 | Comments Off

by the EPA

Washington DC — The “What’s your EnviroQ?” feature highlights important environmental issues and helpful information that everyone can use. We hope the EnviroQ will stimulate users’ interest and curiosity about a variety of topics and make it fun to learn about environmental protection.

Use this page to check your answers or read more of the EnviroQs.

How many USA lung cancer deaths each year are due to radon?

a. 200
b. 2000
c. 20000
d. 200000

The answer is c.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas and has been identified as a leading cause of lung cancer, second only to cigarette smoking in the United States. EPA’s most recent health risk assessment estimates that 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year are due to radon. You can’t see or smell radon because it is a colorless, odorless gas. The only way to know whether radon exists in elevated levels in your home, and to protect your family from radon, is to TEST! Who can test or fix your home? | USA map of radon zones

How many tons of road salt are used each year in the United States?

a. 500 thousand
b. 2 million
c. 11 million
d. 97 million

The answer is c.

More than 11 million tons of salt are applied to roads in the Unites States annually. As ice and snow melt, or rain falls, the salt is washed into the surrounding soil. Salt also enters ground water from improperly protected storage stockpiles. Road salt application and storage

Follow cleanup instructions for a mercury spill. What never to do
Mercury should be carefully cleaned up and disposed of when you

a. visit the innermost planet
b. break a thermometer
c. transmute lead into gold
d. deliver messages quickly

The answer is b.

When liquid mercury (also known as elemental or metallic mercury) is spilled, it forms droplets that can accumulate in the tiniest of spaces and then emit vapors into the air. Mercury vapor in the air is odorless, colorless, and very toxic! Most mercury exposures occur by breathing vapors, by direct skin contact or by eating food or drinking water contaminated with mercury. Any amount spilled or leaked must be treated with extreme caution and cleaned up or removed immediately and very carefully so as not to spread any contamination. What should I do if I have a mercury spill? | Basic information about Mercury | FOR KIDS! What you need to know about Mercury!

In case of oil or chemical spill, who you gonna call?

a. the neighbors
b. the marines
c. the national response center
d. the garbage collector

The answer is c.

To report an oil or chemical spill, call 1-800-424-8802. An environmental emergency is a sudden threat to the public health, or the well-being of the environment, from the release or potential release of oil, radioactive materials, or hazardous chemicals. Environmental emergencies may happen from transportation accidents, events at chemical or other facilities using or manufacturing chemicals, or as a result of natural or man-made disasters. They can be large spills in the ocean or small spills along a neighborhood street. While there are many serious environmental problems EPA is concerned with, an emergency response generally focuses on a sudden, immediate threat. More about environmental emergencies

Photovoltaic panels create electricity from what source?

a. wind power
b. hybrid fuel
c. sunlight
d. water power

The answer is c.

Solar power is produced using solar cells, also known as photovoltaics. Photovoltaic cells turn sunlight (“photo”) energy into electricity (“voltaic”). Like batteries, solar cells generate direct current (DC) which is then converted to alternating current (AC). Solar cells can be used to generate electricity on-site at facilities, and they are often mounted on rooftops. More about green power

Which U.S. state has the most acres of wetlands?

a. Minnesota
b. Louisiana
c. Florida
d. Alaska

The answer is d.

In the 1980s, an estimated 170-200 million acres of wetland existed in Alaska – covering slightly more than half of the state. Next to Alaska, Florida (11 million), Louisiana (8.8 million), Minnesota (8.7 million), and Texas (7.6 million) have the largest wetland acreage. In the 1600s, over 220 million acres of wetlands are thought to have existed in the lower 48 states. Since then, extensive losses have occurred and over half of our original wetlands have been drained and converted to other uses. More information about wetlands status and trends.

Gaylord Nelson
Who organized the first Earth Day?

a. John F. Kennedy
b. Gaylord Nelson
c. Rachel Carson
d. Al Gore

The answer is b.

Gaylord Nelson (1916-2005), Wisconsin governor and U.S. Senator, is considered to be the father of the first Earth Day (held on April 22, 1970). In 1995, Senator Nelson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts to inspire Americans about the importance and urgency of environmental protection. Senator Nelson’s biography | More about Earth Day

What percent of U.S. waste materials is potential compost?

a. 11 percent
b. 23 percent
c. 47 percent
d. 72 percent

The answer is b.

Yard trimmings and food residuals together constitute 23 percent of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream. That’s a lot of waste to send to landfills when it could become useful and environmentally beneficial compost instead! Composting offers the obvious benefits of resource efficiency and creating a useful product from organic waste that would otherwise have been landfilled. Create your own compost pile | Composting programs where you live

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