Environmental Engineering Pe Exam Prep

Front 1

Very volatile (gaseous) organic compounds (VVOC)

Back 1

Examples: Propane, butane, methyl chloride

Hint 1

Boiling point range: <0 to 50-100 C

Front 2

Volatile organic compounds (VOC)

Back 2

Examples: Formaldehyde, d-Limonene, toluene, acetone, toluene, ethanol (ethyl alcohol) 2-propanol (isopropyl alcohol), hexanal, MTBE

Hint 2

Boiling point range: 50-100 to 240-260 C

Front 3

Semi volatile organic compounds (SVOC)

Back 3

Pesticides (DDT, chlordane, plasticizers (phthalates), fire retardants (PCBs, PBB))

Hint 3

Boiling Point Range: 240-260 to 380-400 C

Front 4

Why is methane not considered a VOC?

Back 4

Only some VOCs are considered “reactive” enough to be of concern. VOCs that are non-reactive or of negligible reactivity to form ozone under these conditions are exempted from the definition of VOCs used by EPA in its regulation.

Front 5

Definition of VOCs indoors

Back 5

When discussing indoor environments, all organic chemical compounds that can volatize under normal indoor atmospheric conditions of temperature and pressure are VOCs.

Front 6

VOCs found during USGS aquifer study

Back 6

The most frequently detected VOCs were chloroform, the solvents PCE and TCE, and the gasoline oxygenate MTBE

Front 7

What are some sources of VOCs?

Back 7

Sources of emissions related to outdoor VOCs include solvent use, on road vehicles, non road equipment, industrial processes, fires and more.

Front 8

Clean Air Act

Back 8

42 U.S.C. §7401 et seq. (1970)

The Clean Air Act, like other laws enacted by Congress, was incorporated into the United States Code as Title 42, Chapter 85.

Hint 8

The Clean Air Act (CAA) is the comprehensive federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources. Among other things, this law authorizes EPA to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public health and public welfare and to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants.

Front 9

History of PCBs

Back 9

PCBs, valued for chemical stability and fire resistance, were manufactured and processed primarily for use as insulating fluids and coolants in electrical equipment and machinery from 1929-1977.

Front 10

Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR)

Back 10

Title 40: Protection of Environment is the section of the CFR that deals with EPA's mission of protecting human health and the environment.

Hint 10

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?sid=ffb1feaa2101bd6ffa443f5c3107fff2&c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title40/40tab_02.tpl

Front 11

Name Non-Scope Items in a Phase I Enironmental Site Assessment

Back 11

Asbestos, Lead-Based Paint,
Mold, Radon, Lead in drinking water, wetlands, threatened and endangered species, earthquake hazard, vapor intrusion

Hint 11

Allowed but not required. Required components are: Hazardous substances, petroleum products, storage tanks, odors, pools of liquid, drums, PCBs, Unidentified containers, stressed vegetation, solid waste, wells, waste water

Front 12

Purpose of a phase II environmental site assessment compared to Phase I

Back 12

Phase 1 = Identify
Phase 2 = Evaluate

Front 13

What comes after a phase II environmental site assessment?

Back 13

Either no action or an RI/FS (remedial/feasibility study)

Front 14

What does COC stand for?

Back 14

chain of custody (should accompany shipments of environmental media samples

Front 15

What can be measured using a GC (gas chromatograph)?

Back 15

organic compounds
(Need GC/MS to measure PCBs or TCE)

Front 16

Air sparging targets which contaminant groups?

Back 16

VOCs and fuels

Hint 16

Methane can be used as an amendment to the sparged air to enhance co-metabolism of chlorinated organics

Front 17

Why do liquids and gases take on the shape of their containers?

Back 17

Fluids are resistant to shear forces and deform continuously.

Front 18

What is another way of saying viscosity?

Back 18

resistance to motion

Front 19

Do liquid or gas molecules have stronger forces of attraction?

Back 19

Liquid molecules are relatively close together and have strong forces of attraction. They travel short distances to bump into each other. (Low Kinetic Energy)

Front 20

Most fluid problems assume what type of fluid?

Back 20

Ideal fluid, newtonian fluids, or non-newtonian fluids

Hint 20

Assume real fluids with Newtonian characteristics

Front 21

What is the difference between absolute and gauge pressure?

Back 21

Absolute pressure is measured with respect to a true zero pressure value. Gauge pressures are measured with respect to atmospheric pressure.

Front 22

True or false: Barometric pressure is synonymous with atmospheric pressure

Back 22

True