ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PRINCIPLES

1. It is known as Water Quality Guidelines and General Effluent For numbers 13 to 14:
Standards of 2016. 13. Compute the theoretical NBOD of a wastewater containing 30 mg/L
a. DAO 34 c. RA 9275 of ammonia as nitrogen.
b. DAO 35 d. DAO No. 2016-08 a. 137 mg/L b. 128 mg/L
b. 110 mg/L d. 146 mg/L
2. Class of water intended for primary contact recreation such as
bathing, swimming, ski diving, etc. 14. If the wastewater analysis was reported as 30 mg/L of ammonia
a. Class AA c. Class B (NH3), what would the theoretical NBOD be?
b. Class A d. Class C a. 125 mg/L b. 113 mg/L
b. 106 mg/L d. 159 mg/L
3. Gas responsible for the rotten egg odor of wastewater.
a. ammonia c. mercaptans 15. Dissolved oxygen in water is reduced during
b. amines d. hydrogen sulfide a. winter c. spring
b. summer d. autumn
4. The resistance of water to the passage of light through it is a measure
of the 16. The color of wastewater containing little or no dissolved oxygen is
a. color c. hardness a. gray c. brown
b. turbidity d. dissolved gases b. black d. reddish brown

5. Which of the following apparatus is not used in measuring turbidity? 17. In the determination of BOD, the reaction takes place at
a. Jackson Turbidimeter a. 200C c. 400C
b. Secchi Disk Depth b. 300C d. 500C
c. Photoelectric Colorimeter
d. none of these 18. What volume of wastewater sample is required for a BOD and
oxygen consumption of 25 mg/L and 2.46 mg/L, respectively?
6. Sodium ions contribute to which characteristics of the water a. 50 mL c. 30 mL
a. pH c. hardness b. 20 mL d. 40 mL
b. color d. total dissolved solids
19. In the determination of BOD, the reaction takes place in the dark
7. The total solids in water are due to the presence of
because
a. suspended and dissolved solids
b. suspended and floating solids
a. The microorganisms are sensitive to light.
c. colloidal and settleable solids b. Oxygen is sensitive to light.
d. colloidal and bacterial load c. The reaction is enhanced in the dark.
d Algae may be present and produce oxygen.
8. The following test results were obtained for a wastewater sample
taken from a treatment plant. All of the tests were performed using 20. a BOD test, 1.0 mL of raw sewage was diluted to 100 mL,
a sample size of 50 mL. Determine the concentration of the total maintained at 200C. The dissolved oxygen concentration of
volatile solids in wastewater. diluted sample at the beginning was 6 ppm and it was 4 ppm after
5 days. The BOD of raw sewage in ppm is
Tare mass of evaporating dish 62.003 g a. 100 c. 300
Mass of evaporating dish plus residue after evaporation at 1050C 62.039 g b. 200 d. 400
Mass of evaporating dish plus residue after ignition at 5500C 62.036 g
Tare mass of whatman filter paper 1.540 g
Residue on whatman filter paper after drying at 1050C 1.552 g For numbers 21 to 23:
Residue on whatman filter paper after after ignition at 5500C 1.549 g 21. The BOD of a wastewater sample is estimated to be 180 mg/L.
What volume of undiluted sample should be added to a 300-mL
a. 60 mg/L c. 120 mg/L bottle? Assume that 4 mg /L BOD can be consumed in the BOD
b. 240 mg/L d. 720 mg/L bottle.
a. 5 mL c. 6 mL
9. Using the same data in the previous problem, what is the total b. 8 mL d. 7 mL
dissolved solids of the sample?
a. 60 mg/L c. 120 mg/L 22. What is the sample size and dilution factor using this volume?
b. 240 mg/L d. 720 mg/L a. 0.023 c. 0.015
b. 0.028 d. 0.019
10. Compute the ThOD of 108.75 mg L−1 of glucose (C6H12O6).
a. 116 mg/L c. 132 mg/L 23. What is the BOD5 of the wastewater sample if the DO values for
b. 128 mg/L d. 140 mg/L the blank and diluted sample after 5 days are 8.7 and 4.2 mg/L,
respectively?
11. What is the theoretical oxygen demand in liters of air for 50 mg/L a. 263 mg/L c. 205 mg/L
solution of acetone, to decompose completely? b. 217 mg/L d. 223 mg/L
a. 457 L c. 368 L
b. 224 L d. 580 L 24. The following data have been obtained in a BOD test that is made
to determine how well a wastewater treatment plant is operating:
12. Glutamic acid is used as one of the reagents for a standard to
check the BOD test. Determine the theoretical oxygen of 150 ppm Initial Final Volume of Volume of
of glutamic acid. DO DO Wastewater Dilution
a. 125 ppm c. 212 ppm (mg/L) (mg/L) (mL) Water (mL)
b. 186 ppm d. 256 ppm Untreated
6.0 2.0 5 295
sewage
Treated
9.0 4.0 15 285
sewage
 ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PRINCIPLES

If this is a secondary treatment plant that is supposed to remove 34. Calculate the initial deficit of the Tefnet Creek after mixing with the
85 percent of the BOD, would you say it is operating properly? wastewater from the town of Aveta. The stream temperature is 10◦C,
a. Yes b. No and the wastewater temperature is 10◦C. The saturated dissolved
oxygen at 10◦C is 11.33 mg/L.
25. A test bottle containing just seeded dilution water has its DO level a. 7.2 mg/L c. 6.6 mg/L
drop by 1 mg/L in a five-day test. A 300 ml BOD bottle filled with b. 8.0 mg/L d. 4.5 mg/L
15 ml of wastewater and the rest seeded dilution water
For numbers 35 to 38:
experiences a drop of 7.2 mg/L in the same time period. What
A city of 200,000 people disposes of 1.05 m3/s of treated sewage that
would be the five-day BOD of the waste? still has a BODu of 28.0 mg/L and 1.8 mg/L of DO into a river.
a. 125 mg/L c. 250 mg/L Upstream from the outfall, the river has a flowrate of 7.08 m3/s and a
b. 155 mg/L d. 225 mg/L velocity of 0.37 m/s. At this point, the BODu and DO in the river are
3.6 and 7.6 mg mg/L, respectively. The saturation value of DO (at
26. A standard BOD test is run using seeded dilution water. In one the temperature of the river) is 8.5 mg/L.The deoxygenation
bottle, the waste sample is mixed with seeded dilution water coefficient, kd, is 0.61 day−1, and the reaeration coefficient, kr, is 0.76
giving a dilution of 1:30. Another bottle, the blank, contains just day−1. Assume complete mixing and that the velocity in the river is
seeded dilution water. Both bottles begin the test with DO at the the same upstream and downstream of the outfall.
saturation value of 9.2 mg/L. After five days, the bottle containing
waste has DO equal to 2.0 mg/L, while that containing just seeded 35. What is the oxygen deficit just downstream from the outfall (just after
dilution water has DO equal to 8.0 mg/L. Find the five-day BOD mixing, before any reaction can occur)?
of the waste. a. 2.2 mg/L c. 1.6 mg/L
a. 190 mg/L c. 176 mg/L b. 1.0 mg/L d. 2.8 mg/L
b. 181 mg/L d. 166 mg/L
36. What is the DO 16 km downstream?
For numbers 27 to 29: a. 4.8 mg/L b. 6.2 mg/L
The dilution factor P for an unseeded mixture of waste and water b. 5.9 mg/L d. 7.3 mg/L
is 0.030. The DO of the mixture is initially 9.0 mg/L, and after five
37. Calculate the critical distance.
days, it has dropped to 3 mg/L. The reaction rate constant k has
a. 48 km c. 53 km
been found to be 0.22 /day. b. 34 km d. 25 km
27. What is the five-day BOD of the waste? 38. Calculate the minimum DO.
a. 200 mg/L c. 100 mg/L a. 5.7 mg/L c. 4.2 mg/L
b. 50 mg/L d. 150 mg/L b. 6.0 mg/L d. 3.8 mg/L

28. What would be the ultimate carbonaceous BOD? For numbers 39 to 40:
a. 300 mg/L c. 500 mg/L Just below the point where a continuous discharge of pollution
b. 400 mg/L d. 200 mg/L mixes with a river, the BOD is 10.9 mg/L, and DO is 7.6 mg/L.
The river and waste mixture has a temperature of 20°C, a
29. What would be the remaining oxygen demand after five days? deoxygenation constant kd of 0.20/day, an average flow speed of
a. 100 mg/L c. 200 mg/L 0.30 m/s, and an average depth of 3.0 m.
b. 75 mg/L d. 50 mg/L
39. Find the distance downstream at which the oxygen deficit is at a
30. A standard 5-Day BOD test is run using a mix consisting of three maximum. The saturation value of DO at 20°C is 9.1 mg/L
parts of distilled water and one-part wastewater. If the initial a. 43 miles c. 66 miles
dissolve oxygen of the mix is 10 mg/L and after 5 days, the b. 35 miles d. 58 miles
dissolved oxygen is 4 mg/L. The dissolved oxygen value after a
long period of time is constant at 1 mg/L. Calculate the rate 40. Find the minimum value of DO.
constant, k (day-). a. 5.5 mg/L c. 6.0 mg/L
a. 0.123 c. 0.220 b. 5.8 mg/L d. 6.7 mg/L
b. 0.209 d. 0.188
41. Given the following data for Marikina River and Pasig River,
31. Determine the BOD2 of a sample wastewater if its BOD5 is 135 determine the best combination of plant and location to conserve
mg/L with a rate constant of 0.23/d. the environment.
a. 197.55 mg/L c. 40.6 mg/L
b. 72.84 mg/L d. 60.5 mg/L Sugar Plant (A) in Sugar Plant (A) in
Factor
Pasig River (PR) Marikina River (MR)
32. The BOD5 of a domestic wastewater at 200C is 220 mg/L and its
ultimate BOD is 320 mg/L. Calculate the rate constant at 150C. kd 0.15 0.15
a. 0.062/d c. 0.248/d
b. 0.124/d d. 0.496/d kr 0.17 0.25

For numbers 33 to 34: tc 5.18 4.1

33. The town of Aveta discharges 17,360 m3/day of treated wastewater
into the Tefnet Creek. The treated wastewater has a BOD5 of 12 mg/L D 7.98 6.62
and a BOD decay constant, k, of 0.12 day−1 at 20◦C. Tefnet Creek
has a flow rate of 0.43 m3/s and an ultimate BOD, Lo, of 5.0 mg/L. DO 0.40 1.76
The DO of the river is 6.5 mg/L and the DO of the wastewater is 1.0
mg/L. Compute the DO and initial ultimate BOD, Lo, after mixing.
a. 4.75 and 12 mg/L c. 5.22 and 13 mg/L
b. 3.36 and 11 mg/L d. 6.07 and 14 mg/L
 ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PRINCIPLES

50. The carbonate hardness

Ethanol Plant (B) in Ethanol Plant (B) in a. 325 c. 135
Factor b. 188 d. 123
Pasig River (PR) Marikina River (MR)
kd 0.11 0.10 51. The noncarbonated hardness
a. 325 c. 135
kr 0.17 0.25 b. 188 d. 123

tc 5.86 4.47 52. The alkalinity, all expressed as CaCO3.

a. 325 c. 135
D 6.51 5.32 b. 188 d. 123

DO 1.87 3.06 53. Find the total dissolved solids (TDS) in mg/L.
a. 650 c. 770
b. 860 d. 590
a. Plant A, Pasig River c. Plant A, Marikina River
b. Plant B, Pasig River d. Plant B, Marikina River 54. Hardness of water is usually expressed in parts per million of
a. MgSO4 c. Na2CO3
b. CaCO3 d. CaCl2
42. Involves the accumulation of trace metals through each species of
the food chain.
a. biomagnification c. anaerobic respiration 55. A sample of groundwater has an 150 milligrams per liter of
b. denitrification d. eutrophication Ca2+ and 60 milligrams per liter of Mg2+, how would this water be
classified
43. A trace metal which causes Itai-itai diseases is a. soft c. slightly Hard
a. cadmium c. mercury b. moderately hard d. very Hard
b. silver d. chromium
For numbers 56 to 58:
44. Which of the following is not a physical characteristic of wastewater? The following mineral analysis was reported for a water sample
a. odor c. color taken from well No. 1 at the Eastwood Manor Subdivision near
b. turbidity d. hardness McHenry Illinois (Woller and Sanderson, 1976a). Well No. 1, Lab
No. 02694, November 9, 1971). (Note: All reported as mg/L as
45. It is the phenomenon that results in the overabundance of algae the ion unless stated otherwise.) Determine the following
growth in bodies of water. It is also the natural process of nutrient
enrichment that occurs over time in a body of water. Mineral Concentration Mineral Concentration
a. biomagnification c. anaerobic respiration Iron (2+) 0.2 Silica (SiO2) 20.0
b. eutrophication d. thermal inversion Manganese (2+) 0 Fluoride 0.35
Ammonium 0.5 Boron 0.1
46. A chemical analysis has revealed the following composition for the Sodium 4.7 Nitrate 0.0
rain falling on the city of Thule. Potassium 0.9 Chloride 4.5
1.38 mg/L HNO3 Calcium 67.2 Sulfate 29.0
3.21 mg/L H2SO4 Magnesium 40.0 Alkalinity 284 as CaCO3
0.354 mg/L HCl Barium 0.5 pH (as 7.6 units
0.361 mg/L NH3 recorded)
What is the pH of the rainwater?
a. 3.38 c. 4.12 56. Total hardness
b. 3.90 d. 4.05 a. 284 c. 335
b. 0 d. 51
47. A water contains 100.0 mg/L CO32- and 75.0 mg/L HCO3- at a pH of
10 (T = 25◦C). Calculate the exact alkalinity. Approximate the 57. Carbonate Hardness
alkalinity by ignoring the appropriate chemical species.
a. 284 c. 335
a. 225 mg/L as CaCO3 c. 233 mg/L as CaCO3
b. 0 d. 51
b. 217 mg/L as CaCO3 d. 247 mg/L as CaCO3

48. A sample of water has a pH of 10 has a 32 mg/L CO 32-. Find the 58. Non-carbonate hardness
alkalinity as mg/L as CaCO3. a. 284 c. 335
a. 120.8 mg/L as CaCO3 c. 115.3 mg/L as CaCO3 b. 0 d. 51
b. 125.9 mg/L as CaCO3 d. 117.2 mg/L as CaCO3
59. The following mineral analysis was reported for a water sample
For numbers 49 to 53: taken from well No. 1 at Magnolia, Illinois (Woller and Sanderson,
The analysis of a sample of water with pH 7.5 has produced the 1976b). Determine the noncarbonate hardness (in mg/Las
following concentrations (mg/L) CaCO3), using the predominant polyvalent cation definition of
Cations mg/L Anions mg/L hardness. Well No. 1, Lab No. B109535, April 23, 1973 (Note: All
Ca2+ 80 HCO3- 165 reported as mg/L as the ion unless stated otherwise.)
Mg 2+ 30 Cl- 100
Na + 72 SO4-2 201
K+ 6
Find the following:

49. Total hardness

a. 325 c. 135
b. 188 d. 123
 ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PRINCIPLES

Mineral Concentration Mineral Concentration For numbers 70 to 71:

Iron 0.42 Silica (SiO2) 20.0 A town of 20,000 in Germany generates 0.95 kg/(capita)-day of
Manganese 0.04 Fluoride 0.3 MSW. A town of the same size in the United States generates 1.9
Ammonium 11.0 Boron 0.3 kg/(capita)-day of MSW.
Sodium 78.0 Nitrate 0.0
Potassium 2.6 Chloride 9.0 70. How much MSW is generated in each town?
Calcium 78.0 Sulfate 0.0 a. Germany – 19000, US – 38000
Magnesium 32.0 Zinc 0.01 b. Germany – 18000, US – 36000
Copper 0.01 Alkalinity 494.035 as c. Germany – 20000, US – 40000
CaCO3 d. Germany – 17000, US – 34000
Barium 0.5 pH (as 7.7 units
recorded) 71. How many trucks would be needed to collect the waste twice weekly?
The trucks each have a capacity of 4.5 MT and operate 5 days per
a. 0 c. 327 week. Assume that the trucks average two loads per day at 75%
b. 494 110 capacity.
a. Germany – 2, US – 4
For numbers 60 to 61: b. Germany – 3, US – 6
A utility treats 12 MGD of the water in Example 6 to its maximum c. Germany – 1, US – 2
softness before distribution. d. Germany – 4, US – 8
60. How much lime and soda ash (in mg/L as CaCO3) must the utility
add? 72. Determine the area required for a new landfill site with a projected
a. 297, 188 c. 288, 176 life of 30 years for a population of 250,000 generating 2.02 kg per
b. 265, 152 d. 279, 160 capita per day. The density of the compacted waste is 470 kg/m3.
The height of the landfill cannot exceed 15 m.
61. What mass of softening sludge will the plant generate daily? a. 56.6 ha c. 49.2 ha
a. 21100 kg c. 26700 kg b. 78.4 ha d. 68.3 ha
b. 24900 kg d. 25400 kg
73. Ecological Solid Waste Act of 2000 is otherwise known as
62. Hard water can be softened by a. RA 6969 c. RA 9003
a. letting the calcium or magnesium ions settle out b. RA 8749 d. RA 9275
b. passing it through an ion exchanger
c. chlorination 74. In solid waste composting, a carbon content that is way higher
d. filtration than the optimum browns to green ratio will result to
a. low bacterial activity
63. Removal of all settleable particles rendered settleable under the b. odorous composting product
influence of gravity, basically the theory of gravity under the influence c. long composting time
of which all particles heavier than water tend to settle down. d. none of the above
a. screening c. sedimentation
b. flotation d. flocculation 75. “Smokey Mountain” is a typical example of a facility for solid
waste. It is classified as
64. Type of wastewater treatment that employs physical and chemical
a. open dumping site c. transfer station
treatment methods to remove or reduce a high percentage of
suspended solids and toxic materials. b. sanitary landfill d. material recovery facility
a. Primary Treatment c. Tertiary Treatment
b. Secondary Treatment d. Minor Treatment 76. It is the international salute that is currently the primary basis of
the Philippines in its latest environmental dispute with Canada.
65. In facultative stabilization pond, the sewage is treated by a. Kyoto Protocol c. Copenhagen Talks
a. aerobical bacteria c. algae b. Bassel Convention d. Montreal Protocol
b. anaerobic bacteria d. both (a) and (b)
77. A global treaty that aims to diminish and eventually phase out
66. Process whereby coarse matter (suspended or floating) of a certain chlorofluorocarbons.
size can be strained out of flowing water with the aid of bars, fines a. Stockholm Convention
wires or rocks. b. Kyoto Protocol
a. screening c. flotation c. Montreal Protocol
b. sedimentation d. flocculation d. none of these
67. Water treatment that destroys disease-causing bacteria, nuisance 78. All of the biogeochemical cycles involve the atmosphere as either
bacteria, parasites and other organisms and removes soluble irons, sink or reservoir except for one. This exception cycle uses the __
manganese and hydrogen sulfide from water. as its sink.
a. disinfection c. chlorination
a. lithosphere c. hydrosphere
b. flocculation d. coagulation
b. either (a) or (c) d. neither (a) or (b)
68. A code for plastics used for food wrapping, trash bags, grocery
bags and baby diapers. 79. It is an odorless and colorless gas that is lethal to humans with
a. 2 c. 4 exposure as short as a few minutes to concentrations exceeding
5000 ppm. It reacts with hemoglobin in the blood rendering the
b. 3 d. 5 latter incapable of carrying oxygen to the body.
a. carbon monoxide c. sulfur dioxide
69. It is the international salute that is currently the primary basis of b. hydrogen supplied d. sulfur trioxide
the Philippines in its latest environmental dispute with Canada.
a. Kyoto Protocol c. Copenhagen Talks
b. Bassel Convention d. Montreal Protocol
 ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PRINCIPLES

80. Pick out the wrong statement.

a. The concentric atmosphere layer just above troposphere is
called stratosphere, which is rich in ozone.
b. Mesosphere is characterized by very low atmosphere pressure
and low temperature.
c. Troposphere is a dusty zone containing water vapor and
clouds.
d. The radio waves used in the long distance radio
communication are reflected to earth by stratosphere.

81. The rate at which temperature in the atmosphere changes with

altitude is called
a. temperature change c. lapse rate
b. thermal rate d. vertical rate

82. Most of the atmospheric air pollutants are present in large

quantity in
a. stratosphere c. troposphere
b. thermosphere d. mesosphere

83. Collective term for the initial POPs identified by the Stockholm
Convention
a. Dirty 12 c. Dirty Dozens
b. 12 POPs d. EDCs

84. The Philippines is the _____ country to ratify the Stockholm

Convention
a. 31st c. 41st
b. 51st d. 81st

85. Which biogeochemical cycle has bacteria living in a symbiotic

relationship with the roots of legumes?
a. oxygen c. nitrogen
b. carbon d. phosphorous

86. By which process is carbon dioxide released from plants back into
the atmosphere?
a. evaporation c. photosynthesis
b. respiration d. phosphorylation

87. Process where decomposers return back the nitrogen to the soils
through the remains and waste of plants and animals.
a. ammonification c. denitrification
b. nitrogen fixation d. ammonolysis

88. Estimated variations in Earth’s mean surface temperature over

the past 135 years correlate closely with
a. ozone c. nitrous oxide
b. CFS d. carbon dioxide

89. Which of the acid combination is the dominant composition of

acid rain?
a. nitric acid and carbonic acid
b. nitric acid and sulfuric acid
c. carbonic acid and sulfuric acid
d. none of the above

90. Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and Environmental Impact

Assessments (EIA) are examples of tools demanded by which
ISO series?
a. ISO 9000 c. ISO 22000
b. ISO 14000 d. none of the above