Module 3 - Air Quality Standards Worksheet

Module 3 Air Quality Standards Worksheet and Rubric
Student Name: ?????
Timeliness

Fully Met

Partially Met/Good

Partially Met/Fair

Not Met

Timeliness
Indicators
Grade Impact

Posted by the
deadline
No impact

Posted 1 day late

Posted 2–4 days late

10% reduction in
overall assignment
score

20% reduction in
overall assignment
score

Posted 5 or more days
late
0 points

Part 1: NAAQS Quiz (Short answer)
Go to EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards website homepage at http://www.epa.gov/air/criteria.html. Review the
details of NAAQS for the criteria pollutants and answer the following questions:
Question (5 points each)

Response

Score

How many criteria pollutants
are covered under the
NAAQS?
In what year was the ozone
standard first initiated?
For which pollutant has the
standard been most recently
strengthened?
Over what period of time are
lead measurements made to
assess meeting the standard?
What human health effect is
associated with exposure to
carbon monoxide?

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Page 1 of 6

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Question (5 points each)
List the top two sources of
sulfur dioxide emissions in the
U.S.
Define a “non-attainment” area
with respect to the NAAQS.
For which regions of the U.S.
is attainment of PM10 a
particular problem?

Response

Score
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?????
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Total Score

Instructor comments: ?????

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(40 possible
points)
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Page 2 of 6

Part 2: Choosing national air quality priorities (short essay answer)
Review the background information on each of the pollutants covered under the NAAQS and, based on the available
information and considering the questions you addressed above, indicate which ambient air pollutant you believe should
be a national regulatory priority for the United States and why. Support your choice by describing the types of health
consequences associated with the pollutant (including any susceptible populations), its major sources, and when the
standards were last reviewed and/or changed. Then, provide a brief explanation of one or more global implications for
regulation of this pollutant by the United States. Be sure to cite your sources.
Response: ?????
Score (20 possible points): ?????
Instructor comments: ?????
Quality Indicators

Fully Met

Partially Met/Good

Partially Met/Fair

Not Met

Content Quality
(20 points)

Choice of regulatory
priority was fully
supported with
quantitative data on
health
consequences,
major sources of the
choice pollutant,
and when standards
were last
reviewed/changed

One of the following
expected criteria
was not clearly
discussed: health
consequences,
major source, when
standards were last
reviewed, or global
implications.

Two of the following
expected criteria
were not clearly
discussed: health
consequences,
major source, when
standards were last
reviewed, or global
implications.

The pollutant choice
was not a pollutant
regulated under the
NAAQS

AND/OR

AND/OR

Choice was mostly
but not fully
supported with
quantitative data
and references

Choice was not well
supported with
quantitative data
and references

AND
Global implications
of U.S. regulation of
the pollutant were

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AND/OR
Three or more of the
following expected
criteria were not
clearly discussed:
health
consequences,
major source, when
standards were last
reviewed, or global
implications

Page 3 of 6

Quality Indicators

Fully Met

Partially Met/Good

Partially Met/Fair

Not Met

clearly discussed

AND/OR

AND/OR

AND/OR

AND

Writing was a little
unclear (typos,
minor issues)

Writing was unclear
(frequent typos,
grammatical errors)

Choice was not
supported with
quantitative data
and references

(16–19 points)

(14–15 points)

Data sources were
referenced and
highly appropriate to
support the choice
and discussion

(0–13 points)

(20 points)

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Page 4 of 6

Part 3: Identify Which Pollutants Significantly Contribute to These Issues
Although many pollutants get a bad reputation, certain types of gas emissions contribute more to specific environmental
issues. Review section 4.1 in your text and the background information on each of the pollutants covered under the
NAAQS. Choose from among the eight pollutants below and fill in the name of the correct pollutant in the grid below.
chlorofluorocarbons
carbon monoxide

particulate matter
sulfur dioxide

dioxins

nitrogen

ozone

dioxide
carbon
dioxide

Pollutant

Global
warming

Acid
Score
deposition

yes

Ozone
layer
depletion
no

Response (5 points)
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Response (5 points)
?????
Response (5 points)
?????

no

?????

yes

yes

no

?????

no

no

yes

?????
Total Score
(15 possible
points)

Instructor Comments: ?????

© 2014 Laureate Education, Inc.

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Page 5 of 6

Final Score:
Part 1 Score (40 possible points)

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Part 2 Score (20 possible points)

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Part 3 Score (15 possible points)
Total Score (75 possible points)

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Instructor comments (Timeliness): ?????
Timeliness Factor (late points deducted):

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© 2014 Laureate Education, Inc.