Multiple Choice Questions (Week 7)
1. When monitoring ambient air for ozone (O₃), which analytical method provides high
sensitivity and specificity?
a. Chemiluminescence
b. Flame ionization detection (FID)
c. Ultraviolet photometry
d. Infrared spectrometry
Answer: c
2. Which of the following techniques is often used in air sampling to analyze size-
segregated particulate matter?
a. Impinger
b. Sorbent tube
c. Cascade impactor
d. Diffusion tube
Answer: c
3. Why are blank samples important in air sampling?
a. To calibrate instruments for greater sensitivity
b. To identify background contamination within the sampling system
c. To measure the true concentration of pollutants
d. To estimate the atmospheric temperature
Answer: b
4. What is a common method used for analysing carbon monoxide (CO) levels in the
atmosphere?
a. UV absorption spectroscopy
b. Infrared absorption
c. Atomic absorption spectrometry
d. Chemiluminescence
Answer: b
5. What is a key advantage of offline air sampling methods over online methods?
a. Ability to provide real-time data
b. Higher sensitivity for low-concentration pollutants
c. Continuous monitoring capability
d. Lower sample processing costs
Answer: b
6. Which of these is not dependent on inlet efficiency:
a) Ambient gas velocity
b) Inlet geometry (size and position)
c) Sampling gas velocity
d) Direction of gas
Answer: d
7. Which of this parameter is not necessary while site selection for installing sampler?
a) Ensure the site provides a representative sample of the area's air quality
b) Avoid locations that might give skewed data due to unusual meteorological conditions
c) Avoid areas with vegetations
d) Away from source and other interferences
Answer: c
8. Modified West and Gaeke method is used for determination of
a) Sulphur dioxide in ambient air
b) Nitrogen dioxide in ambient air
c) Ozone
d) Particulate matter
Answer: a
9. Which instrument is most suitable for analysis of toxic heavy metals like lead and
cadmium in particulate matter?
a) Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)
b) Beta Attenuation Monitoring (BAM)
c) Laser Optical Techniques
d) Chemiluminescence Detection
Answer: a
10. What is the primary challenge in using LIDAR technology for air pollution
monitoring?
a) Low accuracy in detecting gaseous pollutants
b) Dependence on meteorological conditions like humidity and fog
c) Inability to measure multiple pollutants simultaneously
d) High maintenance cost of the equipment
Answer: b
11. Which of these factors does not affect aerosol sampling
a) Evaporation and/or condensation of aerosol
b) Deposition during transport and storage
c) Deposition in the inlet
d) Size of sampler
Answer: d
12. Which technique is used for real-time measurement of particulate matter?
a. Gas Chromatography
b. Wet Chemistry
c. BAM (Beta Attenuation Monitor)
d. Gravimetric Analysis
Answer: c
13. One method that is used for analysing sulphur dioxide of the ambient air sample
a) Electrochemical Sensors
b) Gravimetric Analysis
c) FTIR Spectroscopy
d) Colorimetry
Answer: d
14. Which type of sampling device is typically used to determine the vertical
distribution of pollutants in the atmosphere?
a) LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)
b) Cascade Impactor
c) High-Volume Air Sampler
d) Beta Attenuation Monitor
Answer: a
15. EPA established an Air Quality Index (AQI) for five major air pollutants regulated
by the Clean Air Act, which one of this is not included
a) Ground-level ozone
b) Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10)
c) Carbon monoxide
d) Carbon dioxide
Answer: a
